REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – Two local dairy leaders received top honors at the National Guernsey Convention.
Jim Trotter, Enon Valley, Pa., was chosen to receive the 2004 American Guernsey Association’s Master Breeder Award.
Blaine Crosser of Marysville, Ohio, was honored for his distinguished service to the Guernsey breed at the convention July 11 in Fishkill, N.Y.
Trotter. Jim Trotter has had significant impact to the Guernsey breeding program in the past 10 years under the prefix Trotacre.
Trotter and his sons strive for a balanced combination of production, type, and longevity with every breeding in their herd.
The Loretta cow family, a famous name in Guernsey circles, has been a strong transmitter of quality genetics.
Of the 12 sons sampled from this family, eight have returned to active service. This is a 67 percent success rate, a notable accomplishment when the maximum rate of 20-25 percent is a realistic goal.
Bull names such as Lorry, Lord, Loral, Luxury, and Lewis, are a few of the sires that have had come from the Trotacre herd to have an impact on the Guernsey breed.
Exhibition. Trotter and his family have exhibited their homebred animals successfully at the Pennsylvania All-American Dairy Show and the North American Dairy Show. They have had several All-American and Junior All-American recognitions.
Trotter’s work with the Pennsylvania Guernsey Breeders Association is well documented.
The Blue Halter sale in has reached its level of success due to Trotter’s promotion of the breed to new buyers, according to the association.
He encourages youth and adults alike to become involved with the activities sponsored by the Pennsylvania and the National Guernsey Associations.
The American Guernsey Association has already recognized all of Trotter’s accomplishments with its Meritorious Service Award.
He and his wife, Marylou, received a surprise induction into the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame in 2004 as an honor to the dedicated service they provide to the organization.
Crosser. Blaine Crosser, a Columbiana County native, is a member of American Guernsey Association, Purebred Dairy Cattle Association and National Dairy Shrine.
He has served on steering committees to host National Guernsey conventions, is a 4-H advisor, and has coached both 4-H and FFA dairy judging team members.
Crosser serves in an advisory role to both AGA Young Sire Sampling programs and is the industry AI representative for the AGA Type Committee.
Leader and judge. Employed by Select Sires, Inc. for 26 years, Crosser currently serves as the vice president of dairy sire marketing, providing leadership for all phases of domestic and international marketing efforts at Select Sires.
A past president of Ohio Guernsey Breeders Association, Crosser also served as the Guernsey judge at the 2000 World Dairy Expo.
He was the official judge for the 2004 Hoard’s Dairyman Guernsey class and was a speaker at the 2004 World Guernsey Conference.
Contributions. His contributions to various core committees of the Guernsey breed are unending.
Crosser was instrumental in the breeding and procurement of Penny Lane Royal Oak Turley, the bull whose proceeds of syndication have been donated to establish the foundation of the Turley Youth Scholarship Fund.
As close friend and presenter, Lee Kohler, stated, “[Crosser’s] optimism, enthusiasm, and sincere interest in the well-being of the breed and its breeders provide a needed spark to keep this breed’s fires burning.”
This long list of notable accomplishments began at the humble roots of a Guernsey farm in Columbiana Count. His passion for the golden breed was born and flourished through his involvement in 4-H.
He and his wife, Gail, are not only involved in Guernsey promotion. They are also very active within their community. Crosser serves as a council member at his local Lutheran Church. The couple work as a team to raise their two children, Aaron and Mandy, to experience the Guernsey tradition Crosser enjoyed as a youth.
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