The National Brown Swiss Convention held in Green Bay, Wisconsin and hosted by the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Association completed day 3. Starting with a Grab and go breakfast and attendees boarded buses to Meadow Brook Farms.

Meadow Brook Dairy Farms LLC, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is owned and operated by Mitch and McKenzie Kappelman and Mitch's parents, Pete and Shellie Kappelman. A fifth generation dairy farm, Meadow Brook milks 380 Registered Holsteins and 40 Registered Brown Swiss cows. The Brown Swiss herd average is 27,389 lbs. of milk, 4.27% 1169 lbs. of fat and 3.29% 901 lbs. of protein. Mitch received the 2020 National Distinguished Young Brown Swiss Breeder Award. Meadow Brook has sent 16 bulls to A.I., including the former #1 PPR bull SEGA and former #1 NM$ bull STANDOUT. Meadow Brook has also placed an emphasis on breeding polled cattle. Currently the herd has 27 polled Brown Swiss females. 

 

Mitch and McKenzie Kappelman welcome everyone to Meadow Brook Dairy Farms LLC, Manitowoc, Wisconsin

 

 

An impressive lineup of Brown Swiss cows at Meadow Brook Dairy Farms

 The new show barn at Meadow Brook Dairy Farms

 

 

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Next stop was Jenlar Holsteins and Brown Swiss in Chilton, Wisconsin, owned and operated by Larry and Jennifer Meyer along with their three children. They milk 130 cows with 70 percent of the herd Holsteins and 30 percent of the herd Brown Swiss. All cows, including show cows, are milked with two Lely robotic milkers. Because of the use of sexed semen and IVF technology, their heifer pens have a much higher ratio of Brown Swiss. Jenlar has bred or exhibited 29 All-American Nominations since 2015 with all but one animal being homebred. They have exhibited 11 Brown Swiss class winners in the open and junior shows at World Dairy Expo during that same time period. The Meyer's have been recognized with the National Ira Inman Type & Production award multiple times. The herd at Jenlar is entirely homebred with the exception of one animal. Tour attendees had the opportunity to view Brown Swiss legend Jenlar Dynasty Treat 5E91, Treat was just awarded the Highest Living Lifetime Energy Corrected Milk (ECM) Award for the third consecutive year with a ECM of 433,802 milk. Treat is 18 1/2 years old with a current lifetime total of 367,912 milk, 16,908 fat and 12,926 protein. These totals rank her as the second highest producing milk and protein cow all-time. Also on display was Jenlar Carter Waltz ETV E91 92MS -Intermediate Champion International Brown Swiss Show and Grand Champion International Junior Brown Swiss Show at World Dairy Expo 2019.

 

 

Larry and Jennifer Meyer along with two of their three children welcome everyone to Jenlar Holsteins and Brown Swiss, Chilton, Wisconsin 

One of two robotic milkers that milk the 130 cow herd

 A sampling of the homebred Brown Swiss herd

Jenlar Dynasty Treat 5E91, Treat was just awarded the Highest Living Lifetime Energy Corrected Milk (ECM) Award for the third consecutive year with a ECM of 433,802 milk

Jenlar Carter Waltz ETV E91 92MS -Intermediate Champion International Brown Swiss Show and Grand Champion International Junior Brown Swiss Show at World Dairy Expo 2019

 

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Loehr Dairy LLC of Mount Calvary, Wisconsin was next on the tour. Joe and Mark Loehr along with their families are the 5th and 6th generations of Loehers to run the dairy farm since 1858. The Loehrs milk 600 cows of which 40 are Brown Swiss. The Loehr's Brown Swiss have been the number one energy-corrected milk producing herd among high component breeds in the Centralstar testing cooperative for every month in 2024. The herd has achieved the Protein Genetic Herd award and the Progressive Genetics Herd award many times. Joe was recognition as the National Outstanding Young Brown Swiss Breeder at the 2016 National Brown Swiss Convention. The Loehr's use "Holyland" as the prefix for naming their registered animals in both breeds.

 

 

Joe and Mark Loehr along with their families welcome everyone to Loehr Dairy LLC of Mount Calvary, Wisconsin 

 

Loehr's Dairy new and impressive calf barn

 

Part of the Brown Swiss milking at Loehr Dairy 

 

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The final stop on the tour was ST Genetics, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, a bull collection facility. The Fond Du Lac location currently houses 450 head of bulls and jumper steers, which includes 4 Brown Swiss bulls that were on display in the collection barn. All bulls are EU Qualified and housed individually. After touring the collection facility, attendees were given a tour of the distribution center and processing lab, no photos are allowed in these facilities. ST Genetics, Fond Du Lac, sells over five million units of semen each year, with fifty percent of the semen sexed and fifty percent conventional semen. Semen is shipped all over the world.

 

 

 

 

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After returning to the hotel, the Final Banquet and youth awards were held that evening.