Many honored at county dairy banquet

JEFFERSON, Ohio – One-hundred seventy five people attended the 56th annual Ashtabula County Dairy Banquet March 11 at the Williamsfield Community Center in Williamsfield, Ohio.
At the event, local dairy farmers were recognized for their milk production achievements, youth were awarded for their dairy involvement, and elections took place for the Ashtabula County Dairy Service Unit board of directors.
Awards. Considering milk production, genetics, herd health and community service, the Ashtabula County Farm Family of the Year is the Gaylord Millard family, who operate the Gaylord Millard & Son Dairy Farm in Pierpont Township.
This year’s most improved herd was Destiny-M Holsteins, owned by Mike and Lori Hane of Williamsfield.
The High Energy Corrected Milk Award went to Alfa-Creek Farms, owned by Robin and Debbie Boggs of Andover.
A new award went to the herd with the lowest somatic cell count and thus the highest quality milk – Wilson Dairy Farm of Jefferson Township.
The county’s top 10 herds this year were Alfa-Creek Farms, Gaylord Millard & Son Dairy Farm, Bossy’s Way Inc., Alfa-Creek Brown Swiss, Byler & Sons Farm, Wilson Dairy Farm, Struna Holsteins, Springer Dairy Farm, Marrison Farms and Scibona Farms.
Six farms were recognized for having top cows in the county by breed and age. Alfa-Creek Brown Swiss and Ringbyre Jersey Farm led the way with 16 award winners each, followed by Gaylord Millard & Son Dairy Farm and Alfa-Creek Farms with 12 each, Destiny-M Holsteins with eight and Bossy’s Way Inc. with four.
Alfa-Creek Farms also had the top producing cow, Opal, who produced 36,952 pounds of milk, or almost 4,300 gallons, last year.
Youth. After personal interviews, speeches, and a vote from producers at the banquet, Lindsey Zaebst of New Lyme was crowned the county’s dairy princess.
Sarah Moseley of the Grand Valley Dairy 4-H club won the Stuart Struna Memorial 4-H Extra Effort Award.
She also won the 4-H dairy committee’s registered calf contest, in which club members ages 10-15 compete by writing an essay and completing an interview about why they would want to win and care for a registered calf.
Elections. George Kalas and Matt Springer were elected to serve two-year terms on the Ashtabula County Dairy Service Unit board of directors.