Wisconsin Holstein Association
Adult Convention
2025 WHA Adult Convention
February 21 & 22, 2025 • Holiday Inn & Suites, Wausau-Rothschild
Hosted by Clark County Holstein Breeders
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Friday, February 21
2:00 pm Registration open
3:30 pm Past President’s gathering
4-6 pm WHA Committee Meetings
4-5 pm Shows open forum
5-5:30pm Member Programming/YAC Committee
Scholarship Committee
WHF annual meeting
5:30-6pm Futurity/Advocacy Committee
Resolutions meeting
Join us for dinner, trivia, Holstein fellowship and live entertainment in the hotel lounge. Please make dinner reservations by calling 715-355-9200.
Saturday, February 22
7 am Breakfast available at hotel restaurant
8am- 6:30 pm Registration open
8-9 am Early Bird Session: Transition Planning Panel Discussion with Dan Arndt & Will McKinley, moderated by Peggy Coffeen of Uplevel Dairy
9-11:30 am WHA Annual Business Meeting
11:30 am Lunch
Wall of Fame Inductions
40 & 50 Year Member Recognition
300,000 & 400,000 lb. Cow Recognitions
Top Performer Recognitions
Junior Recognitions
1:30-5:00 pm Experience Wine & Cheese pairing at a local Brew Pub
Tour Mullin's Knowlton House Distillery & sample Whey based spirits
5:30-6:30 pm Social Hour
6:30 pm Dinner
Retiring Board Member Recognition
Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder
Marlowe Nelson Distinguished Service Award
Distinguished Holstein Breeder
*scholarship silent auction throughout social hour & banquet
Sunday, February 23
WHA Board Meeting
Holiday Inn & Suites - Wausau/Rothschild
715-355-1111 or
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/rothschild/wauwi/hoteldetail
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Block available until February 9, 2025 for $139/night + tax. Please reference Wisconsin Holstein Association or WHA when making reservations.
Please contact Joe Meyer for ticket availability - 715-223-5918
Early Bird Session
Transition Planning - 8 AM Saturday, February 22
Join us for a panel discussion about transition planning for your farm. Have questions or wondering how to get started? These attorneys have experience in helping farmers plan for the next generation to join the operation.
Dan Arndt, Arndt Buswell & Thorn, Sparta
Dan is a 1978 Graduate of Bangor High School and a 1982 Graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. While at UW-Stevens Point he played collegiate basketball and was active in numerous student organizations and student government. Upon graduation from UWSP, he was awarded the prestigious James H. Albertson Medallion for outstanding leadership, scholarship and community involvement. He then attended the University of Wisconsin Law School at Madison and received his Juris Doctor degree in 1985. Thereafter, he immediately began practicing law in the LaCrosse / Sparta area. In 1991, Arndt, Buswell & Thorn, S.C. was formed by himself, Jack Buswell and Ellen Thorn.
His practice primarily consists of both personal and business litigation, real estate law and estate planning. He does a great deal of business representation including business set-up, consulting and litigation. He is a member of the Monroe County Bar Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, American Bar Association, Wisconsin Association of Trial Lawyers and American Trial Lawyers Association.
He was raised on a family farm in rural Bangor and now lives in that same area with his wife, Diane.
Will McKinley, Menn Law Firm, Appleton
Will was born and raised in the cornfields of Western Illinois and has been a resident of Wisconsin for over 15 years. Currently president of Menn Law Firm, McKinley oversees the day-to-day affairs of their multiple locations and practices with Menn’s Business Practice Group. He graduated with honors from both Marquette University undergraduate and law school.
McKinley devotes a large portion of his legal practice towards serving his business and corporate clients, especially those in the agri-business, medical and dental fields, helping them tackle real estate, corporate, contract, succession and sale/acquisition issues.
Prior to practicing law, McKinley served a two-year stint as a corps member with Teach for America, serving as a high school special education teacher in Crowpoint, NM. He and his wife, along with their family circus, reside in Appleton. During the hours when he’s not practicing law or managing the firm, you can find him supporting his kids and their activities or golfing.
Peggy Coffeen, Uplevel Dairy
Peggy Coffeen has dedicated the past 15 years to sitting across the table with dairy farmers around the country, asking questions, telling their stories and connecting them to resources. She is the founder and host of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast and the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast.
A dairy girl at heart, Peggy grew up milking cows in a tie-stall barn on her family farm in southern Wisconsin before pursuing a degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in agriculture journalism and a career in writing and communications. She served as the dairy and livestock editor for the Agri-View newspaper before dedicating 9 years as an editor and podcast host for Progressive Dairy, and founded Uplevel Dairy and the Uplevel Dairy Podcast in 2022.
Peggy and her husband Kevin, along with their four children, live near De Pere, Wisconsin.
Tours
Wine & Cheese pairings at a local Brew Pub
Attendees will bus to a local Brew Pub for wine and cheese pairings presented by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and can sample local ale. Group 1 will be a pre-distillery stop; group 2 will be a post-distillery tour visit.
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Knowlton House Distillery - Turning Whey into Spirits
In true Wisconsin tradition, the Mullins Cheese story begins in a tavern. Emil Wimmer & Mel Mullins were both cheesemakers and bar buddies. Emil didn’t have any sons of his own while Mel had three, two of which would come work for Emil and one of which would eventually become his son-in-law. Today, the Mullins Family operates the largest family-owned cheese manufacturing and whey processing facilities in Wisconsin.
Knowlton House, a division of Mullins cheese, distills alcoholic spirits from whey milk sugars. You will get to sample a variety of their spirits on the tour!
The original Knowlton House, opened in 1849, was a popular roadhouse for travelers and locals. The same year, Irishman Patrick Mullins sold his ten head of cattle in Ireland to start a new life as a Wisconsin dairy farmer. Those original dairy farmers became cheesemakers that has continued for seven generations.
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The marriage of Luke and Heather Mullins (a cheesemaker and a fermentation scientist), was the perfect recipe to turn milk sugars, a byproduct of making cheese, into alcohol. While the Mullins continue their cheese making tradition, Heather, with a master’s degree in brewing science, has evolved those milk sugars into something more. Using traditional column and pot distillation techniques, the milk sugars are crafted into a beautifully smooth spirit, perfect for sipping straight or elevating your favorite cocktail.
Information taken from mullinscheese.com and knowltonhouse.com
Distinguished Award Winners
Distinguished Holstein Breeder -Scott Pralle & Pam Selz-Pralle
Receiving this year’s highest honor of Distinguished Holstein Breeder is Scott Pralle and Pam Selz-Pralle of Selz-Pralle Dairy, Humbird. Selz-Pralle Dairy was formed in 1995 and plans were made to expand the 120-cow herd to 400 cows in a new facility. Today, Scott and Pam milk 450 cows. Over the years, they have bred 412 Excellent Cows with 5 at 94 points, 19 at 93 points and 30 at 92 points and 876 Very Good cows. The breeding philosophy at Selz-Pralle dairy is to breed cows that have high type, components and milk yield plus outstanding udders backed with solid, proven pedigrees. Cows that exemplify this goal include Joliam Dundee 3035 (Phoenix), EX-92-2E, GMD, who 18 percent of the herd traces back to her. Selz-Pralle Aftershock 3918 VG-88 was another impactful cow in the herd. She was the World Milk Record cow and was a National Elite Performer with daughters following in her footsteps. Scott and Pam have three children, Ryan, Jessica and Nicole. All three share a passion for the Registered Holstein cow just like their parents.
Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder - Derrek & Darren Kamphuis
Derrek and Darren Kamphuis grew up on a grade Holstein dairy in Brandon. Their interest in Registered Holsteins was sparked through showing and dairy judging. From there, they continued to grow their herd of 90 cows to 280. Of these cows, 79 are scored Excellent, 166 Very Good and 43 Good Plus with none lower. The herd has a production average of 29,792 pounds of milk, 1196 pounds of fat and 935 pounds of protein. The Kamphuis’ breed cows for strength, welded-on udders with sound feet and legs so they can thrive in a freestall setting. Time-tested pedigrees are important to them. Some cow families they are working with include Goldwyn June, Shakira, Blexy, Mogul Cleavage and Doc Have Not.
Both brothers are involved in their community starting with coaching 4-H dairy judging. Derrek and Darren, along with wives Valerie and Rachel, are involved in the Fond du Lac County Holstein Association, their community and church activities. They look forward to watching Darren and Rachel’s children, Bella and Lucas, grow up and become involved as well.
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Marlowe Nelson Distinguished Service Award - Bonnie Van Dyk
Bonnie Van Dyk of New Richmond is this year’s Marlowe Nelson Distinguished Service Award winner. From 1999 to 2005, she served a 6-year term on the WHA Board of Directors, being elected as the association’s first female president in 2003. While on the board, she brought years of experience in ag finance that helped with budgeting. She was also a strong proponent of the Wisconsin Holstein News, serving on the communications committee for many years and being a regular advertiser on the inside front cover until the Willows Edge dispersal in 2017. Other roles over the years includes serving as the District 1 Show chair for 22 years and as a member of the Executive Committee for the 2008 National Holstein Committee. She has also served on the Holstein Association USA audit committee, as president of the St. Croix County Holstein Breeders, and as treasurer for the Red & White Dairy Cattle Breeders Association.
