Reynoldsburg, Ohio (May 30, 2017)—Tyler Kirchdoerfer, Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Blake Koehn, Meno, Okla., have been selected as the 2017 recipients of the Fred Stout Experience Awards.
The fund supporting these awards was created in 2000 in memory of Fred J. Stout Sr., Mt. Carmel, Ill., a lifelong Jersey breeder and member of the Jersey Marketing Service staff from 1978 to 1997. Stout was instrumental in the growth of JMS marketing activities, and later added duties as a type evaluator and in customer field service for the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA).
Stout believed that the best learning experiences happen in the everyday world. These awards honor that conviction by providing financial support for two paid internships each year, one on-farm and the other with Jersey Marketing Service.
JMS Internship Recipient: Tyler Kirchdoerfer
Tyler Kirchdoerfer started his internship with Jersey Marketing Service May 25. He will assist with preparation, staging and wrap-up work for the company’s public auction, online and private treaty sales including the sixtieth, Diamond Anniversary National Heifer Sale, June 24 in Gettysburg, Penna.
Tyler recently graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a B.S. degree in agri-business with an emphasis in animal science. He worked on the family farm throughout his college studies, milking every night and five mornings a week, taking charge of the vaccination program for the entire herd of 265 head, plus selecting bulls for the breeding program and maintaining mating records. In the summer of 2016, he was an intern at B-J Grove Holsteins, Mulberry Grove, Ill. working with calves and heifers, assisting with milking and field work, and preparing cattle for shows.
Tyler has participated in the Pot O’Gold program since eligible, doing his own research leading to his purchase decisions. His choice from the 2010 sale, Tollenaar Blaise 6360, won the production contest in 2013 with a record of 27,255-1,180-1,024 m.e. She was also winner of the National Jersey Youth Production Contest for 2012.
He has been an active member of 4-H, serving three years as president of the Young Americans 4-H Club. Tyler was also a member of the state dairy judging team that competed at the 2014 National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest.
Tyler was a member of the second class of Jersey Youth Academy in 2011. He plans to remain on the family farm breeding and developing outstanding Registered Jerseys™.
Farm Experience Recipient: Blake Koehn
Blake Koehn’s internship supported by the Fred Stout Experience Fund will begin June 1 at Kilgus Farmstead, Inc., Fairbury, Ill., giving him experience in on-farm, value-added milk processing with an eye to moving that direction at home.
Blake is a fourth-generation dairyman, his family’s operation being a presence in his north-central Oklahoma community since 1921. He has been fully immersed in the management and breeding of the 70-cow herd known for its good genetics, longevity and high-component production.
Active in 4-H, Blake had class winners in the junior show at the Southern National Jersey Show in 2011. Since 2008, he has consistently placed high in breed and overall rankings in judging contests held at the Oklahoma All-Breeds Field Days.
Blake was a member of the fourth class of Jersey Youth Academy (2015).
About Jersey Youth Programs
Previous recipients of the Fred Stout Experience Award are Tara Bohnert, Illinois (2003), Allison Waggoner, South Carolina (2004), Dan Bauer, Wisconsin (2005), Aaron Horst, Pennsylvania (2006), Jacob Pieper, Maryland (2007); Katie Albaugh, Maryland (2008); Brady Core, Kentucky (2009); Ivy Roberts, Florida, and Kim Wilson, Missouri (2010); Amy Maxwell, Iowa, and Joseph Fjarlie, Wisconsin (2011); Robert McGarry, Vermont, and Lyman Rudgers, New York (2012); Meagan Bolen, Ohio, and Wyatt Smith, Minnesota (2013); Meagan Chittenden, New York, and Olivia Pearson, North Carolina (2014); Gerret Boer, Texas, and Tyler Stiles French, South Carolina (2015); and Laura Bell, Tennessee, and Austin Woods, Wisconsin (2016).
The Fred Stout Experience Fund is among 13 educational awards for Jersey youth managed by the American Jersey Cattle Association, Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Contributions to these funds are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)(3) tax deductible charitable gifts and may be made at any time during the year. Applications for 2017-18 academic scholarships are due July 1, 2016. Applications for the 2018 Stout Experience Awards are accepted through December 1, 2017. For more information, visit USJersey.com, or contact the AJCA Development Department at (614) 861-3636 or email [email protected].