President’s Message

By Anthony Souza

As the famous rock band AC\DC once said “Are You Ready For A Good Time”, 2023 is off to a fun start!! Record snow and rain has really blessed California as we have been in a horrible drought for a few years. It’s only fitting that we got the record weather following in step with the record milk prices we saw last year and the demand for quality cattle still continues and it shows!!

We kicked this year off in Reno with our State Convention held at the Peppermill Casino. The Stanislaus Holstein club hosted and did a great job. We enjoyed a fantastic sale and got to enjoy a fun-filled weekend with fellow Holstein breeders and industry supporters. The weekend ended with a tremendous Senior Banquet where we got to honor Frank and Diane Borba with the 2022 Doug Maddox Senior Breeder of the Year Award and Johnny Machado for the AJ Quist Young Breeder of the Year Award. A big congratulations goes out to these breeders on a milestone award!

Like I mentioned earlier, God blessed our state with some much-needed rain and snow! However, we were not ready for the amount that was brought and the aftermath that followed. Southern California got hit with massive flooding that caused the State Association to jump to a Plan B for this year’s State Show location. With only a few week’s notice, the association, along with the help of a few key members, managed to get our show relocated to Turlock. I couldn’t be more proud of our directors and office manager for stepping up to make this year’s State Show a memorable one. This year’s judge, Tyler Reynolds, sorted through large, quality classes of Holsteins from all over our great state and placed this year’s champions!! There was a record number of Red & Whites that participated in both classes this year. Congratulations to Frank and Diane Borba and Frank and Carol Borba on exhibiting the Champion cow of both shows!

California also did not disappoint in the Junior and Open divisions at the Western Spring National Show in Utah in May. Many class winners came from California in both the Holstein and Red & White classes!

In the Junior world, our young people continue to set the bar as the teams to beat at the national level. Whether it be in the show ring or competing in Dairy Bowl, our youth are a bright light for our state and industry. I want to wish our juniors that will be competing at the National Convention good luck! Our juniors are coached by the best in my opinion! A big thank you goes out to Kirsten Areias for all her dedication to our youth.

2023-2024 Board of Directors

President ................. Anthony Souza 13607 Liberty Lane, Hanford dairyjock98@hotmail.com; 559-805-5469

Tony Cabral ............. 1st term ends 2025 765 Alta Vista Ct., Galt ynot1949@yahoo.com; 209-744-6932

John Cunningham ..... 2nd term ends 2025 4338 Lichau Rd, Penngrove haysource@aol.com; 707-974-8700

Frank Gambonini ...... 2nd term ends 2025 7149 Lakeville Hwy, Petaluma gamlakedairy@gmail.com; 707-338-0220

Ken Melvold ............ 1st term ends 2025

6178 N Blosser, Fresno cmelvold@yahoo.com; 559-906-1714

Donavan Miguel ........ 1st term ends 2026 19526 Gibraltar Ct., Hilmar dmiguel@semex.com; 209-534-9135

Vice President .......... Graisson Schmidt PO Box 245, Tomales grairosecattle@gmail.com; 608-797-2855

I want to thank outgoing board member Dr. Stan Henderson for his time and dedication to our board for the last six years. I want to thank our directors for their dedication to our association. Finally I want to thank our Office manager Kate Teixeira for all that she does for our Senior and Junior membership. Thank you Kate!

Terianne Silveira........ 1st term ends 2025 11380 Ave 22, Chowchilla silveira.dairy@yahoo.com; 559-967-3921

Robert Teixeira ........ 2nd term ends 2026 PO Box 507, Keyes rjtex@att.net; 209-495-0367

Curtis VandenBerge ... 2nd term ends 2025 11701 Old River Rd, Bakersfield vbdairy@aol.com; 661-340-6448

David VanderEyk ....... 2nd term ends 2025 PO Box 957, Tipton vandereykdairy@gmail.com; 559-804-7500

Office Manager Kate Teixeira P.O. Box 507, Keyes, CA 95328 californiaholstein@yahoo.com; 805-801-0463

Our industry is very resilient and every day I am reminded that no matter what comes in our path we as dairymen and breeders find a way to make things happen and it’s the love of breed and the friendships that have been made makes us who we are today. God Bless our industry and family farms.