MONROE - The winners of the Green County Dairy Days Oldest Active Farm Couple, Outstanding Ag/ Business Woman-Over 40 and the Outstanding Ag/Business Woman-Under 40 were announced.
Oldest Active Farm Couple
Craig and Alice Dierickx were nominated for the Oldest Active Farm Couple by their children: Jenny Martin, Peggy Coffeen and Marc Dierickx. For the past 36 years, the couple has shared the workload. Craig and Alice look forward to getting up every morning and heading to the barn. Each has their own expertise. For Alice, it's the cows. Few nights pass by when she is not up checking on a cow calving to make sure there are no problems. Craig is the tractor man. He loves getting into one of his Allis Chalmers to either haul manure, work the land, or harvest crops. The two continue milking, feeding the animals and caring for the land. It is a rare occasion that the two miss a milking or travel farther than a day's drive away.
Craig and Alice have given back to the local agriculture community throughout their lives. They have given their time to help with the Green County Ag Chest for many years. They also had two daughters who served as Green County Princesses. Alice is on the Green County FSA board and Green County Fair Dairy auction committee. Craig has been on the DHIA board and Green County Holstein Breeders boards. Both served as leaders in the Dayton Dairylanders 4H club, and have helped with Cheese Days and the Monticello FFA Alumni. Since their children are grown up, Craig and Alice share their passion for dairying with the next generation by allowing the neighbor kids to exhibit their cattle at shows and fairs.
Outstanding Ag/Business Woman-Over 40
Kathy Lobeck was nominated for the outstanding Ag/Business Woman over 40 by her children: Leslie Brugger, Karen Luchterhand, and Dale and Brian Lobeck. Lobeck and her husband Bernie bought their farm in 1976, and since Bernie passed away in 2010, Lobeck has run the farm by herself with the help of her son, Brian. When Karen and Bernie started farming they raised sheep, chickens and their herd of Dutch Belted cows. (Famously known as the "Oreo Cow.") In 1986, Lobeck started working at Ogden Manufacturing so that she could carry insurance for her family. After work she would go home to help work on the farm doing fieldwork and daily chores. In 2008, Lobeck started her current job at Kuhn North American. She works on the vertical and horizontal manure spreader lines as an assembler. Today she runs the farm by herself and works full-time and overtime when required. She raises 27 head of beef and 50 laying chickens that produce two to three dozen eggs each day. She rents 150 acres of the farmland to the local farmer, but keeps 30 acres for her own hay crop for the beef cows. Lobeck's morning starts at 3 a.m. when she does her daily chores before she leaves for work. When her day is done at Kuhn North American, Lobeck comes home and does chores ad field work.
Lobeck is busy off the farm with other agriculture organizations. She was the general leader of the Jolly Mixers 4-H club in Albany. Lobeck was also the Poultry Superintendent at the Green County Fair. She is a lifetime member of the Green County Beef Producers and served many terms as secretary. Lobeck is also a supporter of the Green County Fall Nationals Truck and Tractor Pull and each fall helps work the gate area. She also volunteers to pickup and deliver coffee cakes from the Albany area to the host Breakfast on the Farm.
Outstanding Ag/Business Woman-Under 40
Jillian McNeely was nominated for the outstanding Ag/Business Woman under 40 by her friend Kayla Hamilton. McNeely is the daughter of James and Jennifer McNeely and was born and raised on Rollin' Green Dairy, rural Albany. She grew up having daily responsibilities helping on the farm with feeding calves and lending a helping hand where needed.
After high school, McNeely attended UW-River Falls to pursue a degree in agricultural education with an animal science minor. While in college he joined the Sigma Alpha sorority where she volunteered and helped organize many events to promote agriculture. After college, McNeely received her first job as the Ag Teacher and FFA advisor at Janesville Craig High School. She just finished her first year as an Ag Teacher.
McNeely's love for agriculture carries over into other organizations. McNeely is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Agriculture Educators. She was the 2008-09 Brooklyn Dairy Queen, and now has taken over the Brooklyn Queen chairperson position. McNeely has a love for agriculture and animals, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others and that is why she received the Outstanding Ag/Business Woman.
Oldest Active Farm Couple
Craig and Alice Dierickx were nominated for the Oldest Active Farm Couple by their children: Jenny Martin, Peggy Coffeen and Marc Dierickx. For the past 36 years, the couple has shared the workload. Craig and Alice look forward to getting up every morning and heading to the barn. Each has their own expertise. For Alice, it's the cows. Few nights pass by when she is not up checking on a cow calving to make sure there are no problems. Craig is the tractor man. He loves getting into one of his Allis Chalmers to either haul manure, work the land, or harvest crops. The two continue milking, feeding the animals and caring for the land. It is a rare occasion that the two miss a milking or travel farther than a day's drive away.
Craig and Alice have given back to the local agriculture community throughout their lives. They have given their time to help with the Green County Ag Chest for many years. They also had two daughters who served as Green County Princesses. Alice is on the Green County FSA board and Green County Fair Dairy auction committee. Craig has been on the DHIA board and Green County Holstein Breeders boards. Both served as leaders in the Dayton Dairylanders 4H club, and have helped with Cheese Days and the Monticello FFA Alumni. Since their children are grown up, Craig and Alice share their passion for dairying with the next generation by allowing the neighbor kids to exhibit their cattle at shows and fairs.
Outstanding Ag/Business Woman-Over 40
Kathy Lobeck was nominated for the outstanding Ag/Business Woman over 40 by her children: Leslie Brugger, Karen Luchterhand, and Dale and Brian Lobeck. Lobeck and her husband Bernie bought their farm in 1976, and since Bernie passed away in 2010, Lobeck has run the farm by herself with the help of her son, Brian. When Karen and Bernie started farming they raised sheep, chickens and their herd of Dutch Belted cows. (Famously known as the "Oreo Cow.") In 1986, Lobeck started working at Ogden Manufacturing so that she could carry insurance for her family. After work she would go home to help work on the farm doing fieldwork and daily chores. In 2008, Lobeck started her current job at Kuhn North American. She works on the vertical and horizontal manure spreader lines as an assembler. Today she runs the farm by herself and works full-time and overtime when required. She raises 27 head of beef and 50 laying chickens that produce two to three dozen eggs each day. She rents 150 acres of the farmland to the local farmer, but keeps 30 acres for her own hay crop for the beef cows. Lobeck's morning starts at 3 a.m. when she does her daily chores before she leaves for work. When her day is done at Kuhn North American, Lobeck comes home and does chores ad field work.
Lobeck is busy off the farm with other agriculture organizations. She was the general leader of the Jolly Mixers 4-H club in Albany. Lobeck was also the Poultry Superintendent at the Green County Fair. She is a lifetime member of the Green County Beef Producers and served many terms as secretary. Lobeck is also a supporter of the Green County Fall Nationals Truck and Tractor Pull and each fall helps work the gate area. She also volunteers to pickup and deliver coffee cakes from the Albany area to the host Breakfast on the Farm.
Outstanding Ag/Business Woman-Under 40
Jillian McNeely was nominated for the outstanding Ag/Business Woman under 40 by her friend Kayla Hamilton. McNeely is the daughter of James and Jennifer McNeely and was born and raised on Rollin' Green Dairy, rural Albany. She grew up having daily responsibilities helping on the farm with feeding calves and lending a helping hand where needed.
After high school, McNeely attended UW-River Falls to pursue a degree in agricultural education with an animal science minor. While in college he joined the Sigma Alpha sorority where she volunteered and helped organize many events to promote agriculture. After college, McNeely received her first job as the Ag Teacher and FFA advisor at Janesville Craig High School. She just finished her first year as an Ag Teacher.
McNeely's love for agriculture carries over into other organizations. McNeely is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Agriculture Educators. She was the 2008-09 Brooklyn Dairy Queen, and now has taken over the Brooklyn Queen chairperson position. McNeely has a love for agriculture and animals, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others and that is why she received the Outstanding Ag/Business Woman.