Jorin Ouwinga of McBain, Mich., was chosen as the 2013-2014 recipient of the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation Inc., Velmar Green Scholarship at Michigan State University (MSU). The $3,500 scholarship is named in honor of innovative dairy leader Velmar Green of Elsie, Mich. The award is presented to a second-year student in the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology dairy management certificate program. Ouwinga is the third recipient of the scholarship.
Ouwinga is the son of Robert and Darline Ouwinga. He received the award based on his academic achievements, involvement in extracurricular activities and interest in one day owning an operating a diversified dairy farm operation. Ouwinga, who intends one day to own and operate a dairy farm in northern Michigan, has been an employee of Dan DeZeeuw Dairy in McBain since 2010 where he is responsible for a variety of animal and crop-related activities. He also completed an internship as a student herdsman and manager at the California Polytechnic University dairy herd during the summer of 2013. His responsibilities included artificially inseminating cows, maintaining the milking parlor, managing student employees, and treating sick cows.
While at MSU, Ouwinga has been an active member of the MSU Dairy Club and the Alpha Gamma Rho (Tau chapter) fraternity, and competed in the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge Academy in April 2013. He was also a member of the winning team in the Ag Tech division at the 2013 MSU Dairy Challenge.
The Velmar Green Scholarship was established in 2009 by the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) to recognize Green for his 40 years of service to the MMPA board of directors. Green is the owner of Green Meadow Farms, Inc., one of the largest herds of registered Holsteins in North America and home to an on-site teaching laboratory for MSU College of Veterinary Medicine students. He has held leadership positions with milk marketing groups, breed associations, the Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA), the Michigan Cattlemen’s Association, university advisory groups and agriculture lending organizations. Green was the 2012-2013 chairperson of the Michigan Commission of Agriculture, which he was appointed to as a commissioner in 2009 by then Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.
The Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation awarded more than $92,000 in scholarships to 31 MSU students pursuing dairy industry-related programs of study for the 2013-2014 academic year.
For information on making contributions to honor members of the dairy industry or to support student scholarships, please contact the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources External Relations at 517-355-0284. To learn more about the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation, contact Dr. Miriam Weber Nielsen in the MSU Department of Animal Science at 517-432-5443.