Spring 2021
PREMIER PIONEERS When you picture a pioneer, what do you see? Odds are, your mind goes back to history class or some of your favorite childhood stories…Christopher Columbus, Lewis and Clark, Daniel Boone, Laura Ingalls Wilder…individuals who sought the unknown and uncertain, navigated uncharted waters, explored new frontiers, and experienced new things that have shaped our national identity hundreds of years later. When we picture a pioneer, we see you. Just like the pioneers of history books and legends, the American farmer faces
challenges and new things year after year. However, the challenges of a modern pioneer often take on a more abstract form—things that we can’t see but that we certainly can feel. A pandemic, political tension, economic crisis, questioning consumers… No generation of producers has experienced the unique situation you are in. But if there’s one thing that history has taught us, it is that agriculturists are pioneers who adapt and face their challenges head on. Two years ago, we sent our inaugural
edition of the Premier Pioneer. Our goal was and is to celebrate the rich history and heritage of the cooperative while highlighting the constant striving of members and staff to see what is next on the horizon for our industry. We had no idea the journey we would take this past year, but we are proud to work with and for arguably the most resilient group of people who have met and exceeded the needs of the consumers they serve every day. The desire to reach new achievements and milestones with you drives our passion and steers our actions. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your story—we believe that you will go down in history as pioneers!
IN THIS EDITION: Premier Pioneers........................................... 1 Probiotics in Calf Health................. 6 Annual Meeting Highlights......................... 10 Message from the CEO................................... 2 Bovine Accellyte II Pre-Booking.... 7 Virtual Beef Producer Meetings................ 12 Vermont Dairy Farmer Trains for Olympics... 4 2021 Scholarship Recipients.......... 8 Monitor Your Herd with CowManager®..... 14
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO Mark Carpenter
Twenty Twenty…What Can We Say? We can all reflect on 2020 and talk about the many reasons that might cause that “biting into a lemon” face. At Premier we aren’t going there. Instead, we’d like to give thanks to all the dedicated, hard working beef and dairy producers in our membership that we had the honor to serve. Thank you for trusting us and allowing us to be part of your success. Whenever I am asked by a new employee or new member about our purpose, I am excited to share my thoughts. Under the direction of our grass roots board of directors we take great pride in providing marketplace protection for our member owners and customers. We do this by operating cooperatively and leveraging our collective strength with our partners, suppliers, and vendors. What does that mean to you?
Genetically: Your Premier cooperative leverages its common stock ownership in the genetic brands of Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics, and Genervations to represent members in Premier’s territory. This includes in its simplest form, a representative memberled board to help guide the product brands’ direction and focus, along with providing direction to the product brand management on access, pricing, and how our members equity and investments are used to benefit Premier members.
Herd Health Products and Consultative Programs: Your Premier cooperative negotiates cooperatively to secure the very best partners and works hard to make sure these products
are available at a fair price and accessible directly to your farm through your local Premier sales and service teams. Often times these products and programs are developed, tailored, and researched with a collaborative effort to make sure they fit your needs. We only bring the best solutions to our members. In doing so, you know you can trust we’ve done our due diligence on your behalf and we will stand behind them. Some of these are unique to our membership area and others are through national development by working cooperatively with our sister cooperatives across the country to fund R&D, expert employees, and programs that are accessible to our Premier members.
Services: Your Premier cooperative provides invaluable services through on-farm breeding, training, and other essential services like liquid nitrogen. While many others have abandoned these services to the average producer, Premier continues to provide them because 1) we respond to what our members tell us they need, and 2) we are measured by the value and benefits we provide and not purely the profit we generate. We still need to make good business decisions to invest and remain strong, but with our member owners being our customers, we can remain focused on who and what is most important, our farmer owners. Your Premier cooperative had a solid year in 2020 as you will see highlighted in the pages of this newsletter. We continue to listen and adapt to what you are telling us and have introduced many new programs this past year to help you find ways to better incorporate our products, programs, and services to meet your herd and operational goals.
Cover photo (L to R): Larkin, Brandon, Barbara, and Charles Moyer Jr. of Oakmulgee Dairy Farm in Amelia Virginia. Oakmulgee is the oldest continuous operating dairy farm in the state of Virginia. The Moyers have been active on the Premier and Select Sires boards over the years, proudly representing the farmers of our cooperative.
FIND THE SEMEN STRAW for a chance to WIN a special Premier Select Sires prize! 1. Find this semen straw hidden somewhere in the newsletter (hidden straw may be smaller than the one shown here) 2. Go to www.premierselectsires.com and click the“Newsletter Contest” button on the home page 3. Tell us where you found the straw to enter the drawing! You may also send your submission in the mail. Write us a note including the following information: your name, account #, address, and where you found the semen straw. Mail it to the following address for a chance to WIN!
Premier Select Sires Newsletter Contest Attn. Laura Williams 1 Stony Mountain Road Tunkhannock, PA 18657
CONGRATS! Responses must be submitted by May 31, 2021
Congratulations to Maureen Whitney of Vermont, winner of the Fall/Winter 2020 semen straw contest! The semen straw was on page 8, photo 2, on the halter chain.
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2021 DAIRY SIRE SUMMARIES April 6 – 7
August 10 – 11
December 7 – 8
Be sure to follow us on social media, visit our website, read our newsletters, and keep in touch with your local representatives to receive all updates and exciting news!
Our Mission
TO SERVE AS A TRUSTED PARTNER WITH BEEF AND DAIRY PRODUCERS, BUILDING THEIR SUCCESS THROUGH INDUSTRYLEADING GENETICS, EFFECTIVE HERD MANAGEMENT PRODUCTS, VALUABLE SERVICES, AND EXPERIENCE-BASED INSIGHTS FROM KNOWLEDGEABLE, PASSIONATE EMPLOYEES.
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Photos (left to right): Running photo by Cortney White, Elle with her younger brother Ryland at Sunset Hill Farm in Montgomery, VT, Running photo by Aisha McAdams.
VERMONT DAIRY FARMER TRAINS FOR OLYMPICS Elle Purrier St. Pierre holds the American women’s indoor mile record (4:16.85, set February 8, 2020 at the Millrose Games) and the American indoor two-mile record (9:10.28, set February 13, 2021 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix). Now, she is training hard for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Team Trials, scheduled for June 2021. Elle grew up on Sunset Hill Farm in Montgomery, VT and now lives on Pleasant Valley Farms in Richford, VT with her husband Jamie. Due to the pandemic, Elle has completed much of her training at home this year, which has allowed her to spend time on both Sunset Hill and Pleasant Valley dairy farms. Although training is her priority right now, Elle says she helps on both farms whenever she can, which is just about every day. “It’s been really nice. I’ve been able to spend so much time on the farm compared to other years,” said Elle. “When I’m away, I miss home and the cows and working on the farm with my dad and my husband. It’s been a huge silver lining in the pandemic.” Elle says that her background in dairy farming has provided her with many life lessons that have shaped her as an athlete.
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“Growing up on a farm, I have a better understanding of hard work and what it takes to set goals and accomplish them. You can only control so much, and there are so many factors going into how you can perform. You just try your best, wake up every day, and work hard.” Elle said that in both dairy farming and running, most of the time hard work pays off but sometimes it doesn’t. She has learned to press on towards her goals regardless of challenges, and says that she’s a “much stronger athlete from being so active on the farm as a kid.” “Running and farming are related in ways you wouldn’t expect as well,” said Elle. “Cows are like athletes in the sense that making milk is their sport. From growing up on a farm I learned how to care for cows so that they would perform their best (make a lot of milk) and now a large part of my job is taking care of myself—sleep, nutrition, having good health—so that I can perform better.” Combined with her degree in nutrition from the University of New Hampshire, Elle uses her running career as a platform for promoting the dairy industry, especially through social media. She aims to help close the growing gap between producers and
consumers. “It’s a huge opportunity to let the people who follow me know the basics of what happens on the farm. Dairy can get a bad rap and it’s fun for me to share my experiences to show that side of it,” said Elle. “Also, dairy products are extremely useful for my training. People can use these products to help their performance just like I do.” Elle said that it is not rare to find her fueling up with a chocolate or strawberry milk whether she’s at home or away training in Arizona. Currently, Elle said that she is working on some base training and will begin to do more specific training in April and May as the Olympic Trials approach. She is not sure which at this point, but will train for either the 1500-meter or 5K Olympic Trials race. Elle has several connections to the Premier cooperative, as her sister Jinny (Purrier) Rainville formerly served as a Reproductive Services Specialist. Premier ASM Bill Gaston helps Sunset Hill Farm and Pleasant Valley Farms with their genetic and reproductive needs.
Please join us in cheering for Elle! We wish her all the best as she pursues her goals and represents our industry!
SHOWCASE is a trademark of Select Sires Inc.
TM
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THE VALUE OF PROBIOTICS IN CALF HEALTH By Jeff Hostetter, Product Manager
In the past, some have looked at probiotics as a modern day “Sagwa.” But as more and more research is published, it’s becoming apparent how essential probiotics are to maintain a healthy herd, especially in the young calves. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Their main purpose is to enhance intestinal health in five different ways: 1. Encourage development of a healthy microbiota (all of the microorganisms that exist in the GI tract) 2. Prevent harmful pathogens from colonizing the intestine (competitive exclusion) 3. Increase digestive capacity 4. Reduce pH 5. Produce beneficial metabolites Probiotics in the past often contained only one species of bacteria. These probiotics occasionally yielded positive results, but it was variable due to the diversity of the
CONVERTTM
TRI-START JR.
Premier Probiotic Products
A bolus with 20 billion CFU’s of beneficial bacteria from 6 different species.
Probiotics and antibodies to prevent disease in a newborn calf or treat a scouring calf. Available as a calf gel, bolus, or powder.
microbiota. The microbiota can vary greatly from farm to farm and even from calf to calf on the same farm. Early probiotics often did not contain enough quantity and quality of bacteria to produce a benefit. Premier Select Sires offers the newest generation of probiotics that have solved the inconsistencies of the past. They have multiple species of bacteria, contain CFU levels that are the highest in the market, and are manufactured with the highest quality standards in a state of the art facility. Our probiotics have been shown to be a good investment when fed on an everyday basis. They are especially valuable during stressful times such as dehorning, weather changes, transport, antibiotic treatment, and weaning. Antibiotics will kill good and bad bacteria in the GI tract, so it’s important to feed probiotics anytime calves receive antibiotics, even if it’s from pasteurized waste milk. Premier offers several products for the young calf that contain probiotics and that are research-proven to improve their health and growth. As we continue to advance the technology in producing effective probiotics, this costeffective tool can help us to lower morbidity and mortality, reduce antibiotic usage, and improve the health and growth of calves. By achieving those goals, this proactive approach to calf health will give us a more valuable asset that has greater profit potential from more efficient growth and higher milk production.
TRI-MIC WD
A few years ago, my sons found an interesting old glass bottle half-buried in the woods on our property. After a little research, we found it was a bottle that held Kickapoo Indian Sagwa, a compound that claimed to cure anything from constipation to liver problems. Manufactured in the 1880’s, it was sold through traveling medicine shows that were part infomercial, part carnival.
A high-quality, daily-added, water dispersible probiotic that mixes easily into whole milk or milk replacer providing a guaranteed 3 billion CFU’s of beneficial bacteria every day. It contains 6 different species of bacteria. Tri-Mic is contained in all of our milk replacers, Milk Fortifier (a whole milk additive), First 21, and Accel RS .
™CONVERT is a trademark of and manufactured for Agrarian Marketing Corporation® a registered trademark of Agraria Marketing Corporation, Middlebury, IN. Products listed are merely distributed by Select Sires Inc. and manufactured or processed by the company indicated. All claims, representations, and warranties, expressed or implied, are made only by the manufacturer and not by Select Sires Inc. Buyer assumes all responsibility for use, storage and handling of these products.
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CONGRATULATIONS 2021 PREMIER SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS!
Premier Select Sires awarded a total of $20,000 to 20 college students through the 2021 Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program. Two students received $2,500 scholarships through the Johnny Daniel Memorial Scholarship and the Wayne Dudley Scholarship. Eighteen other students received scholarships of $750 to $1,000 in value.
Hannah Braun of Woodcrest Dairy, a 4,900-
cow operation in Lisbon, N.Y., is the daughter of Peter and Michelle Braun. Hannah received the Wayne Dudley Scholarship. She is a student at Cornell University studying Animal Science, and after graduating would like to attend veterinary school and obtain her DVM. As a veterinarian, Hannah would promote animal and herd health, both caring for individual animals and benefiting the future of entire herds by advising farmers to focus on breeding for a balance of production and health traits. Through this, she hopes to help individual farms and the dairy industry
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as a whole.
Grant Fincham of Fincham Dairy, a 200-cow operation in Marysville, Kan., is the son of Mike and Kathleen Fincham. Grant received the Johnny Daniel Memorial Scholarship. He is a student at Kansas State University studying Animal Science with a focus on nutrition. Grant hopes to obtain his Master’s Degree in Ruminant Nutrition and possibly his Ph.D. so that he can help producers achieve maximum production potential through nutrition, and positively impact the dairy industry as it feeds the world in a sustainable manner.
Ryan Allen of Glen-Toctin Farm, a 120-cow
Holstein operation in Jefferson, Md., is the son of Michael and Johanna Allen. Ryan is a student at Penn State University studying Animal Science. After graduation, Ryan plans to translate his interests in genetics and progressive management into a career at a genetics company or as a herd manager while remaining active in the family’s business.
William Coltrane of Coltrane Dairy LLC, a
600-cow operation in Pleasant Garden, N.C., is the son of David and Amy Coltrane. William is a student at the University of Mount Olive studying Agriculture Business. His goal is to earn his Bachelor’s degree and return to the family’s fourth-generation farm. He hopes to play a role in helping farmers gain the respect they deserve for their dedication and work ethic.
Hannah Diehl of Musser Run Jerseys, a
200-cow operation in McVeytown, Pa., is the daughter of Joseph and Kristin Diehl. Hannah is a student at Penn State University studying Animal Science. She hopes to work in the dairy industry after graduation, perhaps with the American Jersey Cattle Association, and then eventually return to her home farm. If returning to the farm, she would like to open a creamery to sell ice cream, cheese, and milk while educating local consumers of the importance of dairy in their diets.
Brooklin Drake of Drake Farms, a 335-
cow dairy operation in Marathon, N.Y., is the daughter of Richard and Susan Drake. Brooklin is a senior at Marathon High School, and she plans to attend SUNY Cobleskill and study Agribusiness with a minor in Agriculture Education. She hopes to finish her education at Virginia Tech. When she’s done with school, Brooklin wants to have her own business running a corn maze and selling pumpkins in the fall, selling ice cream in the summer, and selling flowers in the spring, all while teaching middle school students about agriculture.
Allen Graulich of Argus Acres, a 500-cow
Holstein operation in Cobleskill, N.Y., is the son of David and Suzanne Graulich. Allen is a student at Cornell University studying Animal Science with a dairy concentration. Upon graduation he plans to obtain a position at a farm other than his own so he can learn new techniques from a different perspective. After a few years away from the home farm, he plans to return and bring his newly acquired skills and ideas to improve and grow the herd in an efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly manner while maintaining high standards for milk quality.
Laurel Gray of Grayhouse Farms, a 1,975-
cow operation in Stony Point, N.C., is the daughter of Andy and Amy Gray. Laurel is a senior at North Iredell High School and plans to attend North Carolina State University for Agriculture Business. After college she would like to return to the family dairy farm. She foresees herself helping with the financial aspects of the farm, working with the calves, helping with fieldwork, and helping to expand her family’s hunting business.
Rachel Gray of Grayhouse Farms, a 1,975-
cow operation in Stony Point, N.C., is the daughter of Andy and Amy Gray. Rachel is a student at the University of Mount Olive studying Agribusiness. After graduating, she plans to return to the family farm and likely become the heifer manager of the operation, help with fieldwork, and use her position to provide for consumers while teaching them about the agriculture industry.
Lance Johnson of Tineal Dairy Farm, a 165-
cow operation in Statesville, N.C., is the son of Neal and Tina Johnson. Lance is a student at North Carolina State University studying Agricultural Science. After college, he plans to return home and work in production agriculture, either owning his own dairy or managing a larger sized dairy and helping with reproduction, nutrition, health, record keeping, and crop production. Another option for Lance is to work at an agricultural business involved with livestock nutrition, reproduction, or health.
Gregory Norris of Runnymede Farm, a 40-
cow dairy operation in Westhampton, Mass., is the son of Karl and Lisa Norris. Gregory is
a student at Penn State University studying Animal Science. After college, he plans to work as a Precision Ag Specialist for Helena Agri-Enterprises. Gregory will be interning with Helena this summer, and has developed a passion for helping farmers improve the profitability of their operations by using all of the technological advances that are available to the industry today.
Charles Patterson of Patterson Farms
Inc., a 300-cow Holstein operation in Chestertown, Md., is the son of Charles and Sherry Patterson. He is a student at Purdue University studying Agriculture Systems Management. After graduation, he plans to return to his family’s dairy farm and use what he learned in college to improve the farm.
America as a whole as she serves as a liaison between producers and consumers.
Courtney Schrader of Wil-O-Mar Farm, a
40-cow registered Holstein operation in Earleville, Md., is the daughter of Kerry and William Schrader, Jr. Courtney is a student at Salisbury University pursuing a double major in Management and Communications. After graduation she hopes to obtain a career within an agricultural company focused on banking, nutrition management, insurance, marketing, or animal health. She wants to use her position to help the agriculture industry thrive and flourish.
George Sebright of Farview Holsteins, a
150-cow Holstein operation in Middleburgh, N.Y., is the daughter of William and Melissa Payne and Angela Stickles. Alexis is a student at SUNY Cobleskill studying Animal Science – Dairy. After college, she hopes to pursue an off-farm job in sales or promotion for experience, while still remaining on the farm.
60-cow operation in East Berlin, Pa., is the son of Robby and Jayne Sebright. George is a student at Virginia Tech studying Dairy Science. After graduating, he is considering two career paths. First, he is interested in operating or managing a large progressive dairy farm. Alternatively, he could also pursue a career in dairy cattle genetics. Regardless, George enjoys being around people and working with cattle and looks forward to doing both in his future career in agriculture.
Gavin Rankins of Darlin Farms, a 145-cow
Kyle Vanderfeltz of Vanderfeltz Dairy, a
operation in Cusseta, Ala., is the son of Linda and Darrell Rankins, Jr. Gavin is a student at Auburn University studying Animal Sciences – Animal/Allied Industries. After graduation, he plans to return to his family’s diversified farm and work in partnership with his father and younger brother. He plans to maintain a high level of diversification on the farm while increasing efficiency and production. He is excited to be part of an industry that feeds a hungry world.
400-cow Holstein and Jersey operation in Lawton, Pa., is the son of Joseph and Melinda Vanderfeltz. Kyle is a student at SUNY Cobleskill studying Ag Engine Power and Machinery. After graduation he plans to return to his family’s dairy farm. He enjoys milking cows and doing fieldwork, and with his degree he will be able to do most of the maintenance and repairs to the farm equipment to save money and help the farm reach its goals.
Charles Rosson of Quaker Hill Farm, an
Bryce Windecker of Windex Farm, a 190-
Alexis Payne of Maple Downs Farms II, a
800-head registered Angus, Red Angus, Simmental, Charolais, and Shorthorn operation in Louisa, Va., is the son of Charles and Sherry Rosson. Charles is a student at Oklahoma State University studying Animal Science. After graduating, he plans to return to the farm and gradually take over the reins. His goals include expanding the operation and increasing the bull customer base and the rigid carcass testing program.
Elizabeth Rosson of Quaker Hill Farm, an
800-head registered Angus, Red Angus, Simmental, Charolais, and Shorthorn operation in Louisa, Va., is the daughter of Charles and Sherry Rosson. Elizabeth is a senior at Louisa County High School. She plans to attend Oklahoma State University to study Agriculture Communications and Animal Science. Her career goals include securing a position in the Agriculture Communications field that will also allow her the ability to remain involved with her family’s cattle operation. She hopes that her career will allow her to preserve and strengthen her family farm as well as rural
cow Holstein operation in Schuyler, N.Y., is the son of Dale and Deborah Windecker. Bryce is a student at Cornell University studying Animal Science. Upon graduation, Bryce plans to seek a job in farm finance or genetics so he can consult and work with farmers to help them prosper. He feels that connecting with business owners on a personal level is the key to helping them thrive. Bryce would also like to operate a small-scale dairy of his own at home. The Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program provides financial support to eligible students pursuing agricultural education, and also provides additional return to the cooperative’s member-owners by supporting the next generation of young people desiring to study and work in the agriculture industry. The Premier Select Sires board of directors has made a commitment to providing money to support this scholarship program on an ongoing annual basis.
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2021 ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS The 2021 Virtual Premier Select Sires Annual Meeting was held on Wednesday, February 24. Although the traditional in-person gathering was greatly missed, the board was able to safely convene for an efficient, effective meeting to keep our cooperative gears turning! Following are a few highlights from the meeting: • The election of directors and delegates took place. The board thanked retiring delegate Alvin Herman for his years of service, and welcomed Jessica Slaymaker as a new delegate (see page 11). • James R. Fries, Certified Public Accountant, presented a 2020 financial review. A recent audit of 2020 financial statements revealed that despite a challenging environment this past year, Premier effectively controlled costs, earned profits, and returned benefits to Premier member-owners. • In May 2020, the Premier Board of Directors held a special vote approving the implementation of the May, June, and July 7 Percent Semen Credit Program, combined with early retirement of equity that accelerated the return to member-owners during a time that was difficult for many producers. This action returned nearly $1 million to member-owners. • Throughout 2020, Premier totaled nearly $58,000 in donations to youth organizations such as 4-H and FFA, local shows and sales, agricultural events across the Premier territory, and more. • The 2021 Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship recipients were recognized (see pages 8-9)
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YOUR PREMIER SELECT SIRES BOARD MEMBERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PUBLIC DIRECTOR
James Cook, President, District 3 Steve Craun, District 3 Bob Cruikshank, District 1 Gary Dell, District 2 Paul Gingue, 2nd Vice-President, District 1 John Edd Harris, 1st Vice-President, District 3 Kelvin Hatch, District 2 Jim Houser, District 2 Barbara Nedrow, District 1 Mike Saylor, Treasurer, District 4 Kenny Taylor, Secretary, District 4
Tim Riley
DELEGATES Pat Ard, District 4 Vern Buessing, District 4 Jonathan Lamb, District 1 Kevin Satterwhite, District 3 Jessica Slaymaker, District 2
EMPLOYED OFFICERS Mark Carpenter, CEO/Executive Vice-President Beverly Barnes, Assistant Board Meeting Secretary Ryan Visneski, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer
PREMIER THANKS ALVIN HERMAN FOR SERVICE, WELCOMES JESSICA SLAYMAKER Bradford County, Pa. retired his position as a District 2 delegate for Premier. Herman has been a delegate since 2006, and also served as a director from 2017 to 2020. Herman brought a well-rounded background to the board. He and his family milked registered Holsteins until 2018, and he now raises beef and grows hay alongside his brother, Mike, and Mike’s family.
ALVIN HERMAN
“Premier is a great cooperative and I have been with them for a long time…I was a member from NEBA to Sire Power to Select Sire Power to Premier,” said Herman. “It’s been exciting to watch our cooperative grow and still provide quality products and services to our members. Our board and management team always stressed this and was proud of it. We
now serve 23 states and work hard to provide the outstanding products and services we have always had.” Herman emphasizes what a great experience it was meeting and working with all of the hardworking, wonderful people of Premier, from the members, employees, management, and the fellow board members he has served with. “It has been an honor and a blessing to serve as a delegate and member of the Board of Directors,” said Herman. “Having us represent the other producers in our cooperative means a lot. We always put the best interests of the members first. I will miss everyone I have worked with, and I wish Premier the best. I would like to thank our Premier members and Board for the opportunity to serve.” Herman and his wife, Mary, have two
JESSICA SLAYMAKER
Alvin Herman of Albavale Farms in
adult daughters, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren. Please join Premier in thanking Alvin and his family for the time and service they have committed to our cooperative!
Jessica Slaymaker of Slaymaker Farm in
Tioga County, Pa. joined the board as the new District 2 delegate. She represents Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware. “I am honored and excited to become a Premier Select Sires delegate,” said Slaymaker. “I was previously a delegate for Select Sire Power before the merger. I enjoy learning about what the cooperative is doing for us, and being able to represent the dairy farmers of my area!” Slaymaker also currently serves as a member of the Premier Owners’ Voice (POV) customer advisory board. She, her husband, and their two daughters milk 150 cows. The herd is primarily Holsteins, but Jess and her daughters are slowly growing their Jersey and Brown Swiss numbers. Slaymaker Farm actively uses many Premier services and resources. Please join us in welcoming Jessica to the board!
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SELECT SIRES BEEF HOLDS VIRTUAL BEEF PRODUCER MEETINGS How do you reach thousands of beef customers throughout the United States when a pandemic continues to dictate our meeting capabilities? You lean on social media, of course! And that’s just what the team at Select Sires Beef did this winter. Because the staff couldn’t travel to member areas, they gathered their team in one spot and had a great time talking about all the things they’d normally be presenting to you…and then they shared the videos!
VIDEO TOPICS
From the inviting backdrops, to the camaraderie between speakers, to the real-time chats about today’s pressing topics, these 13 segments of “virtual customer meetings” are
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entertaining and informative! You’ll find segments on new release bulls for Angus, Red Angus, Simmental and Herefords; a discussion about the new 7&7 protocol, customer service, fertility and more! You’ll even see some familiar Premier Beef team faces in the mix, and we’re so proud to have them on our team! If you would like to review an episode or send it to a friend, you can find the whole collection at our website. Head on over to www.premierselectsires.com, go to the Beef Genetics page, and click the link to watch the 2021 Select Series Virtual Beef Meetings!
Angus Breed Leader - $Maternal Masters Angus Breed Leader - Elite $Combined Bulls Angus Breed Leaders - Power and Phenotype Favorites New Angus Sires Angus Breed Leaders - Calving Ease Elites Increasing Fertility with Select Sires Delivering More Services to You Simmental Leaders - Proven Sires New Simmental Sires Industry Trends and Select Marketing Opportunities Hereford Breed Leaders and Updates The 7&7 Sync Protocol for Mature Cows Red Angus Breed Leaders and Updates
HOME TOWN
SURE FIRE
7AN580 // G A R HOME TOWN AAA 19266718 // Ashland x SURE FIRE One of the most heavily utilized A.I. bulls in 2020 and will be again in 2021. HOME TOWN is amazing. His genetic projections and phenotype both offer significant improvement for your next calf crop.
7AN389 // G A R SURE FIRE AAA 17328461 // In Sure x 5050
CED BW WW YW DOC HP CEM Milk CW Marb RE 15 -0.4 68 128 21 12.9 17 30 59 1.83 1.13
$M 65
$W 77
$B 229
The premier Calving Ease and carcass bull in the beef business today. SURE FIRE is high for DOC and CEM, he sires the right size in terms of frame, and he stamps his daughters with superb udders. With over 200 actual carcass records and top 1 percent Marbling, expect quality grade premiums! $C 362
CED BW WW YW DOC HP CEM Milk CW Marb RE 13 -0.1 56 106 27 9.1 8 29 46 1.34 .69
$M 70
$W 76
$B 176
$C 298
DUAL THREAT
QUANTUM
7AN624 // G A R DUAL THREAT AAA 19123898 // SURE FIRE x Daybreak This exciting SURE FIRE son takes Calving Ease genetics to a whole new level. He’s got a solid background of maternal genetics along with considerable opportunities for added value.
7AN560 // G A R QUANTUM AAA 18636059 // MOMENTUM x In Sure Another in a long list of MOMENTUM sons offering superior balance, sensible size and better-than-average foot EPDs with a major emphasis on grid premiums for both quality and yield.
CED BW WW YW DOC HP CEM Milk CW Marb RE 13 -1.1 66 124 25 15.3 7 38 72 1.45 1.22
$M 78
$W 85
$B 221
$C 365
CED BW WW YW DOC HP CEM Milk CW Marb RE 15 0.1 68 122 28 7.6 9 34 57 1.06 1.28
$M 63
$W 81
$B 185
$C 303
EPDs as of 3/12/21
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MONITOR YOUR HERD WITH COWMANAGER
®
The CowManager herd monitoring system uses a revolutionary ear sensor technology to provide accurate, real time information about individual cows’ fertility, health, nutritional status, and location. Producers can opt into the modules that best serve their farm. Rottinghaus Family Dairy and Fincham Dairy LLC, both located in Kansas, currently use the Fertility Module, which provides data about heat intensity and heat stage for maximizing heat detection in individual cows. Read on to learn more about these two farms’ experiences with CowManager!
Josh Rottinghaus owns Rottinghaus Family Dairy
in Seneca, Kan. and milks 300 cows. After talking with a friend who used a heat detection system, Josh began researching different activity monitoring options for his own farm and landed on CowManager. He installed the system in July 2020.
Why did you decide to purchase a CowManager system? Josh: I had been working with more employees, and the cost of drugs for synchronization was becoming exorbitant. Our cows milked well but the repro wasn’t what it should be. It wasn’t conception; it was a matter of finding cows in heat.
What has been the impact of CowManager? Josh: It made up the money pretty easily with
more pregnant cows. I am no longer on a standardized shot program, which has saved a considerable amount of money. Our conception rate has gone up, and it has worked out well. I’ve put CowManager tags on all of my heifers, and now that I’m breeding completely off good standing heats, I’m using strictly sexed semen on my heifers, and then I’m even using some sexed semen “cherry picking style” on my first lactation heifers. I’ve just started that as a trial, so we will see how it goes. You can be away and still know what’s going on at the farm. Just this morning, I had to leave early to take my kids to the dentist. A bunch of cows popped up to breed later and I wouldn’t have been there to see them. It is nice being able to have an extra set of eyes on the farm.
What are your goals moving forward regarding CowManager? Josh: I am thinking about getting the Nutrition Module back depending on milk prices [producers receive a free trial of
the different modules upon installation]. The rumination monitor on fresh cows is very helpful…when activated you can make a ration change and see if it is just one cow or the entire herd that is off. It gives you an extra tool to measure what is going on more than just a gut feeling. It eliminates some of the possibilities when figuring out a problem.
with heat detection and wants to eliminate some money on drug bills, I’d definitely get “ If a producer has issues CowManager. It’s a good system…it’s worked out well for me.
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–Josh Rottinghaus, Rottinghaus Family Dairy, Seneca KS
Mike Fincham, Part Owner of Fincham Dairy LLC in Marysville,
Kan., works with his father, Don, and other family members to run their 200-cow operation. As the primary manager of reproduction, Mike had been looking into the CowManager system for several years. After some research, he installed it in September 2020.
Why did you decide to purchase a CowManager system? Mike: We wanted to increase heat detection and get away from
all of the shots and heat detection aids we were using every week. The setup shots and patches on the back took quite a bit of time. We were hopeful that we could get away from that and catch natural heats.
What has been the impact of CowManager? Mike: It catches cows in heat repeats a lot better. The first time
heats I’m looking for them and I know I need to watch for these cows, but it’s the repeats that I’m catching way sooner coming back into heat. As a result, on preg check day most of the cows are pregnant. Then I only need to focus on those that aren’t cycling or are cystic. Now I only give shots to cows that are not cycling...I don’t have to wonder if I missed a heat. I can just look back at her graph and give her a shot. The days to first service is going down, and I think it’ll go down even more as I get used to the system and get a feel for it. I’m getting semen into the right cows and picking them up right away if they don’t settle. The other helpful part is just knowing when to breed a cow. Do I breed her tonight or wait until tomorrow morning? When you’re not watching 24/7 you don’t know where she is in her heat. You can use her graph to help with timing of insemination to get cows pregnant.
What are your goals moving forward regarding CowManager? Mike: I want to continue to bring days to first service down, and I think that will continue to happen. I also want to
fine-tune my strategy with sexed semen. CowManager makes me more confident in knowing when to breed cows, and in waiting a little longer until the tail end of the heat cycle for using sexed semen, we can get some heifer calves out of our best cows.
just kind of seems to be the way the dairy industry is going. You can get so much data on cows. This “ Having that data allows me to get some of that data remotely without having to stand there and watch them.
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–Mike Fincham, Fincham Dairy LLC, Marysville KS
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