2024 World Dairy Expo Special Edition - 1st section
DAIRY ST R
World Dairy Expo Special Edition
World Dairy Expo Special Edition
September 14, 2024 14, 2024
INSIDE
4 Superintendents essential to Expo
8 Barmore, Faldet, Hickman named Industry Persons of the Year
12 Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy prepares to award fourth calf
16
Iowa breeder named associate for International Brown Swiss Show
17 Wisconsin breeder will sort Milking Shorthorns as associate judge
22 Larmer named World Dairy Expo International Person of the Year
29 Schultz provides bedding, feed at Expo for 25 years
SECOND SECTION
1 Expo travels take Paulson a month to complete
1 Schoepp speaks about family, conservation ahead of virtual farm tour
7 Passion, dedication laid foundation for Heath’s career and more
Larson Acres named Dairy Producers of the Year
Quality cows, people drive success for sixth-generation dairy
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
EVANSVILLE, Wis. — With their minds set on consistent quality and continuous improvement, the Larson family has built a farm they take pride in. From the care given to their cows to the appreciation shown to employees, the Larsons strive for excellence in all things.
As a result, Mike Larson, Ed and Barb Larson, Sandy Larson and Jim Trustem of Larson Acres were named World Dairy Expo’s 2024 Dairy Producers of the Year.
“I was very honored, proud and surprised,” Mike said. “A lot of dairies do what we do.”
The Larsons milk 2,800 cows and farm 5,000 acres on their sixth-generation family farm near Evansville. Three generations work side by side at Larson Acres, including brothers Mike and Ed, Ed’s daughter, Sandy, and Sandy’s
and Jim’s children — Brooke, Dane and Luke Trustem.
The Larsons live by three key words: quality, pride and family.
“We developed those words a long time ago, and they still t us very well,” Sandy said. “Everything we do reects those words. They help lead us and guide us.”
Larson Acres has grown from the original 20 cows and 80 acres on the farm purchased by Don Larson in 1957.
“Each generation has left its mark on the farm,” Sandy said. “My grandpa set up the path that led to what Larson Acres is today.”
Cows are housed in sand-bedded free stalls and milked three times a day in two parlors — a double-20 parallel and a double-22 parallel. Cows average 112 pounds of energy-corrected milk per day with 4.5% butterfat, 3.32% protein and a 56,000 somatic cell count.
The Larsons raise about 2,350 head of youngstock. Calves are housed in six nursery barns and transition to a loose housing barn as weaned calves. A second facility for older heifers houses more than
1,000 animals and an in vitro fertilization lab.
Persistent in creating a balance of type and production, the Larsons have bred 130 Ex-
16
and four Gold
In addition, numerous females in the
are in the top 100 for
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Mike Larson (front, from le ), Ed Larson, Barb Larson, Sandy Larson and Brooke Trustem; (back from le ) Luke Trustem, Jim Trustem and Dane Trustem, gather in one of the freestall barns on their farm, Larson Acres, near Evansville, Wisconsin. The family, who milks 2,800 cows and farms 5,000 acres, was named World Dairy Expo’s 2024 Dairy Producers of the Year.
cellent cows,
Gold Medal Dams, 40 Dams of Merit,
Medal Sires.
herd
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Cows eat a total mixed ra on July 31 in this 8-row cross-ven lated freestall barn at Larson Acres near Evansville, Wisconsin. Cows average 112 pounds of energy-corrected milk per day with 4.5% bu erfat, 3.32% protein and a 56,000 soma c cell count.
Dairy Wellness Prot Index. Longevity is important to the Larsons, and nearly half of the milking herd is in its third lactation or greater.
Developing inuential cow families is a longstanding goal of the Larsons with the Felice and Miss America families being two of their favorites.
“Felice has daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters that have done very well for us,” Mike said.
Lars-Acres Miss America has 17 daughters and over 100 granddaughters in the herd. She is also the third dam of a current bull at Select Sires Inc., LarsAcres Sheep Ammo-ET.
Striving to breed the most profitable and efcient cow possible, the Larsons have relied on genomic testing
since 2011.
“The indicators are so accurate, and they’ve helped us develop a well-balanced cow that stays around for a long time,” Mike said. “Genomics has helped us create good cow families with good wellness traits.”
The team at Larson Acres includes 70 employees. The Larsons said placing priority on a positive work environment is central to the farm’s success. With a turnover rate of less than 2% and a waiting list of people wanting to work at Larson Acres, employee retention at the farm is thriving.
“We’ve put together a good team,” Sandy said. “Some people have been with us more than 20 years. We work hard on engagement and take really
good care of our employees. We offer good wages, housing and free health insurance.”
Educational opportunities, monthly activities, lunches and employee appreciation parties are normal occurrences at Larson Acres.
“We never miss an anniversary, and we always have an ear for an employee who wants to celebrate something,” Mike said. “The culture we’ve created keeps cows healthy and the farm running smoothly. It helps us be successful.”
Mike said their family invests in administration and has a full-time human resources person.
“If someone is having a bad day, there are three people they can talk to before it gets to us,” Mike said. “Our support staff is second to none and serves as a sounding board for advice and providing feedback. A lot of dairies don’t even have one person for that.”
The Larsons embrace the community and welcome visitors year-round.
“It’s easy to have an open-door policy because we’re proud of our farm and want to show people what we do,” Mike said. “We always have. When I was a kid, I remember my dad taking people around the farm in his truck. Even 40 years ago, he was proud.”
The Larsons are active in their community with ongoing involvement in local organizations, churches and schools. They recently made a contribution towards the development and completion of Evansville’s West Side Park and Aquatic Center. The Larsons are also supporters of the junior Holstein association, 4-H and FFA programs throughout Wisconsin and Rock County.
The number of cows at Larson Acres has remained steady since their last expansion in 2010.
“Instead of milking more cows, we’re concentrating on selling more embryos and genetics,” Mike said.
The Larsons also look to gain efciencies wherever possible.
“We want to be better at what we’re doing,” Mike said. “If we’re doing the same things 20 years from now, we’re going backward. We always want to be improving.”
Built into their daily routine, running a well-rounded operation is second nature to the Larsons.
“I’ve been told that I take for granted what we do every day, but to the rest of the world and industry, it is special,” Mike said. “Being named Producer of the Year makes you step back and celebrate.”
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Ensuring the show will go on Superintendents essential to Expo
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis — What has nine heads, 18 legs and is integral to making the dairy cattle show held each year during World Dairy Expo run like clockwork? The answer is the team of WDE cattle superintendents who oversee each of the breed shows that happen throughout the week.
The team of Expo superintendents is comprised of Dave Bollig, who serves as the overall dairy cattle superintendent as well as the Brown Swiss breed; Jon Rasmussen, who serves as the assistant superintendent and oversees the Jersey breed; Kim Moucha, who heads up the Ayrshire breed; Steven Sievert, who is in charge of the Guernseys; Rick and Paula Bovre, who serve the youth of the junior Holstein show; Jen Keuning, who handles the duties for the Holstein show; Suzanne Lois, who heads up the Milking Shorthorn breed; and Mike Marean, who serves as the Red & White superintendent.
“We have a lot of fun,” Keuning said. “It makes it nice when you like the people you’re working and spending time with. All of us take time off from our jobs, our daily lives to work with Expo and be here — we do it because we love Expo, the exhibitors and the cows.”
The team of superintendents would not be successful without the support of the Expo staff, Keuning added.
Turn to SUPERINTENDENTS | Page 5
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PHOTO COURTESY OF COWSMOPOLITAN
The team of World Dairy Expo superintendents — Jen Keuning (from le ), Paula Bovre, Mike Marean, Dave Bollig, Jon Rasmussen, Kim Moucha, Steve Sievert and Suzanne Lois — gathers for a photo Sept. 30, 2021, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The superintendents team handles stalling and oversees each of the week’s eight breed shows.
Dave Bollig makes the rounds through the barns Oct. 2, 2022, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Bollig has served as the overall dairy ca le superintendent since 2015, as well as being the superintendent for the Brown Swiss breed since 2012.
“The Expo staff we work with — Laurie (Bruech), Lexa (Miller) and Laura (Herschleb) — are all great,” Keuning said. “They keep things rolling for us.”
For the superintendent team, Expo starts long before the rst trailers turn off John Nolen Drive. For Bollig, Expo is a year-round event.
Bollig has been volunteering with WDE for nearly 40 years. He took the job of Brown Swiss superintendent in 2012 and was elected to serve as the overall superintendent in 2015.
“I volunteer because I know someone did it before me, and someone will
need to do it after me,” Bollig said. “I’ve had the fortune to learn from the greats — Terry Howard, Jim Crowley, Bob Kaiser and Kenny Elliott. They were great promoters of Expo and made you want to help.”
As the overall superintendent, Bollig has a seat on both the dairy cattle exhibitor committee and Expo’s executive committee and takes part in the judge selection committee.
“Between those committees, we have meetings pretty much monthly and
Turn to SUPERINTENDENTS | Page 7
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DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
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Con nued from SUPERINTENDENTS | Page 5 as we get closer to Expo, we’ll have weekly meetings,” Bollig said. “As a team, I meet with all the superintendents regularly to plan.”
Each superintendent attends the quarterly meetings of the dairy cattle exhibitor committee where they hear from the representatives elected by the exhibitors.
“The exhibitors bring issues and things they’d like to see to us at those meetings, things like changes in the show,
new classes, anything that concerns them,” Keuning said. “Then we can work on solving those issues.”
Early in the year, each superintendent works with their breed and with Expo staff to proof their section of the premium book before it is made available to exhibitors.
“We really need to be up on everything about the show,” Keuning said. “The associations have input, particularly with the rules, but we proof the part that
World Dairy Expo Holstein superintendent Jen Keuning (right) presents Pierre Boulet with the Holstein Marketplace Type and Produc on Cow award for Loyalyn Goldwyn June during the Interna onal Holstein Show Oct. 6, 2023, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Keuning said she enjoys working with the exhibitors to facilitate the show and make expo a memorable experience.
is our show — the order of the show, how it will happen in the ring and to make sure all of our volunteers are noted correctly.”
Superintendents of the different breeds begin talking to their exhibitors throughout August, compiling lists of their needs. However, the real work begins after the entries close the rst Monday of September.
“The week entries close, we all get a packet of stuff from the ofce that will include all the entries, who called for stalling and what they’re bringing,” Keuning said. “Then we’ll get on the phone. I talk to pretty much every exhibitor at least once. I’ll spend an entire weekend, just calling Expo exhibitors.”
There are a lot of moving parts to the stalling process, Bollig said.
“More and more, strings are large groups full of tie-ins from all over, so you need to gure out who is with what group,” Bollig said. “Then strings will want to work together to share tters, night people, equipment. There are a lot of requests — we try to honor as many as we can, the best we can.”
Careful communication among all the superintendents is crucial with the large number of multi-breed tie-in strings that make the New Holland Pavilions home for the 10 days of World Dairy Expo.
“We’ll have over 3,000 entries and room to house about 2,600 head that actually come,” Bollig said. “We’ll talk daily as we learn more information.”
As Expo week descends,
STAR
World Dairy Expo Ayrshire superintendent Kim Moucha (right) answers a ques on for exhibitor, Tim Coon (center), while WDE volunteer, Trygve Olson, looks on Oct. 5, 2022, at WDE in Madison, Wisconsin. The Expo superintendents ensure the eight WDE shows run smoothly.
the team of superintendents meets in person to begin putting that puzzle together.
“We work as a team to gure it out, trying to accommodate everyone’s needs,” Bollig said.
The week that nds nearly 2,600 dairy cattle moving into the city of Madison is a stressful one for the superintendents, Keuning said.
“I come to Madison on Tuesday, the early arrivals come in on Wednesday, and then everything has to be ongrounds by noon on Saturday,” Keuning said. “We work around the clock those nights. We share the night shifts so that one of us is always here. Cattle are coming in all night and we want to make sure we get people in the
stalls they are supposed to have and deal with space issues as they come up.”
Once all the cattle are on the grounds and stalled, the stress load lightens a bit, Keuning said. Thoughts turn to checking in the cattle for the shows, making the nal arrangements for the breed shows and enjoying the event they work so hard to put on.
“I think we all do this because we love seeing the exhibitors, the cows — everything about Expo,” Bollig said. “Our team of superintendents is second to none and without the work they — and the hundreds of volunteers — put into Expo, Expo wouldn’t happen.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF COWSMOPOLITAN
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY
More than just nutrition consulting
Barmore, Faldet, Hickman named Industry Persons of the Year
By Amy Kyllo amy.k@star-pub.com
LAKEVILLE, Minn. — Focusing on a full team perspective of collaboration has empowered Jim Barmore, Dr. Marty Faldet and Dr. King Hickman of GPS Dairy Consulting LLC.
World Dairy Expo has named the trio as Industry Persons of the Year.
“It was just humbling that someone even thought we were worthy of the nomination,” Hickman said. “You don’t realize the impact you have sometimes, so it’s nice to get that recognition.”
Faldet agreed.
“It is a very humbling experience and very rewarding in terms of being proud,” he said. “It’s a journey that you reect on. ... where you were and where you came from.”
Barmore, Faldet and Hickman established GPS Dairy Consulting in 2009. Their business goes beyond nutrition consulting. Clients receive attention in areas of management as well as a holistic view of the full dairy
team and how this team affects the ration being fed.
This perspective set them apart, Barmore said.
“There were plenty of really good nutritionists in the industry,” Barmore said. “That really wasn’t the niche. The opportunity was to build a nutrition and management type offering business.”
As a nutritionist, Faldet had rst worked with a farmer on nancials in 2002. The group began their business amid the poor dairy prices of 2009.
“It’s interesting how it does start with some challenging times that allow the door to open up,” Faldet said. “Your job as a consultant is to help solve issues or solve problems and then avoid them year after that.”
GPS Dairy Consulting works predominantly in the Midwest with clients located in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Texas. They also have clients overseas in Australia and Indonesia. Overall,
they work with over 250 clients with over 650,000 dairy animals served.
At GPS Dairy Consulting, work is done with the entire team on a dairy farm, from the feeder to the veterinarian, Barmore said.
“We want to have ways to engage with ... (the whole team) way over and above just showing up, walking cows (and) going out to the feed center,” Barmore said.
Understanding their clients’ goals is one of the rst things the team at GPS Dairy Consulting prioritizes, Hickman said.
“We want to get in touch with their goals, and then we want to dene what needs to change so that they can reach them,” he said.
The group shared that a willingness to change is key for both their clients and themselves. Faldet said once goals are established, the team decides on a starting point.
“(We’re) trying to nd that low-hanging fruit, change that can happen or adopt rapidly,” Faldet said. “You have short success,
you’re looking for maybe 3-6 months, and then you have a longer journey that takes years to sometimes create that change.”
Faldet said over time they have become close to their clients.
“You become a part of their family, a part of their business, a part of their growth, a part of their decisions,” Faldet said.
Hickman also appreciates the family aspect of the dairy community.
“When you’re on a dairy farm, a lot of times the whole family is there,” he said. “It’s just an incredible industry to be involved with.”
Barmore, Faldet and Hickman each had experience in the dairy industry before they established their business. Hickman worked as a veterinarian and did nutrition consulting while Faldet and Barmore both worked in various roles within nutrition. All three worked as independent nutritionists for a time. In fact, Faldet and Barmore were contacting the same herds before the three created their business.
“It was always about contributing to people and to the industry and trying to help others grow and serve people and build a larger collaborative team that went way beyond our consulting team,” Barmore said.
Turn to INDUSTRY PERSONS OF THE YEAR | Page 9
Dr. Marty Faldet
Jim Barmore
Dr. King Hickman
GPS Dairy Consulting offers various seminars and continuing education for their clients and the employees on those farms.
“We wanted to build a team, ... with a really strong emphasis around education, and learning and growing ourselves, the consultants as well as our clients,” Barmore said. “That was really part of our framework from the get-go.”
Hickman said they reasoned that offering education would give them both an edge in the consulting marketplace as well as being able to help their dairies increase their leadership.
Herd Manager Retreat, Master Feeder Certication School and CEO Leadership Forum, among others. Barmore said the seminar he is most proud of is their feeder seminar. Though it is not the biggest or grandest of their seminars, he said he is proud of how unusual it was in the industry when it began.
“If we could bring them up in their skill set and their problem-solving abilities, we knew that we would be able to make that dairy perform at a higher level.”
DR. KING HICKMAN
“If we could bring them up in their skill set and their problem-solving abilities, we knew that we would be able to make that dairy perform at a higher level,” Hickman said.
Some of the seminars they offer are entitled
“We stepped out and said, ‘You know what, these are really key people that care a lot and they’re going to respond to knowing more about their job,’” Barmore said.
Barmore, Faldet and Hickman are grateful for the people and the industry they have worked in.
“We had the opportunity to work with some of the very best producers and people in the industry,” Barmore said. “(They) inspired us to bring change to the industry and have the courage, if you will, to seek out and do some things differently.”
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Creating experiences, building foundations
Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy prepares to award fourth calf
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. — With a goal of giving young dairy enthusiasts an avenue to pursue a dream of showing on the colored shavings, the friends and family of the late Mike Hellenbrand established the Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award following the avid registered dairy cattle breeder’s death in 2020, after a battle with cancer.
“It didn’t matter what he did, Mike always wanted to do it better,” said Dr. Sheila McGuirk, a member of the HLLA board of directors. “We really try to honor his attention to detail as we consider the applicants for this award.”
Three calves, all daughters of previous World Dairy Expo champions, have been awarded to aspiring young dairy cattle breeders; the fourth will be selected early next year.
The 2023 recipient, Wesley Winch of Fennimore, is working with his mentor, Ryan Weigel, this year as he shows Top Acres Winsome-ETV. Winch plans to exhibit Winsome, a winter
calf, at Expo, building upon the show ring successes she has collected this summer. Winsome is a daughter of Top Acres Supreme Wizard-ET, the 2017 World Dairy Expo champion Brown Swiss.
“When I heard they were giving away a Brown Swiss calf, I thought I’d apply,” Winch said. “I have always liked Swiss and having a daughter of a cow like Wizard is pretty amazing.”
Alison Gartman of Sheboygan was the rst HLLA winner. She was presented with Springhill TK Jazprit-ETV in 2022. Jazprit is a daughter of 2017 Expo champion Guernsey, Springhill Mentor Jazzy-ET. Gartman experienced showing success with Jazprit at last year’s Expo, placing third in the milking yearling class as well as being named the rstplace junior-owned and the best-uddered entry. Gartman has worked with her mentor, Jeff Bleck, and has utilized the value of Jazprit’s pedigree to make her rst public sale consignment by selling embryos
as the winner of the 2024 Hellenbrand Las ng Legacy Award.
at the National Guernsey Convention sale earlier this year.
Nicole Arrowsmith of Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania, received the second HLLA calf in 2023 — Budjon-Vail Reynolds Kiwi, a daughter of the 2021 Expo champion, Ayrshire Marilie Gentleman Karmina. Arrowsmith has had show ring success with Kiwi, placing fourth in the fall calf
at last year’s Expo and winning the fall yearling class and the junior show junior champion banner at this summer’s National Summer Ayrshire Spectacular show in Syracuse, New York. Arrowsmith is looking forward to bringing Kiwi back to the colored shavings this fall, as she continues working with her mentor, Terri Packard.
“I always thought if I had another breed besides Jerseys, it would be an Ayrshire,” Arrowsmith said. “She is the best heifer I could have asked for. She’s my best friend.”
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Wesley Winch puts the nishing touches on his Brown Swiss winter calf Aug. 17 at the Wisconsin Brown Swiss State Show in Viroqua, Wisconsin. Winch was given the calf, Top-Acres Winsome-ETV,
Choosing Packard as a mentor was
“I have grown up watching Terri show and she is a great, powerful female role model in the ring,” Arrowsmith said. “She has always been someone I’ve wanted to learn from, and she has a lot of knowledge to share.”
Arrowsmith said the challenge of preparing Kiwi to show has been a great learning experience.
“I’ve been showing my whole life, but I haven’t really been the one making the decision in our show program,” Arrowsmith said. “Working with my family and Terri this year, I have learned so much about how to raise a good heifer and make her a great heifer.”
The valuable experiences have not been limited to the barn.
“Being selected for this is probably one of the coolest things that will ever happen to me, very emotional,” Arrowsmith said. “It’s opened doors and exposed me to a whole new network of people. It’s taken me beyond my Jersey world. Everyone on the board is so supportive and involved, which is so fun. Sheila has become a great mentor, as well.”
Like Gartman, Arrowsmith has plans to begin marketing from Kiwi’s high-powered pedigree.
“I want to start doing some (in vitro fertilization) work to make calves and embryos,” Arrowsmith said. “With Karmina passing, Kiwi is that much more valuable.”
Applications for the next calf will be accepted beginning in October and continue until Jan. 1, at which time the HLLA board will choose a group of nalists to interview on their way to nding the eventual winner.
The calf awarded in 2025 will be a daughter of Ms Ransom-Rail BethRed-ET, the 2022 Expo champion Red & White, donated by Milksource Genetics, Ransom-Rail and Laurie Fischer.
Applicants must be high-school aged. They are not required to live on a farm, but they must provide information about the farm where the animal will be housed, detailing their relationship with the farm and the responsibilities they have there.
“We want to see evidence that the applicant has sufcient knowledge to know what they’re getting, and some 4-H and FFA experience,” McGuirk said. “We want this to be a unique opportunity for the winner to get to Expo, to show on the colored shavings, that they might not have otherwise gotten.”
A key piece of the application process is the selection of a mentor.
“We want them to choose a mentor they’ll have repeated close contact with, and we prefer the mentor not be a parent,” McGuirk said. “We ask the mentor to spell out their plan — what their interactions will be, what strengths they bring to that applicant and how to best support the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses. The three winning applicants thus far have had exceptional mentors.”
Building passionate future dairy leaders is a primary goal of the foundation, McGuirk said.
“I believe all three winners so far have had awesome experiences,” McGuirk said. “They have made connections and learned things that will be with them for a long time. The highlight for me is denitely that mentoring, building that foundation for each of them.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF BETH HERGES
Nicole Arrowsmith holds her Ayrshire calf, Budjon-Vail Reynolds Kiwi in August 2023 at her family’s farm in Peach Bo om, Pennsylvania. Arrowsmith was awarded Kiwi as the 2023 recipient of the Hellenbrand Las ng Legacy Award.
Expo judging dream job for Kruse
Iowa breeder named associate for International Brown Swiss Show
By Michele Ackerman Contributing writer
DYERSVILLE, Iowa — When the International Brown Swiss Show takes place on the Tuesday and Wednesday of Expo week, one of the two ofcials in the center of the ring will be living a someday aspiration he set his heart on years ago. That man — Kaleb Kruse — will serve as the associate for the head judge, Phillip Topp of Botkins, Ohio.
“Growing up, my brothers and I talked about
judging at Expo, dreaming of the opportunity for such an experience,” said Kruse, who manages a dairy farm with his family near Dyersville.
The selection of the associate for the Brown Swiss show starts with the ofcial judge — Phillip Topp in this case — submitting a list of three candidates to a committee of representatives from World Dairy Expo and the Brown Swiss Association. The committee makes the nal decision from the short list of people the judge is interested in working with.
“It is an honor and privilege for me to be judging with my mentor,” Kruse said. “Phil and I know each other from showing cattle, and we have many mutual friends.”
come family. When Topp’s eldest daughter, Aubree, chose to attend Northeast Iowa Community College this fall, with plans to join their dairy judging program, Kruse was delighted.
“Phil and I talked about NICC being an option for Aubree, so it will be nice to have her attending college here in my backyard,” he said.
Kaleb Kruse
In the close-knit dairy community, friends be-
Kruse grew up on a 100-cow dairy farm in Dyersville managed by his parents, Tom and Sara. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2020 with an animal science degree. Kruse now operates KCCK Genetics LLC with his parents and his younger brothers, Cole and Carter. Off the farm, he is a member of the sales team at CowBuyer.com and an agronomy sales advisor for Innovative Ag Services.
KCCK Genetics recently ventured into sales management, hosting its rst all-breeds consignment sale in Manchester in May. The two-day Springtime Showcase auctioned 17 genomic lots sold for an average of $17,420 and 110 live lots for an average of $4,734. Kaleb read pedigrees.
The desire to breed and sell elite genetics started at home.
“We watched Mom and Dad successfully show Ayrshires and use technology to maximize genetics and prots,” Kruse said. “This sparked passion among my brothers and me to get into the business too.”
The Kruses incorporated cattle boarding into the business in February. The farm is located 10 minutes from a Trans Ova Genetics satellite facility and 20 minutes from a Vytelle in vitro fertilization facility, ideal for housing elite donor dams from other breeders.
Though they have shown all breeds at state and national levels, the Kruses have found the most success with Jerseys. Among the standouts are three full sisters out of Pleasant Nook Guns Foxy Lady owned in partnership with fellow Iowa Jersey breeder, Gene Henderson. In 2020, Schulte Bros Colton Fame-ET was supreme junior champion of the junior show at the North American International Livestock Exposition. The next year Schulte Bros Colton Fergalicious-ET was reserve supreme junior champion of the show. The third sister was reserve junior champion of the All American Junior Jersey Show in 2022. The family has also done well in the show ring in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Maier to play new role at Expo
Wisconsin breeder will sort Milking Shorthorns as associate judge
By Michele Ackerman Contributing writer
STITZER, Wis. — Mike Maier has often stood in the winner’s circle at World Dairy Expo. He has been at the halter of many a prize-winning bovine, primarily in the Ayrshire and Milking Shorthorn shows. This year he will be dressed in fancier nery and assume a new role in the ring of the International Milking Shorthorn Show as associate to the ofcial judge, Chris Lahmers of Marysville, Ohio.
The roles Lahmers and Maier play are prestigious, earned by gaining respect from their peers. Expo exhibitors themselves initially nominate potential head judges, and, from this pool, a committee pares down the list and votes for the ofcial judge. The ofcial judge then submits three choices for their associate, with the committee making this nal decision.
For Maier, who has been assessing the conformation of dairy cattle since his days judging in 4-H and FFA, the experience at Expo marks a high point in his judging career to date.
“It is very humbling to be trusted by breeders from across the U.S., to stand in the center of the ring and help evaluate their cattle,” Maier said.
At home in Stitzer, Maier operates Lazy M Farm LLC with his parents, Herman and Peggy, his girlfriend, Suzie Benoit, and their son, Brooks. The family manages a mixed-breed herd of 500 cows that includes every dairy breed. Cows are milked three times daily in a double-12 rapid exit parlor and housed in a freestall barn. Lazy M Farm operates an extensive embryo transfer and in-vitro fertilization program, focusing largely on colored breeds as donor dams. Milk is shipped to Prairie Farms Dairy Inc.
The family also farms about 1,300 acres, growing all the herd’s forage needs and then some. Maier focuses on producing high quality forages for high production and herd health.
The farm was established in the mid-1970s by Maier’s grandparents, immigrants from Germany. According to folklore, the Lazy M prex was born in response to an uncle calling the American branch of the family “those lazy Maiers.” The Maiers initially raised sheep and milked Holsteins.
The show bug at Lazy M Farm came thanks to Maier, who ventured to the dairy barn at the county fair when he was supposed to be helping in the sheep barn. There was something about the cows, and, after his rst trek to Madison in 2003, he was hooked on WDE. That rst year he won the Arthur Clark Showmanship Award with Muellers Tuxedo Cori, his rst Ayrshire purchase. The experience prompted another ve consecutive years showing Cori at Expo.
Turn to MAIER | Page 18
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Mike Maier is serving as the associate judge of the Interna onal Milking Shorthorn Show at the 2024 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Maier operates Lazy M Farm LLC, a 500-cow dairy, with his family near S tzer.
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Con nued from MAIER | Page 17
Lazy M Farm has also fared well in the International Milking Shorthorn Show. Over the years, they have been the premier breeder of the cow show three times and premier breeder of the heifer show seven times.
Their performance last year at WDE included premier breeder and exhibitor of the cow show, premier breeder of the heifer show, and two matriarchs in the prestigious lifetime merit cow class — Lazy M Lothario Livin It Up-ET and Lazy M Pirelli Got It. In the junior show, they bred the reserve grand champion, Lazy-M-JK Lady-in-Red, and the reserve intermediate champion, Lazy M Jekyll Zella.
Wolf-Maier partnership consigned the high seller, a pick of ve March 2023 calves out of Margot Precious, reserve intermediate champion of the 2021 International Ayrshire Show.
No matter the venue, Maier will be cheering on the new owners from ringside.
“It is very humbling to be trusted by breeders from across the U.S., to stand in the center of the ring and help evaluate their cattle.”
MIKE MAIER
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The forages we were feeding at the me weren’t the best and we knew that. But the manure consistency was all over the board and we were giving a lot of pink pills for upset stomachs. We started the Holsteins on the RECAL. Jamie told us what to watch for in the cows. Like he says, it is not all about ge ng more milk, it’s about ge ng the li le things. If you get the li le things, the bigger things will come. In three days me, we could see a big di erence in the manure which was more consistent with creamier texture while looking more digested. We were star ng to see stronger heats. So, a er we saw that we started feeding the RECAL to the Jerseys and saw the same results. We didn’t see much change in milk produc on but our components did climb some. As me went on our fresh cows were calving in be er and performing and breeding back be er. The overall cow health improved.
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We milk about 400 cows near Lawton, PA. We have been using the RECAL Plus now for about a year and we highly recommend it. Like I men oned before, I have tried a lot of products over the years, but RECAL Plus is the rst product that I can honestly say has made a di erence and gave me a bang for my buck. Like Jamie says, go by what the cows say, THEY DON’T LIE!!!!
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The previously mentioned Got It has made the 90-minute trip to the grounds at Expo several other times. She was junior champion in 2014 and national futurity winner two years later. Nearing her 11th birthday, she is classied Excellent 94 and holds her own at Lazy M Farm. She has a top 365-day record of 28,480 pounds of milk, 1,069 pounds of butterfat and 859 pounds of protein.
At the International Ayrshire Show, Maier has shown cattle in partnership with Kurt Wolf, a mentor he met years ago at the Dubuque County Fair. With a shared vision for developing the best of the best, they have been named premier breeder of the cow show twice and premier breeder of the heifer show three times.
The ET and IVF program at Lazy M Farm has also enabled the family to regularly consign elite genetics to sales held in conjunction with Expo. At the 2022 World Ayrshire Event Sale, the
Con nued from KRUSE | Page 16
“Expo is kind of like home to us,” Kruse said. “Between running the farm and working jobs off the farm, we don’t have a lot of time, so the time we take to head to Expo is essentially our family vacation. I enjoy the opportunity to network, make new friends and create memories.”
Among the highlights are junior champions of the junior shows in three breeds — Brown Swiss, Guernsey and Jersey — and the Merle Howard Award for Kaleb in 2019.
“It is especially rewarding to see animals we have sold go on and do well for others on the colored shavings at Expo or become solid producers in other herds,” Maier said. Maier’s achievements in the Holstein breed have been recognized as well. Lazy M Farm was one of six herds in the nation to recently receive a Herd of Excellence award from Holstein Association USA Inc. for 2023. The award requires a minimum percentage of homebred animals and is based on production and type. The statistics for the Maier herd are 78.3% homebred, an average age-adjusted classication score of 88.1, and a mature equivalent herd average of 35,515 pounds of milk, 1,514 pounds of butterfat and 1,119 pounds of protein.
Maier was also presented with the Harry Clampitt Young Breeder Award from the American Milking Shorthorn Society in 2011 and the Young Breeder Award from the Wisconsin Ayrshire Breeders Association in 2021.
With another role to ll at Expo this year, the experience will be as meaningful as it has ever been.
“I always anticipate Expo,” Maier said. “It is a great opportunity to spend a week away from the farm and see and talk great cows with friends and colleagues.”
“We watched Mom and Dad successfully show Ayrshires and use technology to maximize genetics and prots. This sparked passion among my brothers and me to get into the business too.”
Kruse has been honing his dairy cattle judging skills for some time. He was a member of the teams at Kaskaskia College and the UMN. The junior college team placed second in the competition at World Dairy Expo while the UMN team captured third place at Expo in 2020.
dairy judging team for several years. The team topped the state contest for the past three years. This year, members of the senior team achieved a rare feat — earning spots 1, 2, 3 and 4 as overall individuals.
KALEB KRUSE
Kruse has been widely sought as a judge for shows held with NAILE in Louisville, Kentucky. Here he judged the 2020 National Ayrshire Show, the 2021 National Junior Ayrshire Show and the 2022 National Junior Guernsey Show. This November, he will serve as the associate for Trent Kilgus, head judge for the All American Junior Jersey Show. Kruse has also judged the Midwest Regional Milking Shorthorn Show.
Paying it forward, Kruse has helped coach the Delaware County
Kruse serves on the World Dairy Expo Junior Holstein Committee and is active on the marketing committee of the U.S. Ayrshire Breeders’ Association.
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Around the world of dairy cattle breeding in 40 years
Larmer named World Dairy Expo International Person of the Year
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
GUELPH, Ontario. — When Paul Larmer joined the team at United Breeders Inc. 40 years ago, he could not have begun to imagine the journey his career would take him on.
After spending his career devoted to advancing dairy cattle genetics, Larmer will be recognized as the International Person of the Year, Oct. 2 at this year’s World Dairy Expo Recognition Awards Banquet.
Humbled and blessed is how Larmer describes the feelings he experienced when he received the phone call from WDE General Manager Laura Herschleb notifying him of his selection. He said he was driving with his wife, and when the phone number came up on the car’s screen, they wondered why WDE would be calling him.
“My immediate thought after Laura informed me of the award, was, it wasn’t really fair — nobody does this alone,” Larmer said. “There are so many people responsible for this, yet I’m going to receive the recognition.
Margaret and our daughters, Catherine and Hannah, have been extremely supportive throughout my career. This is a result of a collective effort.”
Larmer grew up on his family’s dairy farm, which at the time was home to a herd of registered Guernseys. The farm continues today as a herd of registered Holsteins operated by Larmer’s brother and nephew.
“Agriculture has always been forefront in my mind,” Larmer said. “I always enjoyed the farm, especially the breeding side of things.”
After graduating from the University of Guelph with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, Larmer procured a job working as a dairy specialist in the feed business. After three years, the opportunity that would mold his career path came along — a position as a sire analyst at UBI.
“I was greatly intrigued by the opportunity, because of my love of breeding, genetics and cattle,” Larmer said.
It was in that position Larmer made his rst trip to Expo in 1984 with Lowell Lindsey, his boss and a
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PHOTO SUBMITTED
(Right) Paul Larmer will be recognized as World Dairy Expo’s Interna onal Person of the Year Oct. 2 at Expo’s Recogni on Awards Banquet in Madison, Wisconsin. Larmer spent 40 years in the breeding industry.
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past recipient of the International Person of the Year award. The journey is one Larmer has made every year since, with the exception of 2020.
On that rst trip to Expo, Larmer made a connection to another wellknown industry gure —this one, four-legged — that would follow him throughout his career.
“On that trip, Lowell and I nalized the deal on Townson Lindy,” Larmer said. “We went to Towns Farms, not far from Madison, and saw his mother and grandmother. You could immediately see the cow family in Lindy, in
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Lowell Lindsey (le ) and Paul Larmer smile in front of a statue of Townson Lindy. Lindy was the rst bull Larmer helped to procure for United Breeders Inc. while working with Lindsey.
terms of how he was constructed himself. He was one of the rst bulls I was very involved with, with Lowell leading the way.”
During his time at UBI, Larmer said he worked heavily with developing computer mating programs, working directly with farmers on their breeding programs.
“I spent a lot of time looking at young sire daughters and taking international tours early in my career,” Larmer said. “That exposure to the international side of the business, working with the international people that came to tour and look at progeny, really piqued my interest in the marketing and sales side.”
Larmer took charge of the UBI marketing department in 1990, and he again connected with Townson Lindy.
“At the time I became the director of marketing, Lindy had just become a proven bull,” Larmer said. “So all of a sudden, I was directly involved with the marketing of Lindy. I always felt
an afliation with Lindy as part of my career.”
In 1994, Larmer became the general manager of UBI. With Larmer at the helm, a two-way merger took place with Western Ontario Breeders Inc., forming Gencor in 1995. Later Eastern Breeders Inc. would join the partnership to establish EastGen.
“There was a lot happening with Canadian genetic companies during that time,” Larmer said. “When Alta withdrew from Semex Canada following their acquisition of Landmark Genetics in California, that prompted the rest of the Canadian companies to sit down and determine the future, strengthening their partnerships, both domestically and internationally. A decision was made, with a great deal of foresight and vision, to put all the genetic programs together with Semex Canada, which was the export entity, as a way of strengthening the partnership and lock the Canadian industry together.”
With the support and encouragement of both his wife and the Gencor board, Larmer became the director of international sales and marketing for the newly-formed Semex Alliance, continuing in that capacity until 2003, when he joined Alta Genetics as their director of the Americas, a position he held until 2007. At that time, he returned to Semex, this time as their CEO. Larmer retired from that position at the end of 2023 and served in an executive advisory position until he took full retirement at the end of May.
Throughout his career, Larmer has enjoyed a bevy of experiences that have given him a unique perspective on how diverse, yet closely knit, the global agricultural community is.
“All along the way I’ve tried to take little pieces from many, many people,” Larmer said. “You learn along the way, understanding different cultures internationally, learning to navigate those from a business standpoint.”
As he enters retirement, Larmer is looking forward to focusing his time on family and friends, and continuing to travel, on his own terms.
“Marg and I would like to see some of those places I have visited as more of tourists, rather than seeing them from the airport, hotel and Semex ofces,” Larmer said. “And of course, I want to stay close to an industry that has been very good to me.”
While dairy cattle genetics have been the foundation of his career, the connections and experiences are what Larmer says he treasures most.
“It was always the people you met that made each and every trip so enjoyable,” Larmer said. “People are always keen and eager to learn, and I look at how far the breeding industry has come in some of those countries, from when I started in this career. It’s absolutely amazing what progress has been made and where some of those countries are today.”
Why is the tradition of WDE worth you taking the time away from your farm to attend?
“I talk to other breeders I only see once a year.”
Chris Van Dyk New Richmond, Wisconsin St. Croix County 75 cows
How many years have you attended World Dairy Expo? 25-30 years.
What is your best memory from WDE? Having reserve junior champion of the Red & White show in 2001. First champion in Madison, a heifer that was bought a year earlier and developed for a year. She was also the granddam of the rst class winner in WDE a couple years later. First class winner that was bred, have bred just the one.
Why is it important for you to take time away from your dairy farm to visit WDE? Because of marketing of the genetics. I talk to other breeders I only see once a year. Also, at WDE I can talk through other ideas and strategies, and professional development. I have never made it to any seminars, but I learn from the other breeders who attend WDE about what they’re doing.
What are three must-see things when you go to WDE?
First, spend most of the time at the barn, visiting with other breeders. Second, check out the forage super bowl contest to see what other people are growing for crops and the test results of those crops, like straight alfalfa versus grass mix and what the quality of the results of that are. Third, visit the Udder Comfort booth in the trade show because they give out free samples. We’ve been using their product for a long time. It’s worked really well for our farm to get edema out of udders. Also, I like talking to the people in the Trans Ova Genetics booth. We discuss embryo transfer work, procedures, success rate and cost of doing that type of embryo transfer.
Why do you think WDE is so important for the dairy industry? The largest cattle shows and trade shows in the U.S. bring a lot of tourism money into the state. I can learn from other people within the U.S. and Canada, bringing home new ideas and how to implement them. Also, I export my own cattle to different countries around the world. The furthest I sent a cow was China. An exporter was looking for cattle and mine met the criteria.
Have you implemented anything on your farm from WDE? If so, what was it? When we started using Udder Comfort. I built a rapport with the people of Udder Comfort through WDE several years ago.
Tell us about your farm and any upcoming plans for your dairy. We milk about 75 cows, consisting of 50 Holsteins and 25 Jerseys. We show cattle in four shows a year. We farm 300 acres of crop ground, 100 acres of alfalfa, 150 acres corn and 50 acres of soybeans. Going forward, we plan to keep herd the same size.
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Schultz provides bedding, feed at expo for 25 years
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
BLACK EARTH, Wis.
What does it take to provide bedding, feed and other supplies to care for the 2,500-plus dairy cattle that travel from across North America to Madison for 10 days? According to Joel Schultz, it takes thought and preparation, patience and a good sense of humor.
Schultz operates Prairie View Enterprises LLC in Black Earth and has been the on-grounds feed and bedding vendor for World Dairy Expo for more than 25 years. Before taking the reins of the on-grounds feed store, Schultz assisted the previous vendor source shavings for several years.
“We provide bedding and feed for the cows coming to Expo,” Schultz said. “We try to have everything they might need and we deliver everything to them in the barn.”
Taking over the operation
Caring for the masses
of the feed store was not something Schultz said he sought out, but instead it was an opportunity born of friendship.
“One day, in July, Terry Howard and Jim Crowley asked me to meet them in a bar over on Park Street,” Schultz said. “Terry told me this year I was going to have to do Expo by myself. He told me that the previous vendor had just called and said he wasn’t going to do it this year.”
Schultz said at rst, he feared his hearing had failed him. He knew it would be difcult to begin sourcing that amount of straw at that time of year.
“I said, ‘Terry, it’s July — how am I going to get everything put together?’” Schultz said. “Terry told me not to worry, I’d gure it out. Then he wrote on a napkin, ‘I will do Dairy Expo this year,’ signed it and told me to sign underneath. I told him I wasn’t signing that, but here I am, 25 years later.”
Since that rst year, Schultz has started his Expo planning earlier in the year, while the wheat straw he will be supplying is still far from being ripe in the elds.
“I’m in contact with the farms we buy straw from starting in the spring,” Schultz said. “We get that all locked in and
lined up, and we get our shavings ordered, to be delivered right to the grounds.”
Schultz sources hay from three different farms, all within a 30-mile radius of Madison.
“Getting local straw really works out well for us,” Schultz said. “Coordinating to have loads delivered from out west can be tricky.”
By sourcing local straw, Schultz does not have to take delivery of the straw at his business before setting up the feed store on the grounds of the Alliant Energy Center, eliminating extra handling.
“The farms all deliver right here to the Expo grounds,” Schultz said. “We can leave it sitting in their sheds. That really helps when the weather is bad — we can get down to as few as 10 bales on the grounds, call them and they can have a load here in 30 minutes.”
Schultz sets up the ongrounds feed store the day before cattle begin arriving at Expo, hauling in skid loaders, forklifts and his ofce equipment. Once cattle begin arriving, Schultz and his crew of ve men begin catering to the needs of the bovine preparing for the upcoming week’s competitions.
Turn to SCHULTZ | Page 30
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Joel Schultz stands next to a Prairie View Enterprises trailer Aug. 18 in Madison, Wisconsin. Schultz has been the ongrounds supplier for feed and bedding at World Dairy Expo for 25 years.
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“We get here
Schultz said.
The biggest challenge Schultz faces in operating the feed store is the weather.
“When it rains, we have to try to tarp everything to keep it dry,” Schultz said. “Rain just makes things harder, and that is why sourcing the local straw is so helpful. And no one likes it when it gets really cold, either.”
Like all other areas of exhibiting dairy cattle, Schultz has seen changes in his Expo business over the years.
Schultz estimates he provides roughly 500 large bales of straw each year and nearly 15,000 bags of shavings.
“The shavings usage has really increased; more people are using more shavings than straw now,” Schultz said. “It used to be closer to 25% shavings and the rest straw, and now that’s ipped the other way.”
The use of big bales is a relatively recent change to the feed store.
“We’ve only been doing large bales for the last 15 or so years,” Schultz
said. “We still sell some small squares, but maybe only about 200 a year.”
Schultz said he does not sell as much feed as he used to but still retails about ve tons of an 18% dairy feed and another 400 bags of beet pulp.
“Once we get past the move-in period and everyone gets their rst bed done, we become more of a convenience store for the exhibitors,” Schultz said.
As part of that convenience, Schultz offers ice for sale on-grounds.
“The exhibitors really love having the ice available here,” Schultz said. “We sell between 1,200-1,400 bags of ice.”
Much like the exhibitors he supplies, Schultz said it is the people he has met and the friends he has made that keep him coming back every year.
“I enjoy working with everyone at Expo — the exhibitors and the Expo staff,” Schultz said. “I’ve gotten to know so many of the exhibitors, and they have become good friends. It is those relationships that make Expo something you look forward to each and every year.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAIRY AGENDA TODAY
A worker delivers a pallet of shavings Oct. 4, 2022, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Joel Schultz said he sells over 15,000 bags of shavings from the on-grounds feed store at expo.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Straw bales sit outside a barn at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Straw for WDE is sourced from three farms within a 30-mile radius of the Alliant Energy Center.
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Judges’ championship music selections build excitement
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. —
Some of the most memorable and exciting moments at World Dairy Expo happen as each judge reaches out and offers a handshake to the leadsperson of that one cow that rings the bell for them that day — the selection of each of the grand champions named at Expo.
“We were brainstorming ways to put an even bigger exclamation point on what was already the highlight of each show,” said Ann Marie Magnochi, former WDE Cattle Show Manager.
The answer the Expo staff came up with was asking each judge to submit a list of songs of their choosing that would serve to personalize the show and their champion selection.
“I really appreciate that they’ve let us do that, that they’ve made it a new Expo tradition,” said Chad Ryan, a perennial judge of Expo shows. “It really helps re up the crowd, and it feeds my excitement. The exhibitors deserve that extra recognition and support behind them and their animals.”
Ryan has judged ve Expo
shows since the tradition began.
“It doesn’t seem like it would be a hard thing to do, but honestly it’s one of hardest things to pick,” Ryan said.
“You want to pick a song that ts you and ts the moment.
Most people who know me well know I’m an 80s rock guy, and that’s what they’re going to get.”
Lynn Harbaugh will be judging the International Guernsey Show this year, marking his fth ofcial judging assignment since judges began selecting their championship music.
“I try to think of songs that relate to the idea of being the best or the idea of being a champion,” Harbaugh said. “They aren’t necessarily songs I would say are personally connected to me — instead they are connected to the moment and the idea. Everyone has a little different angle.”
Songs that Harbaugh has selected include “Eye of the Tiger,” “The Final Countdown,” and “We Are the Champions.”
Both Ryan and Harbaugh said they have chosen “Simply the
Phillip Topp (right) runs to name Premium Apple Crisp Lilly-Red, led by Mike Deaver, the grand champion of the Interna onal Red & White Show Oct. 5, 2023, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Topp tries to select championship music that he hopes will help create a memorable moment for the exhibitors.
Best” by Tina Turner. Ryan also recalls choosing AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.”
Like all traditions, Magnochi said the musical selections have evolved, even in the short time they have been a part of Expo.
“When we started, Mike Ashworth was still playing for Expo, so he would play the melody on his accordion,” Magnochi said. “While we liked the idea of keeping things
traditional, we found not a lot of modern music translated well to the accordion.”
Turn to JUDGES’ CHAMPIONSHIP MUSIC | Page 33
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAIRY AGENDA TODAY
Since then, Larry Stout has taken over the music duties during the shows, and has the ability to play the original songs, selected by each judge.
Originally the selected music was played only during the selection of the grand champion for each of the breed shows.
“When we instituted this, we wanted to make sure not to take away from the pageantry of the Jodlerklub during the Brown Swiss parade of champions or the bagpipers leading the Ayrshire parade,” Magnochi said. “During those shows, the musical selection of the judge is limited just to the time they are actually going out and greeting their champions.”
At times, Magnochi tried to blend the establishment of the new tradition with the venerable breed traditions.
“Unbelievably, there is a yodeling version of ‘We Will Rock You,’” Magnochi said. “Don’t ask how many layers of the internet I had to go through to nd that. We approached the New Glarus Jodlerklub about performing it — and they weren’t opposed, but with time constraints they didn’t have time to adequately learn and prepare for it.”
Over the years, the practice has been extended to the selection of the junior, intermediate and senior champions as well, and judges are all asked to provide three or four song selections.
Judge Phillip Topp will be judging his fourth Expo show this year since the
implementation of the new custom.
“It’s a great way to build the enthusiasm for the champions you’re picking,” Topp said. “I put some time into thinking about it. When I’m driving down the road and hear a song I like, I’ll make a mental note that it might be something I can use someday. Last year I chose “Sold Out” by HARDY. I pick songs that I like, and that will hopefully bring back memories for the exhibitors.”
Expo has to ensure they comply with the legal aspect of using licensed music, and to avoid those issues, sound other than the microphones the judges and announcers use is muted.
“Even though Expo would purchase the rights to use the music, YouTube will still pull the videos down for copyright violations,” Magnochi said.
Harbaugh, Ryan and Topp all agree that selecting the music to which they name their champions has added to their experience as judges, the experience of the exhibitors standing in the center of the ring, and the crowd that is waiting.
“Even before the music comes on, as the anticipation is building for me, while I’m thinking about what I am going to do, I get the beat going in my head, tapping on my leg,” Ryan said.
“It’s become so instrumental, and every time I go out there, I get more hyped up.
It’s a big deal, having an Expo champion, and it’s great to treat it like that.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAIRY AGENDA TODAY
Judge Lynn Harbaugh (right) celebrates with Yvon Chabot as he names Kingsway Caught A Vibe his junior champion during the Interna onal Holstein Show Oct. 5, 2023, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Harbaugh tries to s ck with the theme of being a champion when selec ng the music that will play as he names his WDE champions.
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Giving the key to show ring success
Jacobs family strives to get each cow to its best
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
CAP-SANTÉ, Quebec, Canada — Shakira, Valana, Aimo, Loana and Maya — those names conjure up visions of sleek black and white beauties that have been anchoring the successes Ferme Jacobs has been reaping at World Dairy Expo for more than a decade.
With 11 premier breeder and two premier exhibitor banners and three supreme champion titles to their Expo credits, the Jacobs family has become accustomed to hearing their name announced over the colored shavings each year. However, it is not something they have come to expect.
“When you leave to go to Madison with 10 or 15 cows each year, you want to get the best place you can get,” Ysabel Jacobs said. “But we don’t leave the farm thinking, ‘Oh, she’s going to be rst or second.’ We leave the farm with the mindset to have them be at 110% on show day. We focus on having them ready, the best they can be. Then what happens in the ring, happens in the ring.”
Jacobs, along with her husband, Tyler Doiron, her broth-
er, Yan Jacobs, and her parents, Jean Jacobs and Marian Ghielen, operate Ferme Jacobs in Cap Santé. The family milks a total of 600 cows on three farms, including 270 cows milked in their recently constructed robotic facility.
Jacobs said the secret to their success lies in their breeding program.
“We want to make the most balanced cow we can — the cow that ts in anywhere, in a freestall, a robot, a tiestall,” Jacobs said. “For us, milk and fat are important because it is most of our paycheck.”
Jacobs said she believes the worlds of show cows and commercial cows are coming closer together each year.
“We want something functional, and I think the show business is going that way, too,” Jacobs said. “We need to have functional cows win the shows because that is how we’re going to get closer to the market for the big herds also.”
Functionality to meet marketplace demands is not the only reason the family desires balanced, functional cows — they need them to t into their management systems as well.
“A lot of our good cows start in the robots,” Jacobs said. “They get such a good start there. The udder quality comes back so much better being milked three times a day, and they produce more milk. It is
good for the cows.”
Cows that show potential are typically allowed to complete their rst lactation in the robot barn. As they calve in a second time, the best are brought into the family’s 130-stall tiestall barn and potentially put on a show program. Only 10-15 cows are typically on a show program at any given time. The cows live outside on pasture or in a pack barn and are only in
the tiestall barn for milking.
“It is easier to manage them when they are all together in one barn,” Jacobs said.
There the cows are fed either a total mixed ration or grain, depending on each cow’s needs — how much she milks and what her requirements are to reach optimal body condition.
“They live in a group; they don’t live alone,” Jacobs said.
“It is important for them to be competitive with each other. They are more aggressive. When one gets up to eat, the others get up to eat, too.”
Cows on the farm’s show program are washed every few days and rinsed on extremely hot days. Their feet are trimmed every six weeks and the cows
Turn to JACOBS | Page 36
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLSTEIN QUEBEC
Yan Jacobs (le ) and Ysabel Jacobs present their best three females exhibit at the Interna onal Holstein Show Oct. 6, 2018, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Ferme Jacobs has won 11 premier breeder banners and two premier exhibitor banners at the show.
are practice bagged at home several times before heading to a show.
Even with the best management and show program, Jacobs concedes it is ultimately the cow who will decide her own success.
“On show day you will know the one that wants it, but until show morning you don’t know,” Jacobs said. “You can help them, but if she’s not at 110%, she’s not going to show at 110%.”
To get to that level, the animal needs to be healthy and happy.
“You need to get her to the ring, and (then) she needs to want to be there,” Ja-
cobs said.
Not every cow that gets on the trailer bound for Madison, Wisconsin, starts out with that show-winning attitude and temperament, Jacobs said.
“When she rst came to us, Shakira was a little bit picky,” Jacobs said. “You would look at her and say, ‘You’re going to learn in a hurry, you’re like everyone else. You want to eat grain, you better ght with the other ones or you’ll get what’s left over.’”
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAIRY AGENDA TODAY
Tyler Doiron (center) celebrates with his brother-in-law, Yan Jacobs (right), as the cows are named grand champion and honorable men on grand champion of the Interna onal Holstein Show Oct. 6, 2023, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The grand champion cow, Erbacres Snapple Shakira-ET, went on to be named the supreme champion of WDE.
Robert Klinkner Viroqua, Wisconsin Vernon County 50-55 cows
How many years have you attended World Dairy Expo? 30 years. I missed it 19 years ago when we moved to our current location that week.
What is your best memory from WDE? Explain. The rst time we exhibited our rst home bred animal at WDE.
Why is it important for you to take time away from your dairy farm to visit WDE? The people. Dairy people are a very close group. There are many of them you only see once or twice a year and we all have the same passion for great dairy cattle.
What are three must-see things when you go to WDE? People, cows and the Badger Dairy Club Cheese Stand.
Why do you think WDE is so important for the dairy industry? It is a great way to network with people within the industry.
Have you implemented anything on your farm from WDE? If so, what was it? We have implemented several products we learned about while attending the trade show.
Tell us about your farm and any upcoming plans for your dairy. We milk between 50-55 cows and farm 75 acres where we grow triticale, corn silage, sorghum and grassy hay. We buy a complete feed for the total mixed ration. We are in the process of remodeling our heifer facility at our heifer farm.
Jacobs said it took Shakira a couple of weeks to gure the program out.
“She matured to that aggressive attitude,” Jacobs said. “Now if you keep her happy on show day, her mindset changes — she knows, she wants it, she keeps getting better, eating. The day she doesn’t want it, it’s going to be harder to get her to the top.”
Traveling over 1,100 miles with as many as 15 milking fe-
males is not an easy feat, Jacobs said.
“We try to make sure everything goes well on the way,” she said. “It is the biggest trip for us.”
The trip typically takes the Ferme Jacobs crew about 26 hours and includes three stops to care for the animals.
“We stop at the border to feed and water, then go another 5-6 hours and stop again to feed, water and milk,” Jacobs
said. “We keep everything on the pot. I nd it goes well. They have enough space to sleep, and I don’t want to stress them out one more time. Cows are so curious, every time they go to a new place, they don’t eat — they are busy checking things out.”
The tack trailer travels with the pot, ensuring that there are
enough hands on deck to expedite chores at each stop.
“Everyone gets to Madison at the same time,” Jacobs said. “When we get there, my crew gets a pack made and makes sure the water is hooked up. We get there early enough we have time to make the display while the cows are resting.”
With many accomplish-
ments on their resume, Jacobs said people often ask what comes next.
“For me, I just hope I can have Shakira and Babe ready — that they are happy and healthy in the pack,” Jacobs said. “If I can give them both that key, that will make my day. Then what happens in the ring, happens in the ring.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAIRY AGENDA TODAY
Tyler Doiron embraces Erbacres Snapple Shakira a er she claimed her second championshiptle of the Interna onal Holstein Show Oct. 6, 2023, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Shakira went on to claim her second supreme championship tle later in the day.
PHOTO COURTESY OF COWSMOPOLITAN
World Dairy Expo President Bill Hageman (le ) presents Ysabel Jacobs with the McKown Master Breeder Award Oct. 2, 2021, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Jacobs said being presented with that award has been a highlight of her career as a registered Holstein breeder.
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