All Roads Lead to Illinois…With a Couple of Stops on the Way and Back: Danielle’s Illinois Convention Week Trip
Cowsmo staff member Danielle Nauman made a few extra stops along the way on her travels through Illinois to attend the US National Holstein Convention, including the US National Holstein Sale and tours to Golden Oaks, Lindale/Team Holsteins and Luck-E Holsteins. She also ventured to East Peoria, IL for the AJCA National Heifer Sale and toured River Valley and Kilgus Dairy. Additional stops were made at a barn meeting held at Brian Holste’s; Mil-R-Mor; Clearfield Farms and Holbric Holsteins.
Monday, June 22nd, I departed home with my destination being St. Charles, IL and the National Holstein Convention. I made my way south and east from Western Wisconsin, leaving a state mostly covered in red on the radar map behind me, and headed for the simple downpours in Northern Illinois. I made a couple of stops on my way to St. Charles, including a barn meeting at Holste’s Holsteins to learn about the Redmond Natural mineral program, Mil-R-Mor Holsteins and Clearfield Farms.
My first stop was at Brian Holste’s farm, where a barn meeting was held to share information about the Redmond Natural mineral program. I learned a lot about this unique product which has saved those who have embraced it literally thousands of dollars and provided positive results.
Holste Holsteins near Rock City, IL was the site of the barn meeting I attended to learn about the Redmond Natural mineral program
The group of local producers gathered to learn more.
Eric Evans, an Idaho dairyman, shares his story of the successes he has experienced since beginning to use Redmond Natural six years ago.
Barn meeting host Brian Holste tells his story of switching to Redmond Natural back in December, detailing the postive experiences he has had.
Pennsylvania nutritionist Jason Swallow tells his story of his initial skepticism and his conversion to becoming a believer in the program, while Redmond Natural California Regional Representative Bill Buchmann looks on.
After the barn meeting concluded, I traveled back to the north and west a few to visit Lorilee Schultz and Bob Miller at Mil-R-Mor Holsteins near Orangeville, IL.
Lorilee Schultz and her grandfather and mentor Bob Miller. It was touching to see how proud Bob is of his granddaughter’s accomplishments and her desire to carry on the Mil-R-Mor tradition.
EX92 Damion x EX94 Leader; this cow’s four nearest dams have a combined total of 18 multiple E’s and over a million pounds of milk
EX93 Aftershock, a 9th generation Roxy from the Champ Rae branch of the family
An EX93 Laramie from the Jan-Com Fond Matt Matilda EX97-5E-GMD family
An EX94 Damion from the Tyrbach Elevation Twinkie EX97-3E family
An EX94 polled Redman, who is believed to be the highest scored polled cow
The Mil-R-Mor Barn Crew in Training Program
An EX91 Sanchez, one of the 11th generation EX Roxys
An EX93-94MS Talent x VG87 Sunbuck
An EX91 Sanchez x EX94 Encore, completing 10 generatios of EX
A VG88 Shottle x EX91 Duplex from the Audrey Posch family
A nice pair of Senior 2 Year Olds for this year, on the left is a VG86 Braxton x Million, on the right is a VG85 Atwood x VG86 Bolton, from the Roxy family
A tribute to Roxy
The rain finally subsided, and I headed back to the southeast to Jerry Smith’s of Clearfield Farms, near Davis, IL. Jerry and his granddaughter Lila Sloan showed me around, although most the cows were waiting in line for pedicures from Steve Zastrow.
Jerry Smith and his family operate Clearfield Farms, just outside of Davis, IL
A VG87 Sid 2 Year Old
O-C-E-C Toystory Fenway recently went EX94, she is a Toystory x EX92 Leader x EX94 Triple Threat. Fenway was flushed to Durham last week, resulting in 5 #1 eggs.
Lila & Fenway…when a kid loves a cow
A little touch of color, a Velocity Junior 2 Year Old fresh in March, from an EX91 Golden Boy
The March Sampson daughter out of the Velocity Junior 2 Year Old
A Windbrook March calf x EX90-2E Gibson daughter of Rhineland Durham Amy EX95-2E-GMD-DOM
A Sid fall calf x Gold Chip x Deboer Goldwyn Snow Velvet EX93
An Attic December calf x VG87 Fever x VG88 Shottle x Regancrest Cinderella EX92-2E-DOM
On the left is an October Atwood fall yearling x VG87 Fever x VG88 Shottle x Regancrest Cinderella EX92-2E-DOM and on the right is a spring yearling out of a home-bred Atwood son
A Spring Yearling from a home-bred Atwood son
On the return trip from Illinois, I made a stop at Holbric Holsteins in Harvard, IL on Saturday, June 27th. Following a recent classification, herd totals include 38 Excellents cows, 16 of which are scored 92 points or higher. There are also 94 VG and 36 GP cows in the herd. The Olbrich family also has a small herd of Jerseys, including the breed’s first 16th generation EX cow, Snafu-Holbric T-Bone Diamond EX92.
A VG86 Lexor Senior 2 Year Old x VG88 Dickey x EX92 Stormatic Bravolita x 12 more generations of VG & EX GMD/DOM
On the left is Sherona Minister Angel EX93 x WF Counciller Anakornakova EX93 x Giprat Renn Anastasia EX95; on the right is Bridon Tyler Simone, an EX91 Lencrest Tyler x EX91 Remake x Ronada Ren Suzi EX94-3E x EX91-3E J Imperial
An EX90-92MS Gen-I-Beq Bolton 4 Year Old x GP Sanchez x EX Rubens
Holbric Dickey Liza VG89-2YR, nominated Jr All-American Sr 2 Year Old 2014 and due in September, she is a Dickey x VG87 Roy x VG Cousteau x EX92 Storm with 52,000m & 2,800f
A VG87 Advent x VG85 Holbric Attraction x 3 more generations of EX dams including Elginvue Regal Arlene-Red
Richard Schauer milking in the parlor at Holbric Holsteins
