Pennsylvania’s Lesher named YDLI Distinguished Alumni Leader

BRATTLEBORO, Vt., December 12, 2005–Lolly Lesher, Bernville, Pa. has been named the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Leader of the Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI) by the Holstein Foundation board of trustees. The award is presented annually to honor YDLI alumni leadership and contributions to the dairy industry. Other finalists included Paul Heins, Higginsville, Mo. and Marilyn Hershey, Cochranville, Pa.

Lesher and her husband, William, both YDLI Class 2 alumni, own a dairy farm in partnership with William’s parents. The farm includes a family-owned milk processing and retail facility which recently celebrated 35 years of operation. Milk from the farm’s 120 head, which include Registered Holsteins, Brown Swiss, Jerseys and Milking Shorthorns, is processed and bottled at the site and sold in their own store. The Leshers have four children: Joshua, 13, Jaylene, 11, Laura 9, and Olivia, 3.

“The YDLI program helped me refine my communication building skills and work to complete written goals. The planning and strategy skills I learned at YDLI gave me the ability to recognize and concentrate on the important aspects of our farm, our business, and my responsibility to our community,” said Lesher.

Lesher organizes school visits to their farm for local students each year, as well as hosting a legislative tour for county commissioners, state representatives, local township supervisors and school district leadership every other year. In 2005, the Leshers were honored to welcome the Pennsylvania State Center for Rural Development and Rural Leadership Program participants to their dairy.

In 2004, in response to attacks from the local homebuilders association, Lehser initiated a public relations campaign utilizing public radio shows, print articles, letters to the editor and town-country meetings to educate citizens about farmland preservation and the economic value of farms. The highly successful campaign mobilized retail farm marketers, dairy organizations, sheep and woolgrowers, cattlemen and farm organizations.

“There is a real need to communicate our message with the decision makers. I strive to keep the lines of communication open and to present economic facts and realities instead of relying on emotion to get my message across,” said Lesher.

Lesher is currently Vice-Chairman for Center for Dairy Excellence and the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force Communications Committee, Chairman of the PR committee for the Berks County Agricultural Land Preservation Board, President of Berks County Farm-City Council and the Pennsylvania Retail Farm Marketers Association, Executive Secretary for Pennsylvania Producers Handlers Association, Public Relations Director for the All-American Dairy Show and a member of the Berks County Holstein Association Board of Directors. In addition, she serves as the township’s elected Auditor, is a member of the Penn State University Ag Advisory Council and is an advisor for two 4-H clubs and the Berks County 4-H Livestock Judging team.

Three Outstanding Juniors Recognized by Holstein Association USA

BRATTLEBORO, Vt., December 12, 2005– Holstein Association USA, Inc. announces the 2005 Fall Show Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Memorial Award winners: Greta Koebel, Matt Mitchell and Esther Rupp. Since 1994, 108 outstanding Juniors have been presented this prestigious award named for Judi Collinsworth, the former Holstein Association Executive Director of Member and Industry Services who passed away in 1993 of cancer. Collinsworth was dedicated to improving and expanding Holstein youth programs and was a driving force behind increasing support for them.

Koebel is the 18-year-old daughter of Terry and Jennie Koebel of Three Oaks, Mich. She was awarded the Collinsworth Award while exhibiting at the International Junior Holstein Show at the World Dairy Expo, Madison, Wis., October 4, 2005. She is a freshman at Michigan State University majoring in Agribusiness Management. Koebel has been a Junior Holstein member for 13 years and plans to stay active in the Registered Holstein arena by owning her own herd. She is currently the Vice-President of the Michigan Junior Holstein Board of Directors and was named the Outstanding Junior Exhibitor at the Michigan State Holstein Show.

Mitchell is the 17-year-old son of Jeff and Rissa Mitchell of LaFollette, Tenn. He was awarded the Collinsworth Award at the Premier National Junior Holstein Show at the All-American Dairy Show, Harrisburg, Pa., September 19, 2005. Currently a high school sophomore, Mitchell, with help from his parents, is leasing a dairy facility to milk the 16 Registered Holsteins he owns. After achieving a college degree, he plans to continue his Registered Holstein dairy herd. Mitchell is an accomplished Junior member with many awards, including being named a 2004 Young Distinguished Junior Member Finalist.

Rupp is the 18-year-old daughter of Jim and Sharon Rupp of Seville, Ohio. She received the Collinsworth Award at Grand National Junior Holstein Show at the North American International Livestock Expo, Louisville, Ky., November 5, 2005. She has been a Junior Holstein member for 10 years. Currently, Rupp is a freshman at the Ohio State University, with plans to either return to the home farm or become a large animal veterinarian. Rupp has many accomplishments including having a Junior All-American nomination in 2004 and being named the 2005 Ohio Holstein Queen.

The Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Memorial Award is given to a deserving applicant at each of 2005 National Junior Holstein Shows. Each winner is selected based on sportsmanship, herdsmanship and level of participation in Holstein Activities and is awarded $100.

Koebel, Mitchell and Rupp join the 2005 Spring Show winners: Rebekah Mast, Crystal McNett and Andy Thomas as the 2005 Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Memorial Award winners. The six 2005 show winners are invited to apply for the overall Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Memorial Award, a $500 scholarship.

Announcing the First Database to Identify and Measure Cross-Bred Animals

BRATTLEBORO, Vt., December 9, 2005—The Cattle Identification Database (CID), the first database to identify and track cross-bred animals, is now available for dairy producers to record, monitor and identify cross-bred animals.

“The dairy industry will value CID for its ability to record, monitor and evaluate multi-breed animals,” said Peter Cole, Executive Director, Association and Processing Services. “We have all heard and read the anecdotal evidence on cross breeding. CID is the only database that can offer accurate performance and genetic information to compare cross-bred cattle to herdmates and other herds.”

Animals are entered into the CID database using reported breed composition and ear tags. For $5.00 per animal, CID customers will receive management data including all identification, parentage and performance information, such as available 305-day lactation records, classification scores and indexes.

All animals enrolled in CID must be identified using Holstein Tag ID. Transfers of ownership will be recorded at no charge. Offspring of CID animals that would qualify as 87%RHA (Registered Holstein Ancestry) are eligible for registration at Holstein Association USA.

For more information or to request CID applications, call 800-952-5200.

Holstein Association USA Announces Regional Member Meetings

BRATTLEBORO , Vt. , December 8, 2005 –The Holstein Association USA, Inc. will host nine Regional Member Meetings starting in December 2005 through February 2006. The goal of the meetings, held annually throughout the country, is to provide members and delegates a forum to discuss the organization’s business and programs with staff and directors of the Holstein Association.

The meetings dates are as follows:

For more on the Regional Member Meetings call (800) 952-5200 or visit www.holsteinusa.com.

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 and represents approximately 30,000 dairy farmers from across the United States. The Association is also leading the initiative for national animal identification through the National FAIR program.