During the 54th annual North Dakota Dairy Convention held in Bismarck, three dairy producers and their families were honored for their contributions to the dairy industry.

During a luncheon, representatives from the North Dakota Milk Producers, Midwest Dairy and the North Dakota Beef Commission spoke in recognition of the work done by North Dakota dairy producers over the past year.

Milky Way Award

Awarded from the Milk Producers Association of North Dakota, the Milky Way Award is a lifetime achievement award given to individuals in recognition and appreciation of their contributions to the North Dakota dairy industry.

Rita Mosset, who farms with her family at RJDairy Farm in Lindton, was one of two recipients of the award. She also was recently elected as president of the Milk Producers Association.

“Her enthusiasm, positivity and caring nature have been a driving force for many producers,” said Lilah Krebs, vice president of the association, during the award presentation. Mosset was unable to attend the luncheon, and Krebs accepted the award on her behalf.

Mosset, a dairy farmer for more than 35 years, has served multiple roles on various dairy promotion boards. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bismarck State College in 1982. She also serves as an adviser to the dairy princess and dairy ambassador programs, and is a former 4-H leader for the Coyote County 4-H club, Krebs said.

Mark Doll was the second recipient of the Milky Way award. Doll has spent a large portion of his life in the dairy industry, getting his start with 4-H and FFA programming. He went on to attend North Dakota State University, where he majored in animal science and worked at the NDSU dairy barn.

At NDSU, he was involved in Saddle and Sirloin, and Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. As a part of Saddle and Sirloin’s Little International Show, he was champion dairy showman and reserve overall showman in 1980.

“After college, I knew I had a dairy farm waiting for me,” Doll said. “We still farm in New Salem.”

Doll serves on the board of directors for the Milk Producers Association. When asked what his favorite part of his life working in dairy is, he said, “Seeing your kids grow up with cattle. We did a lot of showing, and produced great cows that they did well with.”

His wife, Kristi, and children Andrew, Aaron, Brittany and Brandi, along with two hired hands, run their dairy, milking around 140 head of Holstein, mixed with a few Jerseys.

Commissioner’s Award of Dairy Excellence

The Commissioner’s Award of Dairy Excellence is given to a dairy farm with a record of community and industry involvement by North Dakota’s commissioner of agriculture. The award showcases a farm’s dedication to having quality dairy production with environmentally friendly facilities. This year, the honor went to Toby and Heidi Tormaschy of TT Dairy in Richardton, who farm with their four daughters.

“Every year the Department of Ag awards a dairy producer who has shown excellence in the most areas of their operation,” said Nathan Kroh, dairy coordinator with the commissioner’s office, in presenting the award. “Running an excellent operation means making sacrifices, so they [the Tormaschys] were unable to attend today as they are expecting a few calves.”

Kroh said it’s a challenge each year to select just one dairy producer, with so many deserving producers around the state. “We look for producers who keep quality, keep bacteria low, advocate for good inspection scores and, of course, make improvements over the years.”