Way-Har Farms

Every generation inherits the same responsibility, but not the same farm.

When Lolly and William Lesher took over Way-Har Farms, they inherited one version of the family business. Their daughter, Jaylene, is preparing to inherit another.

They care for the same land. They walk the same barns. They share the same commitment to the cows and the community that have shaped their family for decades. Each brings her own experience and perspective to the decisions shaping what comes next.

Those small changes, made one generation at a time, have shaped Way-Har Farms for nearly 75 years.

A Farm That Keeps Evolving

The farm has never stood still. In the rolling hills of southeastern Pennsylvania, Way-Har is a place where history and progress exist comfortably together. Parts of the farmhouse date back to 1731 and 1835.

The farm market has served the community for more than five decades. And just beyond those historic buildings, plans are underway for the next chapter: a new milking parlor, continued investments in herd genetics and a new generation preparing to lead.

You can see that evolution throughout the farm. Way-Har milks approximately 350 cows. Each one has it's own identification number, allowing the family to trace maternal lineages back nearly 20 generations. Those records help inform breeding and genetics decisions today, connection the history of the herd with its future. 

Dairy cows thrive on consistency, and predictable routines around feeding, milking and rest help keep them healthy and comfortable. Activity monitors helps flag subtle changes in behavior long before they become larger concerns. Veterinarians, nutritionists and agronomists work alongside the family throughout the year, helping guide everything from herd health to crop production. Together, experience and technology support hundreds of small decisions made every day. 

Technology provided more information than ever before. Knowing what todo with it still depends on people who know the herd - who recognize when one cow is behaving differently or when something in the daily routine has changed. Producing wholesome, nutritious dairy foods begins with that attention long before milk ever leaves the farm. 

"It's a lifestyle, but it's also our career," Lolly says. "It's what we chose to do professionally."

Knowing the herd is only one of the relationships that shape life at Way-Har.

Beyond the Barn

In 1970, the family opened a farm market with a simple idea: connect the people producing food with the people enjoying it. Today, neighbors still stop by for milk, ice cream and baked good. Former teenage employees have returned years later to work there again. Families who once visited as children now bring children of their own. For many local families, the market has become part of their own traditions. 

"I think it speaks volumes that people want to come back and work for us - or that now their grandchildren are working for us," Lolly says. 

Every morning, two generations begin the day together, adding another chapter to the story of Way-Har Farms.

Way-Har Farms is one of six farms featured in Portraits of Modern Dairy, bringing the people, perspectives and daily realities behind today's dairy farms into public view.