“Hey, let’s go work with the cows.”
For Jessica Oliver, this statement is made at least daily around the farm and anywhere she happens to be close to dairy cattle. As a lifelong member of the dairy community, Jessica is no stranger to hard work and preparing cows for shows across the country. With her passion for dairy and showing cattle, Jessica is impacting youth to ensure the future of agriculture is bright.
Jessica grew up an hour north of Seattle in Mount Vernon, Washington, on her family’s dairy farm. While her parents quit dairying when she was 8 years old, Jessica’s love for the industry did not wane. Shortly after her parents sold the farm, Jessica joined 4-H, where she was able to begin showing dairy heifers.
Jessica with the first 4-H calf she borrowed, Daisy. Photo provided by Jessica Oliver “I have shown every dairy breed except Milking Shorthorns,” Jessica says. “I borrowed calves from local dairies, raised them, showed them and then gave them back to the dairy before they became cows.”
While Jessica was very thankful for the support of her local community, she still wanted animals of her own. Little did she know that the opportunity to own an animal would come through a project completed by many 4-H members: the 4-H record book.
“I received a 500-dollar grant from our extension program in Washington and used this money to buy my first calf: Whidbey Eland Missy,” Jessica recalls. “She was a great cow, and since we did not have a dairy, I brought her to Rockalli Dairy in Conway, Washington, to calve.”
For those passionate about dairy industry history, Rockalli Dairy was home to Rockalli Son of Bova, the first embryo transfer (ET) bull. While Rockalli Dairy is no longer an established business, Jessica was thankful for the chance to house her first cow there.
Jessica’s involvement in 4-H also led her to meet her husband, Michael, at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, Washington. Michael’s grandparents, Donald and Elma Steffen, had one of the oldest prefixes in the state, Skykomish – and while the Steffens had quit farming, Jessica and Michael continued showing through their shared love of dairy cattle.
Throughout her 4-H career, Jessica was always willing to help fellow members with clipping their animals and helping with toplines to prepare for shows. This love for helping others has translated over into her adult life, and she is proud to serve as a mentor to up-and-coming youth in the dairy project, even if she has not formally served as a 4-H project leader.
“Around Washington, if youth needed help to do a topline or learn to show, I would invite them over to lead my calves and show them the ropes,” Jessica says. “Kids would then borrow calves for a show, kind of like how I grew up.”
As a valued mentor in the dairy industry, Jessica focuses on fitting, clipping and training animals. “Every so often, I will post tips on Facebook for getting calves ready for a show,” Jessica says. “I remind people to wash animals, tie them up and that it takes months of preparation for the show ring.”
Jessica is always excited about seeing the youth she mentors get excited themselves about cows, and she credits 4-H as a great way to teach responsibility and change the lives of youth who participate in the dairy project. “There is so much to be learned from 4-H and having an animal,” Jessica says. “It is about kids being able to have the responsibility to train an animal, wash an animal and see the animal and the kid change. If kids can accomplish this, they can do so much in life.”
Besides helping to prepare animals for shows, Jessica serves as superintendent for the Central Washington State Fair. She began this role in 2017, which she started after serving as a judge for the fair’s dairy show. When Jessica started as superintendent, there were approximately five youth and 10 animals. Now, there are close to 30 youth exhibiting animals at the show. Each year, another local fair hosts a clinic, where Jessica has helped teach clipping techniques.
The Oliver family enjoys spending time together on and off the farm.
Family members include (from left to right) Michael, Micah, Jessica,
Jacob, Molly and Emily. Photo provided by Jessica Oliver.
Jessica and Michael live in Zillah, Washington, and are the proud parents of four children: Emily, Jacob, Molly and Micah. While not an “official” dairy farm, the family operates Oliver Cattle Company, where they milk a small herd of high-end Holstein show cows. Michael milks in the mornings before work and switches with Jessica in the evenings. The milk they produce goes toward homemade cheese and butter, to feed beef calves and consumption by the Oliver family.
Jessica and Michael have also started to pass their love for show cattle to their children – and their oldest daughter, Emily, has developed a strong fondness for the sport. “My biggest joy is that Emily loves showing,” Jessica says. “Emily used to be scared of calves, and she had this Red and White Holstein calf that was super-stubborn. My proudest moment as a parent has been teaching my kids confidence to have a calf and train it by themselves.”
Jessica knows how different her life would be without 4-H and showing dairy cows, and credits her dad with inspiring her to give back to the industry as a volunteer and mentor. “My dad is one of the hardest workers I know,” Jessica says. “He made a point that if I wanted to go get a calf growing up, he would drop everything to go to a farm and look at a calf. We did not have a cattle trailer, so my dad would borrow a trailer from his buddy’s place. When you are a kid, you do not think of things like gas, but my dad did so much to make it happen for us.”
As Jessica continues to make it happen for the next generation within the dairy industry, she has one piece of advice. “If you are doing something you love and are passionate about, you are doing the right thing.”
To learn more about Jessica and her family, check out the Oliver Cattle Company Facebook page or YouTube channel.
