MADISON, Wis. — How do Brandon and Kim Grewe describe their two-time World Dairy Expo grand champion and best bred-and-owned Guernsey? “She’s an easy keeper and does her own thing,” says Brandon.
On Sept. 30, just 20 days fresh in her fourth lactation, homebred 6-year-old Valley Gem Atlas Malt-ET glided to the top of the International Guernsey Show with Kim at the halter – repeating as grand champion for the second time in a row.
During the off-year of 2020, when Expo was canceled, Malt was not only grand champion Guernsey in Louisville, she was North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) supreme champion and unanimous All American 5-year-old cow. In addition to being grand champion Guernsey at the 2019 World Dairy Expo, she was supreme champion of the Minnesota State Fair and unanimous All American 4-year-old.
Malt made 30,000 pounds of milk in her previous lactation and is scored EX-95.
At home in Cumberland, Wisconsin, the Grewes milk 180 cows at Valley Gem Farms, and while they have Holsteins, Jerseys, and a couple other breeds in the herd, the Guernseys are special. The Grewes have been breeding Guernseys since Brandon’s great-grandfather started in 1921 in Washington state. When Brandon was just a boy, his parents Roy and Gina moved the dairy to Wisconsin.
Of Malt’s pedigree, Brandon smiles: “Her dam was my father-in-law and wife Kim’s cow (in the Mi Wil herd in Missouri).
“I had to marry her to get the cow,” he laughs.
Truth be told, the two met when Brandon reached out in 2010 to purchase Mi Wil Tiller Malibu, Malt’s dam.
The rest, as they say, is history, a history still being written for Malt and the Grewes.
“Malt was just 20 days fresh when she was grand champion Guernsey for the second time at World Dairy Expo. We used a lot of Udder Comfort on her. We laid it on every day. This stuff really works,” says Kim.
“Udder Comfort is a big help on our dairy. We use it on all our fresh cows and for any cow with signs of a problem. It also
helps us with milk quality. We love it,” adds Brandon.
Standing reserve grand and reserve senior champion to Malt at the 2021 World Dairy Expo was Springhill Kojack Uno-ET, the first place 5-year-old cow exhibited by Ty and Ean Mader and Faith Ling of Springfield, Missouri.
A pair of young cows with the same prefix stood grand and reserve champion of the Junior Guernsey Show. Dix-Lee Method Journey — the junior 3-year-old of Whitney Lee Yerina, Phillipsburg Missouri, was grand champion of the Junior Guernsey Show and intermediate champion of the open show. Standing reserve grand of the Junior show and reserve intermediate in the open show was Dix-Lee Kojack Don’t Doubt Me-ETV, the first place senior 2-year-old shown by Haley Beukema and Lauryn Weisensel, New Richmond, Wisconsin.
Landree Fraley of Muncy, Pennsylvania had the best bred-and-owned animal of the Junior show with Twincounty Pies Love Tap-ET.
Also from Pennsylvania, Macy McDonald Walason of Imler, Pennsylvania showed Villa Crest Marvel Sayre, the senior champion of the Junior show, which judge Molly Sloan picked for honorable mention grand. Standing reserve senior champion of the Junior show was Hi Guern View Diva Designer, shown by Alaina, Amery and Aidan Dinderman, Orangeville, Illinois.
In the heifer show, from Pennsylvania, it was Kolby Stoltzfus at the halter of homebred Warwick Manor Ernie Jacey garnering junior champion of the Junior show. Jacey is bred-and-owned by Kolby with his sister Karly and is part of the famed herd in the hamlet of East Earl, Pennsylvania making Golden Guernsey milk for Yoder’s Country Market down the road in New Holland.
The reserve junior champion of the Junior show was Heritage Brook Drone Trinket-ETV, shown by Keenan Thygesen and Hannah Hurst of Turnbridge, Vermont.
Junior and reserve junior champions of the open show were Thurston Farm Popeye Addyson, the fall yearling shown by Howacres and Mill Bridge Farm of Meriden, New Hampshire and Springhill Tiller Calico-ETV, the fall heifer calf shown by Clay Hershberger and Sandy Putt of Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Premier breeder and exhibitor awards both went to Springhill Farms of Big Prairie, Ohio. In the heifer show, Kevin and Dina Stoltzfus of Warwick Manor, East Earl, Pa., took home the banner for premier exhibitor with Austin and Jenna Knapp of Epworth, Iowa premier breeder.
Remember the legendary Pie? Indian Acres mm Pistachio Pie was the second Guernsey in the 54-year history of the World Dairy Expo ever to win Supreme over all breeds, making her owner Ashley Sears — a Cornell University student from Deerfield, Mass. at the time — the first junior to have the Supreme cow in both the junior and open competitions. That was 2007. Her son Indian Acres American Pie was premier sire of the 2021 International Guernsey Show in which 254 animals were judged by Molly Sloan, Columbus, Wis. And associate Mike West, Orangeville, Ontario.
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Profiles in comfort and quality 