Kurt and Sarah Loehr of Eden, Wisconsin are the winners of the 2020 Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder award. The Loehrs’ cattle are registered under the Forest-Ridge prefix.
The prefix had humble beginnings in 2003, just before the couple met and started farming together. Sarah has strong Registered Holstein® roots as National DJM semi-finalist and brought Kurt along on a journey that has established them as a well-respected name in Registered Holstein circles.
Kurt and Sarah married in 2010 and took over the farm a year later. Today, the Loehr’s 92-cow herd has a Rolling Herd Average of 23,289 pounds of milk, 929 pounds of fat, and 738 pounds of protein. Kurt and Sarah’s herd currently consists of 21 Excellent and 46 Very Good cows with an impressive 110.7 BAA, making them one of the top 100 BAA herds in the country. With a passion for the show ring, they also have claimed three All-American nominations, and five Red and White All-American nominations.
Kurt and Sarah breed for high type with good feet and legs, excellent udders, dairy strength and wide rumps. With a quarter of their income from cattle sales, they breed cattle that can thrive in any type of dairy operation.
They also lease show calves to area youth. They say, “We want our genetics to excel for others, whether that is a youth show calf or a milk cow sold to a repeat buyer.”
Both Kurt and Sarah are active as youth activity volunteers, event organizers, and Kurt currently serves on the Wisconsin Holstein Association board of directors. They have two young daughters, Adella and Ainsley.
About the Award
The Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder award recognizes significant accomplishments of young Registered Holstein® breeders for their commitment to preserving the dairy industry and for achieving excellence in their daily lives.
Holstein Association USA, Inc., provides programs, products and services to dairy producers to enhance genetics and improve profitability — including animal identification and ear tags, genomic testing, mating programs, dairy records processing, classification, communication, and consulting services.
The Association, headquartered in Brattleboro, Vt., maintains the records for Registered Holsteins® and represents approximately 25,000 members throughout the United States.