MSU seeks nominations for 2025 Dairy Farmer of the Year Award

Jun 25, 2024

By Justin Whitmore

The Michigan State University Department of Animal Science is seeking nominations for the 2025 Dairy Farm of the Year Award.

Since 1958, the Dairy Farm of the Year Award has been presented to a farmer, farm partners or family that has distinguished themselves through excellence in dairy farming and outstanding involvement in the industry or their community. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the MSU Animal Science Department to Michigan dairy farmers.

Information about the award, list of past recipients and the nomination form can be accessed online or by searching MSU Dairy Farm of the Year. Even if not all information requested on the form is available, nominations are still welcome.

Nominations are due to Miriam Weber Nielsen, msw@msu.edu, chair of the selection committee, by Sept. 15, 2024. Download a nomination form.

The selected farm will be announced prior to the 2025 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference and honored at the Michigan Dairy Industry Banquet as a part of the conference.

A portrait of the honoree will be added to the display wall at the MSU Livestock Pavilion, and notice of the award will be provided to the local newspaper of the recipient and to their legislators.

Source : msu.edu

Video: CEO’s of the Industry with Patrick Joyce from Passel Farms

CEOs of the Industry, Jim Eadie sits down with Patrick Joyce of to discuss the rapid growth and evolution of one of the pork industry’s emerging large-scale operations.

The conversation explores the integration of Cactus Family Farms, the operational challenges of managing a multi-state farrow-to-finish system, and how Passel Farms is balancing scale with culture, leadership, and community impact through initiatives like Passel Provides.

Patrick also shares insights on Prop 12 repopulation projects, innovation in swine production, sustainability, animal welfare, and the future direction of the pork industry over the next decade.