2010 Outstanding Holstein Girl & Boy Outstanding Holstein Girl - Danae Bauer
Outstanding Holstein Boy - Jacob Brey
I was completely shocked when I heard my name announced as the Outstanding Holstein Girl at the 2011 Junior Holstein Convention. I am honored to be chosen amongst a list of very deserving candidates and distinguished past recipients. It is literally a dream come true for a girl who loves her Holsteins as much as I do and has enjoyed her opportunities to learn and grow through Junior Holstein. I am very appreciative and humbled to receive this award. My parents are Frank Jr. and Ruth Bauer, and I have three younger brothers, Ethan, Seth and Ryan. I call Sandy-Valley Farms home. This 400-cow dairy farm is owned by my father, and his two brothers, David and Patrick. My Uncle Greg manages our merchandising program and I assist him in this area. Our farm sends up to 60 bulls to A.I. a year, and we merchandise embryos world-wide. My main responsibility on the farm is calf management. I am responsible for calves from birth to breeding age. I also coordinate our extensive embryo transfer program in which we flush over one hundred animals a year. I currently own 15 animals with my brother, Ethan, and cousin, Katie. I look forward to improving and merchandising our small herd. I continue to learn and expand my role at our farm and I hope to become the next generation to carry on the Sandy-Valley prefix. I plan on taking business and dairy classes at Fox Valley Technical College while continuing an active role on the farm. I have enjoyed being involved in activities at church, 4-H, FFA, and Junior Holstein. On a state level of Junior Holstein, I have participated in the Junior Trip, judging, photography and advertising contests, Cow Camp, dairy bowl, and DJM recognition. On our county level I serve as president and enjoy helping with our Calf Sale every year and participating in other various activities every year. As a homeschooled student, I have gone a bit out of my way to be involved in FFA and have earned awards for my dairy involvement. I have really enjoyed my role as a dairy leader for our 4-H club. I love helping kids pick out calves to take to the fair, showing the kids how to get their calves ready, and helping them work on showmanship skills. I was delighted when my cousins, Katie and Emily Bauer, placed first and second in the same showmanship class; the judge was thoroughly impressed with their skills. Katie also did very well at State Fair, placing 3rd overall in her age division. It was great to think that I had some part in that. I thank God for the very supportive family He has given me in my mom, dad, and three brothers. I appreciate their willingness to let me skip out on chores for fairs, dairy judging, and 4-H and Junior Holstein activities. I am also very thankful for the support of my aunts, uncles, and cousins who have also allowed me to take time away from chores at the farm and have encouraged me as well. I have benefitted from having very supportive Junior leaders in Brenda Long, Sandy Cordes, and Carla and Willis Gunst. Clint Beyer and Bruce Hoeft were very instrumental in encouraging my interest in dairy
Receiving the Outstanding Holstein Boy award had been a goal of mine since a Junior Holstein convention seven years ago when I saw my older brother receive the honor. I distinctly remember thinking to myself about how neat it would be to someday stand up at that podium just like Tony was doing. I feel that receiving this distinction is owed to the many people that have helped me even become a part of the discussion to receive the award. It has been a very humbling experience throughout, and I feel like one of the most fortunate young men to have such a strong family and supporting group to be involved with. My name is Jacob Brey and I am the 20 year old son of Bill and Clarice Brey. I have three older sisters, Christy (Nathan) Vogel, Angie (Mark) Ulness, and Katie (Menno) Huiser, as well as my brother Tony and his wife Moriah. Currently I am attending UW-Madison as a sophomore majoring in Dairy Science with an emphasis in Business. On campus I am active in the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, the Badger Dairy Club, the dairy judging team, and storming the Kohl Center and Camp Randall whenever #1 Ohio State decides to come to town. Seeing my older siblings come to Madison, I did as well, and it has been one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made. Cycle Farm in Sturgeon Bay is where I call home. Currently there are about 230 milking registered Holstein cows and close to 300 head of young stock. I enjoy assisting in any way I can when I am here at school, whether it be deciding which bulls to purchase for matings or sending ideas back home that I may learn in class. We run around 750 acres of alfalfa, corn and winter wheat. Undertaking nearly all of the fieldwork ourselves becomes a bit challenging at times, especially when hosting a State Holstein Picnic is in store, but it was extremely rewarding to see the hard work pay off this past summer. I owe my parents a great deal for teaching me to have a level head and to work hard; to see my projects through completion and to give them my fullest attention and effort. I became extremely active in 4-H, FFA and Jr. Holstein by simply following in the footsteps of what my older siblings did back in their days. Therefore, participating in activities such as dairy judging, dairy bowl and showing became a mainstay in my youth. However, being the competitive person that I am always pushed me to want to improve. I tried to never feel content with how the results ended, whether it was standing near the top of a class with a heifer or especially after giving a bad set of reasons. I learned a lot by watching and asking questions to the people I thought were stand-up individuals in whatever they were doing, and I would like to thank them for that. My family is who I need to thank the most for growing me not only into the Junior Holstein member I have become, but more importantly the individual that I am today. My parents always encourage me to work smart and hard and to develop a strong work ethic. They instilled in me a valuable lesson as a young person that good things happen to good people. My sister Christy and her family show me to have a strong faith and to remember where I come from. My godmother Angie and brother from another mother Mark are two of my biggest fans, coming to support me at nearly every event. They are great role models
16–wisconsin HOLSTEIN news/March, 2011