Wisconsin Dairy Producers Earn Production Honors
February 23, 2006

Three Wisconsin dairy producers were honored with awards as a result of high production records completed with NorthStar Cooperative’s DHI Services in 2005. Awards were distributed at NorthStar Cooperative’s District Stockowner meetings and recognized producers for high milk production herd, high dollar value herd, and lowest somatic cell count herd average.

The Highest Protein Breed Herd Average award was earned by Kevin Marcks, Seymour, Wisconsin. Marcks herd of 30 Jersey cows earned the award with a rolling herd average of 22,723 pounds of milk, 1,061 pounds of fat, 810 pounds of protein, and $4,015 dollar value.

Bob and Paula Van Daalwyck, Hilbert, Wisconsin, were the recipients of the Highest 365-Day Dollar Value Holstein Herd Average. The Van Daalwyck’s milking herd of 104 Holstein cows earned the award with a rolling herd average of 32,220 pounds of milk, 1,287 pounds of fat, 950 pounds of protein, and $4,735 dollar value.

The award for the Lowest Somatic Cell Count Herd Average was earned by Tim & Shelly Kleiman, Granton, Wisconsin. The Kleiman’s herd of 38 cows recorded a SCC of 89,000 and a production record including 22,190 pounds of milk, 839 pounds of fat, 666 pounds of protein, and $3,253 dollar value.

Owned by dairy and beef producers, NorthStar Cooperative, Inc. is a stock-based cooperative with annual revenues reaching nearly $16 million. NorthStar's services include A.I., DHI, herd management products and Johne's and Leukosis disease testing. NorthStar DHI Services currently works with more than 1,400 herds, representing over 233,000 cows in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin. Technicians provide on-farm sample collection and data entry, while samples are analyzed at one of two laboratories in Michigan and Wisconsin, and most records are processed through Dairy Records Management Systems (DRMS) in Raleigh, North Carolina. A complete summary of the 2005 year-end production results can be obtained by calling 1.800.631.3510.

For More Information Contact:
Nicole Mackinder, Customer Service Team Leader/Promotional Events Coordinator
P O Box 23157, Lansing, Michigan 48909
Phone: 1.800.631.3510 (extension 622)
Email: mackindern@northstarcooperative.com