People

What started as Kirk Butcher’s dream to form a camp for fellow youth who shared a passion for cows 35 years ago is today an annual event that draws as many as 100 budding dairy enthusiasts for the Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat.

For over a quarter of a century, Rod Stoll has been adding enthusiasm and a game-day feel to the Holstein Association’s national dairy quiz bowl competitions. Serving as a moderator is his way of giving back to the youth program that shaped his career in agriculture.

Every year, thousands of farm kids across the country culminate months of hard work and care by taking a cow or calf to a show. This time-honored tradition of preparing an animal for show is an excellent practical lesson in hard work and dedication.

Three young graziers talked about their experiences starting out in dairy farming at the 2018 Grassworks Conference held annually in Wisconsin.

Starting a dairy involves long hours, backbreaking work and cool-headedness in unexpected emergencies. And in a market with exceptionally low milk prices, building a dairy from the ground up is no easy feat – especially when you’re in your 20s.

Dairywoman Jessica Peters works on her family’s 275-cow Jersey dairy in Meadville, Pennsylvania. She regularly keeps Spruce Row Farm’s 5,000-plus social media followers up to speed with straightforward, hold-nothing-back, tell-it-like-it-is farm updates.