Alta - ShowCase...
We went to Detroit, USA with 14 participants in November 2007 to join the Alta Showcase program. On the first day we attended the Alta welcome party addressed by Alta CEO Cees Hartmans, who expressed his pleasure at having 330 guests on the program. The next day, we embarked on six buses early in the morning to Vandermade for our first farm visit.
The Vandermade family migrated from the Netherlands in 1999 to carry their farming business to the USA and they now have 1350 head of cows to milk three times a day. This company collaborates strongly with Alta bulls, which are especially good for their fertility span, conception rate and somatic cell score. Our participants took the opportunity to quiz the farm director, Lamber Vandermade, about farm management and the new barns under construction. They viewed the AltaALLY and AltaTABOO females, which have perfect udder structure.
Our next stop was New Flevo Dairy in Michigan, owned by the Scot family, who also migrated from the Netherlands 1998. Now, with 1850 milking head, this company plans to expand to 2000 head with the completion of new barns. The Scot family has been working with Alta since they migrated to the USA and they started using in Alta Advantage® program in 2002. Arno Scot told us that they chose to work with Alta because both sides share the same mission and Alta’s employees are excellent.
At this farm, the Alta Showcase participants saw an AltaBAXTER female on her second lactation, and super AltaJAYZ and AltaTABOO cows with extraordinary udder structures also on their second lactations.
The last stop of the first day was Hoffland Dairy. The Vanderhoffs are to reach 1000 milkers with completion of 450-milker barns. Thanks to the spraying system in the new barns, they will recover 90% of the sand they use for bedding. The Vanderhoff family has been working with Alta Europa and Alta America for a long time. There are two AltaBOSS cows with extraordinary udders on this farm, an AltaRUFFIAN cow in her second lactation and two impressive AltaMOSAIC cows.
The Vanderhoff’s bade farewell to their guests after a splendid dinner including Mexican cuisine.
The second day of the program was fantastic for the Alta Showcase participants. Our first stop was Green Meadow farm in Elsie, Michigan. Green Meadow farm, founded by Merle H. Green, began with a Holstein herd bought and registered in 1917. Since then, Green Meadow farm has registered all its animals. They still have 3500 milkers on three milkings a day. The genetics of the farm’s animals is impressive. They use bulls that promise the greatest herd improvement, especially concerning health and productive life. They also derive embryos from the animals with elite genetics. One of the most remarkable things to see at Green Meadow farm was the wondrous AltaWILDMAN cow in her third lactation. Many of us competed to have their photograph taken with her!! The exemplary cows AltaMERCHANT, AltaFINLEY and AltaBUFFALO were also there.
Alta ceo Cees Hartmans with AltaWILDMAN cow in her third lactation.
Our next stop was Rich-Ro Schneider farm in St. John’s, Michigan. The owners Chuck and Glen Feldpausch established the farm in 1960 with their father. They have 1250 milkers and 2x25 parallel milking parlors. Schneider farm is also enlarging and it was interesting to see the construction of a new parallel milking parlor.
In the new parlor, the standing for each cow in milking is 61 cm larger than before, thereby ensuring greater comfort for the cows and for the men conducting the milking. The result of this is increased milk yield. In the company, there are cows with superior genetics like AltaARMSTEAD with perfect udder structure and AltaHATLEY with a balanced body structure.
The final stop of the day was Steenblik farm in Pewamo, Michigan. One of the earliest families to settle in Michigan, the Steenblik family has increased its milkers from 80 head when they first started to 2000. They derive all of their own rough feed and most of their corn feed from cultivating 1295 hectares of land. Because his herd has developed exceptionally well, Albert Steenblik is very pleased of his participation in the Alta Advantage® program. The farm’s cows, including AltaZORO, AltaWILDMAN and AltaARMSTEAD, were spectacular.
After a perfect diner, we set out on the pleasant two-hour return to our hotel in Milwaukee, during which we crossed Lake Michigan by ferry.
Albert Steenblik answering visitors’ questions
On the last day of Alta Showcase program, we visited Spring Grove Dairy in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Established in 1999 and owned by Dan and Mary Monson, Spring Groove is one of the first participants of Advantage® program and so it has a long association with the program. Dan Monson, one of the warmest advocates of the program, says: “I trust the bull data supplied by the Advantage® program. One of the young bulls we tried in our farm had four or five daughters and I can say from the data of that bull supplied by the Advantage® program that these daughters definitely belonged to him.”
They have now 1800 milkers. When it comes to genetic choice, Dan believes that high milk yields come only if there’s a successful herd management and in choosing bulls, he considers their foot and leg, teat and breed characteristics by using the AltaMate program.
After completing the Spring Grove tour, we had a magnificent lunch prepared by Mary Monson, and left for Madison World Dairy Expo. Alta organized a closing cocktail for the participants, and all of us enjoyed the delicious food and the live music.
In their two days at the Dairy Expo, our Turkish guests watched very well organized cow and heifer contests and checked out the latest developments in the sector by visiting the stands of participating companies. |
