BARABOO — The Wisconsin Holstein Association has announced the recipients of the 2019 Distinguished Holstein Breeder and Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder awards. Trent and Kelsey Hendrickson, Blanchardville, will be recognized as the Distinguished Young Holstein Breeders while the team of Emerald Acres (Paul and Debbie Ossmann, Ted and Lana Ossmann, Don and Joyce Ossmann) and Dr. Scott Armbrust, De Pere, will be honored as the Distinguished Holstein Breeder. Award recipients will be recognized at the 2020 Wisconsin Holstein Convention banquet on Feb. 22 at the Radisson Hotel, Fond du Lac.
Registered Holsteins are a passion for both Trent and Kelsey Hendrickson, who started their Trent-Way Genetics herd with just 20 cows and a partnership with Registered Holstein breeder Dave Erickson in 2011. Today, the couple milks 235 cows in Blanchardville. Upon assuming ownership of the dairy roughly a year ago, the Hendricksons built a freestall barn to expand the milking herd with their next goal to build heifer and dry cow facilities.
The breeding focus at Trent-Way Genetics is high type animals that are very functional with good production for all dairying styles. To reach this goal, Trent and Kelsey use tools like classification, genetic testing, and milk testing to make management and breeding decisions. Trent and Kelsey currently use the top 10 percent of their herd to continue growth and development of future generations with the remaining animals used as recipients for IVF/ET calves. The top 10 percent include animals that are high-type, show choice or high genomic females in the red or red carrier selection.
With these decisions, Trent-Way has put four bulls into stud and at one time their bull, Trent-Way-JS Ronald-ET, was the number one red carrier bull in the U.S. Breeding and working with show animals is a goal the couple share. A shining moment for them was when Jeffrey-Way Advent Dynasty, EX-95, claimed the second-place spot in the 5-year-old class of the 2015 International Holstein Show. Dynasty’s red sister, Trent-Way Des Dynamite-Red EX-93, was first place aged cow at the 2018 Wisconsin Championship Red & White Show and was also the Reserve Senior Champion and Honorable Mention Grand Champion.
The Trent-Way herd has a rolling herd average (RHA) of 25,219 with 3.82% fat and 3.15% protein. Through their breeding selections the couple’s goal is to increase their RHA and fat and protein production. Their current BAA (Breed Age Average) is 109.5.
Trent and Kelsey met while attending UW-Platteville and are parents to two-year-old son Trevor. They farm with one-full time employee and a few part-time employees. In addition to farming, Kelsey works off the farm.
The Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder award honors a WHA Registered Holstein breeder under the age of 40 who has excelled in their breeding program as well as community involvement and farming practices. Candidates submit an application that is judged by a panel of past award winners.
Paul and Debbie Ossmann, Ted and Lana Ossman, Don and Joyce Ossmann, from Emerald Acres, and Dr. Scott Armbrust, De Pere, have bred and worked with a number of high-profile cow families while focusing on cows with high production, components and characteristics like feet and legs and udders.
Over the years, Emerald Acres has grown from within through strategic breeding from a number of purchases. With this, the herd was able to transform into a high type and production herd. The herd is classified regularly and has been since 1977. Throughout this time, the group has bred 87 Excellent females, 10 Excellent males, 25 multiple “E” females and has had 304 animals produce more than 100,000 pounds of lifetime milk.
The nearly 500-cow herd at Emerald Acres has an RHA of 27,518 pounds of milk, 1263 pounds of fat, 4.6 percent fat, 882 pounds of protein and 3.2 percent protein.
Milkmaid Clover Monica-TW was the first Registered Holstein to step foot at Emerald Acres and was purchased by Paul when he was 12 years old. Monica’s impact on the dairy was vast but Emerald-Acres-V-R Della, EX-90, was the first cow in the nation to make more than 1000 pounds of protein in a single record and she also put three sons into AI. The cow most prominent at Emerald Acres and around the globe was Ripvalley NA Bell Tammy, EX-94-2E DOM GMD. Since 1988, 1500 descendants of Tammy have been born at Emerald Acres.
Some of Tammy’s most well-known sons include Curtmaid Emerald Target, Emerald-Acr-SA Tonic, Emerald-Acr-SA Tribute, Trump (Japan), Emerald-Acr-SA Techniq, Mulatte (Germany) and Emerald-Acr-SA Titan. Another notable descendant is Emerald-Acr-SA T Baxter, a Blitz son x VG-87 Mtoto x EX Mandel x Emerald-Acr-SA Tulip EX-94, a granddaughter of Tammy. Both Tammy and Baxter were inducted into the Wisconsin Holstein Association’s Wall of Fame in 2018.
Emerald Acres has worked with a number of other notable cows including Kuipercrest Valiant Ann-ET, EX-91 DOM; Fisher-Heights Elton Crown, VG-88 GMD DOM; and Mayerlane-SA Bwm Misty-ET, EX-94-3E GMD DOM. The Ossmanns’ and Dr. Armbrust’s Emerald-Acres-SA breeding from cows like these has reached across the nation and around the world through their sons and daughters alike.
The Distinguished Holstein Breeder is chosen by the Wisconsin Holstein Association board of directors from applications submitted through nomination or by breeders themselves.
The 2020 Wisconsin Holstein Convention will take place Feb. 21-22 at the Radisson Hotel in Fond du Lac. Convention and meal registrations are due by Jan. 25. For event schedule, more details and to register online, visit www.wisholsteins.com/adultconvention.
