Erick Coolidge of Wellsboro, Pa., is a dairy farmer – one who lives and breathes public service. He's quick to acknowledge that he owes the privilege of having dual careers to his wife, Dixie, and son Derick.

His double-duty has earned this Tioga County farmer the Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer Award. He's one of four receiving the award during a March 31 ceremony in Harrisburg, Pa.

PROUD OF FAMILY AND HERITAGE: As Erick Coolidge puts it: "We [farmers] don't need to be shy about where we come from." Farmers are a valuable part of every community.

Coolidge's daily routine starts at 4:15 a.m. with feeding and milking chores, then shifts to the courthouse by 8:30, where he has served as a Tioga County commissioner since 1985. Erick is ag committee vice-chair of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and past chairman of its board. He has also served on the ag committee of the National Association of Counties as well as its Environment and Land Use Committee. Those roles put him in a pro-active leadership positions, reflecting rural counties' needs and priorities.

Erick is chairman of the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence board; and board member of the state Dairy Promotion Program. He also serves on the State Conservation Board. In 2010, he was named vice chairman of USDA's Dairy Industry Advisory Committee.

Among many honors, Erick has received the state Dairy Association's Charles Cohen Award, the state's Commissioner of the Year Award, the Governor's Local Government Excellence Award,

His second love – after Dixie – is singing in the community chorus and the local Methodist church. He also recorded a CD, benefiting cancer patients.

Focused on next-gen transition
Creating a clear vision for Le-Ma-Re Farm's future has always been important to Erick. "Forming a limited liability corporation with Derick in 2011helped us manage our business to ensure the dairy's future," he explains. "The LLC outlines our ownership shift of assets (cattle and equipment) to Derick over time."

"The LLC helped ensure succession without undue financial hardships for our son. But succession planning still remains critical," adds this Master Farmer, "The LLC doesn't manage all the issues coming with farm/asset transfer.  And, he stresses it's important to set up an intergenerational plan everybody is happy with.

Derick is the farm manager with Dixie overseeing the livestock calves to cows. Erick helps as needed, and provides relief of farm personnel during time off. The couple also has two daughters, Shalane Willis and Cheslie Martin, not involved in the farm operation.

Nominate a 2015 Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer
Nominations for the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer awards program are open. Any person or organization may nominate candidates from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia by emailing candidates' names and addresses to [email protected] .

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