In addition to other celebratory activities, the National Dairy Shrine is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024 by doubling down on fundraising efforts with Campaign75 to provide more scholarships, expand their leader recognition program and make investments in their museum. With a mission to inspire youth, recognize dairy leaders and preserve dairy’s history, the organization is open to anyone passionate about the dairy industry and currently includes more than 20,000 members.
“Dairy producers should understand that the organization was created to preserve the industry they’ve worked so hard to build,” says Mike Opperman, executive director of the National Dairy Shrine. “Our founding fathers started the National Dairy Shrine as a way to recognize prominent dairy cattle breeders and industry leaders. So really, the organization is nothing without the great people who put milk in the tank every day on dairy farms across the country. Our goal going forward is to ensure we remain dedicated to the dairy producer and the industry that supports those farmers.”
Looking back over more than seven decades of achievements, Opperman says his team is proud of the number of scholarships they have been able to provide to rising stars in the dairy industry, their museum and so much more.
“We have provided more than 1,000 scholarships valued at more than 1 million dollars to college students and have recognized hundreds of dairy leaders across all aspects of the dairy industry. We also created a world-class museum in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, where we can showcase dairy’s history,” Opperman says. “Of course, this would not have been possible without the work of literally hundreds of dairy enthusiasts who have given graciously of their time and talent.”
While the accomplishments are numerous, Opperman says the greatest contribution is “just the fact that the National Dairy Shrine has provided a place for all these great things to happen.”
“We credit the foresight of our founders for recognizing that an organization like this was needed and then for the fortitude to bring it to life,” he adds. “There are only a handful of industries that have undergone this sort of effort that have been able to sustain it for over 75 years.”
The National Dairy Shrine also held a judging contest to choose the top cow from the past 75 years (Erbacres Snapple Shakira), commissioned an artist to create a series of paintings about their past and future, and also highlighted their museum over the summer. The celebrations will continue at World Dairy Expo with a silent auction prior to the awards banquet on Sept. 30.
Campaign75
Their fundraising campaign – Campaign75 – is a significant part of their celebratory efforts this year, and Opperman says they are on their way to accomplishing their goal of adding more than $1 million to the endowment fund.
“At the end of last year, we realized that in addition to honoring our past, we needed a way to create a solid foundation for the industry to thrive in the future,” he says.
One of their primary campaign goals is to “significantly increase” their endowment fund to further enhance youth programming, leadership recognition and history preservation programs.
- Youth programming: With rising costs of higher education, the organization hopes to support and engage young people in the dairy industry by creating more scholarships, developing a mentorship program, creating more Dairy Shrine student chapters, engaging young adults early in their careers and creating a program for high school students. They also plan to increase the number of sponsorship levels offered to those interested in helping to support these programs.
- Leadership recognition: They plan to broaden the scope of breeder recognition with the goal of recognizing more dairy producers while creating new awards for processors and innovation and also reimagining the award recognition banquet held at World Dairy Expo.
- History preservation: The National Dairy Shrine Museum is at the center of their efforts to preserve history, and they plan to update displays to make them more interactive by incorporating digital technology and including elements of modern dairy farming. They also hope to create an online version of the museum to expand its reach, in addition to planning events that highlight dairy’s history.
Opperman encourages those passionate about the dairy industry and supporting the National Dairy Shrine’s mission to “seriously consider making a contribution to the campaign.” The campaign will run through December 2025, and anyone interested in contributing can donate on their website.
Award winners to be celebrated at World Dairy Expo
Award winners and the families of Stan Bird and Alice Evans will receive their awards at the National Dairy Shrine’s Awards Banquet on Sept. 30 at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Portraits of each award winner will be displayed in the National Dairy Shrine’s Dairy Hall of Fame and Museum in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder Award: Don Bennink, North Florida Holsteins
Don Bennink from North Florida Holsteins in Bell, Florida, is this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder Award from the National Dairy Shrine. The award is presented annually to progressive dairy breeders who excel in managing their dairy herds with sound genetic and business principles.
“North Florida Holsteins has played an important role in identifying functional traits that all dairy producers have benefited from,” Opperman says. “Don’s foresight, vision and commitment to creating a better cow is what really sets him apart.”
Between 1981 and 2021, more than 200 bulls carrying the NO-FLA prefix were enrolled with the National Association of Animal Breeders. Additionally, Bennink developed several key females that have heavily impacted the Holstein breed. Most notably, he bred the dam of Mr. T-Spruce Frazz LIONEL-ET – NO-FLA Montross 42446-ET – who traces back to at least five generations of North Florida breeding. LIONEL topped the TPI list in April of 2022. Additionally, NO-FLA MATRIARCH is in the top 20 all-time among proven bulls with a PTA Productive Life of 7.3. North Florida Holsteins has also bred 55 dam of merit awardees and 11 gold medal dams, nine who have scored 9, and another 15 93-point animals.
Aside from genetic-related achievements, Bennink has been actively involved in research projects, including one with Pennsylvania State University where his recordkeeping was “instrumental” in assisting researchers with identifying early onset muscle weakness in Holsteins. He also regularly collaborates with researchers at the University of Florida.
Nominators Andrew Steiner of Pine-Tree Dairy and Chad Dechow of Pennsylvania State University told National Dairy Shrine that they have “worked with Don as a fellow dairy cattle breeder and as a collaborator on many dairy genetics projects [and] believe there are few breeders that have advanced the cause of breeding for efficient and profitable cows to the same extent as Don.”
Guest of Honor Award: Corey Geiger
The National Dairy Shrine’s Guest of Honor Award recognizes a dairy leader for his or her accomplishments and industry contributions. Receiving the award in 2024 is Corey Geiger from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
“You can’t help but be enthused about the dairy industry when talking to Corey,” Opperman says. “He’s been a leader in everything he’s done and has already had a tremendous impact on our industry.”
Geiger is the lead dairy economist at CoBank and previously spent the first 28 years of his career at Hoard’s Dairyman. Among his accomplishments, he has served as president of Holstein Association USA, the Wisconsin Holstein Association and the National Dairy Shrine; participated in dairy judging contests at both the 4-H and collegiate levels; has worked closely with the University of Wisconsin – Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) on various boards and as a Badger Dairy Camp instructor; received the CALS Honorary Recognition Award in 2023; and has authored two books, the first of which earned him a finalist spot for the 2022 National Indie Excellent Award.
Nominator Sarah Thomas from Select Sires Inc. told National Dairy Shrine that “it would be quite near impossible to find someone more enthusiastic and genuine about the dairy cow, dairy farmers and the greater dairy industry than Corey Geiger. He appreciates, recognizes and highlights the history of our industry with ease, all while being part of the push forward to ensure that it succeeds for years to come.”
Pioneer Awards: Stanley (Stan) Bird, Alice Catherine Evans, Dr. David Faber and Peter Vail Sr.
Bird, Evans, Faber and Vail Sr. join the ranks of the nearly 400 dairy industry leaders who have been recognized as National Dairy Shrine Pioneers for their significant industry contributions.
Stan Bird
Although he passed away in 2014, Bird continues to have a lasting impact on the dairy industry. Highly respected in dairy publishing, Bird served as the executive publisher of Holstein World, where he managed a family of dairy magazines that also included Western Dairy Business, Eastern Dairy Business and Lechero Latino.
A former dairy publishing colleague told National Dairy Shrine that Bird’s impact “extended far beyond numbers.”
“He personally shaped, motivated and inspired countless individuals, leaving a positive imprint locally, regionally and nationally,” said Sal Gomez, national accounts manager for Progressive Publishing. “He was a true influencer in the dairy realm, blending expertise with passion and leaving an enduring mark on the lives of those he touched.”
Outside of publishing, his efforts were instrumental to the success of many events and programs that continue to have a positive impact on the dairy industry, including the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, World Forage Analysis Superbowl, World Ag Expo and Empire Farm Days.
“Stan was an innovator in terms of creating information sources that producers and industry professionals valued,” Opperman says. “He also had the foresight to create the National Dairy Challenge, which has grown to be a tremendous educational resource for young people.”
Alice Evans
Evans was a pioneer not only in the dairy industry but also for women in science. Credited with one of the most important contributions to public health in the 20th century, Evans discovered that brucellosis in cows could be passed to humans by drinking raw milk, which led to pasteurization and widespread brucellosis testing in U.S. dairy herds. Her theory about brucellosis was first published in 1918 and a decade later, the Society of American Bacteriologists recognized her achievement and elected her as their president. However, the fact that she was a woman without a Ph.D. resulted in some skepticism in the years that followed publication despite several cases that proved the accuracy of her work.
“Alice Evans overcame powerful opposition from both scientists and the dairy industry to her findings that brucella caused undulant fever in humans,” Candace Jacobs, DVM, MPH, DACVPM told National Dairy Shrine. “I am in awe of her work to overcome skepticism and her tireless efforts to prove the importance of pasteurizing milk.”
Opperman echoes the importance of Evans’ achievements.
“She’s probably the most significant person of the entire group [being honored this year], having identified the connection between brucellosis and human disease,” Opperman says. “Alice overcame so much, and her accomplishments were something the entire industry has benefited from.”
Dr. David Faber
Faber’s contributions in cattle reproduction have resulted in genetic advancements in both the dairy and beef industries. Leading the efforts in female reproduction and assisted reproductive technologies (ART), Faber and his team at Trans Ova Genetics have pioneered commercial excellence in in vitro fertilization (IVF) while consistently sustaining a leadership role in developing rapidly changing reproductive technologies by maintaining robust research and development and knowledge-sharing pipelines.
“IVF is such a prominent part of dairy genetics today, and we have Dr. Faber to thank for it,” Opperman says.
Matthew Wheeler, Ph.D., a distinguished University of Illinois professor, told National Dairy Shrine about Faber’s continued impact on the dairy industry.
“David, while not an academic in the classical sense, has been involved in significant research and has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals,” Wheeler said. “This work continues to impact scientists and students to this day – pioneering sciences as well as service and innovation.”
Peter Vail Sr.
Vail grew up on a dairy farm in New York, purchased a small Brown Swiss herd after graduating from Cornell University that was later dispersed in 1964 and then started Caro-Vail Fertilizer Company, which is now run by the third generation of the family. However, his return to the dairy show cattle business has many praising his standard of success, strategy and cow sense.
“Incredible comeback” are the words specifically used to describe it, and his efforts have paid off. He has invested millions of dollars into developing dairy cattle of many breeds – most notably Brown Swiss, Ayrshire and Milking Shorthorn. The Elite Dairy/Cutting Edge show program, his partnership with Ken Main, is one of the most successful in the industry with five World Dairy Expo grand champions so far. Their hallmark cow – Cutting Edge T Delilah – was crowned supreme champion at World Dairy Expo in 2018 and became the all-time high-selling Brown Swiss cow, selling for $210,000.
“He’s just a great cow person and recognizes great quality when he sees it. Plus, he’s built a tremendous business,” Opperman says.
Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires agrees and shared with National Dairy Shrine that Vail has “literally changed the game for investing in great cattle.”
“His standard of success both in the show ring and breeding world and the financial success of his investment strategy are unmatched and set the standard in the business,” Abbott said. “His legacy will be one of generosity, passion and vision for both the feed and fertilizer business and cattle breeding world.”
