A total of 373 samples from 24 different states and provinces comprised the field of entries for this year’s World Forage Analysis Superbowl. The highest placing samples were on display at World Dairy Expo, which was held last week in Madison, Wis.
Tom Luebke from Mayer, Minn., submitted this year’s Grand Champion entry. It was a late-fall 2015 fifth cutting of baled Italian ryegrass hay with a 30-hour neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD30) of 77 percent and relative forage quality (RFQ) of 216. This was the second consecutive year that a Minnesota sample captured Grand Champion honors.
The Grand Champion First-Time Entrant in this year’s contest was submitted by Garden Valley Genetics, Hixton, Wis., with an Italian ryegrass baleage sample having a RFQ of 288 and a NDFD30 of 79.41 percent.
Dairy categories are placed based on forage analysis (60 percent), visual assessment (20 percent), and milk per ton (10 percent). Commercial sample criteria are forage analysis (70 percent) and visual assessment (30 percent). Dairyland Labs, located in DePere, Wis., performed the laboratory testing of each sample.
More than $25,000 in cash prizes was doled out to the champions and the top four placing finishers in each category. New for 2016 was an Organic Hay category.
This year’s Quality Counts awards were given based on forage fiber digestion rate, often referred to as the Kd rate. The criteria for these awards changes each year and is unknown to participants at the time of sample submission. This year’s winning corn silage sample was entered by Schwantes Dairy, Perham, Minn., with a fiber digestion rate of 7.71 percent per hour. New Day Dairy, Athens, Wis., entered the top Quality Counts hay/haylage sample, which had a Kd rate of 10.92 percent per hour.
Organizing partners for the 2016 contest were DairyBusiness Communications; Dairyland Laboratories Inc.; Hay & Forage Grower; U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center; University of Wisconsin-Madison; and World Dairy Expo. Additional monetary support is provided by the National Hay Association as the Silver Sponsor and Mycogen Seeds as a Platinum Sponsor. Individual category sponsors are listed below (Photo credits: Harlen Persinger).
Grand Champion Forage Producer
Pictured from left: Eugene Rodberg, Kemin (sponsor); Tom and Jody Luebke (Mayer, Minn.); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
Champion First-Time Entrant
Pictured from left: Heather Atkins, Kuhn North America (sponsor); Justin, Darci, and Weston Daniels, Garden Valley Genetics; and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
Champion Baleage
Pictured from left: Mark King, Agri-King (sponsor); Jenna and Darin Cox of Hardlock Farms (Merom, Ind.); Jason Alsum, Agri-King; and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
2nd Place – Nathan Yoder, Little Suamico, Wis.
3rd Place – Blank Dairy, Ixonia, Wis.
4th Place – D-S Holsteins, Monticello, Wis.
5th Place – Opportunity Acres, Lena, Wis.
Champion Commercial Hay
Pictured from left: Dave Hallberg, NEXGROW (sponsor); David Hinman of Hardrock Farms (Wheatland, Wyo.); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
2nd Place – Lazy 2K Livestock, Wheatland, Wyo.
3rd Place – Schmidt JV, Center, Colo.
4th Place – Dick and Powell Farm, Cordell, Okla.
5th Place – Kamps Alfalfa Farms, Darlington, Wis.
Champion Dairy Hay
Pictured from left: Malyssa and Harry Adams Jr. (Byron, Ill.); Jeremy Hayward, W-L Research (sponsor); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
2nd Place – Jack Stamschror, Kellogg, Minn.
3rd Place – Holst Farms, Lake City, Minn.
4th Place – Muniak Farms, Attica, N.Y.
5th Place – Rosedale Genetics, Oxford, Wis.
Champion Grass Hay
Pictured from left: Luke Wilson, Barenburg USA (sponsor); Mark Rueth (Oxford, Wis.); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
2nd Place – Jack Stamschror, Kellogg, Minn.
3rd Place – Angelrose Dairy, Brainbridge, N.Y.
4th Place – Donald and Nancy Hasselquist, Osceola, Wis.
5th Place – Church Farms, Grand Marsh, Wis.
Champion Haylage
Pictured from left: Taylor Weisensel, Ag-Bag (sponsor); Robert, Evan, and Kena Strack from New Day Dairy (Athens, Wis.); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
2nd Place – V-Valley Farm, Granton, Wis.
3rd Place – S&B Dairy, Sigel, Ill.
4th Place – Golden Corners Dairy, Oconto Fall, Wis.
5th Place – Calvin and Tammy Beumer, Hillman, Minn.
Champion Organic Hay
Pictured from left: John and Diane Pounder, Pounder Bros Inc. (Delavan, Wis.); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo. The sponsor was Blue River Hybrids.
2nd Place – Joe Beachy, Bonduel, Wis.
3rd Place – Pounder Bros Inc., Delavan, Wis.
4th Place – Wilke R Farms, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
5th Place – Linnemeier Farms, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Champion Standard Corn Silage
Pictured from left: Shane Dailey, Agrisure (sponsor); Mickey Lockhart accepting on the behalf of Koster Dairy (Falmouth, Mich.); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
2nd Place – Krzewina Dairy, Crivitz, Wis.
3rd Place – Gordon Smith Farms, E. Concord, N.Y.
4th Place – Schleis Farms, Kewaunee, Wis.
5th Place – Deer Run Dairy, Kewaunee, Wis.
Champion Brown Midrib Corn Silage
Pictured from left: Rachael Christiansen, Mycogen Seeds (sponsor); Dan Davis, David Fisher and Jacob Fisher from Mapleview Farm (Madrid, N.Y.); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
2nd Place – Daystar Dairy, Little Falls, Minn.
3rd Place – Collins Knoll Farm, Sauquoit, N.Y.
4th Place – Petersons Dairy LLC, Lena, Wis.
5th Place – Tayl-Wind Farm, Cassville, N.Y.
Quality Counts Corn Silage
Pictured from left: Jeff Jackson, CROPLAN by WinField (sponsor); Jen and Dave Schwantes with their children in front from left - Amber, Jeffery, and Caroline (Perham, Minn.); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
Quality Counts Hay and Haylage
Pictured from left: Jeff Jackson, CROPLAN by WinField (sponsor); Robert, Evan, and Kena Strack from New Day Dairy (Athens, Wis.); and Al Deming, board president of World Dairy Expo
