meet your neighbors
Making Her Own Way
Photos by Julie Turner-Crawford
By Julie Turner-Crawford
Niangua, Mo., teen earns State FFA award for her growing dairy herd At around the age of 3, Lila Wantland fell in love with showing dairy cattle, following in the footsteps of her older sisters. Today, Lila is a recent graduate of Niangua High School, and her love for showing cattle continues. She is an accomplished handler at the halter, showing at county fairs and national shows. “I love to show and the dairy industry,” Lila said. “It’s got great people, and I learn new things constantly. With showing, I have traveled to multiple states to show, and next fall, I will judge (with the Missouri 4-H Dairy team) at the World Dairy Expo.” Lila’s parents, Jeff and LeeAnn Wantland, have been supportive of their daughters’ showing ventures but told them the work was on them; they were in charge. However, their support, Lila said, helped them improve their animals. “We’ve come so far from when we first started,” Lila said. “We would go to Missouri Dairy Cow Camp, and when we got home, they would tell us to use what we learned. I like that they made us do it ourselves.” Lila has always had an active and hands-on role in the Wantland farming operation, a grazing dairy near Niangua, Mo. “Growing up like this teaches you a lot of responsibilities,” Lila explained. “You got to get here in the morning to get the cows milked, the calves fed and then do things in the middle, like fixing things or working in the fields if it’s haying season, then come back at night to do it all over again… It’s just what we have always done.”
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Lila Wantland is a third-generation dairy producer. She was recently awarded the Missouri FFA Dairy Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award.
The Wantlands have raised registered in and pick just about any bull from the Holsteins for many years, but Lila want- book and advance your herd, but with the ed to add a little color to the herd. Guernseys and other breeds, you have to “It started with a Guernsey a cou- look more at the pedigrees and the traits ple of years ago,” Lila said, adding that to see what you want. With Guernseys, the Guernsey herd has increased since one of their biggest problems is feet and then. “Then we have incorporated some legs, so you want to find a bull that will Brown Swiss from my brother-in-law, and improve a heifer’s feet and legs and make I will lease one this year from him. Then her a little stronger in the front end. With we have some Jerseys, and I have some the Jerseys, you can go back to some napartnership animals with my sister (Ellie tional champions. It’s pretty fun.” Melander) and another Jersey breeder. The 18-year-old admitted she likes exI’m pretty excited about the Jerseys; they ploring the genetic side of dairy produchave just taken off.” tion. The addition of the col“I think I was about 12 and came ored breeds has allowed Lila home from judging camp, opened to delve into new pedigrees. up the Select Sires book, and I “The Holsteins are more adstarted reading it,” Lila said. vanced in that area,” she said. Niangua, Mo. In addition to selecting the “When you get into Guernsey, matings of her own females, you can be on your own a little. Lila said she offers her opinWith the Holsteins, you can go ion to her dad for his cattle. Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
“I told him the other day that we only breed certain cows out of this cane and not to use it,” she recalled with a laugh, adding that she likes the diversity that hand-selecting sires through AI gives herd. Lila admires the breeding program of Ferme Jacobs, a Holstein operation in Quebec, Canada. “If I could breed cattle like that every day, I would be happy,” Lila said with a laugh. “They have bred more than 100 excellent cows and have won multiple supreme championships.” Lila retains most of her heifers for future breeding, but her family has also introduced a beef bull for added income by selling crossed calves. While she has been in the dairy industry throughout her lifetime, Lila said is are always something new to learn, and many of the lessons come from her show family. JUNE 13, 2022
