Alumni How Now, Brown Cow? Meet ‘Dairy Influencer’ Hailey Pipher ’19 Stories You May Like Lessons in Large-Animal Medicine—From a Fiberglass Cow Holy Cows! Brothers (and their Farm) Star on New TV Show Hotelie Aims to Bring Brown Butter to a Dairy Case Near You Raised in a NY farming family, the CALS alum is using social media to share her love of all things milk-related—with style by the gallon Editor's note: Scroll down for a summery dessert recipe Pipher is sharing with her fellow Cornellians: Skillet Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake! By Melissa Newcomb Mooove over, Champagne! When Hailey Pipher ’19 raises a coupe glass—or builds a festive, tiered tower of them for display on her website—it’s brimming with her favorite beverage: milk. The CALS alum, who grew up on a New York State dairy farm, is a social media influencer who posts under the handle @shelikesmilk on TikTok and Instagram. She boasts more than 330,000 followers across her platforms—with upwards of 740,000 likes on TikTok alone. Pipher created a "milk tower" for her socials. Working in the food, lifestyle, and wellness spaces, Pipher creates a variety of stylishly curated content—including recipes, videos, and educational info about dairy farming and production. In her video series “What Can’t Milk Do?,” for instance, she demonstrates how the staple can be used to create many other foods—from ice cream and cheese to an easy-to-prepare caramel sauce. Creating content, from farm to kitchen. “Dairy is the one ingredient that shows up multiple times within a recipe, so I wanted to highlight that,” says Pipher, who majored in agricultural science on the Hill. “Then once I have people’s attention, I can get them to care about the story behind it—the rich agricultural history of our barns, businesses, and cows.” Before becoming a full-time influencer, Pipher worked for global animal health and nutrition companies, launching her dairy-focused social accounts as a creative outlet. “When I started She Likes Milk, I had zero expectations,” she admits. “Then it started growing really fast, and I knew this was the right path for me.” Pipher grew up on her family’s 60-cow farm in Chemung County, NY, where she helped care for the animals and maintain the property. With one of her baking creations. She recalls sitting at the kitchen table each morning with her mom, dad (fellow CALS alum Thomas Pipher ’86), and siblings to discuss what tasks needed to be done and how to approach any issues, like how an especially hot day would affect the cows. Says Pipher: “My parents did a really good job of involving me in the business side of the farm as a kid, and making it really fun.” My parents did a really good job of involving me in the business side of the farm as a kid, and making it really fun. In 2018–19, while still an undergrad, Pipher served as New York’s Dairy Princess—spending her weekends promoting the industry at events around the state. (The program has since evolved into the gender-neutral “Dairy Ambassadors.”) “Milk and dairy are delicious, have great stories of being created by families, and are made locally,” Pipher says. “We have everything going for us, and I want to see us capitalize on that.” As a child on the family farm, and during her reign as Dairy Princess. As an influencer, Pipher’s primary source of income is through brand partnerships, where she promotes products, companies, and organizations. She has worked with such familiar names as Williams-Sonoma, Nature’s Own, Heinz, Hellmann’s, Goya, and Talenti, as well as the American Dairy Association. Stories You May Like Lessons in Large-Animal Medicine—From a Fiberglass Cow Holy Cows! Brothers (and their Farm) Star on New TV Show Milk and dairy are delicious, have great stories of being created by families, and are made locally. We have everything going for us, and I want to see us capitalize on that. She also benefits from a TikTok program that pays eligible influencers based on the number of views their videos generate. In creating content, Pipher aims to get people excited about consuming milk and other dairy products by making them fun and trendy—while educating audiences about the industry and the farms where it all starts. On the Hill at a CALS event. Among her most popular recipes: numerous variations on English muffins—from scallion-cheddar to Rocky Road—many of which include dairy products like butter, milk, cheese, and buttermilk. “I would love to continue to grow this,” Pipher says of her social media career, “and maybe one day, I’ll be known as the Martha Stewart of milk.” Skillet Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake Adapted from a recipe by Hailey Pipher ’19; a video and a printable version can be found here. (Servings: 6) Ingredients 3 c. all-purpose flour ½ c. granulated sugar 1 tbsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1¼ c. whole milk 1 egg 1½ tsp. vanilla 12 tbsp. (¾ cup, or 1½ sticks) cold butter, grated or cut into small cubes For the fruit topping: 1 c. sliced fresh strawberries, divided ½ c. chopped rhubarb 2 tbsp. granulated sugar Instructions Preheat oven to 400 °F. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Incorporate butter into dry mixture with your hands until it reaches a mealy texture. Create a well in the dry ingredients and set aside. In a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup, combine milk, egg, and vanilla and whisk until fully mixed. Pour wet ingredients into the well; stir until just combined and a very sticky dough forms. Prepare fruit mixture by slicing half the strawberries (reserving the other half) and rough-chopping the rhubarb. Add to a medium bowl and sprinkle with sugar; toss to coat. Transfer batter to a 10” skillet (or glass baking dish) and spread out evenly in the bottom. Top with strawberry-rhubarb mixture and press fruit into the batter. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Top with remaining sliced strawberries. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream. (All photos provided.) Published August 1, 2025 Comments Gerald Rehkugler, Class of 1957 15 Aug, 2025 Heart warming story! Wonderful wholesome promotion of a vital industry for New York and many other states. She lived through an era when a family farm could make a good living with 60 cows. Not so in this era. However, there still are family farms, but much more industrialized and larger and employ many people beyond the family. Reply Ellen Knapp, Class of 1975 15 Aug, 2025 Great article about a neighbor farmer Great family.. and if readers of this yummy recipe are in need of fresh rhubarb.. well we just happen to grow it a mile down the road from the Pipher farm Will be picking until first frost Reply Tracey Hammer, Class of 1997 17 Aug, 2025 It’s disturbing to see that in 2025 Cornell is showcasing a cruel and unethical industry, where newborns are ripped from their mothers at birth, males calves are cruelly raised in chains and confinement without their mother’s milk for veal, and females are raped in order to be impregnated for the same exploitation and cruelty their mother’s experienced, along with being breast-pumped within an inch of their lives – taken to slaughter with just enough life left in them (hopefully) to make it on and off the slaughter truck (since downed cows aren’t allowed to be sold into the food chain). Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, hemp milk, etc. … these are all delicious and don’t require one to sacrifice their moral character or participate in an unethical form of institutionalized exploitation and cruelty. Reply Holly Lange, Class of 2010 17 Aug, 2025 you are highly misinformed and a nut like the “milk” you enjoy Reply Jack Glassman, Class of 1980 17 Aug, 2025 Well said. I admit that, as a newly-minted freshman in ’75, I thought that Cornell Dairy ice cream sandwiches wrapped in the Cornell seal were the coolest thing and I ate ice cream at least daily, but I had no clue how the ‘Big Ag’ industry worked. Time to wake up and smell the coffee ice cream… Reply Nora Wright, Class of 2014 17 Aug, 2025 Thank you for sharing this opinion. Farming is an important part of New York’s industries. But it is important to name the painfully unethical practices that go along with the dairy industry. Funded, influencer pictures with free cows promotes something that is a far cry from the experience most cows have. Being an influencer rather than a researcher gives the opportunity to only share one side of the story. I am just appreciating alumni who are broadening the conversation. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Alumni Reunion ’24 in Photos: Big Red Spirit Filled a Festive Weekend Campus & Beyond New Book by Alumni Explores Walter LaFeber’s Life and Work Alumni Acclaimed Horror Writer Forges Bright Paths Through Dark Worlds