With consignments finalized and the catalog heading to press, anticipation for the upcoming 15th Badger Invitational cattle sale is high on the University of Wisconsin – Madison ag campus. The 30th anniversary of the sale is set for Saturday, March 12 at the UW-Madison Stock Pavilion in Madison, Wisconsin. The Badger Dairy Club will sell roughly 60 head of high-type, deep-pedigreed and high-genomic Holstein heifers and choices with the help of UW-Madison alumni as ringmen, leadsmen and auction leaders.
Along with being a high-quality cattle sale for the public, the Badger Invitational creates a tremendous learning opportunity for Badger Dairy Club members and sale chairs who are in charge of running every aspect of the cattle sale. Throughout the months of planning, as well as during the day of the sale itself, members have ample opportunities to network with industry professionals and producers, allowing UW-Madison dairy science students to better prepare themselves for the industry they will soon be a part of.
“A lot of industry leaders have come through this sale,” says Tom Morris, owner of Morris Ltd. who has served as an alumni advisor and auctioneer for the sale since its birth.
The sale continues to be a positive experience due to strong UW alumni participation in the sale as supporters, consigners, buyers, ring-men, leadsmen and auction leaders. In addition, they are a great source of person to person advertisement and have helped direct people interested in buying and selling quality cattle in the direction of the Badger Dairy Club.
The day of the sale will begin with a pre-viewing of the cattle along with a silent auction for the benefit of the UW-Madison Dairy Cattle Judging team starting at 9 a.m. New this year to the sale, a complimentary lunch from the World Dairy Expo Badger Dairy Club Grilled Cheese Stand will be provided starting at 10 a.m. The sale will begin at 11 a.m. with the presentation of the newly-named Dr. David P. Dickson Hall of Fame award, followed by the semen auction and the cattle sale. Bidding for the silent auction will remain open throughout the sale. A post-sale gathering will take place at the Stadium Bar at 7 p.m.
Sale chairs for the 15th Badger Invitational include General Chair Brian Coyne, Spring Valley, Wisconsin; Selections: Patrick Crave, Waterloo, Wisconsin; Kelly Sime, Stoughton, Wisconsin; Danielle Brown, Dodgeville, Wisconsin; Jacob Brey, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; Cattle Care: Darci O’Brien, Prairie Du Chein, Wisconsin; Cody Carpenter, Darlington, Wisconsin; Kristin Sprengeler, Plato, Michigan; Advertising: Dana Mohn, Lakeville, Minnesota; Catalog and Semen Donations: Chelsea Brander, Spring Green, Wisconsin; Donations and Special Events: Laura Elliot, Marshall, Wisconsin; and Carissa Levash, Brillion, Wisconsin.
A copy of the online sale catalog will be available on the Badger Dairy Club website. For a hardcopy, contact catalog chair Chelsea Brander at (608) 574-8237. PD
—From Badger Dairy Club news release
PHOTO:
Sale chairs for the 15th Badger Invitational. Photo courtesy of the Badger Dairy Club.
