Young Cooperator Program
Young Cooperators tour Kent & Sandy Franks' dairy facility in St. Olaf, Iowa.
2010 Swiss Valley Farms Young Cooperator Conference was a Blast!!
Swiss Valley Farms YC'ers enjoyed a welcome break from a hard winter at the 2010 Young Cooperator Conference, held the last weekend in February in Prairie du Chien, Wis. The YC'ers spent Friday afternoon touring the co-op's Swiss cheese plant in Luana, Iowa before traveling down the road to St. Olaf to tour YC'ers Kent and Sandy Franks' dairy set up.
On Saturday, Janet Snow from BASF talked to the YC'ers about getting the most nutrition out of their corn rations. Then the YC'ers received a light-hearted, but effective, attitude adjustment during a "Mattitude" workshop presented by motivational speaker Matt Booth.
Swiss Valley Farms members from 18 through 45 years old are eligible to attend this two-day Young Cooperator Conference. At this conference, equal time is devoted to educational seminars as well as fun and entertainment. Swiss Valley Farms brings in topnotch speakers to address the younger co-op members on a wide range of issues that affect their lives and their dairy operations. YC'ers from across the Swiss Valley Farms four-state area can relax and meet fellow co-op members, and discover common ground for interesting discussion.
2009 YC winners Martin and Lisa Burken, Clinton, Iowa, were chosen Chair Couple for the National Advisory Board for NMPF.
Swiss Valley YC Couple Named to National YC Position
A Young Cooperator couple from Clinton, Iowa scored a huge win for Swiss Valley Farms and their fellow YC'ers at this year's National Milk Producers Federation Dairy Summit in Dallas, TX. During the YC program, Marty and Lisa Burken, 2009 Swiss Valley Outstanding YC Couple from Clinton, were elected Chair Couple of the 2010 National Young Cooperator Advisory Board.
This means that Marty and Lisa will be running the June 2010 National YC Advisory Board Planning Meeting in Washington DC where the next NMPF Dairy Summit will be planned. Then, during the 2010 Dairy Summit in Reno, Nev. the Burkens will be at the podium, leading off the YC sessions and occasionally addressing the entire group of Dairy Summit attendees as well as the NMPF Board.
Our congratulations go out to Marty and Lisa as they assume this national leadership.
Below are the YC'ers who represented Swiss Valley Farms at the NMPF Dairy Summit in Dallas, Texas. From left, they are Corinne and Doug Ihn, Cassville, Wis.; Tim Deutmeyer, Strawberry Point, Iowa; Serena and Birdsie Robinson, Plainfield, Iowa and Lisa and Martin Burken, Clinton, Iowa.
Roy and Shiloh Johnson, Swiss Valley Farms 2010 Outstanding YC Couple.
Roy & Shiloh Johnson selected 2010 Outstanding YC couple
Roy and Shiloh Johnson from Parkersburg, Iowa were named the 2010 Swiss Valley Farms Outstanding Young Cooperators during the recent YC Conference in Prairie du Chien, Wis. Roy and Shiloh live with their two children, Melanie, 9 and Megan, 8 on their dairy, where Roy milks 100 Holsteins in partnership with his father, Duane. The Johnson's will be representing Swiss Valley Farms this fall at the 2010 NMPF Dairy Summit in Reno, Nevada. They will also be serving on the 2011 National YC Advisory Board, where they will help plan that year's national YC meeting.
