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Champions honored at 2023 World Forage Analysis Superbowl
The winners share a total of $26,000 in prize money. They were recognized during World Dairy Expo.
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FORAGE CHAMPIONS: World Forage Analysis Superbowl winners present at this year’s awards luncheon included (seated, from left) Dan Gerrits of Cozy Nook Farm, Waukesha, Wis.; Chris Kestell of Rainbows End, Waldo, Wis.; and David Hinman of Lazy 2K Livestock, Wheatland, Wyo.; in back (from left) are Mike Jenson of Jenson Family Farms, Elk Mound, Wis.; Melinda and Brittany Martin of Martin Farm, Strykersville, N.Y.; Luke Archer representing his father, Rodney Archer, of Alamosa, Colo.; Luke Haywood of Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.; Mark Rueth of Church Farm, Grand Marsh, Wis.; and Derek Jacobs of Jacobs Hillview Dairy, Hilbert, Wis. FRAN O’LEARY
A total of 293 entries from 18 states across the country were evaluated in this year’s World Forage Analysis Superbowl. Awards were presented to the top five finishers in each division at a luncheon Oct. 4 during World Dairy Expo at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis.
Repeat winner
For the second year in a row, Rodney Archer of Alamosa, Colo., was named the grand champion forage producer with his commercial hay entry. He will receive $2,500 from Legacy Seeds for that honor. Archer was not present at the awards program, but his wife, Jeanne, and son Luke were in attendance.
The Archer family farms 550 acres, all under irrigation, in south-central Colorado. They grow alfalfa and rotate with oat hay. This is the third year Archer has entered the competition. His grand champion entry had a milk-per-ton value of $4,031.
A total of $26,000 in prize money was presented to this year’s champions. The grand champion in each division received a check for $1,500.
The Grand Champion First-Time Entrant award of $2,000, sponsored by New Holland, went to Martin Farms of Strykersville, N.Y., for its standard corn silage entry.
Quality Counts Awards were also presented to competitors during the luncheon. In the category of Quality Counts Corn Silage, Zirbel Dairy Farm in De Pere, Wis., captured top honors with its brown midrib corn silage, sponsored by Silostop. For Quality Counts Hay/Haylage, Jenson Family Farms of Elk Mound, Wis., earned first place. That award was sponsored by Croplan.
Sponsors of the 2023 World Forage Analysis Superbowl were led by platinum sponsor Brevant Seeds. Other supporters included division sponsors Ag-Bag by RCI, Agri-King Inc., Barenbrug USA, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Scherer Inc. and QLF Agronomy. Additional funds were provided by Channel, Croplan, New Holland, Legacy Seeds, Silostop and Provimi.
Forage champions
Here are the top five placings from each division:
Baleage
This division was sponsored by Agri-King Inc.
Jacobs Hillview Dairy, Hilbert, Wis.
Rainbows End, Waldo, Wis.
Jenson Family Farms, Elk Mound, Wis.
Evergreen View, Waldo, Wis.
Future Seed Select, Denmark, Wis.
Commercial Hay
This division had no sponsor.
Lazy 2K Livestock, Wheatland, Wyo.
Hardrock Farms, Wheatland, Wyo.
Bappe Farm, Riverton, Wyo.
Rooster Ranch, Casper, Wyo.
Dick and Powell Farm, Cordell, Okla.
Dairy Hay
This division was sponsored by QLF Agronomy.
Church Farm, Grand Marsh, Wis.
Holst Farms, Lake City, Minn.
Evergreen View, Waldo, Wis.
Rick Frozene Farm, Westfield, Wis.
Scott More Holst, Westgate, Iowa
Grass Hay
This division was sponsored by Barenbrug USA.
Cozy Nook Farm, Waukesha, Wis.
Hardrock Farms, Wheatland, Wyo.
Church Farm, Grand Marsh, Wis.
Rosedale, Oxford, Wis.
Lazy 2K Livestock, Wheatland, Wyo.
Alfalfa Haylage
This division was sponsored by Ag-Bag by RCI.
Rainbows End, Waldo, Wis.
Evergreen View, Waldo, Wis.
Wente Farms, Sigel, Ill.
Andy Schmitt, Fort Atkinson, Iowa
Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.
Mixed/Grass Haylage
This division was sponsored by Lallemand Animal Nutrition.
Albano Farms SRJF Inc., Stamford, N.Y.
Martin Farms, Strykersville, N.Y.
Double Dutch Dairy, Cedar Grove, Wis.
Doug Danielson, Cadott, Wis.
Bob Rajek, Cornell, Wis.
Standard Corn Silage
This division was sponsored by Scherer Inc.
Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.
Twin Cities View Dairy, Manitowoc, Wis.
Nathan Yoder, Little Suamico, Wis.
Johnson Farms LLC, Daggett, Mich.
Pine Tree Dairy, Marshallville, Ohio
BMR Corn Silage
This division was sponsored by Brevant Seeds.
Zirbel Dairy Farm, De Pere, Wis.
Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.
BS Acres, Dresser, Wis.
Brown Star Farms, Gillett, Wis.
Opportunity Acres, Lena, Wis.
The World Forage Analysis Superbowl is organized in partnership with Dairyland Laboratories Inc., the US Dairy Forage Research Center, the University of Wisconsin, World Dairy Expo and Hay & Forage Grower. To learn more, visit foragesuperbowl.org.
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