Six of the eight breeders recognized by the Holstein Association USA’s 2021 Herds of Excellence recipients are in Wisconsin!
Holstein Association USA’s 2021 Herds of Excellence have all bred and developed herds with superior production and type. Given annually, the award recognizes outstanding Registered Holstein® breeders who have achieved the best of both in one package.
“Hats off to the eight 2021 Herds of Excellence! The Brantner, Kestell, Koepke, Koester, Long, Siemers, Vandertie, and Zwald family herds provide excellent examples that show whatever you’re interested in breeding for, the Holstein breed has the diversity in genetics to accomplish your goals,” says Holstein Association USA CEO John Meyer.
The award is broken down into three divisions based on herd size, including the Large Herd Division (500+ cows), Medium Herd Division (100-499 cows), and Small Herd Division (10-99 cows).
This year’s honorees are:
Large Herd Division:
Bomaz Inc. — The Zwald Family, Hammond, Wis.
92.9% homebred; Age Adjusted Classification Score (AACS) — 85.6 points
ME Production Averages — 32,882M 1,319F 1,046P
Four Year Honoree
Siemers Holstein Farms Inc. — The Siemers Family, Newton, Wis.
98.5% homebred; AACS — 84.8 points
ME Production Averages — 35,865M 1,511F 1,100P
Six Year Honoree
Medium Herd Division:
Koepke Farms Inc. — The Koepke Family, Oconomowoc, Wis.
100% homebred; AACS — 84.9 points
ME Production Averages — 35,002M 1,433F 1,060P
Five Year Honoree
Koester Dairy Inc. — The Koester Family, Dakota, Ill.
98.8% homebred; AACS — 85.0 points
ME Production Averages — 35,221M 1,465F 1,110P
Six Year Honoree
Small Herd Division:
B-Long Holsteins — Bruce, Brenda & Bret Long, New London, Wis.
100% homebred; AACS — 88.2 points
ME Production Averages — 35,059M 1,377F 1,122P
Eleven Year Honoree
Doorco Holsteins— Dan, Julie, and Austin Vandertie, Brussels, Wis.
100% homebred; AACS — 88.4 points
ME Production Averages — 35,466M 1,397F 1,085P
Five Year Honoree
Ever-Green-View Holsteins, LLC — The Kestell Family, Waldo, Wis.
97.7% homebred; AACS — 88.6 points
ME Production Averages — 40,588M 1,698F 1,267P
Twelve Year Honoree
Show-Mar Holsteins — The Brantner Family, Evans City, Pa.
100% homebred; AACS — 89.5 points
ME Production Averages — 36,662M 1,622F 1,141P
Two Year Honoree
The awards will be presented during Holstein Association USA’s 136th Annual Meeting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. To register for the convention or learn more, visit www.2022nationalholsteinconvention.com.
Read more about the 2021 Herds of Excellence in the Spring 2022 issue of The Pulse. Select pages of The Pulse are available at www.holsteinusa.com under the Latest News tab.
About the Award
The Herd of Excellence designation honors Registered Holstein breeders who have developed Holstein herds that excel in both production and type.
To be recognized with this accolade, herds must have classified within the last year and have an age-adjusted average classification score of 83 points or higher; have at least 70 percent of the herd homebred; and be enrolled in the Association’s TriStarSM production records program. Additionally, qualifying herds must meet the following production criteria:
- Large Herd Division – 15 percent above breed average ME for milk, fat and protein
- Medium Herd Division – 20 percent above breed average ME for milk, fat and protein
- Small Herd Division – 25 percent above breed average ME for milk, fat and protein
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