The annual Wisconsin Junior Holstein Convention was hosted by the Sheboygan County juniors in Sheboygan, Wis., at the Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center, January 4-6, 2019. More than 450 Holstein members, chaperones, and volunteers were in attendance to help make the weekend a success.
Throughout the convention junior members participated in numerous contests, including speaking, arts and crafts, photography, Dairy Jeopardy and Dairy Bowl. The largest competition of the weekend was Dairy Bowl, in which 33 junior, 21 senior, and 10 rookie teams competed.
More than 50 volunteers helped coordinate Dairy Bowl matches, Dairy Jeopardy contests, and the speaking contest. The Manitowoc/Calumet County team took first place in the junior Dairy Bowl contest for the second year in a row with Brown County Team 1 coming in second place. The winner of the senior division was Shawano County Team 1 with Door County taking second. Team members on the junior Manitowoc/Calumet County team include Clarissa Ulness, Garrett Ulness, Austin Meyer and Brianna Meyer. The Shawano County Team 1 consisted of Summer Henschel, Mason Jauquet, Carmen Haack and Ben Schmidt. Manitowoc/Calumet and Shawano Counties will represent Wisconsin at the National Holstein Convention in Appleton, Wis., in June 2019.
Rounding out the top five for the junior division were Wood County Team 2, Iowa County Team 1 and Clark County, in third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Finishing in third through fifth place in the senior division were Brown County, Dodge/Vernon County and Lafayette County.
All juniors at convention had the chance to compete in the Dairy Jeopardy competition. The top competitor in each of three age brackets has the opportunity to compete at the national level. Winning the junior division was Maddy Hensel of Wood County with Jacob Harbaugh, Shawano County and Brady Bleck, Sheboygan County placing second and third, respectively. Lauren Siemers of Manitowoc County topped the intermediate division with Clarissa Ulness, Manitowoc County placing second and Brianna Meyer, Calumet County, taking third. The winner of the senior division was Jared Baudhuin of Door County. Mason Jauquet and Summer Henschel, both of Shawano County, placed second and third, respectively.
In the speaking contest, Wisconsin can send up to three delegates in each division to compete at National Convention. To compete, youth must prepare a speech on a topic related to the dairy industry at a length assigned to their specific age division. Heading to National Convention this year in the junior division are Abby Meyer, Calumet County; Jacob Harbaugh, Shawano County; and Elizabeth Gunst, Dodge County. In the intermediate division, Matthew Gunst, Dodge County, took home top honors. Ava Endres of Dane County placed second and Sydney Gwidt, Shawano County placed third. Winning the senior division was Lauren Siemers of Manitowoc County with Mikayla Endres, Richland County, taking second, and Maddy Gwidt, Shawano County, placing third.
On Saturday evening, the annual banquet was held to honor outstanding juniors in the Association. Zach Tolzman of Iowa County and Allison Breunig of Dane County claimed the most prestigious honor, being named Outstanding Holstein Boy and Girl. These individuals have excelled in their Holstein projects and have been an asset to the Association and dairy industry as a whole. Also receiving honors were, 10 other Distinguished Junior Members, 14 Young Distinguished Junior Member winners, and 12 Twelve & Under Recognition winners, all of which excelled in their Wisconsin Holstein activities in 2018.
In addition to Tolzman and Breunig, 2018 Distinguished Junior Members (DJM) included Jenna Broege, Rock County; Nicole Broege, Rock County; Kaianne Hodorff, Fond du Lac County; Kalista Hodorff, Fond du Lac County; Ben Kronberg, Rock County; Rachel McCullough, Green County; Courtney Moser, Vernon County; Hannah Nelson, Pierce County; Kylie Nickels, Dodge County; and Brooke Trustem, Rock County.
The Young Distinguished Junior Holstein Members (YDJM) included Colton Brandel, Jefferson County; Ava Endres, Dane County; Jacob Harbaugh, Shawano County; Hannah Hockerman, Marquette County; Kaydence Hodorff, Fond du Lac County; Brianna Meyer, Calumet County; Ainsley Noble, Grant County; Drew Noble, Grant County; Ashlyn Sarbacker, Dane County; Lauren Siemers, Manitowoc County; Erin Strauss, Jefferson County; Emily Stumpf, Fond du Lac County; Clarissa Ulness, Manitowoc County; and Kaelyn Weigel, Grant County.
Lastly, Twelve & Under Member Recognition was awarded to Macie Abraham, Sheboygan County; Campbell Booth, Sheboygan County; Ashley Brandel, Jefferson County; Katie Brandel, Jefferson County; Cathryn Gunst, Waushara County; Christopher Gunst, Waushara County; Logan Harbaugh, Shawano County; Levi Nelson, Pierce County; Macie Noble, Grant County; Cameron Ryan, Fond du Lac County; Dylan Ryan, Fond du Lac County; and Tessa Schmocker, Jefferson County.
Of the exceptional youth recognized, four representatives in the DJM and the YDJM categories were selected to submit award forms to the national level with hopes of being honored at the National Convention. Allison Breunig, Kalista Hodorff, Courtney Moser and Zach Tolzman were all chosen to represent Wisconsin as DJMs. The YDJM delegates include Colton Brandel, Brianna Meyer, Clarissa Ulness and Ainsley Noble.
The 2019 Wisconsin Holstein Princess and Attendant were also crowned at the banquet on Saturday evening. This year, Lauren Siemers of Manitowoc County will serve as the WHA Princess, and Mikayla Endres of Richland County will join her as the WHA Princess Attendant.
Special recognition is given to youth leaders that have been nominated by youth in the Junior Holstein Association and selected by the Junior Activities Committee. This year’s WHY (Wisconsin Holstein Youth) Friends were Erica Ullom of Chippewa County in the five year and under division, and Brenda Long of Waupaca County in the more than five years division.
Wisconsin Holstein awarded more than $18,000 in scholarships this year, and an auction was held to raise funds for future awards. Donated items auctioned included UW-Madison Men’s Basketball tickets donated by Corey Geiger and Krista Knigge, another pair of men’s basketball tickets donated by the Rob Rippchen family, a show basket donated by Siemers Holsteins, a stay at Dr. Daluge’s Ski House by Rick and Peggy Daluge, a session from Farmgirl Photography donated by Danae Bauer, a pedal tractor donated by Farmers Implement of Mineral Point, a Holstein canvas print donated by Joseph Opsal Photography, a pair of UW-Madison Men’s Hockey tickets donated by the Olstad and Kronberg families, and a barn quilt made and donated by Marcus Schroepfer. Funds from these items are put into the WHA scholarship fund, and $3,075 was added this year. High school seniors, short course, and two and four-year college students that are members of WHA are all eligible for these scholarships.
Throughout the convention, youth were recognized for other outstanding achievements, including Junior Progressive Breeder and Long Range Production. Those receiving Junior Progressive Breeder Awards include Colton, Ashley, Katie & Justin Brandel, Jefferson County; Christina Buttles, Grant County; Allissa Frisle, Barron County; Christopher Gunst, Waushara County; Christopher & Cathryn Gunst and Cole, Ava, Royce & Campbell Booth, Waushara County; Jacob, Logan & Madison Harbaugh and Adella & Ainsley Loehr, Shawano County; Mason, Carter & Evan Jauquet and Mikayla, Carmen & Spencer Haack, Shawano County; Riley Miller, Rock County; Courtney Moser, Vernon County; Dylan & Cameron Ryan, Fond du Lac County; Emily Stumpf, Fond du Lac County; Luke Trustem, Rock County; Brooke Trustem, Rock County; Brooke, Dane and Luke Trustem, Rock County; and Eric Wachtendonk from Chippewa County.
Long Range Production recognizes owners of cows that have produced over 100,000 pounds in their lifetime. In the over 100,000 pounds category: Colton, Ashley, Katie & Justin Brandel, Jefferson County; Christina Buttles, Grant County; Jacob, Logan & Madison Harbaugh and Adella and Ainsley Loehr, Shawano County; Mason, Carter & Evan Jauquet, Shawano County; Mason, Carter & Evan Jauquet and Mikayla, Carmen & Spencer Haack, Shawano County; Sarah Henschel, Sheboygan County; Riley Miller, Rock County; Courtney Moser, Vernon County; Brooke, Dane and Luke Trustem, Rock County; Eric Wachtendonk, Chippewa County; and Grady Wendorf, Dodge County.
In the over 150,000-pound category are: Christina Buttles, Grant County; Matthew & Elizabeth and Christopher & Cathryn Gunst, Waushara County; Riley Miller, Rock County; Emily Stumpf, Fond du Lac County; and Brooke, Dane and Luke Trustem, Rock County.
Lastly, in the over 200,000-pound category are: Riley Miller, Rock County; Joey Opsal and Christopher & Cathryn Gunst, Waushara County; Nicole Pralle, Clark County; Dylan and Cameron Ryan, Fond du Lac County; and Dane Trustem, Rock County. Pralle had the top cow with Joliam Goldwyn 3404-ET producing 265,528 pounds lifetime.
The Wisconsin Junior Holstein Association awards interested juniors the opportunity to travel to an area of the state to tour farms and learn from their dairy operations. This Farm Tour award was given to 7 recipients, including Jared Baudhuin, Door County; Brandon Biese, Calumet County; Jenna Broege, Rock County; Emma Gwidt, Shawano County; Hannah Hockerman, District 5 Juniors; Marcus Schroepfer, Langlade County; and Zach Tolzman, Iowa County.
The convention concluded Sunday morning with an awards breakfast and the annual business meeting, where four new Junior Activities Committee (JAC) members were elected. The JAC group is responsible for coordinating and overseeing all junior events within the Wisconsin Holstein Association. Selected this year for the southwest district was Nathan Daniels of Iowa County, Hannah Nelson of Pierce County for the northwest district, Matthew Gunst of Dodge County for the southeast, and McKenna Coffeen of Brown County for the northeast district. These members will serve a two-year term on the JAC, and join second-year members Joshua Gerbitz of Rock County, Hannah Ullom of Chippewa County, Emma Buss of Lafayette County and Mason Jauquet of Shawano County.
The contest room is an excellent way to show off projects completed by junior members throughout the year. In the advertising contest, members submit advertisements they ran in the Wisconsin Holstein News or something they designed at home on their own. The winner from the junior division was Kaelyn, Kenadee and Keegan Weigel, Grant County, with Tessa and Stella Schmocker, Jefferson County coming in second. The Weigels also received the People’s Choice Award. First place and People’s Choice in the senior advertising division went to Joseph Opsal, Dane County. Opsal also placed second in the senior contest. Third was awarded to Brooke Trustem of Rock County.
In the photography contest’s junior division of people photos, Cathryn Gunst, Waushara County took first. Second and People’s Choice went to Christopher Gunst of Waushara County. Joseph Opsal, Dane County, took first, second and People’s Choice in the senior division and Hannah Nelson, Pierce County, took third.
In photography farm scenes category, Kenadee Weigel, Grant County, took first place and second place, and Levi Nelson, Pierce County, was third and People’s Choice in the junior division. First in the senior division was Riley Anderson from Pierce County with second, third and People’s Choice going to Hannah Nelson from Pierce County.
Wrapping up the photography contest was the farm animals category. In the junior division Keegan Weigel, Grant County, placed first; Emily Stumpf, Fond du Lac County, was second; and third place went to Hannah Hensel of Wood County. Emma Bangart received the People’s Choice Award. Joesph Ospal, Dane County, took first and second in the senior division while Erica Helmer, Sheboygan County, placed third and was People’s Choice.
The juniors got creative in the drawing and painting contest, and taking top honors in the junior division was Brianna Meyer of Calumet County; second was awarded to Tessa Schmocker, Jefferson County; and third went to Christopher Gunst, Waushara County. Kyra Danz of Iowa County received the People’s Choice award. In the senior division first and People’s Choice went to Jenna Broege, Rock County.
Also bringing out creativity were those in the crafts contest. First in the junior division was Levi Nelson, Pierce County and second and People’s Choice went to Macie Abraham of Sheboygan County. Montana Sarbacker, Dane County, took first and People’s Choice in the senior division.
Each county was encouraged to submit scrapbook pages of their activities throughout the year that will be used in the scrapbook submitted for the National Contest. Manitowoc/Calumet earned first place and People’s Choice scrapbook page, with Wood County and Fond du Lac County placing second and third, respectively.
The folding display contest was a huge success again this year. Individuals developed educational display boards to highlight activities or subjects from within the dairy industry. In the junior division, Allison Gartman of Sheboygan County placed first and also received the People’s Choice award. Christopher Gunst, Waushara County took second and Levi Nelson from Pierce County took third. Lauren Siemers from Manitowoc County received first in the intermediate division with Clarissa Ulness placing second and receiving People’s Choice. Hannah Nelson, Pierce County, took first and People’s Choice in the senior division.
The annual essay contest encourages members to write about assigned topics relating to today’s dairy industry. In this year’s junior division, taking top honors was Kenadee Weigel of Grant County. Second was Whitney Ulness of Manitowoc County, and third place went to Kaelyn Weigel, Grant County. In the senior division, Emily Strauss of Jefferson County took first place.
One of the most coveted awards, based on participation throughout the year and enthusiasm, is the Spirit Award, which was given to Waupaca/Waushara County. Repeat winners in the Bell-R-Ring contest was Shawano County.
Eli Staudinger was this year’s winner of the calf raffle. Thank you to Wargo Acres for donating the Registered Holstein heifer calf. The Association would also like to thank the following raffle sponsors: ANIMART, East Central Select Sires, Badger Dairy Club, STgenetics, Cattle Connection, Bob Traynor, Hoard’s Dairyman, Nasco, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin,Country Today, Organic Valley, Wisconsin State Farmer, Bonnie Mohr, UW-Platteville Dairy Club, Pioneer, Holstein World, UW-River Falls Dairy Club, and the Wisconsin Holstein News, the JACs and WHA Royalty.
The Wisconsin Holstein Association would like to commend the Sheboygan County Junior Holstein Association members and chaperones, and extend a special thank you to all volunteers that helped make the weekend a success!