Minnesota woman on path to earn national Holstein award

HUTCHINSON, Minn. — It took nearly 30 pages for Shelby Swanson to summarize her activities as a junior member of the Holstein Association for submission to the organization’s Distinguished Junior Member contest. Once completed and submitted, the Hutchinson woman’s application earned her a place among 12 semifinalists in the Holstein Association USA Inc. annual recognition program.

She joins five Wisconsin youth, along with three from Pennsylvania and one each from New York and California, vying for the coveted honor.

“As I filled out the book for the award, it was really cool to see my whole junior Hol-stein story from the beginning to now,” Swanson said. “It was about achieving my goals.”

The 20-year-old reminisced about attending her last Minnesota Junior All-Breeds Convention, her 14th, last month.

“It’s kind of a full-circle moment,” she said.

Swanson’s journey to the top of the breed organization’s youth spans a lifetime of participating in Minnesota Junior Holstein Association events, showing cows at competitions ranging from the county fair to World Dairy Expo, and owning, breeding and developing multiple animals with her older sisters, Sierra and McKenzie.

The Distinguished Junior Member award recognizes youth ages 17-21 who have excelled in their contributions and involvement in local and state Holstein activities. Six of the semifinalists will be chosen as winners after adding scores from an interview during Hol-stein USA’s annual convention in Orlando, Florida, in June.

While semifinalists receive financial assistance for their Orlando trip, the eventual winners receive an adult Holstein USA membership renewed annually.

The trip to Orlando for the interview will not be Swanson’s first time at the national event. She has attended 12 times, some as a winner of Minnesota contests in dairy jeopardy, quiz bowl or speech contests.

Last year, Swanson’s fellow Minnesota junior member, Alexis Hoefs of New Prague, was a National Distinguished Junior Member. Hoefs helped Swanson complete her application this year. While Hoefs competed, Swanson was behind the scenes in her role as a Holstein USA intern.

“I saw how the semifinalists just enjoyed their time together, which makes me really excited for the whole experience,” Swanson  said.

While Swanson is quick to point out that being named a semifinalist is just the first step to the final recognition, she said she feels good about her chances.

“I think I have a unique story to tell because my sisters and I started our own herd of cows,” she said. “I like to showcase our passion for them and emphasize our dedication from start to finish. It’s something I’m really proud of.”

The sisters’ herd, with a fitting prefix of Three Sisters, numbers about 30 registered Holsteins, with an occasional Brown Swiss included. One of their Red & Whites was named junior champion of World Dairy Expo junior show last fall.

The path to that win began when Swanson was in sixth grade, when she leased a calf from neighbor and Holstein breeder, Tim Albrecht. When Albrecht sold his herd, Swanson was able to buy the animal, and her Expo winner is a granddaughter of that original calf.

But Swanson is quick to point out her experience is about more than cows.

“It’s not always about the cow, but about the people,” she said. “That’s what makes me so passionate.”

That passion was born of the times her grandfather, LeRoy Kurth, took Swanson and her sisters to the barn as little girls. Leroy and Susan Kurth passed the farm on to Michael and Kacie Kurth, and the Three Sisters animals are part of the fifth-generation herd. Swanson’s parents are David and Kari Swanson, and her mother continues to be involved in the dairy as well.

“I grew up alongside my cousins, and we had so much fun going to those cow shows, having meals together,” Swanson said. “They’ve all helped me get where I’m going. I’m very thankful for the people who have helped along the way.”

Orlando may be where she is going in June, but Swanson hopes to eventually use her education from the University of Minnesota, where she is a sophomore studying agriculture and food business management, in a role where she gives back to the industry, helping farmers achieve their goals.

If Swanson’s involvement with dairy is any indication, achieving goals is something she knows quite a bit about.