Holstein Association USA held their 127th Annual Business Meeting in conjunction with the 2012 National Holstein Convention in Springfield, Mo., June 29-30. Members discussed current industry issues, elected directors, and passed judgment on resolutions.The new ideal Holstein cow and bull paintings were also unveiled.
State of the Association
President Chuck Worden and Chief Executive Officer John M. Meyer both presented addresses to the membership in attendance, highlighting current Association and industry issues, as well as sharing their visions for the future of the Association.
"When we talk about our genetic evaluations being the gold standard around the world, it is through working together, trust and respect for each other that we've been able to accomplish so much," said President Chuck Worden. "The world is watching us, and we must do what's right for the dairyman. Producing unbiased, accurate genomic evaluations will lead to more accurate genomic predictions for all Holsteins around the world."
New paintings of the ideal Holstein bull and cow were unveiled at the National Holstein Convention.
In his State of the Association address, CEO John M. Meyer first highlighted several of the Association's performance achievements from 2011, which was an outstanding year for Holstein Association USA.
"Registrations, the core activity and lifeblood of all pedigreed livestock organizations, continue to rise. In 2011, 360,149 animals were registered, an increase of over 20,000 registrations from 2010. It is interesting to note, the last time we registered 360,000 animals, there were well over 120,000 dairy farms in the United States. Today there is less than half that number of dairy farms in the country." He continued, "Without question, Holstein Association members and dairy producers nationwide continue to realize the added value U.S. Registered Holsteins bring to their operations."
USDA Genetic Evaluation Program Discussed
During the Annual Meeting, attendees discussed the future of the U.S. dairy genetic evaluation program. The Holstein Association USA board of directors supports the program.
Two resolutions were presented for the membership regarding the program.
The first resolution was to support the continuation of USDA dairy genetic evaluations, based on the cost (less than 1% of the current USDA budget) and benefits of the unbiased information provided.
The second resolution called on the Holstein Association to continue to work with the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding to collect and process USDA genetics data.
Director Elections Held
Three regional director positions and one at-large directorship were up for election at this year's annual meeting. Individuals elected to their first terms on the board of directors were R. Paul Buhr, Viroqua, Wis., representing Region 5, and Patrick Maddox, Riverdale, Calif., for Region 9. Incumbent directors re-elected to their second three-year terms were At-Large director Jonathan Lamb, Oakfield, N.Y., and Region 8 director Bill Wright, McCornick, Utah.
Retiring from the board of directors after six years of service were Region 5 director Robert Nigh of Viroqua, Wis. and Hank van Exel, Lodi, Calif., Region 9 director.
Unveiling of the New Ideal Holstein Cow and Bull
A highlight of the annual meeting was the unveiling of the new Ideal Holstein Cow and Bull paintings. Last year, Holstein Association USA commissioned renowned artist Bonnie Mohr to complete the new ideal Holstein cow and bull, and she has been working diligently over the past several months to complete the project.
"I grew up on a dairy farm, and I have a huge love and passion for the dairy cow," Mohr said. She shared that it was almost 25 years ago when she decided that she was going to be a professional artist, and said, "That year, I set as my goal that the pinnacle of my career would be one day, if I could paint the new true type cow and bull. Today, that dream came true."
Holstein enthusiasts can review the entire project at holsteinmasterpiece.blogspot.com, including a video of the unveiling at the Convention.
Videos of the conference can be found online at www.youtube.com/HolsteinUSA.
The 2013 National Holstein Convention will be held July 8-11, 2013 in Indianapolis, Ind.