amadeo lads julie, with six lactations start producing...

(continued to page 68)

start producing their cheese and butter products this spring. They have researched this endeavor a great deal, using many resources to help develop their goals. The Dairy Innovation Center and University of Wisconsin in addition to the location of Lisa’s cheese-making apprenticeship have all played important roles in helping the Martin’s make their dreams turn to reality. While they begin to see their goals from 12 years ago become realized, Dan and Lisa will continue to focus on building a strong herd with a high JPI and animals that can contribute to milk products in addition to the milk check.

Meadowridge Jerseys The Riebe family is operating a farm in Cumberland that has been in their family for three generations. Meadowridge Jerseys is operated by brothers Roger and Doug Riebe and Roger’s wife, Darice, and their sons, Mike and Mark, and Mike’s wife, Jaime. In the past eight decades, both the farm and Jersey herd have grown substantially. The 160-acre farm was homesteaded by Roger and Doug’s father, Roy Riebe in 1925. That same year, Roy purchased a Registered Jersey calf to show at the fair. Today the farm is nearly 1,000 acres and the Registered Jersey herd is 150 cows, 135 replacement heifers and 18 bulls. Cows are housed in a 100-stall comfort stall barn that was built in 1998. The ration is 30% corn silage and 70% baleage and a grain mix of cob corn, linseed meal and trace minerals. The herd is also grazed during the summer. The Riebe family is a familiar face on the tanbark trail. Meadowridge Jerseys has earned the Premier Breeder banner at the Central National Jersey Show and the Wisconsin State Show three times and the Minnesota State Fair seven times. They also earned the Premier Exhibitor banner at the Minnesota State Fair six times.

The Riebe family—Darice and Roger, granddaughter Emma Anderson, Mike and Jaime and Mark—with Meadowridge King Locket, All American Intermediate Heifer Calf in 2008 and Reserve All American Winter Yearling in 2009.

Amadeo Lads Julie, with six lactations and a best record of 18,006 lbs. milk, 876 lbs. fat and 615 lbs. protein at 3-8. In the herd is a pair of full sisters sired by Sunset Canyon Futurity-ET, GJPI +53. The Jersey herd at Maple Lawn Farm numbers 22 cows and an equal number of replacement heifers. The Holstein milking string is 137 cows. Milk is sold to Saputo Cheese in Waupun. The Jersey herd is enrolled on REAP and has a 2010 AJCA lactation average of 17,037 lbs. milk, 882 lbs. fat and 611 lbs. protein on 10 cows. The farm in the south central part of the state is home to fi ve Excellent and 14 Very Good cows and has an average appraisal of 85.6%. The Jerseys are herdmates to several Red and Whites that have been nomi-nated All American and a black and white Holstein that was Reserve Intermediate Champion at World Dairy Expo in 2007, La-Par 1593 Gin 1824. Maple Lawn Farm was a tour stop during the Holstein As-sociation national convention in 2008. The dairy is operated by Tom and Tom-mie. Other family members that lend a hand with farm chores are Tom’s wife, Teresa, and Tomie’s wife, Brittany, and their children, Carson, 7, and Austin, 3. Teresa works off the farm as a substitute teacher and Brittany operates a beauty salon in Westfi eld. Maple Lawn Farm is situated on 550 acres. The family farms an additional 250 acres of rented land. Facilities are being extensively renovated. A calf barn was built last year and a new step-up, double-eight walk-through parlor will be completed by September 2011. The tie

stall barn is being converted to a six-row freestall barn with 320, sand-bedded stalls.

Dan and Lisa Martin Dan and Lisa Martin, Gratiot, always knew they wanted to do more than just milk cows. When they bought their farm 12 years ago they knew one day they would produce value-added products from their Jersey herd, like cheese and butter. With that in mind, when acquiring their herd Dan, who works at a cheese-plant, and Lisa, who recently completed her cheese-makers license, focused on fi nding animals with outstanding pedigrees and a high JPI.

The Martin’s REAP herd is currently ranked within the top 100 herds for average JPI (traditional), with a JPI of +45. Their March 2011 rolling herd average for 25 cows was 17,438 lbs. milk, 793 lbs. fat and 613 lbs. protein. They also have 15 heifers and 15 heifer calves. With their specifi c ideas in mind,

the Martin’s focus on the ability to get high component numbers from a grass-based diet and longevity when establishing a breeding plan. Luckily for Dan and Lisa, the Jersey cow fi ts right into their long-term business plan. In addition to their excellent component production, this couple admires the longevity, healthy stature and overall temperament of the Jersey breed. With a high-ranking JPI herd, and cows that were purchased for their excellent family history and high component, the Martin’s are hoping to

Dan and Lisa Martin are enjoying the many benefi ts of owning Registered Jerseys. Soon they hope to be producing value-added products like cheese and butter from their Jersey milk.

JERSEY JOURNAL

In the past three years, Meadowridge Jerseys have earned two All American and fi ve Reserve All American designa-tions at The All American Jersey Show. Last fall, Meadowridge King Kiera, sired by Meadowridge K Tel King, was named All American Senior Heifer Calf and Meadowridge Jackknife Heather (owned with Gene Henderson) was Reserve All American Intermediate Heifer Calf. The family topped the class for Junior Best Three Females with the pair and Mead-owridge Jackknife Robin-ET. Success in the show ring has brought buyers to Meadowridge Jerseys, which merchandises about 40-45 females and 15 bulls for breeding purposes privately each year. Many have done well for their new owners, including Triple H King Icing, who was tapped as Junior Champion of The All American Jersey Show in 2009. “Icing” has Meadowridge genetics on the top and bottom sides of her pedigree as Scot Hammann purchased her dam, Mead-owridge Mister T Ivy, from the Riebes and then bred her to “King.”

Milk-N-More Jerseys When Ron and Nicolle Wussow, Cecil, began dairying they never expected the

brown cow to be the majority of their herd. But her longevity and effi ciency has given the breed a niche in the herd, while the marketing opportunities have been a positive for the bottom line. The farm has been in Nicolle’s fam-ily for 118 years. In 1999, she and Ron purchased the farm from Nicolle’s fam-ily. Both worked off the farm at the time, Nicolle as a nutritionist and Ron as a feed mill manager. When their daughter, Kaila, turned one-year old, they purchased a Jersey calf for her to call her own. They were so impressed with her production and effi ciency they were prompted to buy more. Today the Jersey herd numbers 86 milking cows with a 2010 AJCA lactation average of 20,378 lbs. milk, 1,064 lbs. fat, and 733 lbs. protein. The herd ranks fi fth in the nation for fat production in herds with 40-79 lactations. Their Holstein herd totals 65 milking cows and an equal num-ber of replacement heifers. The Holstein heifers are used as recipients for the Jersey embryos, helping the Holsteins get off to a better start milking and the Jersey calves to be a little larger. The milk from the REAP herd is shipped to Agropur, a cheese fac-tory formerly known as Trega Foods. The Wussow children, Kaila and Co-lin, both own numerous animals in the herd and have enjoyed much success in

the show ring. The kids are in charge of the showstring and the daily routines associated with such. In 2005, the Wus-sow’s had their fi rst taste of success when their ‘crooked nose’ heifer “Natalie” was named Reserve Junior Champion of The All American Jersey Show. This past November, her granddaughter, Milk-N-More Minister Neveah, was named Junior Champion of The All American Junior Jersey Show. Both Kaila and Colin have exhibited Junior All American or Reserve Junior All American’s. The opportunities the youth have with the Jersey breed is another reason the Wussow’s have been happy with the choice of Jerseys. Both Kaila and Colin have

Wisconsin Jersey Breeders(continued from page 67)

Nicolle, Colin, Kaila and Ron wussow take time to pose with two of their show heifers for the 2011 show season. The crew at Milk-N-More are pleased with the Jerseys in their mixed herd.

ger (Jeff-Ro Dairy). It is a true working family farm, from the daily chores with the dairy (nearly 1,300 Holsteins and Jerseys), to doing all of their own crop work (850 acres) and farm repairs. The mixed herd of cattle totals more than 500 milking cows–with 83 Jerseys and 108 replacement heifers. The REAP herd has a March 2011 rolling herd aver-age of 19,237 lbs. milk, 951 lbs. fat and 673 lbs. protein on 83 cows. Their milk is shipped to Dairy Farmers of America. The family relies heavily on JerseyMate in breeding their Jersey herd. They have also genomically-tested the top 25% of their herd. The results brought out a ris-ing star in the herd with Sunset Canyon Renegade Anthem-ET, the 23rd genotyped female in the breed after the April genetic summaries. She was purchased in the 2010 All American Jersey Sale. The Kessenich’s breed for a balanced and effi cient cow in both the bulk tank and among the show string. With the mixed

to a herd that can produce well. They cur-rently milk 30 Registered Jerseys with 15 bred heifers and calves. While they bal-ance their jobs and their REAP herd, both Mark and Debbie are very active with the state Jersey association. Mark is currently a part of the Wisconsin State Sale selection committee and serving his second term on the state board, while Debbie is the acting Parish 3 President, and advisor to the more than 100 state junior Jersey breeders. Though their daughters are grown and no longer showing 4-H calves, Mark and Debbie still have a great deal to look forward to. As their grandson approaches show age, they will be able to pass along their passion for Jerseys to him and con-tinue their activism for the Jersey breed.

Nic-Nat and Buckshot Jerseys Nicole, Natalie, (Nic-Nat Jerseys) and Wade Kessenich (Buckshot Jerseys), De Forest are third generation dairy farmers and work side-by-side daily with their parents Jeff Kessenich and Robin Krueg-

participated in the Pot O’Gold Production Contest and the National Jersey Youth Production Contest. In addition to the farm, the couple also runs and extensive harvesting business. Their management practices on the farm, accomplishments with the breed, and participation in Jersey programs earned Ron and Nicolle a Young Jersey Breeder award in 2009.

NQ Beverly Hills It may “not quite” be Beverly Hills, but Mark and Debbie Ashmore, Boscobel, have a few divas on their farm between their Jersey herd and their peacocks. Both species started out the same way, a project, and both have multiplied to gain a full-fl edged herd status. Despite the beauty of the peacock, it is the Jerseys that have helped usher in a new lifestyle for the Ashmores. When the oldest of their three daughters decided she wanted to start showing Jersey cattle as a 4-H project Mark and Debbie turned to John Selin to help them track down the perfect animal. Luckily, they were able to house their new calf at Mark’s parent’s farm, where there were already Jerseys. In 1995, they purchased the farm from his parents and began developing a small milk herd, in addition to the successful show string their daughters kept. The Ashmores exhibited the fi rst colored breed Supreme Champion at their county fair with an 11-year-old cow, amidst several other show winnings on the local and state level. Now Mark and Debbie, who both work off the farm, have switched their focus from a herd primarily built to show well,

Mark and Debbie Ashmore have made the transition from a mainly show herd to a production focused herd, right in time to switch back so their grandson to take to the tanbark.

The Kessenich family farms together each and every day. Pictured with one of their favorite cows are from left, Jeff Kessenich, Robin Krueger with Ava, Natalie Kessenich, Wade Kessenich and Nicki Hebgen with Ela.


JERSEY JOURNAL

herd, the family is constantly reminded of the profi table traits of the Jerseys among the Holsteins. Her ability to effi ciently process feed and the reproductive ef-fi ciencies standout among the Holstein herdmates. The Jersey youth programs are another positive for the family. Nicole was the 2003 National Jersey Queen. She and Nat-alie were both Wisconsin Jersey Queens. Wade was a member of the inaugural class of Jersey Youth Academy. All three have participated in the National Jersey Youth Production contest, served on the Wisconsin Junior Jersey Breeders offi cer team, and all have won the prestigious Wisconsin Junior Jersey Breeder award. As well as these accomplishments, they have also excelled in the show ring. In 2008, Wade showed Gil-Bar Sparkler Juliann to Grand Champion honors of the Central National Junior Jersey Show. The Kessenichs also house the growing herd of Derek Sokolowski’s, BOHICA Genetics, at the farm. In November, Derek exhibited the Reserve Junior All American Junior Heifer Calf, Bohica Giller Armani.

Norse Star Jerseys Nestled in the heart of Vernon County, the once most populated area in the coun-try for Jersey cows, is Norse Star Jerseys, Westby, operated by the Fremstad family. It is no wonder that in an area so devoted to the Jersey cow, there would be a family that has long shared that same passion and commitment. Started in 1917, the Fremstad’s farm has seen multiple expansions on the farm and in their family. Norse Star Jerseys is cur-rently ran by Mike and Merna Fremstad and their son Jason, serving as manager, daughter Jeana serving as the calf manager and son Jory also working on the farm. They have had two generations of family serve on Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Board of Directors in Mike and Jason, with Mike

also having served on the AJCA and NAJ boards. Throughout the family’s tenure with Jerseys, they have always made buying and developing quality cattle a priority in their farm scheme. That investment has paid off, as the March 2011 rolling herd average at Norse Star Jerseys was 19,086 lbs. milk, 1,000 lbs. fat and 733 lbs. protein on 587 cows with the farm currently housing nearly 1,100 total Registered Jerseys on REAP. Among their herd size of 300-749 records, they rank 10th for protein and are tied for 8th for fat. There are 15 bulls in A.I. that hail from Norse Star Jerseys, with six additional pending contracts. This all-Jersey herd has also had two cows with world production records, including the most recent, 2007 record-breaker Norse Star Hallmark Bootie, Excellent-90%, who also holds the current world fat record with her record at 3-3 for 39,239 lbs. milk, 2,827 lbs. fat and 1,500 lbs. protein. Fifteen of their cows produced Hall of Fame records during the fi rst quarter of 2011, and fi ve animals are ranked on the Top 1.5% List for either JPI or GJPI. The Fremstads have also developed a successful show string, showing at The All American Show, World Dairy Expo, the Wisconsin State Show, Wisconsin Spring Show and the Vernon County Par-ish show, among others. This has earned them several grand champions, including 2009 Grand Champion at the Wisconsin State Show, and several All American and Reserve All American animals. All three of Mike and Merna’s children participated in the Pot O’Gold production contest, and now Jason’s son Grant is the start of the second generation to do such. Mike and Merna have both been very active with their state association and the national association and regularly consign to the sales like The All American and National Heifer Sale. When visiting Norse Star Jerseys, it is not uncommon to fi nd three generations of the Fremstad family in the dairy offi ce or around the farm. As this family continues to grow, they have made it a goal to keep getting better at what they are doing on the farm and in all aspects of their operation, while maintaining their deep commitment to the Jersey breed and Jersey breeders.

Nuttleman Family Farm At the Nuttleman Family Farm, Bangor, it is all about the sows and the cows. When Steve Nuttleman’s dad, Ervin, purchased their family farm in 1962 they immedi-ately began milking cows and later added a sow fi nishing operation after hogs were acquired from a school project. However,

it was not until 1997 when the family was looking to add a little more diversity to their Holstein and Guernsey dairy herd that they developed interest in the produc-tivity and reproductive ease of Jerseys. The dairy herd at Nuttlman’s is now one-third Jersey, with 20 milking cows and 30 replacements. They have taken much pride in building a genetically solid herd that also shows well, as Steve and his wife Debbie, and their two daughters Alyssa and Kate all enjoy participating in shows together. Some of the fi rst cows they purchased when building their REAP herd were from Ron and Christy Ratliff, Garnett, Kan., and Family Hill Jerseys, Ferndale, Wash. They also purchased Cha Cha Tbone Chilli, a P7 bred heifer, during the 2010 All American Sale in Louisville. “Chilli” is a potential fi fth generation Excellent, with a great-grandam, Pleasant Nook F Prize Circus, that is scored Excellent-97% and has completed four lactations exceed-ing 20,000 lbs. milk. “Circus” was also a two-time National Grand Champion in 2003 and 2006. Steve is currently a regional director for Associated Milk Producers Inc., their milk marketing co-op, and just hosted their farms annual hog sale, where they sell 150 home-bred animals before moving on to selling show hogs throughout the spring. They also see the Jersey programs and events as added benefi ts to owning Reg-istered Jerseys, as they enjoy the ease of registrations, the services of JMS, and getting to know and learn from a whole other group of people.

Oakbourne Jerseys Albert and Peggy Knegendorf have been dairying at a farm in Spring Valley that was purchased by Albert’s father in 1955. Albert took reins of the place in 1979. Though Holstein was the breed of choice when the dairy was founded, Al-bert always had a spot for Jerseys in his heart. So the Knegendorfs jumped on the


After success with Guernsey and Holstein dairy cattle, and a sow fi nishing operation, the Nuttleman family decided to further diversify their family farm by adding Jerseys to their herd. Registered Jerseys now account for one-third of the cows in their parlor.

The Fremstads have built a solid tradition of quality Registered Jersey cattle. Pictured from left to right, back, Brad, Jason, Jory and Jennica; middle, Jeana, Heidi, Mike and Merna; front, Hannah, Ellie, Grace and Grant.

The Knegendors are primarily using Schultz Rescue Headline, GJPI +159, and Tollenaars Impul Legal 233-ET, GJPI +175 as service sires. They are beginning to see multiple generations of their own breeding and are especially proud of one of the herd’s most promising young cows, Oakbourne Picture Perfect. She was ap-praised Excellent-91% at 3-4 and has an m.e. of 18,493—931—709 on her fi rst lactation. The Knegendorfs also feed out all their Jersey steers and have a thriving business for Jersey beef.

Oak Ridge Jerseys Oak Ridge Jerseys is a Registered Jersey farm in Chippewa Falls operated by Jim and Rita Tisol and their children, Lucas, 16, and Kayla, 14. Jim developed a love for cattle in his early years, working on a farm owned by his aunt and uncle. Rita developed a love for brown cows when she worked with her sister on a Jersey dairy. And so, the Tisols started a dairy in 1993 with a group of Registered Jersey calves. The Tisols dispersed this herd privately in 2003. They missed the business so much they started over again on their pres-ent farm two years later with purchases from Jersey breeders across the country. Oak Ridge Jerseys is managed for profi t-ability and bred for type and production. Oak Ridge Jerseys is enrolled on REAP and markets milk to Associated Milk

Producers Inc. The AJCA lactation average for 2010 is 16,027 lbs. milk, 783 lbs. fat and 610 lbs. protein on 46 cows. The herd includes a dozen Excellent and 38 Very Good cows. The family enjoys showing and routinely exhibits cattle at the Wisconsin Spring Spectacular Show, the Wisconsin State Show, the Central National Jersey Show and The All American Jersey Show. Kayla and Rita often are at the halter and Jim and Lucas work behind the scenes. A highlight was when the family took home the top prize—Supreme Champion—from the Clark County fair in 2002 with Oak Ridge Remake Fancy. The honor was especially rewarding because the little brown homebred cow was tapped over a high-priced Holstein that was named Reserve Supreme

Mark and Cindy Madsen’s Registered Jersey herd has an average appraisal of 86.8%. They currently have 10 Excellent and 25 Very Good cows in their REAP herd.

The newest additions to the Knegendorf family and Oakbourne Jerseys are Greta Lou Nielsen and Oakbourne Legal Lucky, out of Oakbourne Parade Polly, Excellent-90%, with 21,260 lbs. milk, 887 lbs. fat and 780 lbs. protein in her second lactation.

Jim and Rita Tisol and their children, Lucas and Kayla, operate Oak Ridge Jerseys in Chippewa Falls. The couple received the AJCA-NAJ Young Jersey Breeder award the last time the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings were in Wisconsin, in 2001.

brown cow bandwagon and purchased a Registered Jersey from Owens Farms in 1992. The milking herd is now 15 Jerseys and 50 Holsteins Oakbourne Dairy is operated by the couple and their three grown sons: Thomas and Adam Knegendorf and Bryce Wolfe. Thomas milks in the mornings and two weekends a month and is also in charge of the reproduction and mating program. Adam and Bryce help with feed-ing and fi eld work. Oakbourne Jerseys is enrolled on REAP and has a March 2011 rolling herd average of 17,072 lbs. milk, 837 lbs. fat and 652 lbs. protein. With the latest appraisal, the farm in the northwest part of the state is home to three Excellent and nine Very Good cows and has an average appraisal of 84.8%.

Champion. The Tisols had traded two loads of hay for her dam in 1996. “Fancy” was appraised Excellent-93% and has nine registered daughters, several in the herd today. Another honor of which the family is proud is the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award, presented to Jim and Rita in 2001, the last time Wisconsin Jersey breeders hosted the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings. Rita has served the state Jersey associa-tion as president, vice president and trea-surer and was named Wisconsin Woman of the Year in 1999. Jim also works off the farm as a senior design engineer and has earned numerous patents for his employer, ITW Deltar.

Okato Jerseys Before Mark and Cindy Madsen, Okon-to, began milking on their own farm, the couple custom-raised 800 heifers a year for 15 years. They purchased their dairy in 2004 and haven’t looked back. The couple along with their children, Misty, and Brandon, now own and oper-ate the 100-cow dairy with 40 of the cows being Registered Jerseys. The purchased their fi rst Jerseys from Norman Nabholz, West Union, Iowa, and have bred from those cows over the years. One of their favorites is Elliotts Saturn Primrose-ET, Excellent-93%. She has a best record of 26,180 lbs. milk, 1,194 lbs. fat and 830


JERSEY JOURNAL

lbs. protein at 7-4. The Madsen’s fl ushed her extensively and have six Very Good daughters out of her to date. The herd is enrolled on REAP and milked in a tie-stall barn. The cows are fed a high-forage ration (75%) and they raise most of their own feed on the 300 acre farm. Everything is A.I. bred to ac-complish their breeding goals: a combina-tion of production, components and type. The February 2011 rolling herd average is 15,513 lbs. milk, 788 lbs. fat and 587 lbs. protein on 40 Registered Jerseys. After the January 2011 appraisal the herd averages 86.8% and has 10 Excellent and 25 Very Good cows. Mark and Cindy recently built new calf and heifer facilities to house their growing herd. They currently raise all of their bull calves, selling a few each year for dairy purposes and raise the rest out as steers.

Orthridge Farms Though they purchased their fi rst Jersey cow in 1985 and moved to Wisconsin from Iowa in 1993, it was not until after the Jersey national meeting in 2007 that the Orth family decided to begin registering their growing Jersey herd. After putting nearly all their animals through genetic

recovery, they are now milking 240 cows with 300 replacements in the barn, largely in part to their use of sexed semen and a fl ushing program. After seeing the value and marketability of breeding registered animals, Orthridge Jerseys, managed by the father-son team of Randy and Derek, became a REAP herd to take advantage of the cost savings advantages offered. Recently, the Orth family has taken a step farther to increase the value of their cows and have had 20 animals genomically tested. The genetic merit of their herd became evident shortly after, ranking 23rd in the breed for average GJPI (April 2011), and fi ve cows ranking on the Top 1.5% list for GJPI, one of which is in the top 200. They also have one bull in A.I. with fi ve other pending contracts


and use JerseyTags on all their animals. The March 2011 rolling herd average was 17,401 lbs. milk, 845 lbs. fat and 642 lbs. protein on 240 lactations. The Orth family, Randy and his wife Laura, Derek and his wife Charisse, Susan, Julie and Dana, are all very active on the farm and with Jersey events. Julie was an attendee at the inaugural Jersey Youth Academy, and Charisse will attend the second class this summer. They also plan on consigning animals to the Dairyland Protein Sale, Top of the World Sale and Wisconsin State Sale. Orthridge Farms has seen many changes and improvements throughout the years; from becoming a Registered Jersey herd and enrolling in REAP, to building a new sand-bedded free stall barn and imple-menting a Dairymaster™ parlor. Strong genetics has also played a pivotal role in developing this herd and will continue helping add value to an already profi table herd.

Owens Farms Inc. Registered Jerseys have been the breed of choice for the Owens family for four generations. The staunch Jersey support-ers have been enrolled on REAP since the program was introduced in 1995 and contributed to Project Equity since 1980.

The Orth family with one of their favorite Jersey calves, from left to right, Charisse, Derek, Dana, Randy, Julie and Laura Orth.

MAY 2011 3

The Owens family has been breeding Registered Jerseys since 1944. Pictured are (back row) Walter, Jeff, Roger, Steven and Wilfred, (middle row) Joyce, Jessica, Julia, the late Harold, Linda, (front row) Brandon, Michelle, Emerson and Douglas Owens. Missing from the photograph are Kim, Chris, Dawn and Marissa Owens.

The herd was enrolled in the Genetic Re-covery program when it became available and has been fully-registered since 1987. The farm was established by Wilfred Owens in 1912 in Frederic. The first Registered Jersey was purchased in 1943. Today the herd is 723 milking cows, 650 replacement heifers and six bulls. Owens Farms is a family corporation owned by three brothers and their wives: Wilfred and Linda, Walter and Joyce and Roger and Kim. All have received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder Award—Wil-fred and Linda in 1984, Walter and Joyce in 1989, and Roger and Kim in 1992. Sons Steven, Doug, Brandon and Jeff are also involved in the daily operation of the business. The herd has a 2010 AJCA lactation average of 19,325 lbs. milk, 894 lbs. fat and 714 lbs. protein. Owens Farms uses JerseyMate for heifer matings and is a contract advertiser in the Jersey Journal. The herd uses young sires for 35-40% of its matings. The dairy is a member of Dairyland Jersey Sires and Liberty Jersey Sires and also uses bulls from young sire programs administered by ABS Global and Select Sires. The farm is a regular consignor to the National Heifer Sale and The All Ameri-can Jersey Sale and sells about 100 head of Registered Jerseys privately each year. Owens Farms has used the REAP geno-type discount to genotype a large portion of the herd. The herd ranks #26 in the nation for GJPI with an average GJPI of +100 on 65 genotyped cows. Twenty-fi ve members of the herd rank among the top 1½% for GJPI, including O.F. Reaction Greta, Excellent-90%, ranked #47 with a GJPI of +221. The farm has sent 19 bulls to A.I., including maternal brothers, O.F. Mannix Rebel-ET, GJPI +103, with more than 6,500 daughters, and O.F. Barber Rocket, GJPI +42, with more than 12,600 daugh-

ters. “Rebel” is a former #1 bull for JPI. Though many cows have come through the parlor, O.F. Lester Ladyslipper, Excellent-94%, remains a favorite. She was named Grand Champion of The All American Junior Jersey Show in 1996 and Overall Premier Performance Cow of The All American Jersey Show in 1996 and 1998. “Ladyslipper” is the dam of O.F. Montana Saber-ET, GJPI +5, with nearly 7,000 daughters.

Partee Jerseys Ken and Kathy Elliott, Marshfi eld, and

their daughters, Laura and Amber, have enjoyed 15 years in the Jersey business. The couple moved from California 16 years ago with their Holstein herd. Shortly after the move, they purchased three Jer-seys off of a load from Canada and two of the three cows went Excellent for them. This was the beginning of their Jersey herd. One of their favorite purchases was Snafu Saturn Gypsy, Excellent-92%, with more than 25,000 lbs. milk. She had 16 heifers for them with two Excellent and


seven Very Good daughters to date. “Gyp-sy” stood second at the Central National Jersey Show. One of her daughters, Partee Furor Graceful-ET, was tapped as Junior Champion of the All American Jersey Show in 2007. Another standout from the farm was Pa-tricia of Partee Treat. She was purchased in dam and went on to place second in the Kingsmill Futurity at Madison, and in the top fi ve at The All American Jersey Show. Ken recalls one appraisal day at the farm that three generations of this family went Excellent in less than 10 minutes-“Patricia,” her dam and grandam.

The Elliott family has excelled in the show ring winning many awards at the Wisconsin Spring Show, Wisconsin State Fair, Wisconsin State Jersey Show, the Central National Jersey Show and The All American Jersey Show. The family also developed a partner-ship for several years with Tom and Kelli Cull of Budjon Farms, Lomira. Two cow families they developed were Lyon Duke Dutchy, Excellent-95% and Homeridge F P Lisa 2, Excellent-92%. “Dutchy” was sold to Ben Sauder, Tremont, Ill., and went on to be named Grand Champion of The All American Junior Jersey Show. “Lisa” has had daughters receive All American

accolades in recent years. Ken is humble when talking of their ac-complishments. “A lot of our success was luck. We fell into a lot of good heifers that paid out.”

Pine Prairie Jerseys Rob Klinkner, Viroqua, wants his two sons to be able to grow up with the life-style provided by living on a dairy farm, an opportunity he did not have until later in life. Though he did not grow up on a dairy farm, Rob Klinkner lived across the street from Steve and Annette Trescher, Cashton, and eventually began working for them. Later, he went on to work for the Fremstads at Norse Star Jerseys, Westby, before attending the University of Wiscon-sin Dairy Short Course and then returning to Norse Star to further develop his dairy and managerial skills. Nine years ago, Rob decided to set out on his own and build a herd with the Pine Prairie prefi x. He started out with a handful of Registered Jersey cattle and then began purchasing more to be brought up through the Jersey Genetic Recovery program. Rob, and his wife Gail, who he met at a Guernsey convention he was attending with the Trescher’s, now milk 38 Registered Jerseys and had a 2010 AJCA lactation average of 15,619 lbs. milk, 700 lbs. fat and 560 lbs. protein on nine lactations. Although they have not been involved

with the Jersey breed as long as some of their counterparts, the Klinkners have managed to become very active in the Wisconsin State Jersey association. Rob is currently serving as president of Wisconsin Parish 4, and as a parish rep-resentative on the state board. They are also proponents of AJCA programs, like REAP. When fi rst building the herd at Pine Prairie they immediately saw the value of using REAP to bring their cattle up through the Genetic Recovery program, so that one day the herd would be completely registered and more marketable. As they enter their tenth year of dairy-ing, Rob and Gail Klinkner are looking forward to what the future holds for them and their herd of Jerseys as they build a strong base for continued growth. They also hope to continue their involvement with the state Jersey association and even-tually the national Jersey association, a tradition to build on and pass to their sons.

Dennis Post Probably one of the most familiar faces of the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association is Dennis Post, Clinton, Wis. This hard-working Jersey enthusiast has been an integral part of the state association for numerous years. He is currently serving as secretary of the association and is a co-chair for the 2011 AJCA-NAJ Annual meetings. Post is also a familiar face at The All American Jersey Show and Sales, where for the past 23 years, he has donated his time to help on the sale crew and with the set up for the National Jersey Jug Futurity. Dennis has served on the Jug committee for many years. Each eve of the show he can be found hard at work at ringside in-suring that the decorations are set up and properly secured. Along with an extensive collection of Jersey Marketing Service (JMS) shirts, his most prized Jersey possessions were his team of Jersey oxen, Duke and Dutch. Duke is now 17 years old and Dutch


Rob and Gail Klinkner and their sons, Garrison and Regan, are looking forward to what learning experiences the Jerseys can bring to their family.

Ken and Kathy Elliott and their daughters Laura and Amber own Partee Jerseys. The family has bred numerous class winners at state, regional and national shows with the Partee Jerseys prefi x.

MAY 2011 Page 75

on 18 lactations. Lisa has also been a dairy leader in their 4-H club for six years, pro-viding managerial animals for 4-H kids wanting to show Jersey cattle. With continued hard work and a little good fortune, Lisa will continue testing the “random luck” of their family farm.

River Dell Dairy Lavern and Cheryl Davis, Wisconsin Dells, have been milking cows since June 11, 1977, when they started with 18 cows and 18 acres. Now, 34 years later, they have 400 total cows, 350 acres and three children. Although their initial 18 cows were Holstein, they have gradually added Registered Jerseys to their REAP herd throughout the years and now have 20 milking cows and 25 heifers.

Lavern appreciates the environmental-ly-friendly qualities of the Jersey breed, citing that owning a Jersey is almost like owning a hybrid car. He credits their steady growth with Jerseys to tools like JerseyMate, the reproductive effi ciency of Jerseys and the work of his son, Chris. “Chris is an excellent herdsman and has done a great job with the breeding program,” said Lavern of his son, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and the breeding effectiveness at River Dell. Their breeding philosophy centers on good udders and good feet and legs and uses bulls like “Sultan,” “Comerica,” “Minister,” and “Governor,” to breed their ideal cows. Their 2010 AJCA lactation average was 16,676 lbs. milk, 831 lbs. fat and 634 lbs. protein with a cheese yield of 2,410 lbs. They market their milk to Foremost Farms. With excellent management and a history of steady and quality growth, River Dell Dairy will continue to exceed in the dairy business.

S&S Farms The Schroeder family, Lancaster, may be milking cows on a century farm, but Jerseys did not come into the picture until 1999. Bought as a partnership during a

passed away last spring at the age of 16. The team worked well together and were a familiar sight around Clinton. They were purchased as young calves from Gil-Bar Farm.

Proud Moment Jerseys The past two years have been a dream come true for Ralph and Brenda Uhe and family of Janesville. After breeding Registered Jerseys since 1978, they had their fi rst two All American winners in 2009 and 2010—PM Minister Lea and PM Musketeer Violet. “Lea” was named All American Junior Heifer Calf in 2009 and All American Junior Yearling Heifer in 2010 as well as being named Junior Champion of The All American Jersey Show in 2010 for her owner Tera Koebel, Three Oaks, Mich. “Violet” was named All American Junior Heifer Calf in 2010 for her owner Jared Dueppengisser, Perry, N.Y. Ralph was raised on a Holstein farm in southern Wisconsin, but began working with Jerseys through employment at Gil-Bar Farm in 1975. He bought fi ve heifers in 1978 and then married Ohio Jersey breeder, Brenda Brown. Today, Ralph and his daughter, Alane, manage the farm. Alane returned in early April to operate the farm while Ralph recovers from major surgery. The 50-cow herd breeds for longevity

PM Minister Lea was the fi rst All American bred by Ralph Uhe and family. She was named All American Junior Calf in 2009 and All American Junior Yearling in 2010.

The Davis Family, from left to right, Kathleen, Stephanie, Katie, Chris, Cheryl and Lavern.

Dennis Post is a Jersey enthusiast through and through. He is a co-chair of the 2011 annual meetings and volunteers his time each year at The All American Jersey Sale. He is pictured here with his two Jersey oxen, Dutch and Duke.

and current trends that will do well in the show ring. They strive to breed the quality of animals that will go on to new homes and have the owners be successful with them. They enjoy helping 4-Hers who do not have the resources to keep animals at home to have the show ring experience. Some of their greatest satisfaction comes from watching those youth having fun with their projects and learning responsi-bility.

Random Luck Farm Lisa Caya may not always have good luck, or necessarily bad luck, but has to admit her family has been successful in the dairy business. Having not grown up on a farm, a little good luck might be the very precursor that helped her start her own Registered Jersey farm. She purchased her first Jersey in 1999 from Gil-Bar Farm, and later when she found herself in between jobs, exchanged four months of milking at Gil-Bar for the mother of her initial purchase. Since then, Lisa and her husband, Rick Thompson, and their children Allison and Matthew, now own Random Luck Farm, Darlington, home to 23 Jersey cows and 20 Jersey heifers.

While Rick has had much success with his Brown Swiss herd, it is on the Jerseys that Lisa likes to focus her time. She started out showing the cows she had purchased from Gil-Bar, taking home Grand Champion at the 2005 Wisconsin State Fair. This family also transmit-ted well, giving Lisa many offspring to continue developing into her herd and to show. Random Luck Farm has earned the title Premier Breeder at the Wisconsin State Fair three times from 2008-2010, and Premier Exhibitor in 2010. Lisa has also sold a handful of animals that have gone on to do well for their new owners, including a Reserve Junior Champion at the Wisconsin State Fair. Random Luck Farm has bred 13 Ex-cellent cows and developed seven more Excellent cows from purchases. The herd 2010 AJCA lactation average was 16,477 lbs. milk, 765 lbs. fat and 615 lbs. protein

Lisa Caya and her children, Allison and Matthew at their farm in Darlington.


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sale in Canada, Silverdean Encore Marla was added to the all Holstein herd at S&S Farms. The youngest of the Schroeders, Stepfanie, immediately took a liking to the Jerseys and began showing the smaller brown cows. One of Stepfanies most successful animals was Lyon Aero Marmot, Very Good-84%. In 2004 “Marmot” was named the Reserve Grand Champion of the Junior and Open Show in the Parish III show, having been named the Reserve Grand Champion of the Junior show in Parish III the year prior. Also in 2003, “Marmot”

was named the Reserve Grand Champion of the Fennimore Fair. What started as a partnership purchase has turned into a profitable hobby for Stepfanie Schroeder, as the 22 Jerseys at S&S Farms are mainly part of her personal herd. Many of those animals stem from purchases made from Lyon Jerseys, Toledo, Iowa, as the Schroeders developed their herd. As they focus on breeding animals with good feet and legs and, they are enjoying their time with the “inquisitive and enjoyable” Jersey cows that have found a home in their herd.

Scho-View Jerseys Jeff and Jackie Scholten and their children Claire and Cole are living the American Dream just outside of Lake Mills. All four of the family is involved in some way with the management of their small, profi table herd. Jeff Scholten grew up on a Holstein dairy and later he went to work off the farm as a dairy nutritionist. About 18 months ago, he was presented with an opportunity to begin his own dairy herd with the purchase of 31 Jerseys from Ron and Annette Benninger, Reeseville, and 10 head from Andy and Lyn Buttles, Lancaster. The family began milking on March 31, 2010, and have not looked back.

Today, their herd has an m.e. average of 16,704 lbs. milk, 793 lbs. fat and 591 lbs. protein on 62 cows. Their milk is shipped to Dean Foods through Dairy Farmers of America. To help them with the “steep learning curve” for dairying today, the Scholten family signed up on REAP in December 2010 and have been impressed with the benefi ts of the package. They rent their facilities and currently purchase all of their feed. Their breeding philosophy is simple: breed sound, functional cattle that work hard and are pleasing to the eye. With the strong well-bred cow families they have purchased into over the past 18 months, the family is looking forward to the future benefi ts of marketing from their herd.

St. Lawrence Bluff Dairy As they approach the one year anniversary of their fi rst milking, Amber Hahn and her family at St. Lawrence Bluff Dairy, Poynette, are eager to see what the future has in store for them. When Amber left her corporate fi nance job in Arkansas to take over her parent’s once all-Holstein farm, she knew exactly what would fi ll the empty barns. Working with Ron Kutz, Jefferson, they purchased 15 second-lactation Jersey cows and 15 bred


Jeff and Jackie Scholten and their children Cole and Claire, take great pride in their herd of Registered Jerseys. They are pictured with two of their herd favorites, GR ColeJS Ferrieiras Fizzle, Very Good-88% and Ron-Net Sultan Camille, Very Good-86%.


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Jersey heifers, eventually adding six more heifers to their herd, and fi ve bulls, which are now beef steers. Now one year later their REAP herd of 29 milking cows has a March rolling herd average of 14,459 lbs. milk, 699 lbs. fat and 533 lbs. protein, and market their milk to Foremost Farms. St. Lawrence Bluff Dairy also ranks 20th on the April 2011 list for High Herds ranked by Traditional JPI with a +59 JPI. Although the transition from the suburbs to a dairy farm has been an admitted learning experience, Amber and her husband, Brian Small, and their three children Sydney, 8, Carston, 6 and Morgan, 4, have jumped right in to their new community and lifestyle. Amber has taken Jersey calves into her children’s school to share with their classmates, and both she and her husband are volunteer fi refi ghters, in addition to Brian’s full-time job off the farm, and Amber’s election race for school board. Her parents, Bob and Linda Hahn also help on the farm, with her dad doing the milking Monday-Thursday, and Brian milking Friday-Sunday. As Amber and her family begin their second year with their Registered Jersey herd, they can hope to build on their initial success and continue to develop their herd and community.

Alisa Schofi eld Alisa Schofield manages Schofield Jersey Farm in Cadott with the help of her fi ve children: Brandie, 12, Amber, 8,

Morgan, 7, Max, 6, and Nevaeh, 4. Schof ield grew up on an 80-cow registered Holstein dairy and purchased her fi rst Registered Jersey calf as a 4-H project in 1994. She made a full commitment to Jerseys when she purchased the present farm, the former residence of Windhaven Jerseys, from Wayne Greene Jr. in 2004. The tie stall barn was ideally-sized for Jerseys. Today, the milking string is 35 Jersey cows and two Holstein cows. Schofi eld purchased foundation animals from several Wisconsin breeders, including Greene and Deb Jirschele of Athens.

The herd is enrolled on REAP and milk is sold to Mullins Cheese in Mosinee. With the latest appraisal in January 2011, the farm in north central Wisconsin is home to two Excellent and 18 Very Good cows and has an average appraisal of 80.6%. One of the farm’s favorites, D C Punkin of Debcott, was purchased from Jirschele as a two-year-old in June 2002. The 11-year-old has blossomed at Schofi eld’s farm and is now its leading producer and highest-appraised cow at Excellent-91%. She freshened with her seventh calf in June 2010 and has two lactations over

Alicia Schofi eld and the youngest member of her crew, Nevaeh, with one of the farm’s favorites, D C Punkin of Debcott, Excellent-91%.

Amber Hahn and her husband Brian Small with their three children, Sydney, Carston and Morgan, have enjoyed their fi rst year of milking Registered Jerseys.

JERSEY JOURNAL

19,000 lbs. milk. Schofi eld also works off the farm as a volunteer at her children’s school.

Selin Farm What started as a personal 4-H project as a child, has turned into a career choice as John Selin, Viroqua, now manages his own Jersey herd and helps local 4-H kids build their herds. John grew up on a Holstein farm, but quickly noticed the ease and effi ciency of his neighbors Jersey herd and eventually made the switch when he started to dairy on his own. His REAP herd now consists of 35 milking cows, 10 of which are scored Excellent, and an equal number of replace-ments. John’s farm is home to more than just his own cows though, playing host to animals from other breeders, including the milking herd belong to Jersey youth Austin Nauman, Sparta.

John has developed numerous successful cow families, and focuses on a balanced and effi cient cow, udder and feet and legs when breeding his cows. He also strives to breed cows that posses some style and longevity, two traits that have served him well throughout the years. John has long enjoyed showing cattle and has regularly competed in The All American Jersey Show where he had a two-year-old All American. He also has enjoyed helping area 4-H youth learn to show and grow their herds. He also has cows in his herd exceeding 10-years-old, including a 16-year-old cow, one of his favorites. Maintaining his smaller herd size is something that is important to John so he can continue helping others develop their

herds and show his favorite cattle.

Shining Star Jerseys Cassy Krull and her siblings, Bryce and Carley, have a true appreciation for the Registered dairy business. The three children have grown up on their family farm in Lake Mills, and have had to work hard for their achievements, but have been blessed with many honors in just a few short years. Their home farm, Krull Farms, owned by their parents, Cindy and the late Brian Krull, achieved international fame when they bred a Holstein cow named Krull Broker Elegance. “Elegance” was sold to the partnership of Budjon Farms and Joel Kietzman, Lomira, and embryos and offspring of this special cow were sold across the globe. However, it is the Jersey breed that has captured the hearts of the Krull kids. Seventeen-year-old Cassy received her fi rst Jersey calf when she was just one year old as a present from Santa. Her parents noticed at an early age that it was the brown cows that caught her attention in her stroller and she never paid attention to the black and white ones. Since then both her brother and sister have also added Jerseys to their herds. Today, 25% of the herd is brown, with pedigrees refl ecting the maternal lines of Huronia Centurion Veronica 20J, Avonlea D Jude Karmel, and Pleasant Nook Rene Myriah. All three Jersey youth have enjoyed success in the show ring and have purchased into families that will help them achieve their dreams of winning a National Junior Show championship. In 2005, they met Christy and Ron Ratliff, Garnett, Kan., and began working with Christy and her showstring. One of Cassy’s

favorite cows to work with is Ratliff Price Alicia, the only three time National Grand Champion in breed history. Next year Cassy will head off to Kansas State to pursue a bachelor of science in agricultural communications before returning home to the farm. She is a member of the 2011 class of Jersey Youth Academy and just completed her reign as Wisconsin Jersey Queen. Bryce will be a junior at Lake Mills High School and Carley will be in eighth grade.

Sorenson’s Hillview Jersey Farm

The Sorenson family has been in the Jersey business for four generations. Today, Sorenson Hillview Jersey Farm Inc. is operated by brothers Chris and Steve Sorenson and Chris’ son, Michael. Chris manages the dairy herd, Michael handles the crops and machinery and Steve lends a hand wherever it is needed. Steve also works off the farm as a fi eld representative for AgSource Cooperative Services. The original farmstead in Pine River was purchased by Chris and Steve’s grandfather, George, in 1929. The farm encompassed 42 acres and milked a dozen Jerseys that George earned for his labor at a neighboring dairy farm. The Sorensons now farm 600 acres on the homestead and another 300 acres of rented land. The fully-registered Jersey herd is 98 cows and an equal number of replacement heifers. Hillview Jersey Farm has been enrolled on REAP since it was fi rst offered in 1995 and contributed to Project Equity the past two decades. The herd is a charter member of Dairyland Jersey Sires Inc. and used Genetic Recovery when it fi rst became available. The dairy has genotyped several females and incorporates high-genomic young sires in the breeding program. Hill-view Jersey Farm has a March 2010 rolling herd average of 18,800 lbs. milk, 911 lbs. fat and 675 lbs. protein. The dairy ranks among the top 25% in the nation for JPI with an average JPI of +40 (April 2011). Five cows rank among the top 1½% for JPI

Four generations of the Sorenson family have been operating Hillview Jersey Farm in Pine River.


Cassy and Carley Krull are very active in Jersey youth programs. The two sisters and their brother Bryce, have had much success in the show ring as well with their Jersey herd.

John Selin has long enjoyed the opportunity to not only develop quality for his herd and show string, but for Jersey youth looking to acquire quality cattle.

MAY 2011 Page 79

or GJPI and three heifers rank on the lists of the Top 500 Heifers for PA JPI or GJPI. Though there have been many favorites that stood in the barn over the years, one of the standouts is Hillview Trader Babka, Excellent-92%, who produced 32,598 lbs. milk and 2,100 lbs. fat in 365 days and was the second cow in breed history to produce more than a ton of fat in a single lactation. The Sorensons routinely participate in Jersey sales as buyer and consignor and have been on both ends of the transac-tion at The All American Jersey Sale, the National Heifer Sale and the Pot O’Gold Sale. Chris is a co-chair of this year’s all-donation National Heifer Sale and co-chaired the event when the AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings were hosted by Wiscon-sin in 1987. Chris also is serving his second term as AJCA Director from the Tenth District and sits on the AJCA Finance Committee. He and his wife, Cheryl, received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 1982—the fi rst in Wisconsin—and Chris was pre-sented with the state Jersey organization’s Senior Breeder award in 2003.

Spring Creek Farms When Allen F. Hentsch started building a herd of Jerseys for his family farm in

Karl, Kim and Adam Steinhauer operate Steinhauers Jerseys in the northeast part of the state.

1988, his mantra was simple; he wanted high quality dairy cows. Now Spring Creek Farms, Hixton, is home to numerous high-ranking and high-producing animals. The herd is now maintained by his son Allen W., working closely with brothers Scott and Rick to operate the other facets of their family farm, including a Holstein herd, a herd of beef steers and 2,000 acres of tillable land. As of April 2011, the Hentsch family has four cows ranked on the Traditional Top 1.5% JPI list and three heifers ranked on the Top 500 Traditional JPI list. The March 2011 rolling herd average on 97 cows was 18,083 lbs. milk, 831 lbs. fat and 624 lbs. protein and ranks ninth for milk production among herds in their size category. They also rank within the top 35 REAP herds in Wisconsin for production. In addition to the 97 cows, there are 80 replacements and a couple herd bulls at Spring Creek, and one bull, Spring Creek Abe Chuck, GJPI +161, in A.I. at Sexing Technologies. When it comes to their breeding philosophy, this strictly production herd focuses mainly on JPI, but takes many aspects into consideration as they try to develop overall high quality animals. Although this family has numerous farming ventures, they appreciate the

lower feed needs, easier disposition and increased payment on the milk check they get from the Jersey herd. Allen W. and his two brothers and their families hope to continue breeding the high quality animals their father set out to build.

Steinhauers Jerseys Steinhauers Jerseys is a Registered Jersey dairy operated by Karl and Kim Steinhauer and their families in Mattoon. Karl’s eldest son, Adam, 16, works on the farm on a daily basis. His other son, Andy, 15, helps out during the summer and on weekends. Kim works off the farm as well and has two grown children that have careers off the farm. Steinhauers Jerseys milks 180 cows


JERSEY JOURNAL

and raises 170 heifers on a farm that has been in Karl’s family since 1971. The herd also includes several young bulls that are awaiting genotyping results. The herd is enrolled on REAP and has a 2010 AJCA lactation average of 18,761 lbs. milk, 886 lbs. fat and 685 lbs. protein. The herd ranks among the top 25% of the breed for JPI with an average JPI of +36 (April 2011) on 147 cows. The family hasn’t always milked Jer-seys. When Karl joined his father, the late Christian Steinhauer, in management of the business, the family milked Holsteins. They added some color to the herd in 1983 with the purchase of 20 Jersey cows from a dairy in Alabama through Jersey Mar-keting Service. Over the next three years, additional Jerseys were purchased as the Holsteins were sold. Karl has milked noth-ing but Jerseys since 1986 and received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 1995. One of Karl’s most memorable moments with Jerseys was the cold December day the Jersey cows arrived from Alabama. Every hair on the hides of the little pasture-ready cows stood on end as they left the truck to be greeted by minus-zero temperatures and a tie-stall environment that was totally new. They thrived, Karl recalled, and show the toughness and adaptability of the breed. A cow that has brought visibility to Steinhauers Jerseys in recent years is Steinhauers H Mark Applepie, Excellent-92%. Her son, Steinhauers Iatola Applejack, was syndicated in The All American Jersey Sale in 2007. A fi rst choice female was the second high seller of the Wisconsin State Sale in 2010. Five other daughters in the herd rank on the list of the Top 500 Genotyped Females, as does a daughter of her material sister. Included in this group is the breed’s #10 genotyped female, Steinhauers Renegade CherryPie, with a GJPI of +210. Karl notes that interest in “Applepie” and other members of the herd have come because the family participates in breed programs. Without registration and performance information, A.I. organizations and other Jersey breeders would not have an interest in Steinhauer genetics.

Stephan Jerseys Shari Strickhouser’s love of animals and the agricultural life made it an easy decision to become a third generation dairy producer at her family farm in Elkhorn. Growing up on the Stephan Family

Farm, a Holstein dairy, managed by her parents the late Richard Stephen and Marilyn Susina, gave her a well-rounded view of agriculture. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and majored in agricultural journalism. After graduation she returned home and formed a partnership with her mom and dad. In 1993, she purchased her fi rst Jerseys from Gil-Bar Farm and their profi tability allowed them to fi nd their place in the herd. The REAP herd totals 62 milking cows and 53 replacement heifers. The herd has a March 2011 rolling herd average of 14,510 lbs. milk, 644 lbs. fat and 522 lbs. protein. Milk is shipped to Dairy Farmers of America. Shari uses JerseyTags for permanent identifi cation in the herd. When mating her herd she uses JerseyMate to select bulls that will give her long-lived, strong cow families that pay the bills. Shari and her husband, Dan, are in the process of building two new barns, a heifer facility and a new calf barn. One of Shari’s greatest Jersey moments came in 2009, when Stephan Sparkler Vera-ET was named Grand Champion of the Central National Jersey Show in Madison. Shari had sold “Vera” and was honored when the new owners, Greg and Joel Bourne of Ohio, asked her to join them in the picture. Promoting the dairy industry is a focus of both Dan and Shari. Both are active in county and state activities. Shari currently serves on the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association board, is president of the Parish 2 Jersey Association, serves on the Wisconsin State Show Committee and is past offi cer of the Elkhorn FFA alumni. In 2009, she was recognized by the AJCA with a Young Jersey Breeder award. Shari was recently named the Wisconsin Jersey Woman of the Year and received an award for the most improved herd for milk and protein production by the WJBA.

Super-K Farm Larry and Carol Kammes started out with a plan to downsize their Holstein herd in response to some personal health

issues. When they decided it just made more sense to have a barn full of animals instead of a handful, it was decided they would start milking the smaller Jersey cows instead of Holsteins. Super-K Farm was started in 1972 has been a mainly Jer-sey herd since 2002, keeping some of their more prominent Holstein cow families in the herd also. The Kammes’ immediately saw the value of the Jerseys, as they were easier for the couple to handle, calved easy and bred effi ciently. They now have 60 milk cows with an equal number of replace-ments. They currently have 23 Excellent animals and 38 Very Good animals, with an average herd appraisal score of 87%. Though they are relatively new to the Jer-sey business, they have always had regis-tered animals and been enrolled in REAP, deciding it was the most cost-effective way to take part in the Jersey programs.

When deciding on the matings for their herd, Larry and Carol focus on type and longevity. They want a good type cow that they can make milk well and have an aver-age herd age of more than four-years-old. They also breed their cows to not calve in the winter months, hoping to avoid health problems. Larry and Carol admit the switch from Holsteins to Jerseys was a learning experi-ence, learning to breed, milk and handle the new breed differently. Even though their initial plan was to downsize, they are quite pleased with the ease and effi ciency they have found with the Jersey breed.

Summit View Jerseys The 45 head of Registered Jerseys at Summit View Farm in Athens have a pretty good life because herd owners DuWayne Strehlow and Deb Jirschele make cow comfort a priority. DuWayne has been raising Registered Jerseys for 28 years. He received his fi rst Jersey calf when he was nine and trans-ported her to the farm in the back seat of the family car, a 1962 Chevrolet Impala. Deb has been breeding Registered Jerseys


Larry and Carol Kammes, Super-K Farm, with their granddaughters, MaKayla and Jaci, who spend three days a week on the farm with their grandparents.

Shari and Dan Strickhouser own and operate Stephan Jerseys in Elkhorn. They are pictured with Stephan Gadget Banner, Excellent-92%.

MAY 2011 Page 81

DuWayne Strehlow, left, and Deb and Austin Jirschele operate Summit View Jerseys.

for 18 years and her 14-year-old son, Aus-tin, is getting his feet wet in the business. Summit View Jerseys is enrolled on REAP and has an average appraisal of 85%. Milk is sold to Nasonville Dairy in Marshfi eld. The herd of 21 milking cows, 20 heifer calves and four bulls is housed in a barn that DuWayne had moved from another location and retrofi tted to accom-modate tie stalls for the milking string and loose housing for the calves. The mater-nity pen even has a video camera installed at one corner so the couple can watch their ladies from the house. The mortality rate is essentially zero. Cows are fed a total mixed ration that includes the best quality forages and fi ber the couple can fi nd and 4 lbs. of shelled corn a day. The ration is half corn silage

and half hay or haylage. DuWayne and Deb raise the corn silage on farm and purchase hay and haylage. They focus on growing and purchasing premium qual-ity forages because, DuWayne noted, the higher the quality of the forages, the more grain that can be pulled out of the ration. The family is active in showing and leasing animals to 4-H members. Last year’s show season was a highlight for them as Austin showed the Supreme Champion of the Central Wisconsin State Fair, Gil-Bar Classic Lexie, and the 4-H club bested 25 entries in the class for best fi ve females with Registered Jerseys from Summit View Farm. “Lexie” was recently raised to Excellent-91%. DuWayne and Deb have a thriving market for their cattle, selling all bulls from the herd as service sires and about 15 females every year, predominantly as young cows, in private treaty sales. The couple also operates D & D Nu-trition & Consulting LLC, with clients across central Wisconsin and southern Illinois.

Harold Thompson The 10 head of Registered Jerseys at the Thompson Farm in Spring Valley started with a single embryo purchased in 2000. The Jerseys are herdmates to 100 regis-

tered Holsteins, which are managed by Harold and Mary Thompson. The farmstead has been in Harold’s family since 1869, when his great-grand-parents purchased the land. Harold and Mary have been proprietors since 1964. When Harold wanted to add a little brown to the black and white business, he asked for some guidance from the veterinarian who does their embryo work, Dr. Marv Johnson. All the Jerseys in the herd today descend from this cow, LJJ Perimiter Bunny-ET. The herd is enrolled on REAP and housed with the Holsteins in a 48-tie stall barn. Milk is sold to Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. Harold keeps on top of Jersey informa-tion with materials from the AJCA and the Jersey Journal. He mates the herd using Dairy Mating Service. Grandson Mitchell, 16, has taken a special interest in the cows, especially in the mating program. Though they don’t always agree, it makes for lively discussion on bulls and cattle breeding. Mitchell has always wanted to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, plowing make-believe fi elds with his toy tractors into the wee hours of the morning in the spring. So, as Harold and Mary approach retire-


JERSEY JOURNAL

ment, it seems likely that Mitchell and his father, Frank, now with the Pierce County Highway Department, will take reins of the operation of the farm, which is sure to be brown thanks to one Jersey embryo.

Traiser Homestead Farm Melissa Traiser is the fi fth generation to work the farm that has been in her family since 1855. Holsteins were the sole resi-dents until Melissa brought Jerseys to the place as 4-H projects beginning in 1995. The Jersey herd at Traiser Homestead Farm in Somerset is a self-described 4-H project out of control that now numbers

29 cows and 29 heifer calves being raised with the 100 registered Holsteins owned by Melissa’s parents, Chip and Pam. The herd is enrolled on REAP and markets milk to Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, which was dubbed the “Cheese Curd Capital” of Wisconsin by the former Governor Anthony S. Earl in 1984. Traiser’s herd has a March 2011 rolling herd average of 17,637 lbs. milk, 968 lbs. fat and 657 lbs. protein. The herd made the most gains in protein production in the state last year, with an additional 107 lbs. protein in the herd average versus 2009. The Traisers attribute gains to a new nutritionist in January 2010 and the installation of a new milking system with automatic take-offs. The cows are nice to look at too, with 28 Very Good cows and an average appraisal of 85.5%. Melissa enjoys showing some of the fancier cows and her most memorable mo-ment with Jerseys came from exhibiting her fi rst best bred and owned animal at The All American Junior Jersey Show, THF J Imperial Whisper, in 2000. “Whisper” is appraised Excellent-91% and has six daughters in the herd. Other animals bred by Melissa have fared well for their new owners on the tan-bark trail as well. THF Sultan Julee, Excel-

lent-91%, was named Grand Champion of the Minnesota State Fair in 2009 for Jared Tessmer of Loretto, Minn. Vindctn Britany of Last Chance, Excellent-93%, was fi rst in her class as a junior two-year-old and a junior three-year-old at the Wisconsin State Fair for Brad Midtling and Kevin Krejci, Bloomer. Melissa and her parents also get some help with chores from her grandparents, Charles and Maryann. Melissa graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a major in dairy science in 2005. She also works full-time in the farm department at Mills Fleet Farm in Hudson.

Annette Trescher When visiting the dairy of Steve and Annette Trescher for the fi rst time, the directions might be hard to believe, as they end right in a residential and business area in Cashton. With city utilities, non-farming neighbors within a stone’s throw of all sides of their barn, the Trescher’s are truly city-farmers. Steve Trescher has been in the dairy business a long time, starting out with Guernsey cattle. However, when Steve and Annette said “I do,” they were also saying “I do” to Jerseys, as Annette brought seven Jersey heifers with her to the farm, coming from her family’s Jersey herd.


Melissa Traiser and her parents, Chip and Pam, with a farm favorite, THF Sultan Daisy, Very Good-87%, a granddaughter of one of Melissa’s initial purchases, Woodmohr Juno Unique, Excellent-95%.

amadeo lads julie, with six lactations start producing...

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