Some Udder Stuff

Members to be recognized at

Wisconsin Holstein Convention

The Wisconsin Holstein Association is pleased to announce its 2025 Distinguished Breeder and Service award winners. Those being recognized include: The Keller Family, Kellercrest Registered Holsteins, Mt. Horeb as Distinguished Holstein Breeder; Reggie and Krysty Kamps, Kamps-Rx as Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder; Dave and Nina Schmocker, Go-Sho Cattle Co. as the Holstein Horizon award winner; and Bob Traynor, Spring Valley, as the Marlowe Nelson Distinguished Service Award winner. These individuals will be honored at the 2026 Wisconsin Holstein Convention awards luncheon in Barneveld Feb. 22.

State fair dairy promotion board scholarship

The Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board is offering $1,000 scholarships to individuals that will be third or fourth-year college students or second-year short course/technical college students during the 2026-27 academic year. Any Wisconsin resident who is currently enrolled as a full-time student at a four-year Wisconsin school or short course/technical college in Wisconsin and is pursuing a dairy-related or food science degree is eligible to apply for scholarship consideration.

The application is available at WSFDairyPromo.org/scholarships. Application deadline is March 1. If you have questions, please contact Stephanie Hammerly at 608-732-2757 or programassistant@wsfdairypromo.org.

Top Wisconsin dairy herds recognized for

reproductive excellence with

CentralStar ReproStar Awards

CentralStar Cooperative has announced the winners of its ReproStar Awards, recognizing four dairy operations for elite reproductive performance and introducing a new Most Improved Award to spotlight measurable year-over-year gains in herd fertility.

While each herd has its own approach, the winners share key traits. All emphasize animal health, consistent breeding programs, and teamwork among artificial-insemination technicians, veterinarians, nutritionists, and farm staff to ensure protocols are followed, driving exceptional results. Together, these practices reinforce the importance of discipline, consistency, and animal care for top reproductive performance.

Murph-Ko Farms, Inc., owned by Scott, Erin, Brian, Tom and Patty Murphy, of Eden, is a 2,000-cow dairy achieving an overall pregnancy rate of 47% using a presynch-ovsynch program, with third-lactation-and-older cows averaging 43%. Teamwork among A.I. technicians, veterinarians, nutritionists and the farm team drives results.

A repeat winner, Wayside Dairy, LLC, Greenleaf, owned by Dan and Jeremy Natzke, Jenna Nonemacher, and Jesse Dvoracheck, milks 2,600-cows and utilizes double-ovsynch and CowManager electronic herd monitoring to keep the herd’s fertility and health on track. The herd’s overall pregnancy rate is 38%, with third-lactation-and-older cows averaging 37%.

Hi-Tower Farms, Valders, owned by Ethan and Loren Ulness and AJ Manke, milks 520 cows and combines a presynch-ovsynch protocol with genomics-guided breeding and CowManager to guide decisions for the herd’s health and fertility. The herd averages a 34% pregnancy rate, with third-lactation-and-older cows at 33%.

One herd is selected, annually, for reproductive excellence in heifer breeding. McFarlandale Dairy, LLC, Watertown, owned by Cindy and Peter McFarland and Robb and Christine Bender, manages 1,100 heifers using a 5-day CIDR-synch program. This aggressive approach yielded a 51% pregnancy rate, with 60% conception rate using sexed semen.

For the first time since inception in 2019, CentralStar expanded the ReproStar Award to include a new honor: Most Improved. Abel Dairy Farms, Eden, owned by Allen, Bill, Steve and Nathan Abel, earned the inaugural award for improving pregnancy rate by 9% over a 12-month period while undergoing a massive expansion in which the herd more than doubled in size. Simplifying systems and streamlining protocols helped this 4,500-cow dairy improve overall pregnancy rate to 32%.

Created in 2019, the ReproStar Award recognizes dairy producers who achieve exceptional reproductive efficiency. Winners are selected based on a comprehensive evaluation of herd data, considering multiple factors that influence pregnancy rates.

NICC pioneers GPS technology to address

soil health challenges

Northeast Iowa Community College is pioneering the use of GPS-enabled electronic collars for cattle to address regional soil health challenges through a multiyear research project in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Community College Alliance for Agricultural Advancement. Deployed at Iowa’s Dairy Center, 1 mile south of the Calmar campus, this virtual fencing technology allows producers to control herd movement via smartphone, eliminating the need for physical fences and reducing the labor barriers to sustainable land management.

The initiative targets soil compaction, a “silent yield killer” that occurs when cattle remain in one area too long. The weight of the herd packs down the earth, creating a dense, hardpan layer that restricts root growth and prevents water infiltration. By utilizing GPS-enabled collars, farmers can easily implement rotational grazing—a system proven to increase forage production by 30%-70% according to a recent Drovers report. This method allows grasses to develop deep, soil-anchoring roots that naturally prevent erosion and rebuild soil health.

The research specifically explores the impact of strip grazing on soil health within no-till and cover crop rotations. Cover crops used at the College—including cereal rye, triticale, Italian rye grass, oats and clovers—act as biological tillage to break up compacted hardpan and boost future yields.

In addition to providing data for local producers, the project creates a hands-on learning environment for students. Integrated into classes on plant biology, beef science and crop management, students collaborate with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to track pasture forages and monitor soil health improvements over the next five years.

Student involvement has also included the physical installation of the site. Funding from the National Professional Agricultural Student Organization supported the effort to install the perimeter fencing, providing students with practical experience in farm infrastructure alongside their digital research.

The college will share more about this technology and other regenerative practices during the upcoming “Beyond the Fence: Grazing, Virtual Fence & Fertilizer Reduction” seminar March 3 on the Calmar campus and March 4 on the Peosta campus. This free event brings together industry experts and local producers to discuss grazing innovation and fertilizer reduction. Certified crop advisers can earn 3.5 CEU credits. Attendees are asked to RSVP by emailing creekkr@nicc.edu or calling 563.265.5642.

Virtual interview contest winners recognized by

Holstein Association USA

Designed to help Junior Holstein Association members sharpen their resume writing and interview skills, the virtual interview contest has been held annually since 2020. The online format of the contest allows Junior members from across the country to easily participate and practice interviewing in a realistic setting.

Applicants submitted cover letters and resumes based on a mock interview scenario and were selected to move on to the second phase of the contest based on their combined cover letter and resume scores. During the second phase, contestants were interviewed by a panel of three judges. Final scores were calculated based on each applicant’s cover letter, resume and interview. Additionally, every participant receives constructive feedback from the judges.

Junior Division (ages 12-14 as of Jan. 1)

1st place: Evan Brey, Wisconsin

2nd place: Molly Albers, Minnesota

3rd place: Henry Blagg, California

Intermediate Division (ages 15-17 as of Jan. 1)

1st place:  Alison Gartman, Wisconsin

2nd place: Sophia Geppert, Missouri

3rd place: Cayden Bursiek, Ohio

Senior Division (ages 18-21 as of Jan. 1)

1st place: Sophie Griswold, Pennsylvania

2nd place: Salem Sifford, Virginia

3rd place: Jon Chapman, California

Cash prizes of $250 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place will be awarded in the junior and intermediate divisions. In the senior division, youth will be given cash prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place.

For more information about the virtual interview contest, or other Holstein Association USA youth programs, visit www.juniorholstein.com or contact Kelli Dunklee at kdunklee@holstein.com.