Indiana Dairy Producers Name 2023 Award Winners
Charles and Margaret Carter from Carterly Dairy in Boone County. The 2023 Producers of the Year award winners from the Indiana Dairy Producers. Photo provided by the Indiana Dairy Producers.
The Indiana Dairy Producers (IDP) have recently named their 2023 award winners, including Producer of the Year, Young Producer of the Year and the organization’s Scholarship winners during the organization’s Indiana Dairy Forum in French Link.
2023 IDP Producers of the Year: Charles and Margaret Carter
The Producer of the Year honor recognizes individuals who embody all that is great about the dairy industry. The 2023 award was presented to Charles and Margaret Carter who operate Carterly Dairy near Thorntown in Boone County.
Along with managing their 120 cows and being active in the grazing community, the Charles and Margaret work with hundreds of 4-H youth through a dairy heifer leasing program to encourage involvement and interest in the dairy industry.
Steve and Abbie Herr with Herr Dairy in Noble County. The Herrs received the IDP Young Producer of the Year Award from the Indiana Dairy Producers. Photo provided by the Indiana Dairy Producers.
2023 IDP Young Producer of the Year: Steve and Abbie Herr
Steve and Abbie Herr are the Indiana Dairy Producers’ Young Producers of the Year. The Herrs, who operate Herr Dairy near Kendallville in Noble County, are innovators on the farm and in their outreach efforts. They have installed robots in their milking parlor to help meet labor needs, including making their own replacement parts for robotic systems.
Steve and Abbie share their expertise and experiences via social media and farm tours to help advance understanding of and appreciation for Indiana’s dairy industry.
Sophia Bollenbacher with Bolle-Acres Jersey Farm and Argos Holstein Farms near Argos in Marshall County. Sophia was awarded the 2023 Alan Kuehnert Memorial Scholarship by the Indiana Dairy Producers. Photo: C.J. Miller / Hoosier Ag Today.
2023 Alan Kuehnert Memorial Scholarship Winner: Sophia Bollenbacher
The recipient of this year’s Alan Kuehnert Memorial Scholarship is Sophia Bollenbacher with Bolle-Acres Jersey Farm and Argos Holstein Farms near Argos in Marshall County.
Passionate about the dairy business from a young age, she was a 10 year 4-H member and active in FFA. She competed at the national level in several contests with numerous champion honors including State Senior Jersey Showman.
Sophia is an Animal Sciences major at Purdue University where she is involved in the Purdue Dairy Club and hopes to continue to have a positive impact by informing and educating people about agriculture.
Jackie Mudd with with Nor-Lene Holsteins near Berne in Adams County. Jackie was the 2023 IDP Scholarship Winner from the Indiana Dairy Producers. Photo provided by the Indiana Dairy Producers.
2023 Indiana Dairy Producers Scholarship Winner: Jacqueline Mudd
The recipient of this year’s Indiana Dairy Producers scholarship is Jacqueline Mudd with Nor-Lene Holsteins near Berne in Adams County.
She has been active in the industry her whole life, starting on her family’s registered Holstein farm. She has served as the National Jersey Queen as well as an Indiana Dairy Ambassador. She has competed in dairy judging and in national breed association activities.
Jackie is an Animal Sciences major at Purdue University where she is involved with the Purdue Dairy Club and hopes to run her own dairy farm in the future with a focus on high-type show cattle while also exploring direct to consumer markets.
“From the Carters who have humbly served our industry for decades to our up-and- coming industry members represented by our young producers and scholarship winners, our 2023 honorees represent the passion and leadership that makes the dairy industry great,” said Steve Obert, Executive Director of the Indiana Dairy Producers.