Full Name
Mary Kraft
Job Title
CFO
Company
Kraft Family Dairies LLC
Speaker Bio
Mary Kraft started feeding calves at age 7 for $.25 a night, progressing to the 1-6AM milking shift on her family’s 3rd generation dairy farm throughout high school and college. Mary and husband Chris joined the family partnership, then split off to start their own dairy with 125 milking Holsteins. The dairy has grown to 6000 head milking, and a 6000 head heifer rearing facility. The dairy employs 85 full time employees, delivers 20-30 baby calves a day, and ships 8-10 semi-loads of milk to market daily. The dairy has been honored several times for its focus on environment, flow, cow comfort, and people development- with an eye toward each being the most important at all times.
Mary earned her BA from Colorado State University in Technical Journalism, specializing in animal reproduction, and a Masters of Business Administration from the New York Institute of Technology. Mary is the Chief Financial Officer, and currently manages the human, computer and financial resources for the dairies and is fluent in Spanish.
Mary served as President of the Colorado Livestock Association (CLA), formerly Colorado Cattle Feeders. She lent her voice to the National Beef Quality Audit through her leadership role in National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and serves on the NCBA board. She serves on the Dairy Max dairy promotion board, and as their Sustainability Spokesperson through the Innovation Center of Dairy Marketing Inc (DMI). She is an active communicator for Common Ground, a grassroots group dedicated to helping people get to know and understand agriculture practices and the people who take care of the animals. She serves as a Director on the Agfinity Cooperative Board.
Mary is a class VII graduate of the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program and was named a National Spokesperson for Agriculture by the National Young Farmers Education Association. Mary writes for various dairy magazines, including Dairy Herd Management’s Tools for Profit. She rides and shows two Warmblood dressage horses in Local, National and International Competition.
Mary earned her BA from Colorado State University in Technical Journalism, specializing in animal reproduction, and a Masters of Business Administration from the New York Institute of Technology. Mary is the Chief Financial Officer, and currently manages the human, computer and financial resources for the dairies and is fluent in Spanish.
Mary served as President of the Colorado Livestock Association (CLA), formerly Colorado Cattle Feeders. She lent her voice to the National Beef Quality Audit through her leadership role in National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and serves on the NCBA board. She serves on the Dairy Max dairy promotion board, and as their Sustainability Spokesperson through the Innovation Center of Dairy Marketing Inc (DMI). She is an active communicator for Common Ground, a grassroots group dedicated to helping people get to know and understand agriculture practices and the people who take care of the animals. She serves as a Director on the Agfinity Cooperative Board.
Mary is a class VII graduate of the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program and was named a National Spokesperson for Agriculture by the National Young Farmers Education Association. Mary writes for various dairy magazines, including Dairy Herd Management’s Tools for Profit. She rides and shows two Warmblood dressage horses in Local, National and International Competition.
Speaking At
