50 minute read
KEN ELLIOT ENTERS DAIRY CATTLE HALL OF FAME
from Late Summer 2021
July 9, 2021 · Lincoln, IL · Judge Lynn Harbaugh, WI · 124 Head Shown
JUNIOR CHAMPION
Ms Laces Upgrade Lacie-ET (Upgrade), 1st Winter Yearling, Golden Oaks Farm, IL
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION
Thorman Altitude Sadie-Red (Altitude), 2nd Winter Yearling, Jordan Thorman, IL
HM JUNIOR CHAMPION
Apple-PTS Cranapple-Red-ET (Warrior), 1st Spring Yearling, Megan Opperman, IL
INTERMEDIATE & HM GRAND CHAMPION
Ms Crushabull Carolina-ET (Crushabull), 1st Senior 2-Year-Old, Golden Oaks Farm, IL
RESERVE INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION
Star-KY-Blue Adelaid-Red-ET (Jacot), 1st Senior 3-Year-Old, Golden Oaks Farm, IL
HM INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION
B-J-Grove Unix Cherokee (Unix), 1st Summer Junior 2-Year-Old, Kasey Clanton, IL
SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
Uber-Haven Dfint Chrome-Red (Defiant), 1st 5-Year-Old, Tyler Carter & Brett Richter, IL
RESERVE SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
Sunnyhome McCutchen Mildred (McCutchen), 1st Production Cow, Connor Erbsen, IL
HM SENIOR CHAMPION
Le-O-La Arvis Lauralee (Arvis), 1st 4-Year-Old, Golden Oaks Farm, IL
PREMIER BREEDER
Bluff-Ridge Holsteins, IL PREMIER EXHIBITOR
Golden Oaks Farm, IL Grand Champion LtoR: Grand Champion Uber-Haven Dfint Chrome-Red, Tyler Carter & Brett Richter, IL; Reserve Grand Champion Sunnyhome McCutchen Mildred, Connor Erbsen, IL; HM Grand Champion Ms Crushabull Carolina-ET, Golden Oaks Farm, IL.
Senior & Grand Champion Uber-Haven Dfint Chrome-Red, Tyler Carter & Brett Richter, IL. Reserve Senior & Grand Champion Sunnyhome McCutchen Mildred, Connor Erbsen, IL.
Intermediate & HM Grand Champion Ms Crushabull Carolina-ET, Golden Oaks Farm, IL. Reserve Intermediate Champion Star-KY-Blue Adelaid-Red-ET, Golden Oaks Farm, IL.
Junior Champion Ms Laces Upgrade Lacie-ET, Golden Oaks Farm, IL. JUNIOR SHOW Judge: Ted Dement, IL · 94 Head
JUNIOR CHAMPION
Hilrose Redlight Ava-Red-ET (Redlight), 1st Fall Calf, Shana & Drew Lueking & Briley & Denver Lenkaitis, IL
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION
WildPfaffs Denver Lizzy-ET (Denver), 2nd Fall Calf, Lila Sloan, IL
INTERMEDIATE & GRAND CHAMPION
B-J-Grove Unix Cherokee (Unix), 1st Summer Junior 2-Year-Old, Kasey Clanton, IL
RESERVE INTERMEDIATE & GRAND CHAMPION
Luck-E DeltaLamba Kallie (DeltaLambda), 1st Junior 2-Year-Old, Hope Engel, IL
SENIOR CHAMPION
Meier Meadows Aftersh Mindy (Aftershock), 1st Aged Cow, Rachel Busker, IL
RESERVE SENIOR CHAMPION
Intermediate & Grand Champion Junior Show, HM Intermediate Champion Open Show & 1st 2-Year-Old Futurity B-J-Grove Unix Cherokee, Kasey Clanton, IL.
HOLSTEIN
Judge: Lynn Harbaugh, WI 168 Head July 8-10, 2021 · West Union, IA
JUNIOR CHAMPION
Golden-Oaks Cherry-Red-ET (Altitude), 1st Fall Calf, KCCK Genetics, IA
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION
Synergy Smashing-Red (Jordy), 1st Fall Yearling, Eric Lang, IA
HM JUNIOR CHAMPION
Heart&Soul BF Anna-ET (Backflip), 1st Summer Yearling, Cale Baker & Regan Pries, MN
INTERMEDIATE & HM GRAND CHAMPION
Le-O-La Solomon Paige (Solomon), 1st Junior 2-Year-Old, Le-O-La Holsteins, IA
RESERVE INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION
Le-O-La Artist Always (Artist), 1st Milking Yearling, Regan Demmer, IA
HM INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION
Danhof J Sheri-Red-ET (Jordy), 1st Senior 2-Year-Old, Jason & Sheri Danhof, IA
SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
Farnear-TBR Aria Adler-ET (McCutchen), 1st Production Cow, Farnear Holsteins, IA
RESERVE SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
Gamblin Armani Glade (Armani), 2nd Production Cow, Cale Baker, Knute Hovden, Paradise Rueth, IA
HM SENIOR CHAMPION
Liddleholme Thunder (McGucci), 1st Aged Cow, Cale Baker & Regan Pries, IA
PREMIER BREEDER & EXHIBITOR - HEIFER SHOW
Courtlane Holsteins, IA
PREMIER BREEDER & EXHIBITOR
Le-O-La Holsteins, IA Senior & Grand Champion Farnear TBR Aria Adler-ET, Farnear Holsteins, IA. Intermediate Champion Le-O-La Solomon Paige, Le-O-La Holsteins, IA.
Junior Champion Golden-Oaks Cherry-Red-ET, KCCK Genetics, IA. Junior Show Grand Champion Gamblin Armani Glade, Cale Baker, Knute Hovden & Paradise Rueth, IA.
HM INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION
Sco-Lo Devour Foxie (Devour), 2nd Milking Yearling, Cale Cannon, IA
SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
Gamblin Armani Glade (Armani), 1st Production Cow, Cale Baker, Knute Hovden, Paradise Rueth, IA RESERVE SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
Le-O-La Racer Tara (Racer), 1st 5-Year-Old, Regan Demmer, IA
HM SENIOR CHAMPION
Hawkeye-JK Crush Amen-ET (Crush), 1st 4-YearOld, Jonathan Krogman, IA Junior Show Junior Champion Intrigue Denver Angel, Kade & Hallie Meyer, IA.
JUNIOR HOLSTEIN
Judge: Tom Foss, MN 109 Head
JUNIOR CHAMPION
Intrigue Denver Angel (Denver),1st Winter Calf, Kade & Hallie Meyer, IA
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION
Redcarpet Warr World-Red-ET (Warrior), 1st Fall Calf, Abbie Gahring, IA
HM JUNIOR CHAMPION
Farnear Crush 2984-ET (Crush), 2nd Fall Calf, Carson Rauen, IA
INTERMEDIATE & HM GRAND CHAMPION
Le-O-La Artist Always (Artist), 1st Milking Yearling, Regan Demmer, IA
RESERVE INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION
KEN ELLIOT ENTERS DAIRY CATTLE HALL OF FAME
For only the 18th time in its 84-year history, the Klussendorf Association voted to extend honorary membership to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to improve the purebred dairy cattle industry. Considered the “Hall of Fame” for North America’s dairy cattle exhibitors, Klussendorf members cast a unanimous ballot this April to have Ken Elliott join the prestigious organization. Like all those who have received the honor before Elliott, the Honorary Klussendorf Award came as a surprise announcement to Ken and his family. The recognition was publicly announced on Friday, April 30, during the Midwest Spring Jersey Show and the Midwest Spring Red and White Show held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Jefferson, Wis. Good friend and fellow Klussendorf member Terry Lee continued the tradition of watching those shows with his good friend Ken, and hence the entire Elliott family was on hand when Abby Bauer began announcing the award recognition. Afterward, Ken posed with his family for a photo at the Wisconsin Dairy Showcase. Shown, from left to right, are: David and Laura Tressler, Ken and Kathy Elliott, and Amber Elliott. Laura and Amber are Ken and Kathy’s daughters.
Once walked with living legends
Ken Elliott once worked with living legends and he has now become a living legend. Elliott served as the superintendent of the Holstein show at World Dairy Expo from 2000 to 2019. So expansive was his tenure, he served for four overall breed superintendents: W. Terry Howard, Bob Kaiser, Jim Crowley Jr., and Dave Bollig. In working with the latter two individuals, he not only served as Holstein breed superintendent but as assistant superintendent of the entire cattle show, as well. In fact, this Canadian farm boy has become the second-longest tenured person to serve in that assistant role next to Jim Crowley Jr., the son of legendary “Doc Jim” who was the show’s very first breed overall superintendent. A 1978 graduate from the University of Guelph and its Ridgetown College, Elliott got his start working for Paperman Farm in nearby Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. From there, he went to Doug Wingrove’s Allangrove Farm in rural Guelph. Eventually, Wingrove sold his farm and a majority of the herd to Oscar Dupasquier in 1984. The Swiss immigrant, who purchased the Holsteins, went on to claim Premier Breeder seven straight years at World Dairy Expo from 1993 to 1999. This young Canadian then headed stateside to California’s Pacific Coast where he went to work for Ocean View Farms, Windsor, Calif., and Marvin Nunes. One decade later, Elliott and his wife, Kathy, moved their young family to Wisconsin to get out on their own.
Connected to the founders
The Wisconsin farm purchased by this young couple had a number of ties to World Dairy Expo. Ray Kuehl was the realtor for the farm that was previously owned by R. Dale Jones. Kuehl and Jones were another pair of World Dairy Expo initiators. Kuehl was tending to the Crescent Beauty show string the very night Allen Hetts proclaimed to confidants at the Kit Kat Klub in Waterloo, Iowa, “We need a show!” He went on to lay the groundwork for what became World Dairy Expo. Jones also was an early show organizer and helped convince Canadians to bring show strings to the fledging event. R. Dale would frequently go up to Canada where he’d meet with the likes of Doug Wingrove, Bert Stewart, and others. Was it chance or fate that the 18th Honorary Klussendorf winner was eventually chosen to head the Holstein show? It appears a good dose of fate was involved in the journey. As many know, Elliott has poured his heart into serving cattle exhibitors as the Holstein breed’s superintendent. While all those serving in the breed super roles do an outstanding job, Ken’s light shines just a bit brighter. As World Dairy Expo exhibitors know, the hardest part is stalling the cattle. “Ken Elliott was a master at it,” said longtime Red and White superintendent Bill Langel. “He knows everyone from coast to coast.”
Carries the heart of an exhibitor
Elliott always took his job one step further because he was both a farmer and a breeder. He knew the time, investment, and passion found in the hearts of dairy cattle exhibitors. Those who have exhibited at World Dairy Expo also know this . . . once cattle are stalled and checked in, Elliott continually goes through the pavilions, talking to exhibitors and listening to the issues that they bring up. It’s at this time that he helps out his fellow superintendents with other breeds, too. Elliott is truly a man who enjoys working behind the scenes to provide the best possible experience for all involved.
A bit more about the Klussendorf Award
What began as an effort to memorialize a great man following his untimely death has now transpired into one of the greatest showring and, for that matter, dairy traditions in North America. Named in memory of Arthur Klussendorf, considered the outstanding dairy cattle showman of his time, a beautiful silver trophy designed by Tiffany Jewelers was presented for the first time in 1937. Only during two historic time periods has the Klussendorf Association not gathered to honor a winner. The first such occurrence took place from 1942 to 1946 when America’s and Canada’s fighting boys were battling during World War II. And last year, the health pandemic prevented the Klussendorf Association from gathering in person. While the Klussendorf Association plans to meet this fall, the 27 living members cast a unanimous vote earlier this month to honor an 18th Honorary Klussendorf member this spring. This special honorary recognition is bestowed by the membership to individuals who go above and beyond to improve the purebred dairy cattle industry. A complete list of past winners can be viewed at the National Dairy Shrine website.
By Corey Geiger
NEW ENGLAND ANNUAL 2021
NEW ENGLAND HOLSTEIN ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
Mary Margaret Cole // mary_margaret.cole@uconn.edu // 860.608.0286 Nate Robertson // naterobertson94@gmail.com // 603.568.1447
TREASURER
Dan LaCoss // daniel_lacoss@cargill.com // 802.274.4768 SECRETARY Melissa Griffin // mwillis28@yahoo.com // 413.489.3259 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Jim Strout, Sr // jimstrout@live.com // 207.399.3226
STATE DIRECTORS
Connecticut/Rhode Island Directors
President: Arnold Nieminen // arnienieminen629@gmail.com // 860.456.2782 Elected director: Bonnie Burr // bonnie.burr@uconn.edu // 860.416.9531
Maine Directors
President: Natalie Sneller // nsneller@wwsires.com // 207.577.2155 Elected director: Peter Waterman // pwaterman100@gmail.com // 207.577.9381
Massachusetts Directors
President: Heather Richardson // heathergregoire@comcast.net // 540.230.0047 Elected director: Nicole Fletcher // nfletch813@gmail.com // 413.230.9429
New Hampshire Directors
President: Scott DeBlois // sdeblois1971@gmail.com // 603.237.5119 Elected director: Nate Robertson // naterobertson94@gmail.com // 603.568.1447
Vermont Directors
President: Seth Carpenter // sethbeth18@aol.com // 802.535.2223 Elected director: Martha Seifert // martha.seifert788@gmail.com // 802.236.0039
HOLSTEIN COMMITTEES
FINANCE
Chair Dan LaCoss // daniel_lacoss@cargill.com // 802.274.4768 President Mary Margaret Cole // mary_margaret.cole@uconn.edu // 860.608.0286 Executive Manager Linda Haggarty // neholstein@nesholsteins.com // 802.757.2442 Featured on this year’s cover are: Petitclerc Doorman Sapphire, Grand Champion, Northeast All-Breeds Spring Show Bry-Ry Sid Farah, Grand Champion, New England Summer Show Pineland Farms, Premier Breeder, New England Summer Show Fairmont, Premier Breeder & Exhibitor, Northeast All-Breeds Spring Show Cedar Lane Farm, Premier Exhibitor, New England Summer Show
BREED PROMOTION & SHOW
Chair: Betsy Bullard // bbswbullard@gmail.com // 207.713.5145 Scott Davenport // davenportsj@yahoo.com // 860.460.7325 Bonnie Burr // bonnie.burr@uconn.edu // 860.416.9531 Arnold Nieminen // arnienieminen629@gmail.com // 860.456.2782 Seth Carpenter // sethbeth18@aol.com // 802/535.2223 Chris Kimball // ckimball@semex.com // 802.323.3776 Elizabeth Hall // elizabetholsonhall@gmail.com
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31
YOUTH
Chair Nicole Fletcher // nfletch813@gmail.com // 413.230.9429 Leane Moon // leannemoon728@yahoo.com Kirsten Kruger // kekawb61@gmail.com Lottie Page // lottiepage327@gmail.com Check the NE Holstein website and Facebook page for registration details, and updates!
HOLSTEIN USA CONTACTS
CONNECTICUT, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND
Toni Jacque // 802.451.4047 MAINE Bridget Cummings // 802.451.4204 NEW HAMPSHIRE Jenna Bisnett,// 802.451.4042 VERMONT Darin Johnson // 802.451.4048
BREED ASSOCIATION CONTACTS
AYRSHIRE Bill Woodis, Regional Director // N. Brookfield, MA // 508.735.1720 BROWN SWISS Christine Belder, NE Secretary // nebrownswiss@gmail.com // 413-665-3338 GUERNSEY Robin Alden, Programs Manager // ralden@usguernsey.com // 614.339.5390 JERSEY Brenda Snow, Area Rep // bsnow@usjersey. com // 802-249-2659 MILKING SHORTHORN Marcia L. Clark, President // Gmc_farm@yahoo.com // 814-602-7089
UPCOMING EVENTS
AUGUST 30
Maine State Show, Windsor Fairgrounds, ME Judge: Pat Lundy, NY
SEPTEMBER 14-23
Big E Dairy Shows, West Springfield, MA
SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 2
World Dairy Expo, Madison, WI
OCTOBER 30-31
In late June 2021, thirteen New England Juniors were fortunate to travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to attend the National Holstein Convention. Youth members from New England participated in junior contests, enjoyed activities, and were happy to reunite with other youth from across the country. In the Prepared Public Speaking Contest held on Monday, Sydney Bullard (Maine) and Keenan Thysegen (Vermont) gave excellent speeches in the intermediate and senior divisions, respectively. In the Dairy Bowl contest held Tuesday, a senior team consisting of Trevor Clapp (Massachusetts), Chelsey Patch (New Hampshire), Katelyn Poitras (Massachusetts), and Keenan Thygesen (Vermont) played four rounds, with competitive matches and great efforts. In the Jeopardy contest on Wednesday, New England had seven contestants of all ages. In the junior division, Taylor Lawrence (Connecticut) and Will Bullard (Maine) did an excellent job as first time jeopardy contestants and represented New England well. Charles Haynes New England Juniors were excited to travel to Pennsylvania for the 2021 National Holstein Convention. (Vermont), Sydney Bullard (9th place, Maine), and Lorryn Trujillo (8th place, Vermont) competed in the intermediate division, and in the senior division, Cynthia Shaw from Massachusetts placed 4th, and Gregory Norris from Massachusetts placed 1st! In addition, Chelsey Patch (New Hampshire) and Gregory Norris (Massachusetts) represented New England as Distinguished Junior Member Semifinalists. Gregory Norris was selected as one of six finalists, and also received a scholarship from the National Holstein Women’s Scholarship Organization. In time not spent competing in contests or supporting teammates, juniors enjoyed events such as the junior mixer at Misty-Z Holsteins, family fun night at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm/Strasburg Railroad, the Hershey Park tour, and watching the National Convention Sale. Gregory Norris, first place Senior Dairy Jeopardy with coach Nicole Fletcher. DJM Semifinalists Chelsey Patch and Gregory Norris, pictured with coach Nicole Fletcher. After a long year of online meetings and practices, New England youth members were happy to spend time together, and enjoy everything the Convention had to offer. A special thank you is extended to all of the supportive friends and family members that helped to bring everyone together at convention, especially coach Nicole Fletcher! Juniors are excited for the rest of the summer, and cannot wait for what the rest of the year has to offer!
The Intermediate Jeopardy team LtoR: Lorryn Trujillo, Charles Haynes, Sydney Bullard.
BREE-Z-KNOLL FARM Finding the Sweet Spot
Goldilocks would feel right at home at Bree-Z-Knoll Farm, a family-run dairy operation located in the rolling hills of the Pioneer Valley in north-central Massachusetts. Over the past decades, the milking herd size has grown from 40 to 190 cows, and then back to the current 120 head - mirroring Goldilock’s exploration of the Bears’ house - ‘This one is too small. This one is too big. This one is just right!’ Warren and Sandie Facey started the herd in the 1970s, when they purchased their first cows for their children, Lisa, Scott, and Randy to show in 4-H. Over time, they grew their numbers to 40 cows that were managed with a rotational grazing program. In 1997, they were founding members of the Pioneer Milk Marketing Cooperative, which saw the introduction of a successful, local brand of milk (Our Family Farms label) eventually found on store shelves throughout the region. By 2000, their youngest son, Randy, had taken over the day-to-day operation of the farm and he started to increase the size of their herd, which consisted of primarily Holsteins with a smattering of Brown Swiss. His wife, Angie, grew up southeast of him in Spencer, MA on her parents’ farm with their Royal Crest Holsteins. After receiving her degree from Penn State University, Angie began her career as a dairy nutritionist in 2001. She met Randy at his farm as a new customer in May, 2002 and they were dating by June! The couple married in 2004, and Angie joined the farm partnership. With that, they doubled their herd size with the purchase of her family’s milking herd that same year. Like many young couples farming together, Randy & Angie wrestled with the balance of having enough cows to meet financial needs, but not so many that cow comfort and family life were compromised. “With the addition of my family’s herd, we really started to tax the facilities at the farm,” Angie comments. “We had to have our heifers raised at my parent’s farm, and we were always feeling pressed to get everything done for the cows.” They started formulating plans for a robot barn set up in 2015, with the initial thought of building a 240-cow, 4-robot facility at a site six miles south of the home farm in Greenfield, MA. That plan did not work out, so they moved on to retrofitting the home farm in Leyden, where they would milk fewer cows with two robots.
Those plans got pushed forward early in 2018 when their main herdsman quit, and Randy sustained vast injuries after a March car accident. All of a sudden, it became clear that the herd had to get smaller in order to do a better job with the cows. Construction on a new milk house and the section of the barn that would house the robots began in August 2018. They sold about 60 cows and about
45 open heifers to get down to a more manageable size. After that, they aggressively dried up a large group of cows early, and when the two Lely A5 robots were booted up in December 2019, they were down to milking 88 cows. “The barn wasn’t complete when the robots started, but we just had to get underway,” notes Angie. “We completed the expansion of the free-stall barn last summer. We also installed Discovery robot manure scrapers as well as a robotic feed pusher that runs once an hour, 24 hours per day, and we couldn’t be happier with how the transition went. We worked hard at shaping and cutting down the herd numbers ahead of time, and we didn’t have to cull anything because of the shift over to robots.”
Unforeseen in this timeline was, of course, the COVID situation. “We went into the pandemic with a low volume of milk leaving the farm. Unfortunately, this volume was used as a base during the brunt of covid right when we were starting to see increased milk production. Dairies all over the Northeast were forced to dump milk or ship it for a charge” explains Angie. “Because of the pandemic and food chain issues, the state of Massachusetts developed a food security infrastructure grant program. With a large grant from that, we are currently building an onfarm milk processing plant that will exclusively bottle the Our Family Farms label. We’re converting our pre-fresh barn to the processing system and hope to be up and running by November.” Randy will be in charge of the processing side of the plant and is interested in product development. He hopes to roll out flavored milks as one of the new products that Our Family Farms will introduce to the marketplace this fall. That, in addition to overseeing the finances, robots, cropping, feeding, and equipment maintenance on the 550acre operation. Angie is the herd manager at the farm, while also being employed off the farm as the General Manager of Pioneer Milk Marketing Cooperative. She will become the co-manager of the milk plant when it is operational. She works closely with employees Ashley Owen and Samantha Vanos overseeing all the animals, including cow, heifer and calf health, breeding decisions, and record keeping. Angie is appreciative of the help they have on the farm. “Ashley is the main person working with the cows all day, and Sam does evening chores and other valuable work around the farm all week. They both excel at caring for the cows. They’ve both been with us over two years. They milked in the old stepup parlor, have gone through the robot transition, and are excited for this new venture.”
“We’re proud of the facility we’ve built. We are finally at a point where we have the right spaces for all of the cows groups we need. Having the calving pens at the end of the robot barn has allowed us to reduce the number of transitions the cows have to make to get to the milking barn. The cows are comfortable and not overcrowded. We’re proud of our employees who care for our cows with the same care and concern that we do. We are lucky to have such good people working for us,” enthuses Angie. Randy’s sister, Lisa Moore, lives next to the farm and feeds calves six mornings a week to help out. Lisa and her kids are the ones that like the Brown Swiss best and use those heifer for their 4-H projects. Angie admits she is a Holstein person through and through. She and Randy’s kids are the third generation on the farm - Ethan (11), Mason (6), and Charlotte (5) - and she makes sure they have Holsteins on the halter at the fair! She loves the fact that Ethan is now showing ‘G’ family members that trace back to the Goldie cow - Angie’s first registered 4-H cow. The kids enjoy accompanying Angie when she makes her evening pass through the barn to check on the cows every night. The 120-cow herd has improved production since the shift to robots. Up to a 90# per day average, the RHA is about 27,000 lbs of milk with a 4.0% butterfat and 3.1% protein and a SCC count consistently under 100,000. They
Bree-Z-Knoll has switched to several automated features on the farm including two Discovery 120 Manure Collectors, a Juno feed pusher and two Lely A5 robots.
pasture as many animals as they can in the spring, summer and fall, including the far-off dry cows, and heifers pregnant over 100 days. The calves move from individual hutches to super hutches before moving into the heifer barn at about five months of age. Angie, an impeccable record keeper, has all the information she wants and more from the system. “We’ve never had so much information per cow as now. We can check things on an app on our phones or on the computer. It tracks their movement, their production - because of that, sometimes I think we know they’re sick before they do! We use way more aspirin than we did before because we are catching things so much earlier, we usually don’t have to resort to more extreme and more expensive medicines. It’s just easier to care for them - we can route cows automatically into the sick pen for example, so that they get immediate care.“
With all the on-farm changes in the past few years, regular classification had been put aside for awhile, but Angie was delighted to have four new Excellent cows when the classifier stopped in to score the herd last June. They breed for higher type, good udders and feet & legs, but also want the correct rump angle on their cows. “I don’t use any negative production bulls, but I don’t worry if they’re not high production bulls. We have good quality feed and are happy with how we can get our cows to milk. We’re using Angus on our lower end cows and heifers, so I’m spending more on better semen for the cows we are breeding to Holstein sires. We use a mix of genomic and proven sires in the herd,” Angie notes. They like to show at the local fairs, and at the 4-H show at the Big E. They have an arrangement with a number of local 4-H kids that want to borrow heifers for the summer show season that works well for everyone. It’s clear that the Faceys love what they do and they love their cattle. They’re active in community outreach, whether it’s having state lawmakers visit their operation or participating in the local library’s Ag Day. The Our Family Farms cooperative meets the public at farmers’ markets and always is looking for a chance to have a calf available to pet and to establish personal connection with the local consumer. The Faceys attention to detail and care for their herd and their land led them to be named the Massachusetts Greener Pasture Award winner for 2021.
For Angie, the days ahead are filled with excitement. “We’re blessed to live on our beautiful farm and raise our family here. We’re proud of the ingenuity that has
Warren Facey and his wife Sandie started the Bree-Z-Knoll herd in the 1970s, and now his grandchildren are the third generation on the farm. kept us alive in this tumultuous dairy economy. We are incredibly grateful that Massachusetts has recognized the importance of ‘home-grown’ food and has given us the opportunity to build the milk plant. We thought the robot facility was life-changing, but this plant will also be life-changing!” For Angie, one of the best features of building the processing plant is that she can relocate her office to the farm and be closer to their cows. “It just makes me so happy - all of the improvements and developments we’ve done - we finally have all the room we need for maximum cow comfort and care!” It seems that the Faceys, like Goldilocks, have landed on the operation size that is ‘just right’ for them! By Kathleen O’Keefe
We’re blessed to live on our beautiful farm and raise our family here. We’re proud of the ingenuity that has kept us alive in this tumultuous dairy economy. We are incredibly grateful that Massachusetts has recognized the importance of ‘home-grown’ food and has given us the opportunity to build the milk plant. We thought the robot facility was life-changing, but this plant will also be life-changing!
ANGIE FACEY
Farming for five generations in Massachusetts
If you took a poll of dairy producers and asked about their college major, you’d get a fairly sizable response including dairy science, animal science, ag education, economics, business, agronomy, and maybe a scattered history or English major in the bunch. The number of fine arts or performing arts degrees would be pretty small, and the number of farmers with a trumpet performance major could probably be counted on one hand, or more likely, one finger! But that’s just the path that fifth-generation Massachusetts dairy farmer Melissa Griffin has followed. The family’s Clessons River Farm in Buckland, MA dates back to 1910 when her great grandfather moved to the farm and has continued down through her family until her father, Paul Willis, returned home to the farm in 1975 with a freshly minted Associates Degree in Animal Science form Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Paul has always been an enthusiastic member of the local community band and encouraged his three daughters to take up musical instruments.
Melissa had a particular affinity for the trumpet from the start. “I’ve always said that when she took her second lesson, she was better than I was,” laughs Paul. Her interest and pursuit of trumpet performance took Melissa to the University of Massachusetts, then on to Penn State for her masters degree. “I knew I didn’t want to teach, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to set out auditioning at top-tier orchestras where I could earn a living playing trumpet. I always had a lot of passion for the farm and for Registered Holsteins, so it was the right move to come back to the farm full-time in 2005.”
The father-daughter team both work fulltime on the farm that consists of a 60-cow milking herd (primarily Holsteins with a few Brown Swiss). The average age of the herd is 3 1/2 years and the RHA is 22,888M 4.2% 953F 3.1% 714P. The classification breakdown for the Holsteins is 3 EX, 27 VG, and 19 GP, while there are 3 EX, 3 VG, and 2 GP Brown Swiss. They own 330 acres of which 100 acres is tillable cropland, and the rest is woodland and pasture. They grow 35 acres of corn and buy another 15 acres standing corn to chop as corn silage. Each year, they make about 3,000 dry square bales and the rest of the hay is made into haulage round bales. The milk cows are housed in a sand-bedded free stall, while the dry cows and bred heifers are on pasture during the grazing season. Melissa does all of the bull selection and matings for the herd, and shares responsibility of all of the crop work, barn cleaning, feeding heifers and calves with her dad. Paul feeds the cows and does the breeding. Melissa’s husband, Adam Griffin, works full-time off the farm for Lely North America as a Product Manager for Software and Data. He helps out nights and weekends with anything that needs to be done on the farm, as does Melissa’s mom, Judy. Like most smaller family farms across the country, the barns were built and improvements made slowly over time as finances allowed. The original dairy barn and hay barn were built in the 1950s with a heifer barn and manure pit added in the 1980s. A step-up parlor and conversion to free-stalls happened in 1999. But perhaps the most significant remodel happened last summer when in August 2020, they transitioned from the walk-through stepup parlor to a milking with a Lely A5 robot. With the help of the Farm Viability Enhancement Program Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, they are building an addition on to the current milking barn. The addition will replace the twelve free stalls that were removed to house the robot and will include a new dry cow area. Once the addition is complete, they will install a Lely Discovery Manure Collector and a conveyor feed system which will limit the need for equipment in the barn on a daily basis.
MELISSA GRIFIN
“The transition went pretty well - the cows adapted well. Those cows that have calved again seem to really be taking to the robot even better, and of course, the two-yearolds that have calved in the past year have only known the robot, so that is a plus. By the spring of 2021, we were up about 20 pounds per cow per day. It’s really helped us move from being reactive, especially with cow health, to where we are proactive and preventative. We always had a hairy wart problem, and we’ve been able to really tackle that now with a placement of a footpath and more time for individual attention to each cow,” notes Melissa. She also managed the matings and genetics with the herd. “My goal is to breed a really balanced cow that is healthy, productive, and breeds back consistently. I look for bulls that sire good udders, feet legs, wide rumps, positive health traits, and positive component percentages. Since we put the robot in I’ve started to look a little more at teat placement and am trying to stay away from bulls that are too close on teat placement,” comments Melissa. They use a mix of proven and genomic bulls. “I like to see good pedigrees especially behind the genomic bulls with classification scores and production records on the dams,” she emphasizes. The herd is making progress on the type front with their best classification day to date in June, with three new Excellents and four Very Good 2-year-olds. Two of the Excellent cows were sired by Mogul with the third by AltaHotrod, while the VG young cows were by Polo-P-Red, Attempt-Red, Bloomfield and AltaHotrod. They have marketed some genetics locally with a few heifers selling through the Massachusetts Blue Ribbon calf sale, and have exported some bred heifers. The herd currently is 100% homebred and tries to remaintain 100% RHA Holsteins. “We’ve been able to continue that in our breeding program. I know someday we will probably have to make that leap, but for now we’ve been able to breed the cow we want to breed without going the 99% RHA route,” says Melissa. They show cows locally (Melissa met Adam at the county fair when he was working for Holstein USA) and had recent success with one of their homebred girls. Melissa expounds on one of their former herd favorites. “Clessons Joey Lucinda is one cow that we are pretty proud to have bred. She was a daughter of a homebred bull, Clessons Altabaxter Joey (he was Baxter out of a Talent dam) and her dam was Clessons Bojangles Jenny VG-86. Lucinda was scored VG-85 as a two year old and went on to score Excellent. As a 5-year-old, she was our first Holstein to take Grand Champion at our county fair in 2017. She repeated as Grand Champion in 2018 and went on to be Supreme Champion that year, also a first for us. Sadly, we lost her before she gave us any daughters. Her sire, Clessons Altabaxter Joey, only sired two calves for us and the other, Clessons Joey Lanky, also scored EX-90. Both Lucinda and Lanky were very high producing cows. Lanky gave us four daughters (Clessons Headliner Onyx VG-88, Clessons Silver Sapphire VG-85, Clessons Bloomfield Tinky VG-85 at 2 yrs, and a bred heifer, Clessons Bloomfield Alana) who are still writing their own stories. I’m particularly excited about her two Bloomfield daughters.” Adam and Melissa have begun the transition to full ownership of the farm. The land is in a trust with themselves and her parents, and their names are now on the milk contract. They’re proud members of Cabot Creamery Co-operative, and have participated in that organizations Young Cooperators program. Melissa has done Cabot demos in local stores so that consumers can speak to a dairy producer directly while sampling Cabot products. Away from the farm, Melissa has become a member of the Legislative Affairs Committee with Holstein USA, advocating for dairy farm policies. “People are more
The families of Clessons River Farm LtoR: Paul & Judy Willis and Melissa & Adam Grifin.
People are more and more removed from any personal contact or relationship with a farm or agriculture. In a state like Massachusetts or an area like New England where the competition for land and the high cost of production makes dairying very challenging, we are seeing many farms without the next generation stepping up to take over. We have to be sure agriculture has a voice in our state houses when new laws are being written.”
and more removed from any personal contact or relationship with a farm or agriculture. In a state like Massachusetts or an area like New England where the competition for land and the high cost of production makes dairying very challenging, we are seeing many farms without the next generation stepping up to take over. We have to be sure agriculture has a voice in our state houses when new laws are being written.” And, don’t worry, that trumpet isn’t getting dusty in its case in a closet or under the bed. Melissa still plays several nights a week with the Wyndham Orchestra in Brattleboro, VT and the Pioneer Valley Symphony in Greenfield, MA so her musical abilities haven’t gone dormant. “I’ve always said Melissa’s not your typical farmer. She’s a farmer by day and a trumpet player by night,” smiles Adam. It takes teamwork and harmony to be a part of a successful orchestra and a successful farm, and Melissa’s talents shine through in both! By Kathleen O’Keefe
Elle Purrier St. Pierre
VERMONT DAIRY PRODUCER MAKES WAVES AS AN OLYMPIAN
While every US Olympian has a bevy of fans back home following their progress, Elle Purrier St. Pierre had a veritable ‘herd’ of dairy producers across the country rooting for her during the recent Olympic Games held in Tokyo, Japan. The 26-year-old track star competed in the 1500 meter race and made it to the Olympic final, where she finished 10th in a race where the winner set a new Olympic record. Purrier St. Pierre grew up on a Vermont dairy farm where she would head to the barn before school each morning to milk 40 cows. Currently, when she is not away training, she is active, along with her husband Jamie St. Pierre, on her inlaws’ dairy farm near Berkshire, and her family’s farm near Montgomery where they raise heifers. One of the world’s best middle distance runners, Purrier St. Pierre gained special prominence in 2020 when she broke a 37-year-old record set by legendary US runner Mary Decker, and set a new American indoor mile time of 4 minutes, 16.85 seconds. She followed that by breaking the American two-mile record earlier this year by more than eight seconds.
After graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 2018 with a degree in nutrition, Purrier St. Pierre began her professional running career. In a short time, the athlete has made a name for herself as a top American track star. In 2019, she qualified for a spot on Team USA at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, with a third-place finish in the women’s 5,000 meter, which was considered quite a breakthrough for a runner relatively new on the world stage. While American dairy farmers appreciate her running ability and her background, they really cheer the positive promotion she does for dairy products. Purrier St. Pierre regularly discusses how dairy has helped her own fitness, and how it’s a crucial part of an elite diet. She asserts she couldn’t have reached the heights she’s attained without it.
“The first thing I do when I get done running is, I chug a glass of milk, and I just know everything in there is going to help me do better,” says Elle in an interview with USA Today. “It’s got the perfect ratio of carbs and protein, when you add the chocolate, and just so many vitamins and minerals. It’s crazy what a great resource it is.” With over 73,000 people following her on Instagram (@elleruns_4_her_life), that’s an engaged audience that has sometimes been hard for dairy to reach. She uses the platform to highlight her farming roots and her love for the country, to promote Cabot cheese, as well as share images from her travels around the globe. She recently announced her partnership with Dairy Farmers of America to help spread the positive health message about dairy products. As a fifth-generation dairy farmer and a world-class athlete, she has a unique perspective and stage for promotion. As Purrier St. Pierre continues to develop her running career, she and her husband Jamie (her high school sweetheart who majored in Dairy Management at Cornell) are in the process of taking over the farm from his parents. The couple are both pursuing their passions, but Purrier St. Pierre looks forward to a return to the dairy operation when her running career is finished.
Fellow dairy producers hope that career doesn’t end anytime soon, As some of her most fervent fans, they look forward to cheering on Elle Purrier St. Pierre in more races to come, as well as the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.. By Kathleen O’Keefe
Dairying along with Diversification
FLETCHER FARM
As the only dairy farm left in Southampton, MA, and with an array of diversified agri-tourism businesses that keep the public rolling in the driveway year round, the Fletchers take their farm’s appearance very seriously. “We’re always doing something because of our location - mowing, painting, weed-whacking, landscaping,” says Nicole Fletcher, a 4th generation farmer. “We farm with people all around us, and we want to present the best possible image to everyone that drive by or stops in to visit.”
Let’s have a quick rundown of everything the Fletchers do in addition to running a 85-head milking herd: pick your own pumpkin patch in the fall (voted the #1 pumpkin patch in Massachusetts!); selling Christmas trees in December; selling flowers, vegetable plants, compost and bark mulch in the spring; and sweet corn and vegetables in the summer. Add to that school field trips and farm tours, and you start to wonder how they have enough hours in the day and days in the year! Nicole laughingly agrees, “Our parents, Robert and Cheryl, purchased this farm in 1989 after my grandfather’s herd in the eastern part of the state was sold. Early on, about thirty years ago, they planted a couple of acres of pumpkins to sell from a roadside stand. That led to ‘pick your own’ pumpkins, then selling some cornstalks, then a petting zoo, and horse-drawn wagon rides and it just kept growing from there! The pumpkin ‘season’ runs from Labor Day to Halloween and it’s eight weeks of solid running. Then about 20 years ago, we added Christmas trees to the mix. Now, after Thanksgiving into December, we sell about 750 Christmas trees grown by a local tree farm - and that is an absolutely crazy three weeks!” You may wonder when this leaves time for dairying, but Nicole leaves no doubt that the Holstein and Jersey herd is the priority on the farm. Nicole, her younger brother Matthew, and dad, Robert are full-time on the dairy. They own approximately 100 acres of land and rent an additional 200 to grow their own hay and corn. Over the past decade, the dairy operation has made upgrade and improvements, which accelerated when Nicole returned home to the farm. “I was a bit of a late bloomer in 4-H - maybe didn’t start until I was 12 or 13. Before that, growing up on the farm was fine, but I thought of it as a lot of chores that I wasn’t particularly excited about. In 4-H, I learned so much and did all the things: judging, dairy bowl, trips. By the time I was 16 or 17, I knew this was what I wanted to do,” recalls Nicole. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a Dairy Management degree, Nicole made her way straight back to the farm. “I’m the herdsperson and handle the herd health, genetics, and calves. I’m also the grounds crew/chief landscaper/fence painter/ farm beautifier! My dad and brother, Matt handle all of the cropping. We all contribute to milking, cleaning and feeding. We also all assist with our farm stand business. My mother is in charge of the decision making regarding the farm stand, but also works off the farm as well. I also have a sister (Liz) who works off the farm.”
Originally, the herd was housed in a 48 cow tie-stall with a 40 stall heifer freestall operation. In late 2011, the Fletchers built a 100 cow free-stall barn and converted the tie-stall to a 24 stall flatbarn style milking parlor. They currently milk 85 head of registered Holsteins and Jerseys with around 70 head of young stock and a few beef animals. Calves are raised in hutches and super hutches. The milking herd is fed a TMR and the dry cows and older heifers are pastured whenever possible in the warm months.
LtoR: Torrie Schwab & Nicole Fletcher, Cheryl & Robert Fletcher, Matthew Fletcher and Liz & George Plouffe.
One weekend, Cabot helped host an Open Barn at our farm, and we counted over 200 cars parked at one point - even out into our hayfield. We take pleasure in providing a low-cost, entertaining day for a family when they come to visit the pumpkin patch, the farm stand, or the dairy. They’re ‘unplugged’ and hopefully, having a fun day that will be a happy family memory.”
NICOLE FLETCHER
Nicole is proud of the progress the herd has made in the last number of years. “The herd started out years ago as a grade herd of average commercial cows. When my siblings and I got into 4-H and started showing cattle, we purchased a few animals here and there and I began looking into genetic recovery on both breeds. The Jersey herd was done first, and it primarily stems from three main cow families. The Holstein herd was completed in 2010 - it became my project upon returning home from college. Today the entire herd is registered (both breeds carry the ‘Fletch’ prefix), which has been extremely helpful when it comes to breeding decisions, record keeping, and showing and marketing cattle. Today we lease calves of both breeds to local 4-Hers, and it is very nice to give them options - way more than we had when we were showing!” She thinks the Jerseys are further ahead of their Holsteins genetically, and enjoys seeing them holding their own against their Holstein counterparts. The RHA for the Holstein herd is 21,827M 3.5%F 3.1%P and the Jersey RHA is 16,132M 5.0%F 3.8%P. She’s using Magician, Fizz, and Closer among others as sires in the Jersey herd, and Select, Warrior-Red, Late NiteRed-P, and Pileup on the Holsteins. “I’ve had a dozen or so Excellent homebred Jerseys, and just had a junior 3-yearold go Excellent, so it’s good to see the herd making progress on type as well,” notes Nicole. “The goals of our breeding program are to produce cows that milk well and have longevity, but are also appealing to look at out in the barn. Dairy strength and feet and legs are important to me. Because our herd started as more of a commercial herd, I have been able to add in higher type genetics and really ‘pretty up’ the herd over the past 10 years. The cows are taller and longer and more stylish than they ever were, and are putting plenty of milk in the tank.” She’s still waiting for that first homebred EX Holstein, but with a couple of VG88 cows in the herd now, it won’t be far off. The Holstein herd has only been on classification and TriStar for the past two years. “I wanted the herd to get to a certain level before I signed up for those programs. I’m not sure my dad was on board even then, but we’ve come to see the value in that information whether you’re marketing your genetics or not. Being able to combine production records and classification scores on the pedigrees in the herd has been very rewarding. It may seem silly to multigenerational registered breeders but this is still very exciting to me!” And make no mistake, the dairy herd is one of the exciting features of a visit to Fletcher Farm by one of the thousands of urban dwellers that come to the property each year. The Fletchers live in a population-dense region, with many universities nearby, and located a 1/2 hour from Hartford, CT; 1 1/2 hours from Boston, MA; and 2 1/2 hours from New York City, and that proximity assures them of a constant stream of visitors. Nicole is sometime amazed at the appeal the farm has for the public. “One weekend, Cabot helped host an Open Barn at our farm, and we counted over 200 cars parked at one point - even out into our hayfield,” remembers Nicole. “We take pleasure in providing a lowcost, entertaining day for a family when they come to visit the pumpkin patch, the farm stand, or the dairy. They’re ‘unplugged’ and hopefully, having a fun day that will be a happy family memory.” “The future of dairying in New England is one that will absolutely include diversification. On our farm, we rely on that income and have found ways to capitalize on agri-tourism and the seasons,” asserts Nicole. “When people travel around the region, there are many farms that are accessible to the public and that have products to sell. This area has a strong farm-to-table and local Ag movement happening, and it is neat to see all the unique ways farms are able to capitalize on that. We recently completed a new farm stand, a major improvement from our previous pavilion building. We now have indoor retail space complete with a dairy case, which allows us to sell other farms local products in addition to Cabot products. We take pride in keeping our farm looking presentable and appealing to the public, as we host open barn days, field trips, and many visitors regularly. We feel it is extremely important to connect with our community, and want to make sure each visitor leaves with an appreciation for the animals, land, and the work farmers do.”
July 14, 2021 · Contoocook, NH · Judge Jennifer Thomas, OH · 174 Head Shown
HOLSTEIN
JUNIOR CHAMPION
Cobequid Doorman Aspire (Doorman), 1st Spring Yearling, Jadyn Kimball, ME
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION
Milk&Honey Unstpabull Tess-Red (Unstopabull), 1st Fall Calf, Cedar Lane Farm, NJ
HM JUNIOR CHAMPION
Carpsview Chief Executive (Chief), 1st Winter Calf, Carpsview Genetics, VT
INTERMEDIATE & RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Ms McGucci Amour (McGucci), 1st Senior 2-Year-Old, William Taylor & Beth Roberts, NJ
RESERVE INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION
Carpsdale-J Firefly-Red-ET (Diamondback), 1st Senior 3-Year-Old, John & Sara Carpenter, VT
HM INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION
Ridgedale Area (Thunderstorm), 1st Summer Junior 2-Year-Old, Juniper Farm, ME
SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
Bry-Ry Sid Farah (Sid), 1st 4-Year-Old, Cedar Lane Farm, NJ
RESERVE SENIOR & HM GRAND CHAMPION
Ashlyn Sanchez Sprinkles (Sanchez), 1st Production Cow, Cedar Lane Farm, NJ
HM SENIOR CHAMPION
Pineland Chicago Pumpkin (Chicago), 1st 5-Year-Old, Pineland Farms, Inc., ME
PREMIER BREEDER
Pineland Farms, Inc., ME
PREMIER EXHIBITOR
Cedar Lane Farm, NJ Senior & Grand Champion Bry-Ry Sid Farah, Cedar Lane Farm, NJ. R&W Senior & Grand Champion Liddleholme Avenge-Red, John & Sara Carpenter, VT.
Intermediate & Reserve Grand Champion Ms McGucci Amour, William Taylor & Beth Roberts, NJ. R&W Intermediate Champion & Holstein Reserve Intermediate Champion Carpsdale-J Firefly-Red-ET, John & Sara Carpenter, VT.
Junior Champion Open & Junior Shows Cobequid Doorman Aspire, Jadyn Kimball, ME. R&W Junior Champion & Holstein Reserve Junior Champion Milk&Honey Unstpabull Tess-Red, Cedar Lane Farm, NJ.
Grand Champion LtoR: Grand Champion Bry-Ry Sid Farah, Cedar Lane Farm, NJ; Reserve Grand Champion Ms McGucci Amour, William Taylor & Beth Roberts, NJ; HM Grand Champion Ashlyn Sanchez Sprinkles, Cedar Lane Farm, NJ. Red & White Grand Champion LtoR: Grand Champion Liddleholme Avenge-Red, John & Sara Carpenter, VT; Reserve Grand Champion Carpsdale-J Firefly-Red-ET, John & Sara Carpenter, VT; HM Grand Champion Savage-Leigh Sneeze-Red, Juniper Farm, ME.
JUNIOR CHAMPION
Milk&Honey Unstpabull Tess-Red (Unstopabull), 1st Fall Calf, Cedar Lane Farm, NJ
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION
Carpsview Jordy Ember-Red (Jordy), 2nd Winter Yearling, Katelin & Joshua Blake, VT
INTERMEDIATE & RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Carpsdale-J Firefly-Red-ET (Diamondback), 1st Senior 3-Year-Old, John & Sara Carpenter, VT
RESERVE INTERMEDIATE & HM GRAND CHAMPION
Savage-Leigh Sneeze-Red (Devour), 3rd Senior 3-Year-Old, Juniper Farm, ME
SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
Liddleholme Avenge-Red (Armani), 2nd 5-YearOld, John & Sara Carpenter, VT
RESERVE SENIOR CHAMPION
OCD Defiant Lustrous-Red-ET (Defiant), 3rd 4-Year-Old, John & Sara Carpenter, VT
PREMIER BREEDER
Morrill Farm Dairy, NH PREMIER EXHIBITOR
John & Sara Carpenter, VT Junior Show Senior & Grand Champion OCD Defiant LustrousRed-ET, John & Sara Carpenter, VT. Junior Show Intermediate Champion Milk&Honey A MariskaRed-ET, Lailah & Johnathon Clark, NH.
JUNIOR SHOW
JUNIOR CHAMPION
Cobequid Doorman Aspire (Doorman), 1st Spring Yearling, Jadyn Kimball, ME
RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION
Cobequid Alister Make Waves (Alister), 1st Winter Yearling, Kennedy Kimball, ME
INTERMEDIATE & HM GRAND CHAMPION
Milk&Honey A Mariska-Red-ET (Avalanche), 3rd Junior 3-Year-Old, Lailah & Johnathon Clark, NH
RESERVE INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION
Carpsdale-J DB Allspice (Diamondback), 2nd Senior 2-Year-Old, John & Sara Carpenter, VT
SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
OCD Defiant Lustrous-Red-ET (Defiant), 3rd 4-Year-Old, John & Sara Carpenter, VT
RESERVE SENIOR & GRAND CHAMPION
Lookout Advent Flicka-Red (Advent), 2nd Production Cow, John & Sara Carpenter, VT
RAYMOND LEBLANC SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Ray LeBlanc was one of those rare people who touched the lives of an incredible number of people in the dairy industry. Ray, a member of the Holstein Friesian Association for over 40 years, was a man of the highest integrity with tremendous cattle knowledge and a flair for taking copious notes on virtually every animal in a sale where he served as a ring man. He would usually get to a sale a day ahead of time and review the cattle in detail. Virtually every sale manager and herd owner planning a sale requested Ray be an integral member of the sale staff. Ray received and handled bids from virtually every corner of the globe. Ray was a legend, and I can recall numerous times where he handled the bid for the top seller in many elite sales. Long before internet online bidding, Ray was the person who garnered the most bids for every sale. Ray, flat out, worked harder for obtaining bids and promoting the dairy cattle breeding business than virtually anyone. As we all know, Ray was one of the most personable, heart-warming friends anyone could ask for. No matter who you were, no matter what your age or breeding philosophy, Ray made time for you. Ray was instrumental in buying many juniors’ show heifers and always promoted getting youngsters involved in the dairy business. Our friend promoted the Registered Holstein Cow on every level and many in the breeding business today made their first purchases via Ray. In addition to Ray’s attributes as a top cow man, he was first and foremost a real family man. He was extremely proud of all his children and grandchildren and in love with his wife Suzanne of over 50 years. In honor of our friend and his legacy for years to come, we ask that you contribute to the Raymond B. LeBlanc Scholarship Fund which will be handled by Holstein Association USA’s Holstein Foundation to benefit youth that have been leaders in their communities and looking to further their education in the dairy industry. Please make checks payable to the Holstein Foundation with a notation that it is for the Raymond B. LeBlanc Scholarship Fund. They can be mailed to Holstein Foundation, PO Box 816, Brattleboro, VT 05302-0816. By Dave Rama
June 18, 2021 · East Montpelier, VT · Average $3,276 on 101 Lots
The Favorites of Fairmont Sale took place on June 18, 2021 in beautiful East Montpelier, Vermont. 101 lots sold for an average of $3,276, with a gross of $341,945. Topping the sale at $21,750 was Lot 12, Liddleholme Thunder-ET, who recently scored EX-95 and was 1st Aged Cow at the Northeast All-Breeds Spring Holstein Show. She is backed by seven VG or EX dams including Tybach Elevation Twinkie 3E-97 GMD DOM. She was consigned by John & Sarah Carpenter, VT and purchased by Jason Voelker, IA. Second high seller was lot 68, Fairmont Mvn Amberly-Red-ET for $11,500. Amberly was 1st Summer Yearling and Junior Champion of the 2021 Northeast All-Breeds Spring R&W Show and is a Moovin x Ms Apple AndralynRed EX-94 x Apple EX-96. She was purchased by Raylore Farm and Tim Woeste, MN. Selling for $10,500 was Lookout Olympian Allstar-Red EX-94, 4x Nominated AllAmerican Red & White x EX-91 Defiant x EX95 Altitude. Sale catalog cover girl and Lot 1, FairmontRE Avlnch Febe *RC EX-92 sold for $10,000. Febe was named Intermediate Champion at Liddleholme Thunder-ET EX-95 topped the sale at $21,750 as a committee cow and is backed by 7 generations of VG or EX. Fairmont MVN Amberly-Red-ET sold for $11,500 to Raylore Farm & Tim Woeste, MN.
the 2021 Northeast All-Breeds Spring Show in 2021 as a Senior 3-Year-Old. She is an Avalanche x EX-95 Pitbull x nine more VG or EX Dams. Febe was consigned by Fairmont, VT and bought by Corey Feltmann and Luke Alsleben, MN.
More High Sellers:
Lot 49 … $9,700 … Ms Doorman Ryanne-ET, a September 2020 Doorman x Atwood Ruth EX-93 x Dubeau Dundee Hezbollah EX-92. Consignor: Fairmont LLC, VT Buyer: Jacalyn Borner, PA Lot 6 … $8,000 … Budjon-Vail Raptor Sonya-ET, a VG-87 Senior 2-Year -Old Raptor x Blondin Goldwyn Subliminale EX-97, then eight more VG or EX dams. Consignor: Mason Ziemba, NY Buyer: Sweetview Farm, QC Lot 5 … $12,000 … Duckett Sidekick OakleyET, a VG-87 Senior 2-Year-Old Sidekick x Knonaudale OrangeCrush EX-93 x EX-94 Mudpie x EX-96 Jasmine. Consignor: Liddleholme Holsteins, NY Buyer: John & Sara Carpenter, VT
