Wisconsin Holstein News - August/September 2021

National Dairy Bowl Champions share on their experiences A four-some from Polk Holstein Association. I County won the senior recently graduated from division of the National Amery High School Holstein Dairy Bowl Contest in May and will be at the National Convention attending the University held in Lancaster, of Wisconsin-River Falls Pennsylvania. The team’s in September to major in victory was just the third Crop and Soil Science. national title for Wisconsin Grace: I am a in the 40 years the contest has sophomore at the been held. Wisconsin had a University of Wisconsinnational champion senior River Falls, majoring team in 2003 and 2002. The in Dairy Science. I was national finals in 2021 pitted recently elected Secretary the “Women of Wisconsin” The winning senior team of the National Holstein Dairy Bowl Contest - Polk County: Marie Haase, of the college’s dairy club. against the “California Girls” Courtney Glenna, Grace Haase and Katherine Elwood In addition to working on in an all-female final round. the home operation, I milk The team won its first match, but in the next round, lost on the cows at a neighboring dairy during the school year. I placed 5th at final question – sending them into the consolation bracket. After the All-American Dairy Show’s FFA Dairy Judging Contest and won the defeat, their momentum started to surge and each team they the calf portion in the National Junior Dairy Management Contest in faced soon fell to defeat and elimination. The team outscored their Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I own a small herd of Registered Holstein opponents 1120 to 452 over eight matches and earned several bonus cattle that I exhibit at the Polk County Fair, District 1 Holstein Show, questions when multiple team members correctly answered toss-up Wisconsin State Fair, and World Dairy Expo. I plan to have a career as questions. The team from Wisconsin included four members of the a calf and heifer specialist upon graduation. same county Holstein association, while California selects the top Courtney: I’m the 17-year-old daughter of Randy and Charlotte four individuals in their state to form their state team. That makes it Glenna and heading into my senior year at Amery High School. I even more impressive to have a county team win a national contest. live and work on my family’s dairy farm outside of Amery, where we Polk County qualified for the National Convention contest after milk 120 Holsteins, including my own registered herd. The farm is going undefeated in district and state contests held in March and April. a huge part of my life, as it has led me to find my passion for dairy This was not the first time this combination of four was on the same cattle and allowed me to participate in Junior Holstein activities, team. They also participated in the Cream of the Crop Management where I have met outstanding people, especially my teammates. contest in 2018, where they were the top team, amassing the most I’ve put numerous proud hours into milking, feeding, calf rearing, and making breeding decisions. In addition, I’m involved in 4-H points in this multi-state contest’s 10-year history.

Grace, Katherine, and Courtney were all team members on the and FFA with dairy judging, dairy bowl, showing, and speaking winning National 4-H Dairy Bowl team in 2019 and the winning contests, where I’ve competed at the local, state, and national levels. national team for the 4-H North American Dairy Educational My future plans include attending University of Wisconsin-River Experience in 2020. Grace served as team captain in 2019 and Marie Falls for Dairy Science in the fall of 2022. Career wise, dairy genetics was team captain of the 2018 Reserve National Champion 4-H and reproduction interest me, and I look forward to staying a part of the dairy industry.

Dairy Bowl Team and earned the highest score on the written test.

The team was coached by Gwen Dado and Patti Hurtgen. Dado What accomplishments are you most proud of? began working with the Osceola and Amery FFA dairy judging team Marie: I am proud of winning the National 4-H Dairy Judging in the summer of 2017. Hurtgen began preparing them for the state competition in 2018 and being the top individual in oral reasons Holstein Dairy Bowl Contest that fall. In their first year competing, after nearly quitting dairy judging because oral reasons= scared me the senior team won and the junior team placed third out of 40 teams. as a 14-year-old. I stepped outside of my comfort zone, practiced oral reasons for four years, and my hard work paid off.

Please give a brief bio of yourself.

Katherine: The accomplishment that I cherish most is winning Marie: I grew up on a 500-cow dairy farm in Somerset, Wis. the North American International Livestock Exposition Dairy Quiz being actively involved as the sixth generation. I currently attend the Bowl contest in 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. This was my first University of Wisconsin-River Falls studying Dairy Science with a minor in Agriculture Business. At UWRF I am currently serving as national quiz bowl contest that I had the opportunity to compete at. the President of the UWRF Dairy Club. In the future I hope to work At this contest we dethroned the reigning champion team from New York as they had won five years in a row before we competed. in the dairy industry.

Grace: My two greatest accomplishments are my two national Katherine: I grew up on a small family run dairy and crop farm in Amery, Wisconsin. We milk around 45 cows and run between dairy quiz bowl wins (4-H in 2019 and Junior Holstein in 2021) and 800 and 900 acres of cash crops. I have been an active 4-H member starting my own herd of Registered Holsteins. I am also honored to for 13 years and have been an active FFA member for five years. I be the UWRF dairy club secretary this year!

Courtney: I am most proud of my team accomplishments. have shown cattle and hogs at both the county and state fair level.

Dairy quiz bowl has been a huge part of my life for the last five years Winning dairy bowl at the National Convention was a crown jewel and I have competed in many contests through 4-H and the Junior moment for us, especially by giving our coaches their first win in 28 – Wisconsin Holstein News – August/September 2021