HENKESEEN FARM
Built on a Strong Maternal Foundation W
ith only 70 milking cows, and land prices soaring around them, the Henkes family of Luana, Iowa focuses on breeding the best cows they can, no matter the breed, versus expanding the century farm to accommodate larger numbers. This 6th generation dairy farm in northeast Iowa may be small, but they have attained success both in the show ring and in the barn at home. Trent Henkes and Leslie Stuff met at Iowa State University, and both graduated from there in 1984. Trent returned home to take over the farm, while Leslie was employed by the American Milking Shorthorn Society as office manager and was later named Executive Secretary. She was the first woman to hold this position in the dairy industry. She “retired” when she and Trent married in 1988. Their children, Leah and Matt, are now the 6th generation on the farm. Leah and her husband Marshall Lange have three young boys and have their own small acreage close to the farm. Marshall owns a construction company while Leah, who graduated from Iowa State with a Dairy Science degree, works for Precision Dairy Equipment. They assist at the farm and
shows when needed. Matt also followed in his dad’s footsteps – graduating from Iowa State with a degree in Dairy Science in 2013 and returning home full-time after. He recently purchased a small acreage one mile from the home farm and raises show heifers there. Trent purchased his first Registered Holstein in 1970. From 1984 to the late 1990s, the Henkes family milked around 45 cows. With smaller numbers, the breeding program focused on a balance of high type and production. “We want cows that will classify Excellent, make strong records and stay in the herd,” commented Matt. And over the last five decades, most of the herd has done just that. To date, 175 Henkes-bred cattle have scored Excellent, and the herd has received the Progressive Breeder Registry Award for 21 years. Trent was also named the Young Distinguished Holstein Breeder by Holstein Association USA in 2001. Today, the milking herd consists of 60 Holsteins and 10 Milking Shorthorns, with 100 young stock and 35 breedingaged bulls. The Holstein RHA is 28,215M 3.8F 1062 3.1P 872 and the Milking
Shorthorns average 22,100M 988F 795P. The mixed herd is fed all the same ration of TMR consisting of corn silage, haylage, ground corn and a protein mix. The official Holstein BAA is 111.7 made up of 29 Excellent, 25 Very Good and 2 Good Plus cows. Three of the Milking Shorthorns are scored Excellent with 6 more Very Good and none lower. With a barn full of high scored, high producing cows, it may come to no surprise that nearly 80% of the Holstein herd traces back to one foundation family. In 1974, Trent’s parents purchased a yearling heifer from neighboring farm, Iris-Lane Holsteins. After a few generations, Trent used three consecutive top TPI bulls (Conductor, Chairman & Mark) which really sparked the start of something special. Henkeseen Chairman Mandy (VG88 GMD DOM) with two records over 32,000M, had one Very Good and three Excellent daughters. Her first-born and highest classified daughter was Henkeseen Mark Marci (EX-94 GMD DOM), who produced over 170,000 lbs. milk in her lifetime.
The Henkes family had a successful outing at the Iowa State Show in 2022 with three homebred cows. Right to left: Jordy Shania (EX-91), Jordy Hartley (VG-86) & Hancock Starlight (VG-86). 50 « COWSMOPOLITAN Fall 2022
Marci’s impressive milk production and high type impressed the family, and she was flushed in the early 90s, resulting in 34 progeny, of which 7 classified Excellent and 9 Very Good. One such flush was to Holiday, known for his protein numbers, and protein was becoming a valuable marketing factor at