The Wisconsin Holstein Association (WHA) hosted the annual Adult Holstein Convention at the Hotel Mead and Conference Center in Wisconsin Rapids, February 24 and 25. Holstein breeders from across the state were in attendance for meetings, speakers and tours, and to receive recognition for outstanding accomplishments in 2022.
Here, the 2022 Wisconsin Top Performer cows were announced. Recognized were cows owned by Tom Kestell, Ever-Green-View, Waldo; Wargo Acres, Lodi; and Valley Drive Holsteins, Campellsport. The overall Top Performer was Valley-Drive Mctchn Snip EX-90 who at 6-08 made 53,786 pounds of milk, 5.2% and 2807 pounds of fat, and 3.4% and 1782 pounds of protein in 305 days.
Also recognized were owners of cows that have produced more than 300,000 and 400,000 pounds of lifetime milk. There were 54 cows recognized for producing over 300,000 pounds and three cows that produced over 400,000 pounds in 2022. Outstanding advertisements in the Wisconsin Holstein News in 2022 were also recognized. Taking top ad honors for the year was Mar-Linda-K Holsteins of Johnson Creek.
Attendees at Saturday morning’s early bird session heard from Erica Enright of Winright Holsteins, Winchester, Ontario. Erica shared her knowledge of raising elite show heifers with the group. She walked through the steps she takes from birth to weaning then weaning to entering a show program in terms of nutrition, housing, exercise and washing. Following her presentation, she answered questions from the group.
The annual WHA business meeting was held and included committee reports from board members and an update from Holstein USA board members, Bob Webb and Tony Brey, and Holstein USA CEO John Mayer. Two new members were elected to a three-year term on the WHA Board of Directors: Steve Maier, Jim Falls and Joe Meyer, Unity. Ralph Petersheim of Viroqua was elected to serve a full three-year term after completing a one-year term, and Kurt Loehr of Eden was re-elected to a second three-year term.
During Saturday’s luncheon, the association honored 40- and 50- year members, outstanding juniors and the 2023 Wall of Fame Inductees. This year’s inductees were person, Eugene Halbach; bull, Ocean-View Sexation; and cow, Triple-J-Mac Bic Betty.
The afternoon was highlighted with a farm tour of Grass-Ridge Farm and Gardner Cranberry and Badger Fruit Processing. At Grass-Ridge Farm, tour attendees viewed a great crop of Registered Holsteins bred by the Lippert family in Pittsville. The farm milks more than 600 cows and has an RHA of 30,447 milk, 1252 fat and 1007 protein. The herd is a Holstein Association USA Progressive Breeder Registry (PPR) herd. After visiting the dairy, the group toured Gardner Cranberry and Badger Fruit Processing where they learned about cranberry farming and product production. The business consists of four segments – Gardner Cranberry, Badger Fruit Processing, Gardner Cold Storage and Gardner Trucking.
Honored at the Saturday evening banquet was this year’s Holstein Horizon award winner, Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder, Marlowe Nelson Distinguished Service, and Distinguished Holstein Breeder award winners.
The Holstein Horizon was established in 2022 and recognizes those in the industry who are still involved in breeding outstanding Holsteins but may not be, or are no longer, milking cows. This year’s honorees were Nick and Jessica Sarbacker of Heritage Holsteins, Whitewater.
The 2022 Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder was awarded to Nick Kress and Amanda Knoener of Kress-Hill Dairy in Newton. The farm was started in 2010 when they purchased 150 grade cows from area farms. Over the next years they bought Registered Holsteins from various sales and started transitioning their herd to registered cows.
The Marlowe Nelson Distinguished Service Award was awarded to Corey Geiger, past WHA and Holstein USA President and editor of Hoard’s Dairyman. Geiger served on the WHA Board of Directors with 27 other members while serving for nine years. He served three years as secretary, two years as vice president and two years as president.
The evening wrapped up with the announcement of the Distinguished Holstein Breeder, the Rickert Family of Eldorado. Rickland Holsteins is currently operated by three generations of the Rickert family. The entire Rickert family has served the Wisconsin Holstein Association as well as the greater dairy industry and their local community for decades through servant leadership.
The WHA Board of Directors met to elect officers for the upcoming year. Sara Feldmann of Sheboygan will serve as president. Vice President will be Kurt Loehr, Eden, and Erica Ullom of Bloomer will serve as secretary for a seventh year. Krista Luedtke, Hortonville, and Ty Hildebrandt, Hustisford, were also elected to serve on the Executive Committee.
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