For the third time, Wilson Centennial Farm in Carson City, Mich., earned one of only six national awards for the highest quality milk — earning the platinum designation in the National Dairy Quality Awards by the National Mastitis Council.

NMC is an international professional organization, based in Minnesota, devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. Several other Michigan and Ohio farms also were recognized for outstanding milk production.

Wilson Centennial Farm is multigenerational dairy, including Brent, Nancy, Tyler and Ben Wilson, who are milking 1,000 cows. The operation was featured in Michigan Farmer after earning the platinum award in 2020. To read more about the farm, visit farmprogress.com.

The other five dairies earning the platinum award include Blue Star Dairy Middleton LLC (Art and Lori Meinholz), Middleton, Wis.; Christop Dairy (Neil Christianson), Shiocton, Wis.; Country Aire Farms (Tom, Mike, Nick, Matt, Craig and Jonathan Gerrits), Kaukauna, Wis.; Riverside Dairy LLC (Andy Fisher and Tom and Jean Tienor), Reedsville, Wis.; and University of Wisconsin Marshfield Agricultural Research Station, Stratford, Wis.

In addition to the six platinum winners, there were 19 gold and 21 silver National Dairy Quality Award winners selected from 115 applications submitted.

Farms were nominated by professionals, such as dairy plant field staff, veterinarians, Extension specialists and Dairy Herd Improvement supervisors, who serve the dairy industry.

Wilson Centennial Farm is a Michigan Milk Producers Association member and is among 14 other MMPA farms earning awards.

“MMPA dairy farms continue to excel in milk quality, and we are proud of their efforts toward continuous improvement,” says Ben Chapin, MMPA manager of field services.

MMPA’s large representation in the NMC National Dairy Quality Award Program further underscores the hard work of the cooperative’s farms, Chapin says, while competing against other well-performing farmers across the country.

Michigan and Ohio farms earning awards and being recognized during the recent virtual NMC 60th annual meeting include:

Gold

Silver