Agriculture industry leader spotlight: 3rd-generation Hokie advocates for dairy farmers

Lindsay Reames, a proud member of the 10th generation to grow up on her family’s dairy farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, has embraced her heritage with pride. With a long family tradition of attending Virginia Tech, it was only natural for her to continue the legacy and become a Hokie herself.

"My brother and sister were dairy science majors, and I knew I didn't want to take that path,” Reames said. “I knew I wanted to stay within agriculture and work in advocacy on behalf of farmers."

Reames, who received a bachelor's degree in agriculture and applied economics in 2004 and a master’s in public administration in 2006, credits the numerous internship opportunities she had while at Virginia Tech with helping her secure her first job as a lobbyist for the Virginia Farm Bureau.

"I'd say half of everyone I worked with at Farm Bureau had attended Virginia Tech, so it definitely felt like coming home," Reames said.

Reames' experience at the Farm Bureau led to an interest in agriculture policy, to help ensure work done in the General Assembly was going to positively impact farmers across the Commonwealth.

"That helped elevate my awareness of how you can make a bigger impact outside of the ag industry as well,” Reames said. “I had several opportunities to travel the entire state and see all aspects of agriculture.”

In those travels, she found herself working alongside fellow Virginia Tech alumni, crediting the network as both a highlight and driving force of her professional development.

Reames went on to serve under Governor Terry McAuliffe as the assistant secretary of agriculture and forestry.

"It was an honor to be able to serve in that role and be a spokesperson for all of agriculture and to have been able to talk about what is important to ensure that we have success for future generations,” Reames said.

After her time in governmental relations, Reames returned to the private sector and has been at the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative for over eight years. She began at the cooperative by establishing an animal care and sustainability program, working with the field team to help farmers get the resources they needed to develop conservation plans and implement best management practices on farms.

Today, Reames is the executive vice president of sustainability and external relations. She leads all internal and external communications, marketing efforts, and sustainability for the company's fluid dairy products and ingredients worldwide. Launching off the work she did with farmers, she developed a sustainability program, now nearly $100-million strong in grant dollars, and strategic partnerships across the supply chain.

"We're the only dairy co-op that has this significant of a program,” Reames said. “It's really helped differentiate ourselves in the marketplace to provide more value back to member owners, but also provide dairy products to the end customer and consumers who want to purchase sustainably sourced milk."

Her advice to students looking into agricultural economics is to start with your passion, even if a job does not yet exist.

“So, if you have an idea of what you want to go after, if you have a strong education behind you, you can create that role,” Reames said. “Whatever you are passionate about, there is an opportunity there.”

Reames feels very strongly about students experiencing internships that open doors for future employment. She took advantage of them and made her own connections that have been instrumental.

“Targeting opportunities beyond the classroom is crucial for personal growth and career success,” Reames said. “Leadership positions, club involvement, and industry experience lay the groundwork for a purposeful professional journey. Embodying experiential learning, transitioning from farm life to excelling in diverse internships, and leveraging connections within the Hokie community have been instrumental in shaping my career path.”

Reames is an advisory board member for the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

By Nancy Moseley