Holstein Association USA is excited to honor 10 breeders who have qualified for the 2010 Herd of Excellence recognition.
These herds have all met the stringent criteria to qualify for the award: Must be 25 percent above breed average Mature Equivalent (ME) for milk, fat, and protein; must have classified within the last year and have an actual average classification score of 83 points or higher; must have at least 70 percent of the herd homebred; and must be enrolled in the Association’s TriStar program.
Joseph Brantmeier
Hilrose Holsteins, Sherwood, Wisconsin
Joe Brantmeier operates Hilrose Holsteins, along with sons Andy and Jeff, milking 110 cows twice a day in their tiestall barn. The herd has ME production averages of 33,445 pounds of milk, 1,300 pounds of fat and 961 pounds of protein, with an average classification score of 84.62. The herd is 84.16 percent homebred.
The Brantmeiers’ goal is to develop cows with long productive lives. Joe and his sons discuss mating decisions and have equal input into bulls that are used in the herd. A strong emphasis is placed on overall type, with good components and high udder composite, selecting from the top bulls in the breed. They have been a Progressive Genetics Herd for three years with an average CTPI of +1432 in 2009, and have received PBR recognition for 20 years.
Joe is proud that he and wife Chris, who is a long-time teacher, made agriculture an enjoyable career path for their children growing up. Along with Andy and Jeff, they have a daughter, Sara, who works with Pfizer Animal Health.
Charles Duncan
Duncan Farm, Warsaw, Ohio
The Duncan family is milking 60 Registered Holsteins, with an average classification score of 85.23. Their ME production averages are 32,111 pounds of milk, 1,384 pounds of fat and 954 pounds of protein, and the herd is 70.21 percent homebred.
Charles has been working with and breeding Registered cattle his entire life. He entered the military in 1956, at which time his family dispersed their cattle. When he completed his service, he began rebuilding his herd by purchasing Registered heifers and cows, and in 1969 he and his wife, Carol, purchased the farm they are still on today.
Several family members are involved in the operation, including son Daryl, his wife Sally and their three children: Neil (22), Drew (17) and Rachel (15). Their Holsteins, along with around 20 Ayrshires, are housed in a freestall setup and milked twice a day in a flatline parlor.
Allen Dent Johnson
Jafral Holsteins, Hamptonville, North Carolina
Allen Johnson’s 40-cow herd is 100 percent homebred, with ME production averages of 33,078 pounds of milk, with 1,261 of fat and 970 of protein. Their average classification score is 85.94. The herd has been enrolled in Holstein COMPLETE for four years and has received PBR recognition for 12 years.
The cattle are housed in sand bedded freestalls, and the dry cows are housed in with the milking herd. Allen feels that this helps the cows get going sooner in their lactation. “I find that they milk quicker that way,” he said. “It’s rare that second lactation or older cows don’t give over 100 pounds within 10 days of calving.” The cattle are fed free choice corn silage, five pounds of either orchard grass or wheat and crimson clover, along with a 24 percent high-energy commercial pellet twice a day in the parlor.
Working with Allen on the dairy are his nephew, Kevin Huie, who does the feeding and fieldwork, along with his sister, Janet, who feeds the calves.
Steve and Amanda Killian
Dirt-Road Holsteins, Blair, Wisconsin
Celebrating their 10th year of farming together this year, Steve and Amanda Killian are milking 30 Registered Holsteins twice a day with ME production averages of 33,366 pounds of milk, 1,240 pounds of fat and 1,065 pounds of protein. Their Holsteins are 73.08 percent homebred with an average classification score of 84.68.
Steve and Amanda both grew up on dairy farms. Starting out together, they purchased a very simple farm and have spent the past several years investing in improvements. The cattle are housed in a tiestall barn and milked twice daily. Cows spend at least eight hours a day on grass during the growing season, and the Killians feel that has really contributed to the health and longevity of their herd.
The Killians currently have four children: Samuel (9), Christian (7), Olivia (3), and Bo (1). Along with the Holsteins, they milk 50 Registered Jerseys.
Randy W. Kortus
Mainstream Holsteins, Lynden, Washington
Mainstream Holsteins boasts the highest production of the 10 Herds of Excellence, with ME production averages of an impressive 37,639 pounds of milk, with 1,483 pounds of fat and 1,113 pounds of protein. The herd is 96.49 percent homebred with an average classification score of 83.6 points.
Randy grew up on a commercial dairy in Washington, purchasing his first Registered animal in 1973, and owning approximately 30 by the time he graduated college. He and wife Jana were married shortly there after and started farming on their own a year later, purchasing a farm and Ray Terpstra’s Lor-Les herd.
Today, they’re milking 55 Registered Holsteins, with a total of 80 milk cows, counting animals of other breeds they own. Randy describes their management system as a “supplemental intensified grazing system.” The cattle are housed in a freestall barn during the wintertime, and in the warmer months they’re kept out on pasture and given a TMR to supplement their grazing.
Randy and Jana have four children: Mike (18), Matt (28), Melissa (25) and Mark (20). All four enjoy the dairy and helping out when exhibiting at shows.
Bruce and Brenda Long
B-Long Holsteins, New London, Wisconsin
B-Long Holsteins maintains ME Production averages of 34,898 pounds of milk with 1,220 pounds of fat and 1,014 pounds of protein. They are 98.33 percent homebred with an average classification score of 83.68.
Bruce and Brenda take care of all the day-to-day work on the farm, milking twice a day. They have three sons who are all currently in college: Bryant (20), and twins Brandon and Bret (19). Both graduating from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Bruce and Brenda married soon after college. They started at their present farm in 1990, after working for some time on Brenda’s family farm.
Longs have been working with the cow families in their herd for several generations now. Around 80 percent of the herd traces back to two calves Bruce purchased when he was 14 years old, and another 10 percent comes from some animals Brenda brought to their operation from her home farm. The only non-homebred animal in their herd is a red and white Holstein that one of their sons purchased as a project animal.
Lloyd and Denise Pease
Sweet-Peas Holsteins, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania
Sweet-Peas Holsteins is a 74 percent homebred herd with an average classification score of 86.16. Their ME production averages sit at 32,663 pounds of milk, 1,272 pounds of fat and 1,005 pounds of protein.
Like many Registered Holstein breeders, Lloyd grew up on a dairy farm, showing cattle in 4-H. He started as part of the family partnership in 1984, and in 1994 he and wife Denise moved and started their own operation, milking 65 cows. The cows are housed in a tiestall barn and milked twice a day.
Aside from quality feed, the other factor that allows the family to achieve outstanding performance from their cattle is consistently good care and dedication. “I feel pretty strongly that farming is hard work, but if you enjoy what you do, it makes you do a better job,” he added. “One of the benefits of having Registered cattle is having added value other than their milk. Cows aren’t only our livelihood, it’s a way of life.” Denise and Lloyd’s son, Matt, works full-time with them on their farm.
Jake and Sallianne Tanis
Ideal Holsteins, Centre Hall, Pennsylvania
Ideal Holsteins is a 98.95 percent homebred herd with an average classification score of 83.69 points. Milking twice a day in their tiestall barn, they have ME production averages of 32,545 pounds of milk, 1,276 pounds of fat and 976 pounds of protein.
While they milk only Holsteins today, Jake’s beginnings in the dairy industry were growing up on a Guernsey farm in New Jersey. They have been at their current location in central Pennsylvania for over 20 years now. Ideal has received PBR recognition for 14 years.
All of Jake and Sally’s children were involved on the farm while they were growing up, and now son Adam plays a major role in the day-to-day operation of the farm. Jake also gives credit to his wife Sally for the important tasks she takes care of.
Benjamin and Carolyn Turner
Maplelane-Manor Farm, Apulia Station, New York
Ben and Carolyn Turner’s herd at Maplelane-Manor Farm is 93.28 percent homebred, with an average classification score of 83.17. Their ME production averages are 34,043 pounds of milk, 1,316 pounds of fat and 1,092 pounds of protein, milking twice a day in their tiestall barn.
Ben, a full-time veterinarian, and Carolyn established the Maplelane-Manor prefix in 1982 when they were married, though both had been breeding cattle before that. Carolyn said that although she didn’t grow up on a dairy farm, she got really excited about Registered cattle and enjoyed being able to follow their pedigrees.
Carolyn is quick to stress that teamwork is the glue that holds their operation together. Their team is comprised of Ben, Carolyn, John Young, Carolyn’s son, and Jay Liddington, who has worked with the family for over 15 years. Everyone helps with the milking, with Jay playing more of a herdsman role and John doing a great deal of work with the cropping side of the operation.
Daniel Vandertie
Doorco Holsteins, Brussels, Wisconsin
A 100 percent homebred herd, Doorco Holsteins boasts an 86.16 average classification score, with ME production averages of 32,786 pounds of milk with 1,186 pounds of fat and 953 pounds of protein. The farm is owned and operated by Dan Vandertie with his wife, Julie, and they have three children: Karlie (19), Bridget (15) and Austin (10).
Dan has worked in the dairy industry his entire life, with their family farm started in the 1950s. He began working there following high school, and he and Julie purchased it from his father in 1987. They have been recognized with the PBR award for 35 years, including several years since Dan has taken ownership, and received the PGH recognition for five years, with a 2009 average CTPI of +1580. They currently have 40 cows on the farm, with the milking herd housed in tiestalls.
Aside from the cows, they farm 350 acres, raising all of their alfalfa, corn, soybeans and wheat. The ration is comprised primarily of haylage and corn silage, with some high moisture corn, minerals and other ingredients. The Vanderties enjoy being a small family farm, and describe their operation as a “real team effort” between their family, nutritionist and veterinarian. They also feel fortunate to be surrounded by several other good herds in the area.
—From Holstein USA news release
