Indiana Dairy Producers Name 2024 Award Winners
FT. BRANCH, Ind. — The Indiana Dairy Producers Association (IDP) is focused on making Indiana the most desirable place to produce milk, with outstanding industry... The Indiana Dairy Producers Association (IDP) has named its 2024 award winners, with the Producer of the Year award given to Tony Goltstein, Union Go Dairy, Winchester, Ind. The award recognises individuals who embody all that is great about the dairy industry. The IDP is committed to making Indiana the most desirable place to produce milk, with industry members leading the way. Abbie McKaig, Chapel View Dairy, is IDP’s 2024 Young Producer of The Year and Reagan Koester, Diamond K Dairy, Wadesville, Indiana, is the recipient of the Alan Kuehnert Memorial Scholarship. Sydney Haag, an animal science student at Purdue University, was awarded the IDP scholarship.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Kyle in
The Indiana Dairy Producers Association announced its 2024 award winners at its Annual Meeting recently held in Indianapolis. The 2024 Producer of the Year honor was presented to Tony Goltstein, Union Go Dairy, Winchester, Ind. (IDP)
FT. BRANCH, Ind. — The Indiana Dairy Producers Association (IDP) is focused on making Indiana the most desirable place to produce milk, with outstanding industry members leading the way. The organization announced its 2024 award winners at its Annual Meeting recently held in Indianapolis.
The Producer of the Year honor recognizes individuals who embody all that is great about the dairy industry. The 2024 award was presented to Tony Goltstein, Union Go Dairy, Winchester, Ind. Tony and his wife Yvonne, milk 1,750 cows along with their children Rob, Sanne, and Maike. Originally from the Netherlands, the Goltsteins moved to Indiana in 2003 to pursue growth opportunities in the United States. Tony saw Indiana as his dream location, and they built their operation from the ground up. Tony takes pride in their excellent nutrition program for their cows, as well as the sustainability initiatives taking place on their farm. Union Go Dairy has earned several certifications, including Validus Animal Welfare Certification to ensure quality care and animal comfort. Tony and his family are outstanding ambassadors for the dairy industry, including host farm tours and telling the story of the dairy industry.
Abbie McKaig, Chapel View Dairy, is IDP’s 2024 Young Producer of the Year. She farms with her parents, Sandra and Robert McKaig, and her uncle Ed McKaig on the farm near Logansport, Indiana. An active community member, Abbie has represented the Indiana dairy community at several industry meetings including the National DHIA meeting and the Dairy Records Management Meeting as a delegate. Abbie is a graduate of Purdue University and uses her education and expertise both on and off the farm to tell the story of the dairy industry.
The recipient of this year’s Alan Kuehnert Memorial Scholarship is Reagan Koester, Diamond K Dairy, Wadesville, Indiana. Reagan has been an advocate for agriculture and the dairy industry since a very young age and has a long list of accolades and activities that illustrate her commitment to advancing the dairy industry. Regan states that her dairy involvement has played a key role in shaping her values and purpose. Community outreach is her passion as she informs the public about the importance of dairy nutrition in a variety of ways. Regan sees dairy products as a source of joy, even providing ice cream to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to help at a tough time. Regan is thriving as an agribusiness student at Purdue University and is involved in a variety of activities including being selected to go to Washington DC to advocate for dairy issues.
The recipient of this year’s IDP scholarship is Sydney Haag, Thorntown, Indiana. Currently an animal science student at Purdue University, Sydney has been passionate about learning the dairy business since childhood. In middle school she began leasing and showing dairy cattle for 4-H and also became active in FFA. Sydney shares that she fell in love with the dairy industry and enjoys helping others expand their knowledge of animal husbandry. She is expanding her own horizons as an ambassador for the American Dairy Association of Indiana and serves as an officer of Purdue’s Dairy Club. She currently works with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture as a milk tester, gaining insight into animal handling, health, and farm management skills.
“Our industry is built on individuals like our 2024 winners who tirelessly advocate and work to shine a spotlight on dairy producers. From decades of involvement to our young scholarship winners who are early in their journey, our 2024 honorees represent the passion and leadership that makes the dairy industry great,” said Steve Obert, Executive Director, IDP.
About Indiana Dairy Producers
The Indiana Dairy Producers (IDP) organization is an organized voice for Hoosier dairy farmers, representing their interests across the state. Since the organization’s inception in 1999, IDP has engaged with both producers and those that impact dairy farmers: regulators, policymakers, dairy companies, consumers, and industry partners. The Indiana Dairy Producers is a proactive, positive, and professional network of dairy producer-members across the state. As an advocate and a partner, we proudly serve the dairy producers of Indiana.