Jim Lewis Colfax, Wisconsin Dairy Field Service Specialist Vita Plus
Please describe your agricultural background.I’ve spent my whole life in the dairy industry, providing quality care for dairy herds, including everything from animal health to feed delivery and from milk production to calf raising. I’ve owned and managed my own dairy farm and I’ve also managed other herds.
What education are you bringing with you to this position?
I attended the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and have more than 28 years of practical experience in managing dairy herds. With a passion for stockmanship, I’ve attended animal handling seminars to hone my skills in this vital area.
What territory will you cover?
I’ll work primarily in central and western Wisconsin as well as eastern Minnesota.
What are your new responsibilities?
As a Vita Plus dairy field service specialist, I will support staff and dealer partners in the field by providing consulting and training in nutrition and production management.
What previous positions have you held?
Most recently, I worked at the Transition Management Facility for Emerald-Baldwin Dairies in western Wisconsin. The transition period is a critical time in the cow’s life and we still have a great deal to learn about how to manage it for maximum production and efficiency.
What excites you most about working in your new role?
I’m looking forward to working directly with dairy producers, helping them to increase production and efficiency through better management of transition cows and animal handling. I also look forward to working with my Vita Plus teammates to bring research-proven management strategies to the farm level.
How will you be of most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
Dairy stockmanship is an extreme passion of mine and we have a definite need for education and training of personnel on the correct handling of livestock. Every interaction with a cow has an effect on the animal. Good stockmanship is a win-win situation for everyone involved because it directly relates to cow performance and management efficiency.
Why did you choose this company?
I’ve worked with the Vita Plus team in west central Wisconsin for some time. Seeing consultants’ level of commitment made it an easy decision for me to join the team. Vita Plus has as set of values that guides the way all employee owners live and work, and those values align with mine.
What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
As time goes on, I would like to help our dairies adopt the stockmanship principles that are so essential to cow performance. I’d also like to help producers better manage the transition period for optimized production and efficiency. PD
