World Dairy Expo® is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 Expo Recognition Awards. Nominated and selected by their peers, these individuals have made remarkable contributions to the dairy industry and their communities. Honorees will be formally honored during the Recognition Awards Banquet at World Dairy Expo on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Banquet tickets will be available at www.worlddairyexpo.com beginning on July 1.
Dairy Producers of the Year
Mike Larson, Ed & Barb Larson, Sandy Larson & Jim Trustem, Evansville, Wis., Larson Acres
The Larson family, Evansville, Wis., has been farming in southern Wisconsin for nearly a century. Focusing on three key pillars – quality, pride and family – Larson Acres is truly a superior example of modern dairy farming. Milking 2,800 Holsteins in both a conventional double-20 parallel parlor and a cross-ventilated double-22 parallel parlor, the herd averages 109 pounds of energy corrected milk daily, with a 4.68% fat, 3.4% protein and 56,000 somatic cell count. In addition to stellar production records, Larson Acres has bred 130 Excellent cows, 16 Gold Medal Dams, 40 Dams of Merit, four Gold Medal Sires and 16 regional and/or national Elite Performer Award recipients. The cows play a pivotal role at Larson Acres, but the people are just as important to the Larson family, opening their barn doors to welcome community members, industry leaders, fellow dairy producers, international guests, school children and more.
The Industry People of the Year are Jim Barmore, Marty Faldet, and King Hickman, Lakewood, Minn., GPS Dairy Consulting LLC. The International Person of the Year is Paul Larmer, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Semex.
