Junior Embryo Giveaway Winners Announced

Everyone involved in the dairy industry has taken their share of knocks in 2018. From financial to family tragedies, herds of all sizes are feeling the pinch. When we announced our embryo giveaway at World Dairy Expo, I didn’t really know what to expect. We ended up with a large number of applications from many states, provinces in Canada, and several countries in Europe. But to me, the true story ended up being the applications themselves. My wife and I found it extremely exciting and uplifting to read about the drive and determination these youth have exhibited. Here were some of the highlights of reading the applications:

Hard Work

“At age 13, I spend my time working on our family farm.  I have daily responsibilities and chores which include milking, feeding, and caring for all the animals…If my parents must leave for a day or two, they can trust I will get everything done and done well by myself.”

Drive and Determination

“I was accepted into the university from grade eleven, at 15 years old, and got accepted into Atlantic Veterinary College after completing three years of my undergraduate biology degree. I ended up starting my first year of vet school at only 18 years old.”

“I work hard and will not stop till the task is done and done right. My parents set a standard and I have learned young that you cannot get by, skip any steps, and to pay attention to detail or it doesn’t work.”

Range of herd sizes

 0, 5, 13, 70, 150, 650, and 1,500

Taking Initiative

“The first three years we had to show our dairy heifers in the beef heifer classes to prove we were for real and not just coming on a whim…I had to show around people that laughed and made jokes about my heifers because they didn’t understand dairy cattle.” 

“The thing that makes me unique is that I am not afraid of opportunities or challenges that come my way. This past summer I packed my bags a week after graduation and drove six hours to a six week internship that was set up over Facebook with someone I had never met in person.”

With all that being said, we are proud to announce the winners of the 2018 Junior Embryo Giveaway.

Lauren Kishman, Iowa

Cole Kruse, Iowa

Willow M’Cloud, PEI Canada