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HENKESEEN FARM
HENKESEEN FARM Built on a Strong Maternal Foundation
With only 70 milking cows, and land prices soaring around them, the Henkes family of Luana, Iowa focuses on breeding the best cows they can, no matter the breed, versus expanding the century farm to accommodate larger numbers. This 6th generation dairy farm in northeast Iowa may be small, but they have attained success both in the show ring and in the barn at home. Trent Henkes and Leslie Stuff met at Iowa State University, and both graduated from there in 1984. Trent returned home to take over the farm, while Leslie was employed by the American Milking Shorthorn Society as office manager and was later named Executive Secretary. She was the first woman to hold this position in the dairy industry. She “retired” when she and Trent married in 1988.
Their children, Leah and Matt, are now the 6th generation on the farm. Leah and her husband Marshall Lange have three young boys and have their own small acreage close to the farm. Marshall owns a construction company while Leah, who graduated from Iowa State with a Dairy Science degree, works for Precision Dairy Equipment. They assist at the farm and shows when needed. Matt also followed in his dad’s footsteps – graduating from Iowa State with a degree in Dairy Science in 2013 and returning home full-time after. He recently purchased a small acreage one mile from the home farm and raises show heifers there.
Trent purchased his first Registered Holstein in 1970. From 1984 to the late 1990s, the Henkes family milked around 45 cows. With smaller numbers, the breeding program focused on a balance of high type and production. “We want cows that will classify Excellent, make strong records and stay in the herd,” commented Matt. And over the last five decades, most of the herd has done just that. To date, 175 Henkes-bred cattle have scored Excellent, and the herd has received the Progressive Breeder Registry Award for 21 years. Trent was also named the Young Distinguished Holstein Breeder by Holstein Association USA in 2001.
Today, the milking herd consists of 60 Holsteins and 10 Milking Shorthorns, with 100 young stock and 35 breedingaged bulls. The Holstein RHA is 28,215M 3.8F 1062 3.1P 872 and the Milking Shorthorns average 22,100M 988F 795P. The mixed herd is fed all the same ration of TMR consisting of corn silage, haylage, ground corn and a protein mix. The official Holstein BAA is 111.7 made up of 29 Excellent, 25 Very Good and 2 Good Plus cows. Three of the Milking Shorthorns are scored Excellent with 6 more Very Good and none lower. With a barn full of high scored, high producing cows, it may come to no surprise that nearly 80% of the Holstein herd traces back to one foundation family. In 1974, Trent’s parents purchased a yearling heifer from neighboring farm, Iris-Lane Holsteins. After a few generations, Trent used three consecutive top TPI bulls (Conductor, Chairman & Mark) which really sparked the start of something special. Henkeseen Chairman Mandy (VG88 GMD DOM) with two records over 32,000M, had one Very Good and three Excellent daughters. Her first-born and highest classified daughter was Henkeseen Mark Marci (EX-94 GMD DOM), who produced over 170,000 lbs. milk in her lifetime.
Marci’s impressive milk production and high type impressed the family, and she was flushed in the early 90s, resulting in 34 progeny, of which 7 classified Excellent and 9 Very Good. One such flush was to Holiday, known for his protein numbers, and protein was becoming a valuable marketing factor at The Henkes family had a successful outing at the Iowa State Show in 2022 with three homebred cows. Right to left: Jordy Shania (EX-91), Jordy Hartley (VG-86) & Hancock Starlight (VG-86).
that time. The standout of the crown was Henkeseen M Hillary-ET, who classified VG-89 as a two-year-old and eventually scored EX-94 3E GMD DOM 3*. Hillary had two records over 40,000 lbs. milk and a lifetime of 202,960M 4.1F 3.6P. Well before the genomic period, Hillary had an impressive index boasting high milk, components and type. This led the family to flushing her as well and she had 13 Excellent and 19 Very Good progeny in the United States alone.
The Henkes family exported embryos throughout the world, expanding the genetics of the family even more. Henkeseen Hillcrest (EX-94), sired by Emory, was marketed as a high type bull by Select Sires. Henkeseen Emphasis, a former #1 Udder bull of the breed, was a Titanic son from Kerndtway Durham Emily-ET (EX-92 GMD DOM), then Henkeseen Hills Emerald-ET (EX91 GMD DOM), who was purchased by ALH Genetics. Emerald is also the dam of popular proven sire Duplex. Hillary is also the 3rd dam of Gen-Mark Stmatic Sanchez, and Koepen Louiss PP, the #1 Homozygous Polled Bull in Germany in 2016, is also a Hillary descendant. Today, Hillary’s influence is still strong and ever-present. A few of the standouts in the barn include:
• Henkeseen Jordy Hartley (VG-86), 3rd senior 2-year-old, Iowa State
Show ’22; pregnant to Willows-Red and currently on IVF program • Jordy x EX-90 Doorman x EX-93
Sanchez x EX-92 Durham x Hillary • Henkeseen Jordy Shania-Red (EX91 EX-MS 3Y), Hawkeye Futurity Winner & HM Intermediate Champion, Iowa State Show ’22; will be IVF’d this fall
• Jordy x EX-92 *RC Absolute x EX-91
Gold Chip x EX-93 Modest x EX-90 x
EX-92 DOM x Hillary • Henkeseen Chelios Hallie (EX-93),
Reserve All-Iowa 5-Year-Old ’19; has 5 Goldwyn daughters with 3 due spring of 2023 • Chelios x EX-90 Outside x EX-90
GMD DOM Rudolph x Hillary While the Hillary family has the most numbers in the barn, other prominent Holstein families are represented as well. A family they are developing several daughters from is Henkeseen L Lipstick-Red-ET (EX-94 3E), a 9th generation Excellent from the Roxys. Her dam is Kaleidoscope Ru Scarlet-Red (EX-91), who Leah showed and earned All-American Red & White honors in 2004. Lipstick has milking daughters by Solomon, Unstopabull, Avalanche and Addison with granddaughters on the way that look promising. With all this success from their Holstein herd, one may wonder how the Milking Shorthorns of Henkeseen fit in the picture. The Henkes family were just miles down the road from Lands-Brook Farms, a well-established Milking Shorthorn breeder, and they spent many years showing together, so the family was familiar with the breed. During college, Matt also clipped for Gold Mine Milking
Henkeseen M Hillar-ET (EX-94 3E GMD DOM), the foundation cow for the Henkes family, was not only a milk machine, but passed on outstanding type and production traits to the next generations.
Henkeseen Jordy Shania-Red (EX-91) was the Hawkeye Futurity Winner, winning Senior 3-Year-Old and HM Intermediate Champion at the 2022 Iowa State Fair. Henkeseen L Lipstick-Red-ET (EX-94 3E) is a 9th generation Excellent Roxy and is the foundation of another maternal line the Henkes family is devel-
Shorthorns, another prominent breeder. Matt recalled, “As payment for clipping, I got to pick out a baby calf in 2011 from Gold Mine, and our involvement with the breed has just grown from there!” Over the next decade, Matt continued to add Milking Shorthorn genetics to the herd, though not always through the most direct route. “I really wanted to breed a red line from the Hillary family,” commented Matt. They flushed Hillary’s EX-92 Mason to Rubens; Henkeseen Rubens Robin (EX-91) was bred to Talent, resulting in Ripple-Red (EX-92). Ripple had numerous Very Good and Excellent offspring, and her EX-93 Advent daughter was bred to a full herdbook Milking Shorthorn bull, resulting in GE Henkeseen Abn Rumor Has It (EX-90). The oldest of Rumor’s eight daughters is Henkeseen Royalty Reason EXP (VG88 1st lact MAX), who was Unanimous All-American Junior 2-Year-Old in 2021 and HM All-American Summer Yearling in 2020. She is fresh again and captured Reserve Grand Champion honors at the Iowa State Show.
When Larry Landsgard of Lands-Brook Farms sold his milking cows two years ago, Matt was very excited to add LandsBrook Camille to the herd. Recently scored VG-87, she is sired by Ecuafarm Kaiser Royalty and is a great-granddaughter of Lands-Brook Christina (EX-96 4E), who was shown at World Dairy Expo 10 years running, and finally captured Grand Champion honors in 2013. While Leslie was working as Executive Secretary of Milking Shorthorn, she and Trent became good friends with Stuart & Emily Rowe of Innisfail Milking Shorthorns and maintained that after she retired. With that friendship came an interest in the Innisfail genetics. Matt purchased Innisfail St Stella 329 EXP *CD (EX-94 3E) from one of the farm’s last online sales. She was Reserve Grand Champion at the Iowa State Fair in 2017 and made over 31,000 lbs. of milk in her best lactation. She is the dam of Henkeseen CyRide, the family’s first Milking Shorthorn in AI, marketed by STGenetics. Matt is also privately marketing her son, Henkeseen Rockstar Slate (EX). Lastly, Top Shelf Just Lavish EXP ET is a Justice fall calf from Trillow Zeus Lala ET (EX-94), Reserve Grand Champion at Madison in 2021. Lavish was Junior Champion at the Iowa State Show, Reserve Supreme Champion at the Delco Classic and Reserve Junior Champion at State Fair.
With the advantage of a smaller herd, and not a large amount of cropland to care for, Matt and Trent manage most of the farm work themselves. Even with that, the family has found time to be involved with various activities off the farm as well. Trent and Leslie received the Honorary Member Award from Iowa State University in 2008 for their impact on the Iowa dairy industry. Trent is currently the president of the County Extension Council and serves on the State Holstein Board, County Dairy Promotion and DHIA Board and was Vice Chairman of the 2014 National Holstein Convention. Leslie, while taking care of all the books on the farm, is an advisor for the Student Council at MFL MarMac High School. She recently published her first cookbook as well, “Cookin’ Stuff.” Matt serves on the AMSS Board of Directors and Executive Committee and is the Chair of the MASS Breed Outlook Committee. Additionally, Matt was the Top Individual Overall and High Reasons Individual and on the Reserve Champion team at the Intercollegiate PostSecondary Contest at World Dairy Expo in 2010. He was also named a National DJM Finalist for Holstein Association USA. Matt has taken his love and knowledge of judging to the showring at the local, state and national level and enjoys working with youth at the shows. It’s easy to see the passion that the Henkes family has for their cattle and breeding program, whether it be the Holsteins, Reds, or Milking Shorthorns. High type is always going to be their focus, and the proof is in the numerous amounts of blue ribbons and awards earned over the years. With the next generation taking interest in showing and the farm, the accolades are sure to continue for years to come. By Julie Ashton
Innisfail St Stella 329 EXP (EX-94 3E) is the dam of Henkeseen CyRide, the Henkes’ first Milking Shorthorn bull in AI.
Henkeseen Royalty Reason EXP (VG-88 MAX) was Unanimous All-American Milking Shorthorn Junior 2-Year-Old in 2021 and is a direct descendant from the Hillary Holstein family. Photo © Andrew Hetke.
Henkeseen JordyShania Red EX 91 EX MS @ 3yr.
All-Iowa Sr. 3 Yr. Old & HM Int. Champion Iowa State Show 2022 Hawkeye Holstein Futurity Winner 2022 Res. All-Iowa Fall Yrlg. 2020 3rd Fall Yrlg. Midwest Fall National 2020 Jordy x EX 92 Absolute x EX 91 Gold Chip
Shania is a 8th Generation Homebred EX back to Henkeseen M Hillary EX 94
Shania will be IVF this fall, inquiries welcome!
Henkeseen Jordy Hartley VG 86 @ 2yr. 3rd Sr. 2 Yr. Old Iowa State Show 2022 Res. Grand Champion Clayton County Fair 2022 Jordy x EX 90 Doorman x EX 93 Sanchez
Hartley has 5 Generations of Homebred EX back to Henkeseen Hillary EX 94
Pregnant to Willows-Red and starting IVF, inquiries welcome!
Design Topline Marketing + Design Henekseen RoyaltyReason EXP VG 88 1st Lact. Max
All-American Jr.2 Yr. Old 2021 Grand Champion IA State Show 2021 Res. Grand Champion IA State Show 2022 Royalty x GE Henkeseen ABN Rumor Has It EX 90
Reason has 7 generations of EX back to Henkeseen Hillary EX 94
Daughters by Lotto, Lars & Rockstar and Pregnancies by Wildside & Lottery.
