McKarns Selected for Distinguished Leadership Award
Brattleboro, Vermont (May 24, 2007)…Bill McKarns, Hanoverton, Ohio, has been selected as the Holstein Association USA’s first Distinguished Leadership Award winner. The prestigious award will be presented during the Holstein Association USA’s annual meeting in Knoxville, Tenn. on June 25.
The Distinguished Leadership Award, the first of its kind for the Association, will be presented annually to an individual who, in the opinion of an anonymous selection committee, has provided outstanding and unselfish leadership to the Association and/or the U.S. dairy industry.
McKarns grew up in Ohio and, after high school, served his country in the U.S. Army. After his military career, he returned to Ohio and started a Registered Holstein herd in the 1950s, developing many high producing cows with excellent type. He dispersed the herd in 1990, with 93 head averaging $2,374.
In addition to dairying, McKarns worked as a National Holstein Association Assistant Field Representative and for the Ohio Agriculture Statistics Service. He and his wife, Pauline, have been married 48 years and have 11 children, one deceased, and 13 grandchildren.
In his letter of support for McKarns, Select Sires Retired General Manager said, “Leadership is characterized by surfacing a good idea, not necessarily popular at the time and shepherding it through opposition, criticism and debate to its ultimate adoption as policy. Such leadership was clearly exhibited by Bill McKarns regarding the open herdbook issue in the late 1980s and early 1990s that was being considered by the Holstein Association.”
Chichester continued, “Bill thought non-100% purebred Holsteins, called ‘grades’ but otherwise performing well should qualify for inclusion in Holstein’s herdbook. He expressed his ideas to his local and state Holstein organizations and, after consideration, led them to adopt favorable resolutions. The proposal then went to the national scene where it met considerable resistance. In an op-ed in the January 1988 Holstein World, Bill addressed each concern head-on in a gentlemanly but convincing manner.”
According to Chichester, “Bill contacted many people through phone calls, letters, etc. I remember, at Bill’s urging, speaking at open forum on the Holstein convention floor favoring what came to be known as the ‘Qualified’ herdbook. The idea eventually passed in 1992 and, as they say, the rest is history. Over 90,000 animals, some 30 percent of total registrations in 2005, were less than 100 percent ‘pure’. These animals have undoubtedly contributed to breed and economic progress.”
In his supporting letter, Holstein member James Spreng said, “In an organization that prides itself on being a membership organization, a member was able to personally gather the support and then to write the bylaw to be placed before the delegates for its eventual approval. This is grassroots membership at its very best. Bill McKarns recognized the need, worked incredibly hard to gather the necessary documentation and to persuade a less than supportive delegate body that the time was appropriate for a radical change.”
Former Holstein Association USA President Richard Keene commented, “Bill McKarns spent a lot of time and energy promoting, explaining and pleading to get people to see the virtue of expanding the horizons of the Holstein Association to include excellent dairymen who had outstanding herds of cattle (some all grades and some with a mixture of grades and registered) to become active participants in the Holstein Association.” Keen referred to the congenial Ohioan as “The Father of the Qualified Herdbook.”
McKarns’ involvement with the Holstein Association, however, is broader than the Qualified Herdbook and milking good Registered Holsteins. As Holstein breeder Don Bennink explained, “At a time when the Holstein Association was tight on funds and short on field staff, Bill McKarns came forward as a volunteer to fill the void. As a result of his efforts, many Ohio members got caught up on registrations or began their initial membership.”
Bennink continued, “Bill has put together programs to help both the national and statewide programs as demonstrated by his volunteering to help when a set of speakers is put together to inform members of potential to succeed with their farms and their Registered Holsteins. Many of us join in and help when it is to our personal benefit. It is a rare individual like Bill McKarns who continues to contribute long after his retirement who makes a huge difference.”
Brattleboro, Vermont (May 24, 2007)…Marvin Nunes, of Ocean View Farms, a Registered Holstein dairy near Windsor, Calif., has been named the recipient of the Holstein Association USA’s first Elite Breeder Award. The award, the first of its kind for the Association, will be presented annually to a living Holstein Association USA member, family, partnership or corporation who, in the opinion of the anonymous selection committee, has bred outstanding Registered Holsteins for many years and thereby has made a notable contribution to the advancement of the Holstein breed in the United States. Nunes will be presented with his award during the Holstein Association USA’s annual meeting on June 25 in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Ocean View prefix is known and respected throughout the national and international Holstein communities. Many Registered animals bred at Ocean View, both male and female, have had a positive impact on the Holstein breed.
At last count, Nunes had 16 plus proven sires on record at USDA including Ocean View Zenith-TW-ET, one of the Holstein breed’s most popular bulls. Another, Ocean View Sexation VG-88, an Elevation son, is regarded as one of the all-time great sires of the breed.
The 375-cow Registered Holstein Ocean View herd has been on DHIR test for 47 years and averages over 25,000 pounds of milk, 1,000 pounds of butterfat and 780 pounds of protein. Nearly 600 Ocean View-bred cows have produced over 100,000 pounds of milk in their lifetimes. According to Nunes, “If a cow doesn’t produce over 100,000 pounds of milk, we feel she is a disappointment.”
In its last classification, the herd had 83 cows scored Excellent, 194 Very Good, 82 Good Plus and 3 Good, with none lower. A total of 195 Ocean View-bred cows have been scored Excellent and 75 have been designated Gold Medal Dams. And, what Marvin says he is most proud of is that three Ocean View-bred cows have produced over 300,000 pounds of milk in their lifetimes. “I like long-living, high-producing cows,” Marvin said.
Showing and judging Holsteins have always been Marvin’s passions. Ocean View has been named Premier Breeder at many California black-and-white shows and, in 1990, the California Holstein Association honored Nunes with its Senior Breeder award. In 2005, the personable breeder was named Dairyman of the Year by World Dairy Expo. A well known dairy cattle judge, Nunes has traveled widely, including judging shows in Australia and Brazil.
As Robert M. “Whitey” McKown, former editor of the Holstein World stated, “Marvin Nunes fulfills in spades all the criteria necessary to earn the Holstein Association Elite Breeder Award. His selection will set a high benchmark for others to meet in the years to come.”
Fellow Holstein breeder and Holstein Association USA Vice President Doug Maddox said of Nunes, “If you were to survey all the Holstein breeders in California, Marvin Nunes would be recognized as the most successful and elite breeder in California Holstein history.”
Longs Named Distinguished Young Holstein Breeders
Brattleboro, Vermont (May 24, 2007)…Bruce and Brenda Long, owners and operators of B-Long Holsteins, New London, Wis., are this year’s Distinguished Young Holstein Breeders by Holstein Association USA. They will be honored at the National Holstein Convention in Knoxville, Tenn., June 25-26.
Bruce and Brenda, along with their sons Bryant-17, Bret-16 and Brandon-16, started B-Long Holsteins in 1990 with 45 cows that had a rolling herd average of 18,000 pounds of milk and a BAA of 101. Today, they milk 55 Registered Holsteins that average 32,741 pounds of milk, 1,186 pounds of butterfat and 989 pounds of protein on twice daily milking. The herd’s BAA on 39 cows is 107.9.
Two factors made this major improvement in production and type possible. “We really concentrated on improving our management and breeding programs,” Bruce said.
Feeding and Management
Management practices revolve around keeping cows comfortable to maximize feed intake. Tie stalls have mattresses for comfort and a raised tile manger makes it easy for the cows to eat. Large exhaust fans keep air fresh throughout the day, although cows are outside on pasture as much as weather permits.
Cows are fed a total mixed ration supplemented with dry hay. The TMR is mixed fresh twice a day and is fed in the barn and in an outside bunk. The ration is balanced specifically for rumen microbes by using metabolized amino acids and bacterial protein. The same ration is fed year round and the feeding of extra dry hay helps maintain rumen health and keeps the cows healthy and on feed.
Breeding Program
The Longs’ breeding decisions are based on a balance of production and type. The Holstein Red Book is used to help identify and sort bulls to be used as service sires. “We look at the top 100 TPI bulls,” Bruce said, “and sort from them based on their pedigree, positive production and favorable type traits.” The Longs also like to talk to the various AI sire analysts about what bulls are currently popular and are being used for contract matings.
Although the Longs’ main breeding emphasis is on improving type and components, they are also breeding for better overall type, strength and width while protecting udder and leg traits. They also consider health traits like productive life, somatic cell score and daughter pregnancy rate. “Hopefully, this approach will improve the longevity of our cows and will help our merchandising program too,” Bruce said.
Cow Families
The Long herd consists of three main cow families, with 65 percent of the herd tracing back to the “Triscuit” family. B-Long Laban Triscuit VG-87 was a granddaughter of one of the two original cows in the herd, Belleview Barrett Ibis. The majority of the herd originated from Ibis and Belleview L-H Mars Happy, two of Bruce’s 4-H project calves, and Sleepy View Simon Lilly, that came from Brenda’s herd. Ninety percent of the herd traces back to these three cows.
Triscuit was a Gold Medal Dam and Dam of Merit and had a top record over 37,000 pounds of milk. Her daughter, B-Long Adan Chiscuit VG-89 was also GMD and DOM and had a top record over 39,000 pounds of milk and 150,000 pounds lifetime.
The top genetic cows are flushed each year to fill AI bull and embryo contracts and to breed the next generation of top females in the herd. Embryos are implanted in the Longs’ own heifers and cows, keeping the extra work for synchronizing heats at a minimum.
Overall, the Longs have bred 15 Gold Medal Dams and nine Dams of Merit, have 15 cows with over 200,000 pounds of milk lifetime and four over 300,000 pounds.
Merchandising Program
The Longs’ merchandising program consists mainly of selling breeding stock and genetics. No outside genetics have been brought into the herd for several years.
Investing in Registered Holsteins has been very beneficial to the Longs financially. Animals consigned to sales have brought excellent prices and bulls and embryos have sold well too. “Merchandising Registered Holsteins has allowed us to stay a true family farm with 55 cows,” Bruce said, “and the extra income has allowed us to continue dairying without expanding or hiring help.”
The Longs’ Web site, www.b-longholsteins.com, features the herd’s prominent cow families, including photographs, production records, offspring and other important information. “The Web site has been helpful for buyers to see the photos and information before they visit our farm,” Brenda said. B-Long genetics have been sold to Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands, and 15 bulls have been sold to U.S. AI companies.
Outside Activities
Bruce and Brenda, both graduates of UW-River Falls, have been members of the Outagamie County, Wisconsin Holstein and National Holstein Associations since they started dairying in 1990. They have served on numerous committees and Bruce was on the Outagamie County board of directors for nine years, including four as president.
Brenda was named the Outagamie County Dairy Woman of the Year in 1998 and both she and Bruce have been 4-H dairy leaders for ten years. In 2006, they were named the Wisconsin Holstein Association Distinguished Young Breeders.
Bruce and Brenda have chaperoned youth to the Wisconsin State Fair and State Holstein Convention and have hosted 4-H youth dairy judging workshops and contests. “These activities give us a chance to help younger members understand type traits of cows and lets us show off our cows as well,” Brenda said.
They have also worked with their county dairy promotion board, assisted with the dairy breakfast on the farm, and attended career day at their local grade school, all ways to help educate and expose the public to dairy farming and the importance of dairy products. “Volunteering in these ways is essential for the next generation and to keep the community aware of what is happening in agriculture and with Registered Holsteins,” Brenda said.
As for the future, the Longs have simple goals. “Basically, we want to maintain our production while improving the overall type of our herd,” they said. “We also plan to continue with Registered Holsteins and breed from our main cow families. If we can choose the right sires and invest in registering, classification, advertising and showing, we should be able to continue to market our genetics and have a long, successful dairy career.”
Holstein Foundation Seeks Applicants For The Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI)
Brattleboro, Vermont (May 1, 2007)…The Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI) is inviting dairy producers and industry professionals ages 22 to 45 to apply for the sixth class of YDLI, which will be held February 27 – March 1, 2008 and February 25 – 28, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“The move to Albuquerque is very exciting,” said Jodi Hoynoski, Holstein Foundation Programs Manager and YDLI director. “The city offers unique culture, traditions, food, music, art, dress and attitude. It has something for everyone, but I fell in love with its breathtaking beauty and southwestern hospitality. I also enjoy that Albuquerque is a more central location given today’s dairy climate.” The YDLI program had been held in Tampa, Fla. since its inception.
The YDLI experience includes a focused three-phase leadership and communication skills development program sponsored by the Holstein Foundation. Past YDLI graduates have become significant contributors to the dairy industry as progressive producers, breed association leaders, and corporate executives.
Using pertinent issues facing the dairy industry, Phase I, a four-day conference, focuses on developing participants' individual leadership skills, enhancing communication and media relation skills, understanding personality styles, and developing effective meeting skills.
Phase II requires participants' involvement in outreach activities and active leadership roles in their communities.
Phase III brings participants together for a second four-day conference focusing on team development and group leadership skills, affecting the public policy process, and advanced media relation skills.
To join a growing group of young dairy industry professionals who credit this program for teaching them valuable professional skills and making life-long friendships, contact Jodi Hoynoski 800.952.5200 ext. 4261, or e-mail Jodi. Due August 1, 2007, applications for YDLI are available to download at www.holsteinfoundation.org.
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 HolsteinsSM 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.