Hannah Worden Hilmar, California Cornerstone Specialist ABS Global

Please describe your agricultural background.
I grew up working on a 1,000-cow Holstein dairy in Clifton Springs, New York. Over the years I’ve had multiple responsibilities on the farm including managing young stock, assisting with herd health, working in the maternity area, treating sick cows and crop harvesting. I have been showing dairy cattle for almost 20 years and along the way have developed my own personal herd of cattle through sire selection. In this process I have been successful in breeding two first-generation excellent cows.

What education are you bringing with you to this position?
I received my bachelor’s degree in animal science from Cornell University where I was a part of the dairy fellows program.

What territory will you cover?
I will be working with dairies from Madera to Escalon in California.

What are your new responsibilities?
I will be responsible for assisting field staff with education and promotion of developing new herds, as well as evaluating and maintaining data in herds already participating in the ABS Cornerstone program. I will also be responsible for on-farm evaluation, coordinating and assisting with picturing of ABS-sired progeny along with arranging and conducting ABS daughter and herd tours.

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What previous positions have you held?
In addition to the work experiences I had growing up on a farm, I have worked for Farm Credit as a credit services intern. In California, I worked for a feed lab running NIR and wet chemistry samples, as well as working as a scale house operator for a local dairy. In addition I teach Spanish as a second language to a small group of students.

What excites you most about working in your new role?
I am eager to be one of the first to evaluate daughters of upcoming bulls and know what exciting sires ABS has in the pipeline.

How will you be of most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
As a Cornerstone specialist, I will be able to help producers secure progressive genetics at economical prices. As part of the Cornerstone program, dairies will also have the opportunity to advertise their genetics through tours and picturing of daughters.

Why did you choose this company?
I wanted to be a part of a company with a great line-up of bulls and an excellent reputation as an employer. In addition, I wanted to work for a company that sells consistent and quality products. The dairy I grew up on has been a long-term customer of ABS and we have been extremely happy with the services as well as the quality and variety of bulls.

What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
I look forward to growing the Cornerstone program and providing more farms with the opportunity to increase the genetic potential of their herd through the use of young sire semen. PD