October 2020
The POINT Photo: CentralStar and Yonkman Dairy team. L to R: Katelyn Loeks, Moss McCauley, Deanna Pleiman, Julie Ainsworth, Jess Jakubik, Lucas Yonkman, Doug Moyer, Sam Yonkman, Molly Pluger, BJ Pluger.
Yonkman Dairy
Filling each stall with a profitable cow
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“ hen something has worked so well for so long, why would you change it,” stated Molly Pluger, herdsperson and co-owner of Yonkman Dairy Farm in McBain, Mich. “We know CentralStar is the best and provides us with the most support. It’s been proven year after year because our herd keeps getting better every year.” Molly’s words are a strong statement, but the kind CentralStar strives to deliver on. Working together for nearly 50 years, it boils down to one thing; TRUST. “We trust them (CentralStar) to do what’s right for our farm,” said Molly. “We only have 1,500 spots (stalls) and we want every one filled with a profitable cow. CentralStar helps us do that!” “CentralStar’s team is able to deliver a variety of valuable services to get Yonkman Dairy top results,” said Jess Jakubik, Genetic Consultant and Team Leader. “Our team is instrumental in many aspects of the operation. It’s not just one person working with this farm, it’s the whole team that
makes the difference! Our team approach is what makes us more valuable to farms.”
Yonkman Dairy PTA Combined Fat & Protein (CFP) for 305 ME CFP Cows bred with top-end genetics are significantly outperforming their pen mates.
Understanding how to best use genetics and achieve optimal reproductive results are two ways Yonkman Dairy relies on the CentralStar team. “I work with Julie (Ainsworth, Records Analysis Coordinator) and Jess a lot. We meet regularly to review our herd’s goals and to make sure we are using the right amount of dairy and beef semen to ensure we have enough, but not too many replacements. Through their advice we are currently breeding the best cows to the best genetics, and the bottom end to Angus allowing us to quickly advance the herd without the expense of unnecessary replacements. Jess and Julie are really good. They know what’s
PTA CFP
best for our herd and are always bringing ideas to the table.” “We’ve always used Select Sires genetics because they are the best,” said Molly. “It’s the herd’s genetics that have carried us through - good times and bad. When cows are well built, they live longer and are more profitable. That longevity transcends from generation to generation.” Always pushing for Continued on page 2