The annual Wisconsin Holstein Association (WHA) Adult Holstein Convention was held February 23 and 24. Holstein breeders from across the state were in attendance for meetings, speakers tours, as well as to receive recognition for outstanding accomplishments in 2023.
The convention kicked off late Friday afternoon with WHA committee meetings. Following these meetings, the group enjoyed social time with other members before the evening dinner awards.
Here, the 2023 Wisconsin Top Performer cows were announced. Recognized were cows owned by Tom Kestell, Ever-Green-View, Waldo, Emily Stumpf of Appleton, and Valley Drive Holsteins, Campbellsport. The overall Top Performer was Valley-Drive Mctchn Snip EX-90. This cow at 7-08 made 51,796 pounds of milk, 4.9% and 2568 pounds of fat, and 3.4% and 1787 pounds of protein in 305 days.
Also recognized were owners of cows that have produced more than 300,000 and 400,000 pounds of lifetime milk. There were 52 cows recognized for producing over 300,000 pounds and three cows that produced over 400,000 pounds in 2023. Outstanding advertisements in the Wisconsin Holstein News in 2023 were also recognized. Taking top ad honors for the year was Hi-Lo Springs Holsteins of Norwalk.
Saturday morning’s early bird session featured a panel on robotic milking systems. Ryan Nigh of Lirr Farm and Travis Ullom, herd manager at Minglewood Dairy, spoke about their experiences with Lely and DeLaval robots respectively. John Gerbitz of Cow Corner, LLC was the panel moderator. Attendees asked many questions and were able to learn about each dairy and system. The topic and panel were well-received and informational for convention-goers.
The annual WHA business meeting was held following the early bird session . This included committee reports from board members. There was also an update from Holstein USA board member, Tony Brey, Holstein USA CEO John Mayer, and Area Representative Chris Lyons. Four new members were elected to a three-year term on the WHA Board of Directors: Brian Coyne, Monona; Patrick Crave, Waterloo; Brenda Murphy, Poynette; and Todd Hoesly, Brodhead.
