A dairy farmer from New York state won the 37th World Forage Analysis Superbowl on Sept. 29 at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis.
Big winner
Jason Herrington of Herrington Farms in Troy, N.Y., was named the Grand Champion forage producer at the conclusion of the awards luncheon. Herrington received a $2,500 check for that honor with his brown midrib corn silage.
Herrington said this was the first time he entered the contest, and it was the first time he attended the World Dairy Expo. He was accompanied by his fiancée, Anissa Anuszewski, also of Troy, N.Y. Herrington won with a neutral detergent fiber of 34.75 and a milk per ton score of 4,202 pounds.
“I am so excited to have won,” Herrington said after the awards program. “Our nutritionist thought we had a shot at it with both of our brown midrib corn silage and our conventional silage, and he encouraged us to enter.”
Herrington farms 2,000 owned and rented acres and milks 800 Holstein cows with his father, Ken, his uncle Phil, and his sister Jessica.
“It was a team effort between our family, our employees, the packer and the pushers,” Herrington said. “We grow 1,000 acres of corn, and we harvest 800 acres for corn silage.”
The fourth-generation family farmer said his herd is averaging 103 pounds of milk per cow per day with a 3.9% butterfat test and 3.55 protein test.
Banquet master of ceremonies Doug Hartland with Dairyland Laboratories Inc. said a total of 343 entries were evaluated for the World Forage Analysis Superbowl, which is slightly more than the 336 entries in 2019. Winners shared cash prizes totaling more than $26,000. Awards were presented to the top five finishers in each of 12 categories.
The Grand Champion first-time entrant cash award of $2,000, sponsored by New Holland, went to Marty Farms of Sterling, Ohio. Additionally, two Quality Counts Awards were presented to competitors.
In the area of Quality Counts corn silage, Kensinger Farms, Martinsburg, Pa.., took home top honors and a $1,000 check sponsored by Silostop. The top award for the Quality Counts hay/haylage went to Legacy Farms, Shell Lake, Wis., and was sponsored by Croplan by WinField. They also received a $1,000 check.
One hundred and eighty people attended the awards luncheon.
Following is a list of the top five winners and the number of entries in each category. The grand champion (first place) in each category received a check for $1,500.
Grand Champion baleage — sponsored by Agri-King Inc.
First place. Jenks Jerseys, Marathon, Wis.
Second place. Denmar Acres, Greenleaf, Wis.
Third place. Eric Speltz, Altura, Minn.
Fourth place. Coulee Crest LLC, Cashton, Wis.
Fifth place. Freysbush Dairy LLC, Fort Plain, N.Y.
Grand Champion commercial hay — sponsored by NexGrow Alfalfa
First place. Hardrock Farms Inc., Wheatland, Wyo.
Second place. Carlson Brothers Farm, Jewell, Iowa
Third place. Little Hay Company, Wilsonville, Neb.
Fourth place. Calvin Carlson, Jewell, Iowa
Fifth place. Lazy 2K Livestock, Wheatland, Wyo.
Grand Champion dairy hay — sponsored by W-L Research
First place. Olson Farms, Lena, Wis.
Second place. Donald and Nancy Hasselquist, Osceola, Wis.
Third place. Mark Rueth, Oxford, Wis.
Fourth place. E & A Milkers, Sigourney, Iowa
Fifth place. Schroeder Farms, Odebolt, Iowa
Grand Champion grass hay — sponsored by Barenbrug USA
First place. Cozy Nook Farm, Waukesha, Wis.
Second place. Lazy 2K Livestock, Wheatland, Wyo.
Third place. Hardrock Farms Inc., Wheatland, Wyo.
Fourth place. Donald and Nancy Hasselquist, Osceola, Wis.
Fifth place. Stefan Hay Company, North Collins, N.Y.
Grand Champion alfalfa haylage — sponsored by Ag-Bag by RCI
First place. Todd Mark, Elmwood, Wis.
Second place. Opportunity Acres, Lena, Wis.
Third place. Ciolkosz Dairy, Thorp, Wis.
Fourth place. Mike Redetzke, Colby, Wis.
Fifth place. Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.
Grand Champion mixed/grass haylage — sponsored by Lallemand Animal Nutrition
First place. Opportunity Acres, Lena, Wis.
Second place. Morning View Dairy LLC, Merrill, Wis.
Third place. Leuer Dairy, Oconto, Wis.
Fourth place. Legacy Farms, Shell Lake, Wis.
Fifth place. Four Cubs Farm, Grantsburg, Wis.
Grand Champion standard corn silage — sponsored by Scherer Inc.
First place. Egan Family Dairy, Omro, Wis.
Second place. Herrington Farms Inc., Troy, N.Y.
Third place. Jenson Family Farms, Elk Mound, Wis.
Fourth place. Enos Lehman, Chambersburg, Pa.
Fifth place. Olson Farms, Lena, Wis.
Grand Champion BMR corn silage — sponsored by Brevant Seeds
First place. Rothlisberger Dairy, Upper Sandusky, Ohio
Second place. Larry Doody, Tully, N.Y.
Third place. Old Acres Farms, Perry, N.Y.
Fourth place. Conrad Farms, Grafton, Ohio
Fifth place. Harold Zimmerman, Shiloh, Ohio
The World Forage Analysis Superbowl is organized in partnership with Dairyland Laboratories Inc., Hay and Forage Grower, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, University of Wisconsin and World Dairy Expo.
Sponsors of the 2021 World Forage Analysis Superbowl were led by Platinum Sponsor, Brevant Seeds. Other sponsors included Ag-Bag, Agri-King, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health, Croplan by WinField, Scherer Inc., Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Barenbrug USA, WL Alfalfas, Silostop, Nexgrow Alfalfa, New Holland, Passion Ag Inc., and Provimi.
