Brattleboro, Vermont (May 29, 2008)… One of the highlights planned for the upcoming National Holstein Convention, June 25 and 26 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., is a panel discussion with Holstein breeders, “The Future of the Dairy Industry from a Young Holstein Breeder’s Perspective.” The insightful and inspiring forum will take place at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, June 25th, at the Kalahari Hotel, headquarters for the convention.  This forum could serve as a catalyst for young people, and perhaps others of all ages to get involved in the dairy industry.

The innovative dairy producer-panelists are:  Mark Crave, Waterloo, Wis., Randy Gross, Elkton, S.D., Stephen Maddox, Jr., Riverdale, Calif., Kylie Quesnel, Whiting, Vt., and Mark Ulness, Valders, Wis.  They represent a wide array of dairy operations, from coast to coast, in terms of management systems and number of cows.  These individuals could be successful in many professions, but they have decided to cast their lot in the dairy industry as actual dairy producers.  Three of the five are Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI) alumni.

The panelists will discuss why they chose to make a career of dairying, and share their perspective on the future of the dairy industry.  Additionally, they will address how they got started, what makes their dairies unique, and their management philosophies.

Mark Crave
Mark Crave is a partner and herd manager at Crave Brothers Farm LLC in Waterloo, Wis. With three of his brothers, he operates a 950-cow, 1,700-acre dairy farm, which also produces award-winning cheese. 

The herd has a RHA of 28,116 milk, 1,017 fat and 844 protein. The BAA of 103.7 is in the top ten nationally for herds its size.  The herd has also had show-ring success with several homebred animals receiving All-Wisconsin, Junior All-American and All-American honors recently.

The Crave Brothers were featured on the NBC Nightly News for producing green energy on their farm.  They are also hosting Wisconsin Farm Technology days in July 2009.

Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in Dairy Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has judged shows locally and internationally, and is a YDLI Class I alumnus.  Mark and his wife, Tina, have two children, Jacob and Claire.

Randy Gross
Randy Gross and his wife, Jennifer, are the managing partners of Prairie Gold Dairy LLC near Elkton, S.D. Prairie Gold Dairy is in its fourth year of operation, milking 3,000 cows three times daily with 38 full-time employees.

Currently, ten percent of the herd is registered, but since the start of the dairy, all heifer calves are identified with Holstein tags at birth and enrolled in Basic ID and registered if parentage is 87% RHA or higher. The herd is enrolled in Holstein COMPLETE.

Interestingly, Randy did not grow up on a dairy farm, though he was active in Junior Holstein activities and 4-H. Prior to starting Prairie Gold Dairy, Randy worked in the AI industry for four years in California, then five years as a herdsman at a Wisconsin dairy, where he and Jennifer met.  Randy has been elected as a delegate from South Dakota for this year’s Annual Convention.

Stephen Maddox, Jr.
Stephen Maddox, Jr. is a third-generation dairyman whose passion for the dairy industry stemmed from growing up on his family’s dairy in Riverdale, Calif. He currently manages the milking herd at Maddox Dairy, where his forward thinking and innovative ideas have helped modernize the dairy’s procedures and protocols.

Stephen graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Dairy Science and a minor in Ag Business in 2006. Shortly after graduation, he returned to the home farm to pursue his dream of working on his family’s dairy.

Stephen is a board member for the Fresno-Madera Holstein Club and a member of the Cal Poly Dairy Advisory Committee.

Kylie Quesnel
Kylie Quesnel, with her parents and siblings, operate the family’s 1,000-cow Perry Brook Dairy in Shoreham, Vt. The herd is made up primarily of Holsteins, with a majority of the cows being registered.
 
Kylie, a 2003 graduate of Cornell University, is a county director of Vermont Farm Bureau and a delegate for Dairy Farmers of America. She is co-chair for the 2008 International Forum for Women in Dairying, a 4-H leader, and co-chair of the Addison County Young Farmers group.  Kylie is also a YDLI Class 5 alumna, and now serves on the YDLI Advisory Committee.

Kylie’s perspective is unique, as there are not a lot of women her age who manage 1,000-cow dairies.

Mark Ulness
Mark Ulness and his wife, Angie, farm 220 acres and milk 85 Registered Holsteins^SM near Valders, Wis. Their current rolling herd average on twice daily milking is 27,714 pounds of milk, 1,068 pounds of fat and 892 pounds of protein.

The Ragnar herd has received the Holstein Progressive Breeders Registry Award for the past 14 years. One of the top cows in the herd is Ragnar Linjet Callie EX-93-GMD-DOM, from which they sent their first bull to AI. The herd’s current BAA is 108.5, with 16 cows scored Excellent, 29 Very Good and 20 Good Plus.  Six cows have been named Gold Medal Dams and six cows in the herd have produced over 200,000 pounds of milk lifetime.

Mark and Angie are both graduates of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Dairy Science. Both are serving as official delegates to this year’s National Holstein Convention. They have three children, Clarissa, Garrett and Whitney.

For more information, contact Jim Leuenberger, communications manager, at 715.524.5685.

Final Plans Set for National Holstein Convention

Brattleboro, Vermont (May 27, 2008)…Excitement continues to build for the National Holstein Convention in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., June 23-26. The Wisconsin Holstein Association is hosting the event, which promises to be one of the largest attended Holstein conventions in years.

Monday, June 23, kicks off the first official day of Convention. The Welcome to America’s Dairyland reception will be held that evening, featuring several Wisconsin-made products. On host day, Tuesday, June 24, attendees will have the option to tour some of the area’s prominent farms, or enjoy a variety of activities around the Dells. Following the tours will be the National Convention Sale at Heatherstone Enterprises, Inc. in Baraboo, featuring several lots of premier Registered Holsteins^SM.

During the Annual Meeting business sessions on June 25 and 26, delegates and attendees will hear reports from President Doug Maddox and CEO John M. Meyer.

An exciting feature of the business meeting on Wednesday, June 25, will be a panel discussion on “The Future of the Dairy Industry from a Young Holstein Breeder’s Perspective.” Participants will be Stephen Maddox, Jr. from California, Randy Gross from South Dakota, Kylie Quesnel of Vermont, and Mark Crave and Mark Ulness from Wisconsin.

Two new awards, the Star of the Breed and Herd of Excellence honors, will be presented during Wednesday’s business session. This year’s 40-year member honorees will also be recognized that day. 

Four members will be elected to the Association’s board of directors. The candidate for Region 2 Director is James Burdette, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. Vying for Region 3 Director are Thomas Atherton, Gaines, Michigan, and incumbent Ron Fuhrmann, Hoagland, Indiana. Up for election as Region 7 Director are incumbent Kate Geppert, Columbia, Missouri, and Douglas Unruh, Walton, Kansas. For At-Large Director, the candidates are Harlan Bohn, Twin Brooks, South Dakota, Gale Hoese, Glencoe, Minnesota, and Boyd Schaufelberger, Greenville, Illinois. Retiring from the board of directors this year are John Bierbaum, Burnsville, Minnesota and Jay Houser, Spring Mills, Pennsylvania.

Convention will conclude on Thursday evening with the highly anticipated banquet. The recipients of the Association’s most prestigious honors, the Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder, Elite Breeder, and Distinguished Leadership Awards, will be presented. Also, the six National Distinguished Junior Member finalists will be revealed.

Juniors have several exciting events taking place during the Convention, including Dairy Jeopardy and Prepared Public Speaking on Monday, the popular Dairy Bowl competition on Wednesday, and a National Fitting Contest on Thursday.

Holstein Association USA’s website, www.holsteinusa.com, will be updated daily during Convention with pictures, contest results, and daily summaries. If you cannot join us in Wisconsin, be sure to check in to see the latest news.

For updates on convention activities or for lodging information, go to www.wisholsteins.com or call the Wisconsin Holstein Association at 800.223.4269.

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.