Professional Dairy Producers honors Kevin Griswold as the fifth recipient of the Dean Strauss Leadership Award. Griswold co-owns and operates Tag Lane Dairy in Ixonia.
He’s dedicated years to the dairy sector in addition to his far-reaching visionary thinking and servant leadership across his community.
Griswold grew up on his family’s farm with four siblings. His leadership in agriculture began at a young age with involvement in 4-H and FFA. He served as president of the FFA chapter and captain of the dairy judging team at Oconomowoc High School. He attended UW-Madison, earning degrees in dairy science and ag economics. Here, he took on leadership roles at Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and Badger Dairy Club.
After graduation, he moved to Hartford to work for Tri-Star Dairy Breeders before returning to the family dairy farm in 1992. Griswold has focused on sustainable growth at Tag Lane Dairy over the past three decades. He expanded the operation from 100 cows in 1992 to 1,750 cows with facilities focused on animal health and wellbeing.
“Kevin is one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met and is truly selfless when it comes to helping other people and supporting the dairy community,” says PDP Executive Director Shelly Mayer. “He played an instrumental role in several important initiatives including animal wellbeing for dairy cows and establishing Dairy’s Foundation.”
Griswold served on the Professional Dairy Producers board from 2002-2008, and as president from 2004 through 2007. He also served as a board member of Dairy’s Foundation.
The Dean Strauss Leadership Award was established by the PDP Board of Directors in 2021 in honor of Dean Strauss, a Wisconsin dairy farmer and industry leader who unexpectedly passed away in 2019 at the age of 48. The owner of Majestic Meadows Dairy, LLC, near Sheboygan Falls, Strauss was active in a number of dairy organizations and leadership boards, including PDP’s board, on which he served as president.
