Holstein Board Holds Spring Meeting

Brattleboro, Vermont (April 3, 2007)…The board of directors of Holstein Association USA, Inc. held its spring meeting March 22 and 23 in Brattleboro, Vt. A large portion of the meeting was spent on strategic planning and developing strong vision and mission statements for the Association.

Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan

Building on the knowledge and experience of its own leadership and management staff, the expertise of allied dairy leaders, and the Association’s member survey, the board spent the majority of its meeting on strategic planning. They reviewed in detail the strengths and weaknesses of the Association as well as the opportunities and challenges for the future of the U.S. dairy industry.

The board approved the following as the vision statement for the Association: “Holstein Association USA will lead a vibrant dairy industry.”

The new mission statement approved by the board for the Association is: “Provide leadership, information and services to help members and dairy producers worldwide be successful.”

2006 Financial Update

Chief Financial Officer Barbara Casna presented the audited December 31, 2006 Holstein Association financial statements to the board. Total Holstein Association revenues increased ten percent to $15,714,000 in 2006. The increase was mainly attributed to increased revenues from Holstein COMPLETE and increased ear tag sales. Operating expenses grew 11 percent to $15,430,000. 2006 ended on a positive note with the Holstein Association USA recognizing consolidated income from operations of $1,000.

Audit Committee Report

Director John Bierbaum, chairman of the Audit Committee, presented the Committee’s report, which was approved by the board.

Genetic Advancement Committee

The board approved five recommendations that came from the Genetic Advancement Committee’s February 19 meeting as presented by director and chair Glen Brown. They were:

1. A new Udder Composite formula will be implemented starting with the May 2007 genetic evaluations. (The new UDC formula increases udder depth from 30 to 35 %, reduces udder cleft from 10 to 9%, reduces front teat placement from 16 to 5% and adds 7% for rear teat placement). The goal is to incorporate rear teat placement into the formula while improving the relationship of somatic cell score and productive life.
   
2. The genetic evaluations for PTA Type will be modified according to recommendations from research conducted at the University of Georgia. An additional 1.7 million cows were added to the genetic evaluation system to obtain a more accurate estimate of an animal’s ancestral contribution. This resulted in our estimate of genetic improvement of the last 20 years increasing to slightly over five points. As a consequence, many present-day animals will see an increase in their PTATs. For example, the average proof of the top 400 TPI bulls will increase by +0.4. The main advantage of the new genetic evaluations is that there will be much greater stability as a bull goes from his first crop to second crop daughters.
   
3. The TPI formula will be changed to incorporate more emphasis on health and fertility traits beginning with the May 2007 genetic evaluations. In the new formula, type receives the same emphasis while production emphasis is reduced from 50 to 45%. The objective of the changes is to get higher daughter pregnancy rates, longer productive life, lower SCS, less calving difficulty and fewer stillbirths.
   
4. The acronym TPI will be changed from Type and Production Index to Total Performance Index to more accurately express the objective of the index.
   
5. A new Top 50 bull list will be created of those bulls with the lowest Expected Future Inbreeding value and having a TPI value that meets or exceeds the Top 400 TPI cut-off value for inclusion into Section 1 of the Red Book.

Resolutions and Bylaw Amendments

The board reviewed a proposal from several members to amend the Bylaws of the Association. The proposed amendment, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting, is to discontinue the election of directors of the Association by the presently designated nine regions and return to election of directors on an at-large basis without regard to geographic location. Currently, nine directors are elected by region and three at large.

Milk Marketing Committee

Director and Milk Marketing Committee chair Gordie Cook updated the board on a recent trip to Washington D.C. made by Milk Marketing Committee members Steve Maddox of California and Bill Brey of Wisconsin, along with CEO John Meyer and Holstein staffer Jodi Hoynoski. The group met with 14 elected officials, Under Secretary of Agriculture Bruce Knight along with staff members of USDA. The purpose of the trip was to communicate members’ support for the Dairy Price Support Program, legislation calling for complete component labeling of dairy products that incorporate any imitation or foreign produced ingredients, including casein and milk protein concentrate in a manner as to permit quick and easy identification, and a Johne’s indemnification program with a goal of eradication of the disease from the national herd.

National FAIR and Animal ID Committee

After director and committee chair John Kalmey presented his report, the board voted to support a nationwide mandatory uniform premises identification system in addition to continuing to promote a national mandatory animal ID program.

Membership Report

The board approved the Membership report that showed, as of February 28, 2007, there were 23,611 adult members of the Association and 8,527 junior members, for a total of 32,138.

Holstein Foundation Report

The Holstein Foundation board of trustees met March 20-21, during which considerable time was spent on strategic planning.

The Foundation board adopted as its vision: “A dairy industry with vibrant leadership.” The trustees also approved a new mission statement: “To promote and support programs that develop leaders for the dairy industry.”

Trustees re-elected to three-year terms were John Bierbaum, Calvin Covington and Frank Conyngham. Charles “Chuck” E. Worden was elected chairman, Bierbaum vice chairman and Covington secretary. Past chairman Elmo Wendorf Jr. will serve the remaining year of his term, which ends in 2008.

Future Meetings

The next meeting of the board of directors will be held June 22 and 23 in Knoxville, Tenn., just prior to the Annual Meeting. The board will also meet November 15 and 16 in Chicago.

The board approved Richmond, Virginia as the site of the 2011 National Convention and Indiana as the host state for the 2013 National Convention.

Holstein Association USA, Inc. Recognizes Winners in Junior Member Contests

BRATTLEBORO, Vt., March 29, 2007– Holstein Association USA, the world’s largest dairy breed registry organization, is proud to announce 12 semifinalists in its 85th annual Distinguished Junior Member (DJM) Contest, and eight finalists in the fourth Young Distinguished Junior Member (YDJM) Contest.

The Distinguished Junior Member semifinalists all have won the similar contest at their state level and will compete at the National Holstein Convention, June 23 – June 26, 2007 in Knoxville, Tennessee, to be named one of six National Finalists. The Distinguished Junior Member award is the highest honor the Association bestows upon its junior members. The contest, held since 1922, has honored more than 300 outstanding dairy youth for their contributions to the Association and the dairy industry.

Applicants are judged on an entry book highlighting their Junior Holstein work, activities and projects, breeding program and personal views. Entry books include four categories:

• “Story of Junior Holstein Work” – summarizing the applicant’s participation and experiences on home farm/operation and what has been learned;
• Summary of Activities – the applicant’s participation and leadership in Holstein youth activities, school, community and other organizations;
• Presentation of Herd Management Practices and Herd Health Knowledge;
• Personal View Essays – concerning the applicant’s understanding of the Holstein, dairy and agricultural industries.

The semifinalists in the 2007 Distinguished Junior Member contest are: Linda Behling, Fox Lake, Wis.; Greta Koebel, Three Oaks, Mich.; Paul Lippert, Pittsville, Wis.; John Mitchell, Winnebago, Ill.; Brenda Nelson, Winthrop, Minn.; Lana Olson, Hutchinson, Minn.; Tim Rauen, Farley, Iowa; Malorie Rhoderick, Mt. Airy, Md.; Brent Schuler, Fleetwood, Penn.; Matt Simon, Farley, Iowa; Chrissy Wendorf, Viroqua, Wis.; and Clayton Wood, Littlestown, Penn.

“Holstein Junior members are among the most dedicated and involved youth in the industry,” said Kelli Dunklee, Junior Programs Specialist, Holstein Association USA. “Each year brings another group of outstanding young people who are the future leaders of the dairy community.”

The Young Distinguished Junior Member Contest selected eight Junior members as finalists who will be recognized at the National Convention. The YDJM winners were judged on similar criteria to the Distinguished Junior Member Contest.

The Young Distinguished Junior Members for 2007 are: Jacob Brey, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.; Katie Hanehan, Stillwater, N.Y.; Kelly Lee, Johnson Creek, Wis.; Amanda Mohr, Glencoe, Minn.; Elizabeth Olson, Hutchinson, Minn.; Luke Rauen, Farley, Iowa; Austin Schwartzbeck, Union Bridge, Md.; and Corbin Wood, Littlestown, Penn.

“The YDJM Contest is a chance for the Holstein Association to recognize the achievements of our younger members,” said Dunklee. “These members will be eligible to compete in the Distinguished Junior Member Contest in the future. The contest at the younger age division helps them prepare for the senior level.”

Holstein Association USA, Inc., www.holsteinusa.com, provides products and services to dairy producers to enhance genetics and improve profitability–ranging from registry processing to identification programs to consulting services. The Association, headquartered in Brattleboro, Vt., maintains the records for Registered Holsteins^SM and represents more than 30,000 members throughout the United States. The Association is also leading the initiative for national animal identification through the National FAIR program.