Joe Stevens De Pere, Wisconsin Reproduction Specialist ANIMART Inc.
What education are you bringing with you to this position?
I attendedChippewa Valley Technical Collegewhere I received an associate degree in agriscience. After graduation I continued my education at theUniversity of Wisconsin – River Fallsmajoring in dairy science. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in December of 2004.
Please describe your agricultural background.
I grew up on a small farm in central Wisconsin and began working on dairy farms while I was in high school. While attending college I worked on dairy farms gaining a wide range of knowledge about the dairy industry.
What are your new responsibilities?
As the reproduction specialist I will be providing technical support and consulting producers on their reproductive programs. I will be focusing on synchronization protocols, protocol compliance and activity monitoring systems.
What territory will you cover?
My territory will consist of mainly the Great Lakes area with occasional travel throughout the U.S.
What previous positions have you held?
After graduation I took an area reproduction manager position in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, with ABS Global. After one year in this position I returned to eastern Wisconsin to continue in my role as a reproduction manager with ABS for another four years.
In 2009, I accepted an assistant herd manager position with Strutz Dairy Farms in northeast Wisconsin. In this position I gained a great understanding of the day-to-day operations of a large-scale dairy farm.
What excites you most about working in your new role?
I look forward to working with producers in a wide variety of situations. Every producer will present a unique set of challenges and opportunities for success. The opportunities that the new activity monitoring systems offer to improve on-farm reproductive efficiencies makes it a very exciting time in the dairy industry.
How will you be of most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
With my professional background I bring a vast knowledge of reproductive programs used across a broad spectrum of herds. Using this expertise I will be able to help monitor and improve reproductive efficiencies.
Why did you choose this company?
While in my farm management role I worked closely with the ANIMART team, and gained a great respect for the knowledge, expertise, and tools that this company was able to offer its producers.
What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
I would liket to be an independent consulting resource for reproductive programs and help make ANIMART a leader in new technologies that improve reproductive performance on dairy farms. PD
