BRATTLEBORO, Vt., December 22, 2017 – Nate Janssen, of Wheaton, Ill., has been named the 2018 Young Dairy Leaders Institute Distinguished Alumni Leader by the Holstein Foundation. The Holstein Foundation recognizes one Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI) graduate annually who has made noteworthy contributions and applied skills gained during their YDLI experience for the advancement of the dairy industry. Nate was a graduate of YDLI Class 4.

“Today, as director of farmer relations for Dairy Management Inc., I utilize skills learned through the YDLI program daily and encourage others to tell their story, which is so critical in the dairy landscape today. I personally know several prior recipients of this award whose accomplishments have had a far-reaching impact on the dairy community. To even be considered with this group is very humbling,” Janssen said.

Janssen was named to his position at Dairy Management Inc. in 2013, after 14 years as the dairy operations manager for Golden Oaks Farm, Wauconda, Ill. Previous to Golden Oaks Farm, he worked for Cargill Animal Nutrition as a territory manager. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.

Aside from his work with Dairy Management Inc., Nate is involved in several agricultural organizations. He has served on the board of directors for the National Dairy Shrine, and the finance committee for the Red and White Dairy Cattle Association, among others. Janssen is active in the Illinois Holstein Association, serving as the co-chair of the state sale, championship show and the 2015 National Holstein Convention host day.

“YDLI has impacted me in ways that no other program has. The personal development skills I acquired during my time in Class 4 have helped mold me into the person I am today, and will be tomorrow. Additionally, the communication skills I learned including understanding personalities, telling my story and handling difficult situations have been the foundation of my professional development. Not to be overlooked, as a critical benefit to the program, is the networking opportunities it creates," continued Janssen.

Janssen will be recognized during the upcoming YDLI Class 10, Phase 3 program, January 31 – February 3, 2018, in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Young Dairy Leaders Institute, a program of the Holstein Foundation, is a nationally recognized three-phase leadership and communication skills development program for young adults working in the dairy industry. YDLI's three-phase approach ensures participants develop necessary leadership skills, apply those skills in real-life scenarios, and then focus on the benefit of influential leadership.

For more information on YDLI or other Holstein Foundation programs, visit www.holsteinfoundation.org or contact Jodi Hoynoski, at 800.952.5200, ext. 4261 or by email.

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BRATTLEBORO, Vt., November 2, 2017- The Holstein Foundation is excited to announce the new workbook for young dairy enthusiasts, “Milking and Lactation.” This resource serves as a guide for youth, their parents and dairy project leaders, and those who are interested in enhancing their knowledge of dairy cattle lactation.

“Milking and Lactation” covers a wide array of topics from understanding the lactation curve to hormone function, milking equipment and systems, udder anatomy, and milking procedures. To download the workbook for free, visit www.holsteinfoundation.org/education/workbooks.html.

The Holstein Foundation provides a series of free, educational workbooks available to download online. “Showring Ready” and “Dairy Judging” are the most popular topics, but resources are also provided on topics ranging from dairy nutrition and reproduction to genetics. Each year, the Holstein Foundation’s workbooks are downloaded by thousands of people around the globe. Donations to the Holstein Foundation’s youth education and outreach efforts help make them possible.

With questions, contact Kelli Dunklee at 800.952.5200, ext. 4124, or by email, or visit www.holsteinfoundation.org/education/workbooks.html to download online.

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BRATTLEBORO, Vt., July 27, 2017- Holstein Foundation is excited to announce the release of a four-part video series to educate youth, showmanship judges, and anyone else who works with dairy youth on proper showmanship procedures. The videos are available to watch for free on the Holstein Foundation website and YouTube channel.

"Showmanship is near and dear to my heart, and we are thrilled to provide free and easily accessible resources to youth across the country. Our goal is to help everyone involved in showing understand the new PDCA guidelines, and give visual demonstrations on some of the most common questions," says Jodi Hoynoski, Holstein Foundation Programs Manager.

The video series is designed to serve as a guide for youth, parents and dairy project leaders who are interested in learning the ins and outs of dairy cattle showmanship, things like what to wear in the ring, basic preparations that should be made with your animal, as well as the guidelines to follow for leading and setting up your animal in the showring. 

“For several years there has been some confusion about the current showmanship guidelines and I believe one of the reasons was that the teaching resources weren’t easily available over the internet. I applaud the Holstein Foundation’s effort to create these written and video products that are now available free of charge to youth, parents, project leaders and showmanship judges with just a click of their mouse," states Ted Halbach, University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty Associate who collaborated on the project. "The materials are well done, hopefully these products will lead to the desired uniformity in showmanship procedures and judging that the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association (PDCA) has been looking to achieve.”

Along with a detailed "Showmanship Resources" section on Holstein Foundation's website, the videos may also be found on our YouTube Channel. The four videos, each about four minutes in length, cover the following topics:

Showring Ready: What to Wear & How to Act
This video covers the essential things dairy showmen should wear in the ring, how they should act while showing their animal, and things every showman should know about their dairy animal before entering the showring.

Showring Ready: Appearance of Your Animal & Proper Equipment
This video covers preparations to ensure your animal is ready for the showmanship ring. To properly care for, groom and show your animal, you will need the right gear.

Showring Ready: Entering the Showring & On Parade
This video covers proper technique for leading your animal into the showring at the start of the class, as well as how to show her on parade. The goal is to keep your calf looking her best always, while making it appear effortless.

Showring Ready: Entering the Line & Posing Your Animal
Show day is exciting for everyone involved, and the time when all your hard work and preparation will shine. This video covers proper technique for pulling your animal into line during the class and how to properly set her up once you are there.

Working with dairy cattle and preparing them for a show can be an extremely worthwhile experience. To help prepare for dairy cattle shows, find the videos by visiting www.holsteinfoundation.org or YouTube.com/HolsteinFoundation. For more information about Holstein Foundation programs, visit www.holsteinfoundation.org, or contact Jodi Hoynoski, at 800.952.5200, ext. 4261, or by email.

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BRATTLEBORO, Vt., July 25, 2017- Holstein Foundation is pleased to announce it has received over $8,900 in donations from the fundraisers held during the 2017 National Holstein Convention in Bellevue, Wash. These funds will support the many programs the Holstein Foundation offers for youth and young adults in the dairy industry.

STgenetics pledged to donate $1 to the Holstein Foundation for every unit of STgenetics semen sold during the 2017 National Holstein Convention resulting in a donation of $7,500. Thank you to STgenetics, as well as all the dairy producers who purchased semen as a part of this campaign.

Two original paintings created by Andrea Jorgenson of Webberville, Mich., were auctioned off at the National Holstein Convention Sale, with half of the proceeds being donated to the Horace Backus YDLI Scholarship Fund. The paintings featured legendary Washington-bred cows, Ronelee Outside Dabble-ET and Markwell Durham Raven-ET, and generated a total of $587.50 for the Backus YDLI Fund. The Holstein Foundation also extends thanks to Sherman Polinder, Scott Courtney and David Rama for purchasing the paintings.

Each year during the Convention, the Holstein Foundation holds Penny Wars, where states challenge each other to see who will take home “Penny,” the stuffed cow. The goal is to fill your state’s container with the most pennies. This event raised almost $900 for the Holstein Foundation in 2017.

The Holstein Foundation has been developing future leaders for a vibrant dairy community since 1989. Current programs targeting youth ages 9 to 21 include the popular Dairy Bowl and Dairy Jeopardy competitions. The Foundation also focuses on youth education and outreach activities, offering free educational workbooks, and providing prize ribbons for local Junior shows. The cornerstone program for young adults is the renowned Young Dairy Leaders Institute, which helps participants become effective leaders, spokespeople and advocates for the dairy industry.

Your support is vital to the development of tomorrow's dairy leaders - helping prepare them for the ever-changing agriculture industry, or any career path they may choose. For more information about Holstein Foundation programs, visit www.holsteinfoundation.org, or contact Jodi Hoynoski, at 800.952.5200, ext. 4261, or by email.

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BRATTLEBORO, Vt., July 5, 2017- Youth showed off their dairy knowledge in Dairy Bowl, Dairy Jeopardy and Dairy Knowledge Exam competitions at the 2017 National Holstein Convention, held June 27 through July 1, in Bellevue, Wash. Over 180 youth from around the country participated between the three contests.

Dairy Jeopardy
Sixty-nine participants competed in the Dairy Jeopardy competition, divided into three age divisions. This competition is based on the popular television game show, featuring a wide range of dairy-related questions in a number of categories. Following are the top three individuals in each age division.

Junior Division (ages 9 to 13)
1st Place: Jenn Larson, Florida
2nd Place: Jordan Anderson, Pennsylvania
3rd Place: Louis Hamlett, Iowa

Intermediate Division (ages 14 to 17)
1st Place: Mackenzie Elmer, California
2nd Place: Todd Allen, Maryland
3rd Place: Daniel Clapp, Massachusetts

Senior Division (ages 18 to 21)
1st Place: Jordan Siemers, Wisconsin
2nd Place: Douglas Boop, Pennsylvania

Dairy Bowl
In the National Dairy Bowl contest, four-person teams compete within two age divisions; Junior, ages 9-15, and Senior, ages 16-21. A total of 28 Junior and Senior teams participated this year, with 20 states sending teams in each division.

The Junior division championship came down to the teams from Pennsylvania and New York, with Pennsylvania rising as the champion in the final match. Team members included Caroline Arrowsmith, Nicole Arrowsmith, Jacob Bramm, and Amber Pownall, coached by Mandy Arrowsmith and Betsy Pownall. The New York team members included Blake Wadsworth, Adam King, Phil Rea, and Elizabeth Swatling, with coach Seth Wasworth. Rounding out the top five teams in the Junior division were California in third, Florida in fourth and New Jersey in fifth.

The Senior division finals saw California squaring off against Illinois, with Illinois claiming the championship. Illinois team members were Charlie Elliott, Brock Irwin, Jordon Oellerich, and Riley Zettle, coached by Becky and Glen Meier and John Mitchell. Representing California were Hayley Fernandes, Jacob Fernandes, Kylie Konyn, and Abbi Prins, with coaches Kirsten Areias and Stacy Konyn. Other teams placing in the top five in the Senior division were Iowa in third, New England in fourth and New York in fifth.

J. George & Anna Smith Sportsmanship awards are given to one team in each division who best exemplify the principles of courtesy, friendliness and team spirit throughout the competition. Each team receives a cash award and plaque. The Junior team receiving this award hailed from the state of North Carolina, with team members, Will Coltrane, Lemuel Coltrane, Joseph Coltrane, and Kate Dyson coached by Kay Coltrane. In the Senior division, the honor went to the Iowa team, consisting of Nathan Arthur, Brylie Volker, Mary Scott, and Sally Hamlett, coached by Jessie Hammerand.

Dairy Knowledge Exam
The Dairy Knowledge Exam is open to any youth attending the National Junior Holstein Convention who wants to put their brain to the test with a 25-question written test. Like Dairy Bowl, youth are divided into two groups by age. The top three individuals in each division for the Dairy Knowledge Exam were as follows.

Junior Division
1st place: Andrew Bartelheimer, Washington
2nd place: Caroline Arrowsmith, Pennsylvania
3rd place: Daniel Clapp, Massachusetts

Senior Division
1st place: Mackenzie Elmer, California
2nd place: Abbi Prins, California
3rd place: Hayley Fernandes, California

For more information about Holstein Foundation youth programs, visit www.holsteinfoundation.org, or contact Kelli Dunklee, youth programs specialist, at 800.952.5200, ext. 4124, or by email.

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BRATTLEBORO, Vt., April 25, 2017- For decades, and continuing into current day, the Holstein Foundation offers youth dairy project ribbons free of charge to any show that requests them. The ribbons offered include Champion and Reserve Champion rosettes, as well as first through fifth place ribbons. The effort to support youth involved in dairy project work is made possible by donations to the Holstein Foundation.

To request ribbons for your fair or show, complete the form on the Holstein Foundation’s website, www.holsteinfoundation.org. Please request show ribbons at least three weeks in advance. An email confirmation will be sent within two business days of submitting the request. Orders received with less than two weeks’ notice will be charged a $40 rush fee.

With questions, please contact Kelli Dunklee at 800.952.5200, ext. 4124 or by email.

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BRATTLEBORO, Vt., April 19, 2017- With the newest volume of “Showring Ready” now available online, readers will find the latest PDCA Showmanship Guidelines as well as an updated PDCA Evaluation Scorecard for judges. This resource serves as a guide for youth, parents and dairy project leaders exhibiting at dairy cattle shows, and those who are interested in honing their showmanship skills.

Along with the basics, such as washing, halter training and clipping, a detailed section covers showmanship. Photos are included to help illustrate recommended techniques. Resources include heifer growth benchmarks and activities to test the readers’ knowledge.

In addition to the free online download, the “Showring Ready” workbook may be purchased for $5 each, including shipping. If ordering 50 or more copies, the workbooks are $3 each. There is a minimum order of five workbooks, and orders must be placed at least two weeks before delivery is needed. For rush orders, the buyer will be responsible for the full shipping cost.

With questions or to place an order, contact Kelli Dunklee at 800.952.5200, ext. 4124, or visit www.holsteinfoundation.org/education/workbook_orders.html to order online. Workbooks will be shipped when payment is received.

The Holstein Foundation provides a series of free, educational workbooks available to download online. “Showring Ready” and “Dairy Judging” are the most popular topics, but resources are also provided on topics ranging from dairy nutrition and reproduction to genetics.

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