Hometown: Everson, Washington. My dairy background: My three siblings and I were born the fifth generation of American dairy farmers. We were raised on our family farm of 650 Holstein cows. Recently, our farm made the transition to our current herd of 150 Jersey cows. I raise and show Guernseys that are intermixed with my family’s herd. Working with multiple breeds has been a beneficial learning experience. Year in school and area of study: Junior with an agricultural education major and animal science minor.

Hometown: Three Oaks, Michigan My dairy background: I was born and raised on my family’s dairy and grain farm where we strive to breed all-around solid production cows with a niche for show animals. We milk about 130 Holsteins and Jerseys, and the farm has been in the Koebel name for four generations. Year in school and area of study: I am entering my third year at MSU where I study agribusiness management. If I wasn’t studying agriculture/dairy, I would be ... playing basketball in the WNBA (haha)

Hometown: Ulysses, Pennsylvania My dairy background: My two sisters and I were born the fifth generation of dairy farmers from both sides of my family. Until 2000, we operated an 80-cow freestall. Since that time, we downsized significantly, and now we milk 20 cows and make cheese from the milk. Year in school and area of study: I am a senior at Penn State majoring in animal sciences. If I wasn’t studying agriculture/dairy, I would be ... probably working at my family’s small dairy farm and creamery.

As we approach the end of summer and start scraping the bottom of the silo or pit to feed our dairy herd before the 2011 harvest season begins, we may want to consider the quality of that silage. While last year’s harvest appeared to be cleaner than the previous year’s crop, some producers are finding that after it was all packed and stored away, it wasn’t as safe as it seemed. As the temperature has risen, so have the levels of mold and yeast in our stored feed.

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