Producers Honored for
Their Commitment
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Winners of the 2010 National Dairy Quality Awards (NDQA) program were announced during the National Mastitis Council 50th Annual Meeting, January 23 - 26, 2011, in Arlington, Virginia.

Now in its 17th year, the goal of the NDQA program is to honor dairy producers from across the U.S. who have successfully placed top priority on producing milk of the highest quality. NMC, along with Hoard's Dairyman, Merial, GEA Farm Technologies, Ecolab Inc., IBA Inc., Select Sires and QMI, sponsored the awards.

Dairy farms are nominated for the award by professionals in the dairy industry who work with producers, such as dairy plant field representatives, veterinarians, DHI supervisors and Extension personnel. More than 170 dairy farms were nominated in 2010.

Finalists from this year's program were judged by milk quality experts who looked at quality indicators such as somatic cell count, bacteria count and incidence of mastitis. The judges looked beyond just numbers, however. Applications were also evaluated for milking routine, systems of monitoring udder health, protocols for detecting and treating clinical and subclinical cases of mastitis, record keeping, strategies for overall herd health and welfare, and adherence to drug use regulations.

Platinum, Gold and Silver winners were designated from the group of finalists.

Top-rated Platinum winners, honored during the NMC Annual Meeting, are pictured below [click here for photos and brief bios].

For a complete list of all Silver, Gold, and Platinum winners and nominators, click here.

Read the "round table discussion" article from the January 10, 2011 issue of Hoard's Dairyman, featuring the seven NDQA Platinum winners and their day-to-day strategies to produce high quality milk [click here].
 

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2010 NDQA Platinum Winners

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It's two years in a row for the Bauers, Faribault, Minnesota, who also were Platinum winners last year. Again, the Bauers (Randy and Kathy at center with daughter Melisa and son Glen) were nominated by Doug Wertish of the South Central College farm business management program. He said, "Randy and Kathy take the time and energy to look for any small thing that may improve their dairy operation in terms of production and efficiency." Between June 2009 and May 2010, the Bauers' 102-cow herd had an average cell count of just 62,000. They had no udder health culls during that period.
Box Canyon Dairy Number 3, Wendell, Idaho, with 900 cows, is the largest of the Platinum winners. The operation had an average somatic cell count of just 57,000. Box Canyon is a partnership involving (from left) Jerimy Craig, Frans Aardema, Jeannie Wolverton and Tom Heida. Scott Haag (not shown) is manager. Their Holsteins are housed in open lots with shades. Six employees do most of the milking in a parallel parlor. All wear gloves during milking. The routine is predip, strip, dry with cloth towels and attach. Tank samples for culturing are taken weekly. Box Canyon was nominated by Russ Dekruyf, Glanbia Foods.
Standard plate count for the DeKams, Falmouth, Michigan, averaged just 1,000. The operation includes (from left) Esther (holding Levi) and Dave DeKam with Collin in front, Jerry and Kasia Agema, and Randy Coffey. Most milking of their high-producing, 290-cow herd is done by employees in a double-10 parallel parlor. The herd is housed in a sand-bedded free stall barn. Fewer than 3 percent of their cows had clinical mastitis last year. For mild and moderate cases, they treat with Spectramast, give vitamin B and use Uddermint. The DeKams were nominated by Dave Clark with Dairy Marketing Services.

The Hendersons, Schaghticoke, New York, were Platinum winners last year, also. Their 136-cow herd is housed in a free stall barn with rubber mats that are topped with sand. To maintain healthy teat ends, they watch vacuum level closely, change inflations every 1,000 milkings, have pulsators rebuilt every year and use high-quality pre- and postdips. The routine in their double-6 herringbone parlor is wipe teats, predip, strip, predip again, dry teats and attach. "Every aspect of this operation is managed with care and concern from calfhood on," said nominators Jesse Vandergrift and George Pfeiffer with Archdale Ag Products.
Also repeat Platinum winners, Robert and Terri Ketchum, Utica, Minnesota, were nominated by Bob Zielsdorf of Swiss Valley Farms, who said that Robert keeps excellent records and does a lot of little things to produce excellent quality milk. The Ketchums use a CMT paddle on all fresh cows four days after calving. If a cow is positive, a milk sample is taken and cows are treated according to culture results. Fewer than 2 percent of the cows in the 126-head herd had a clinical case last year. Their herd is housed in a three-row, sand-bedded, free stall barn and milked in a double-8 parallel parlor. Stalls are cleaned three times a day and rebedded weekly.
Kenneth and Marlus Schmitz Norwalk, Wisconsin, are shown with their children (from left) Katelyn, Matthew and Taylor. They also were nominated by Bob Zielsdorf, Swiss Valley Farms. He called the Schmitz family very deserving as they have received both Silver and Gold NDQA recognition in the past. They check daily to make sure inflations aren't twisted in shells and their milking system is checked monthly. Inflations are changed on a strict schedule and air and milk hoses are replaced twice a year. The 86-cow herd is in a tie stall barn with mats topped with dry sawdust. Stalls are scraped three to four times a day.
Somatic cell count averaged just 60,000 last year at VanPolen Farms, Marion, Michigan. The 225-cow herd is housed in sand-bedded free stalls. At dry-off, cows get either Albadry or Tomorrow, followed by Orbeseal and Blockade barrier dip. The VanPolens are very particular when it comes to prepping, cow welfare, nutrition and barn management, said nominators Preston Cole and Katie Pierson of Michigan Milk Producers Association. Shown in front (from left) are Beth and Laurie VanPolen, Kristin Hamacher and Mike VanPolen. Back row (from left) are Rick, Duane and Ken VanPolen, and Alex Hamacher.
 

Overall Results from the 2010 National Dairy Quality Awards Program

2010 NDQA Platinum Winners

Kathy and Randy Bauer, Faribault, Minn.
Nominated by: Doug Wertish, South Central College Farm Business Management
Dave and Esther DeKam, Falmouth, Mich.
Nominated by: Dave Clark, Dairy Marketing Service
Alan and Taylor Henderson, Schaghticoke, N.Y
Nominated by: Jesse Vandergrift and George Pfeiffer, Archdale Agricultural Products
Robert and Terri Ketchum, Utica, Minn.
Nominated by: Bob Zielsdorf, Swiss Valley Farms
Kenneth and Marlus Schmitz, Norwalk, Wis.
Nominated by: Bob Zielsdorf, Swiss Valley Farms
Ken and Anna Van Polen, Marion, Mich.
Nominated by: Katie Pearson, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Box Canyon Dairy Number 3, Wendell, Idaho
Nominated by: Russ Dekruyf, Glanbia Foods, Inc.


2010 NDQA Gold Winners

Kenneth and Ralph Schefers, Paynesville, Minn.
Nominated by: Lloyd Rausch, Associated Milk Producers Inc.
George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, Litchfield, Conn.
Nominated by: Linda Hansen, Marcus Dairy
Robert and Mary Keeney, Mt. Hope, Wis.
Nominated by: Roger Dingbaum, Associated Milk Producers Inc.
Randy and Becky Dreier, Norwalk, Wis.
Nominated by: Bob Zielsdorf, Swiss Valley Farms
Greg Bingham, Weston, Idaho.
Nominated by: James Miller, Organic Valley/CROPP Co-op
David and Kathy Buck, Dennison, Minn.
Nominated by: Marlin Madery, IBA, Inc.
Philip and Carol Uhlenhopp, Sumner, Iowa
Nominated by: Brian Gomer, IBA, Inc.
Henk Knevelbaard, Fremont, Mich.
Nominated by: Steve Adsmond, Van Beek Nutrition
Kent Inniger, Middleton, Mich.
Nominated by: Keith Sterner, Sterner Veterinary Clinic
Curtis, Maren and Jeremy Holst, Lake City, Minn.
Nominated by: Don Schwesthal, Land O'Lakes, Inc.
Gordon Dick, McBain, Mich.
Nominated by: Preston Cole, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Tom, Shirley and Eric Carson, Hesperia, Mich.
Nominated by: Lyndsay Stakenas, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Bud, Ron and Ed Reisbig, Ionia, Mich.
Nominated by: Bryan Stocks, Dairy Farmers of America
Timothy Northrop, York, N.Y.
Nominated by: Donna Walker, Dairylea Cooperative
John, Jeff, Greg and Karl Funk, Melrose, Minn.
Nominated by: Jeffrey Reneau, Univ. of Minnesota
Kyle and Gin Ulferts, Anamosa, Iowa
Nominated by: Bill Nietert, Associated Milk Producers Inc.
Steve Guider and Charles Stendel, De Soto, Wis.
Nominated by: Amanda Allert, Associated Milk Producers Inc.
William McMahan, Randle, Wash.
Nominated by: James Miller, Organic Valley/CROPP Co-op
Tom McClellan, Delavan, Wis.
Nominated by: Randy Hardyman, Grande Milk Marketing


2010 NDQA Silver Winners

Dennis Sikkenga, Montague, Mich.
Nominated by: Lyndsay Stakenas, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Ryan Litwiller, Middleton, Mich.
Nominated by: Steve Lehman, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Jared Litwiller, Carson City, Mich.
Nominated by: Rosemarie Stieg, Dairy Farmers of America/DMS
Bob, Donna and Bryan Wilson, Dansville, N.Y.
Nominated by: Donna Walker, Dairylea Cooperative
Rick and Dorianne Wolf, East Hampton, Conn.
Nominated by: Linda Hansen, Dairylea Cooperative
Steve, Patty, Andrew, Taylor and Nick Meyer, Hardwick, Vt.
Nominated by: Tom Gates, St. Albans Co-op Creamery
Jeremy and Deseriee Beebe, Whittemore, Mich.
Nominated by: Preston Cole, Michigan Milk Producers Association
James Austin, Oakville, Wash.
Nominated by: James Miller, Organic Valley/CROPP Co-op
Walter and Irene Abplanalp, Ethel, Wash.
Nominated by: James Miller, Organic Valley/CROPP Co-op
Clark and Lois Woodmansee, Preston, Conn.
Nominated by: Linda Hansen, Dairy Farmers of America
Jason and Dwayne Raymond, New Richmond, Wis.
Nominated by: Bill Fesenmaier, Bill's IBA, Inc.
Andy and Linda Styger, Chehalis, Wash.
Nominated by: James Miller, Organic Valley/CROPP Co-op
Jeff Orr and Paige Mier, Prescott, Mich.
Nominated by: Dave Clark, Dairy Marketing Service
Matt and Katelyn Seeley, Shepherd, Mich.
Nominated by: Rosemarie Stieg, Dairy Farmers of America/DMS
Armon and Kathy Lewis, Williston, Vt.
Nominated by: Tom Gates, St. Albans Co-op Creamery
Edward Rau, Winchester, Ohio
Nominated by: David Moore, Dairy Farmers of America
Randy and Kimberly Peterson, Arlington, Wash.
Nominated by: James Miller, Organic Valley/CROPP Co-op
Douglas Good, Portageville, N.Y.
Donna Walker, Dairylea Co-op
David and Gerard Ellerbrock, Leipsic, Ohio
Nominated by: Jeff Rohlf, Dairy Farmers of America
Robert and Mark Rau, West Branch, Mich.
Nominated by: Preston Cole, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Bob and Laurie Grenon, North Troy, Vt.
Nominated by: James Miller, Organic Valley/CROPP Co-op
Nathaniel Barron, Dansville, N.Y.
Nominated by: Donna Walker, Dairylea Cooperative
John Zewen, New Vienna, Iowa
Nominated by: Carrie Corlett, Dairy Farmers of America
Paul and Michele Philbrick, Knox, Maine
Nominated by: James Miller, Organic Valley/CROPP Co-op
James, Maynard and Chad Ostrowski, Amherst Junction, Wis.
Nominated by: David Morien, Dairy Farmers of America
Jason Hoornstra, Brimley, Mich.
Nominated by: Frank Brazeau, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Timothy and Esther Bode, Marion, Mich.
Nominated by: Dave Clark, Dairy Marketing Service

Applications for the 2011 NDQA program will be accepted this summer. Winners will be announced at the NMC 51st Annual Meeting to be held January 22-14, 2012 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Watch the NMC website for more information.
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