Top Quality Award Goes to Chasin' Rainbows Dairy

Dean and Patti Tohl, of Chasin' Rainbows Dairy, are no strangers to top honors in the NDQA program. This husband-and-wife team captured first place in the under-100 cow category in the 1997 NDQA. The Tohl's have made few relatively few changes since their last trip to the winner's circle. "There are no shortcuts or magic formulas," says Dean. "It's all the little things you do time after time."

Bryan Gibson, field representative for Tillamook County Creamery Association, nominated the Tohl's for this year's NDQA award. "Dean and Patti Tohl take an uncompromising approach to producing premium milk," says Gibson. "Their intelligent planning and attention to detail set them apart. They're real leaders."

Production for the 50 Holsteins in the herd averaged 30,470 lb. of milk, 962 lb. of protein and 1,145 lb. of fat on 2X milking for a 12 month period. The Jerseys in the herd averaged 20,702 lb. milk with 771 lb. protein and 989 lb. fat. The somatic cell count (SCC) averaged 69,000 while both the pre-incubation count and standard plate count averaged 1,000.

The Tohls' milking procedure includes the use of individual paper towels, forestripping, and pre-and post-dipping with iodine. Patti and Dean, who do all the milking, also wear gloves for all milkings. Freestall care and milking system maintenance are two areas of emphasis for mastitis control in the herd. The Tohl's rely on DHI somatic cell count records and visual inspections during milking to monitor mastitis. The California Mastitis Test (CMT) is run on problem quarters encountered during milking. CMTs are also run on all cows at dryoff and freshening.

Now in its ninth year, the NDQA recognizes dairy producers and their families who do an outstanding job of producing high quality milk every day on U.S. dairy farms. This year's NDQA program was sponsored by the National Mastitis Council, Dairy Today, Westfalia-Surge, Intervet, and World Dairy Expo.

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, or extension personnel. Four regional winners are selected from those nominated. In addition, merit winners from each region are also recognized, based on herd size (fewer than 100 cows, 100 to 499 cows, and 500 or more cows). In addition to milk quality indicators such as somatic cell count, bacteria count, and incidence of mastitis, the farms are also judged on overall herd health and management practices which are implemented on the farm. Because the program has established a reputation for excellence, nominators typically submit just the very best operations from their areas for consideration.

The 2002 NDQA winners are listed below:

National Winner and West Regional Winner
Chasin' Rainbows Dairy, Dean and Patti Tohl, Tillamook, Oregon
Nominated by: Bryan Gibson, Tillamook County Creamery Association, Tillamook, Oregon
Herd size: 105 cows
Production: Holsteins - 30,470 lb. (2X); Jerseys - 20,702 lb. (2X)
Average SCC: 69,000 (low 48,000; high 84,000)

West Region
Merit winners:
CW Dairy, Inc., Craig Westover, Lewiston, Utah
Nominated by: Lindsey Dimond, Dairy Farmers of America, Grace, Idaho
Herd size: 99 cows
Production: 24,468 lb. (2X)
Average SCC: 139,000 (low 104,000; high 159,000)

Boschma Living Trust, Ed Boschma, Tolleson, Arizona
Nominated by: Allen Herring, Dairy Veterinary Services, Litchfield Park, Arizona
Herd size: 2,600 cows
Production: 23,000 lb. (3X)
Average SCC: 141,000 (low 85,000; high 230,000)

Midwest Region
Regional winner:
Meekhof Dairy, Ken and Ruby Meekhof, McBain, Michigan
Nominated by: Gary Koester, Airport Animal Clinic, Cadillac, Michigan and Ron Bazuin, Dairy Farmers of America, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Herd size: 155 cows
Production: 25,966 lb. (2X)
Average SCC: 53,000 (low 36,000; high 65,000)

Merit winners:
Ran-Rose Dairy Farm, Randall and Rosalie Geiger, Reedsville, Wisconsin
Nominated by: Scott Gunderson, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Herd size: 65 cows
Production: 24,277 lb. (2X)
Average SCC: 64,000 (low 18,000; high 119,000)

Uhlenhopp Dairy, Phillip and Carol Uhlenhopp, Sumner, Iowa
Nominated by: Jim Kuennen, Associated Milk Producers, Inc., Arlington, Iowa
Herd size: 40 cows
Production: 23,521 lb.(2X)
Average SCC: 64,000 (low 39,000; high 83,000)

Northeast Region
Regional winner:
Dimock Farms, LLC, Donald, Martha and Bruce Dimock, Peru, New York
Nominated by: George Palmer, Palmer Veterinary Clinic, Plattsburgh, New York
Herd size: 244 cows
Production: 24,291 lb. (2X)
Average SCC: 82,000 (low 68,000; high 100,000)

Merit winners:
Coventry Farm, Timothy Maikshilo and Kristen Dellert, Irasburg, Vermont
nominated by: Diane Bothfield, St. Albans Cooperative Creamery, Inc., St. Albans, Vermont
Herd size: 45 cows
Production: 21,354 lb. (2X)
Average SCC: 71,300 (low 34,000; high 180,000)

Hildene Farms, Dave and Noreen Tillotson, Wyoming, New York
Nominated by: Sara Gillette, Upstate Farms Cooperative, Leroy, New York
Herd size: 522 cows
Production: 85 lb/day/cow (3X)
Average SCC: 110,000 (low: 70,000; high: 180,000)

Southeast Region
Regional winner:
Bulldog Holsteins, Mike, Heather, and Shelby Iager, Rocky Ridge, Maryland
Nominated by: Matthew Iager, Mid-Maryland Veterinarians, Hagerstown, Maryland
Herd size: 39 cows
Production: 25,830 lb. (2X)
Average SCC: 121,000 (low 61,000; high 360,000)

Merit winner:
Champ Hill Farm, Inc., Daniel Fitzgerald, Reva, Virginia
Nominated by: Bob Burruss, Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers, Reston, Virginia
Herd size: 120 cows
Production: 20,646 lb. (2X)
Average SCC: 165,000 (low 113,000; high 244,000)

Read about the 2001 NDQA winners and 2000 NDQA winners here.

For more information, contact:

Anne Saeman
National Mastitis Council
2820 Walton Commons West, Suite 131
Madison, WI 53718-6797
Phone: (608) 224-0622
Fax: (608) 224-0644
Email: anne@nmconline.org
Website: www.nmconline.org