Iowa Holstein Master Breeder Award

Rick Demmer, Peosta

Rick grew up on a family farm with eight siblings where everyone was expected to pitch in and help with chores and the food on the table was all produced on their farm. His parents moved to the current 160-acre farm in 1956 and the farm was comprised of pigs, chickens, and dairy cattle. As time went on their main focus became the dairy cattle while they managed a few other animals simply to feed their family. The children began showing in 4-H at the Dubuque County Fair in 1964. This same year when he was only 5 years old his father Leo decided to start Artificially Inseminating(AI) his herd which sparked an interest in genetics in some of the sons. In 1969 they bought a cow named Lilly, the first registered cow on the farm. To this day, Lilly stands to be one of the most influential cows in the herd, and to this day quite a few of the herd traces back to her. Soon he was old enough to start working with the cattle and showing and he developed a great love for the Holstein breed over the years. He was active in showing Holsteins in 4-H, FFA, and at the district and state levels.

After graduating from high school he worked alongside his dad on the family farm.

In 1983 he purchased his first registered Holstein cow, Mapleglen Say Fond Elevation EX-91-2E. She became a strong foundation cow in the herd and later developed as a 5E-94 DOM with over 225,000 pounds of milk and 9,989 pounds of fat. She was named all Iowa 100,000-Pound Cow. She was flushed numerous times with resulting daughters by Conductor, Valiant, Mark, Ned Boy, Beautician, Blackstar and Starwalker. Her six Valiant daughters averaged 86 pts. and all over 1,000 pounds of fat.

In 1985 he married his wife Kathy, and they rented a home a few miles from the home farm. They went on shares with his parents in 1988 and in 1990 moved onto the home farm and began cash-rent farming on their own until the purchase of the farm in 1998. With the signing of the papers that day they added on to the original barn and in turn, doubled their herd size over the next few years. Their focus continued to be developing deep pedigreed, high-quality cattle

In 1991 his Senior Two-Year old Le-O-La Thor Linsey VG87 placed second at the Iowa Holstein Show. He received the Outstanding Young Holstein Breeder award in 1992. He is active in his community as a member of the Farm Bureau, Dubuque County Dairy Association, and a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

Has hosted state Holstein picnics, Barn meetings, Youth fitting workshops, 4H judging workshops with the cattle, and 4-H dairy committee at the Dubuque County Fair.

In 2020, Lauralee was the winning Junior 3-year Old and Intermediate Champion of the Midwest Fall National Holstein Show and the Iowa State Show. She also anchored the family’s Senior Best 3 females at both of these shows, where they took first place. His first homebred All-American nomination came in 2020, Junior 3-Year-Old Le-O-La Arvis Lauralee (Ex91).

While Lauralee may be their first Nomination from this family, she is not the only standout. Some of Le-O-La’s best brood cows and show prospects have come from this line of cattle. Le-O-La Talent Libby (EX 94 96-MS) is a two time All Iowa winner as a Junior 3 & 5-year-old, Le-O-La Atwood Leanne (EX 93) was the All Iowa Senior 2 and has thrown some pretty nice heifer calves as well, Le-O-La Atwood Lyndi (Ex 92) has been at the top of her classes since she was a Senior 2-Year-old; Le-O-La Raider Lady (EX 92) was the All Iowa Senior 2-Year-old and Reserve Grand Champion at the Iowa State Fair in 1995; and, Le-O-La Christmas Lilly (EX 90) was a Gold Medal Dam and the first place Aged Cow & Reserve Grand Champion at the Waterloo Cattle Congress in the early ’80s. This maternal line has been good to this breeder all because back in 1969 his dad purchased Oak-Valley Cedardale Lilly as a winter calf and the first registered Holstein to call Le-O-La home and one of the most influential cows for the family. Lauralee traces back 13 generations back to Lilly!

This past show season the family has first and second Senior Best three females and without Lauralee in either group. At the 2021 World Dairy Expo Le-O-La Holsteins had Reserve Senior Best 3 of the Open Holstein show and Reserve All American Senior Best Three Females.

At the most recent classification this past month the farm had 14 new Excellents and three 88pt 2-year-olds.

Rick and Kathy are the parents of seven children, Kayla, Kristy, Kyle, Riley, Rachel, Royce and Regan. All the boys have Ag-related jobs and the girls are all past princesses.

Rick and Kathy Demmer received the Master Breeder Award from Linda Pagel. This award is given in memory of Russel Pagel.