Family traditions run deep

AADS Premier National Junior Show culminates with Supreme selections, award festivities

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Family traditions run deep at the All-American Dairy Show (AADS), celebrating its 60^th anniversary at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg this week.

This strength was apparent during the parade of champions and honorary awards ceremonies on Sept. 16^th at the conclusion of the Premier National Junior Show (PNJS), which saw over 1000 cattle exhibited and over 900 junior event participants across the seven breed shows, dairy judging, showmanship, fitting, and dairy herd management. (Many longtime Udder Comfort customers are among the exhibitors, winners, and award recipients!

Pennsylvania Ag Secretary Russell Redding highlighted the hallmark of cow families and farm families that “have been part of this industry for a long time. It’s inspiring to note that there are next generations here to continue the traditions both in the show ring and the dairy industry. Thank you for what you do,” he said.

Two of the youths under the spotlight with their grand champions, were brother and sister team Tyler and Madison Soden of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.

Tyler’s four-year-old Nisly-Gen Rager Donut-Red, the grand champion Red and White, was named Supreme cow of the PNJS (above). She went on to be reserve grand champion of the open show the next day. Madison’s junior three-year-old Leachland Kissed K was PNJS grand champion Jersey and went on to be grand champion of the open Mid-Atlantic Jersey Show the next day.

Madison, Tyler and their mother Heather Soden and grandmother Denise Pease of Sweet Peas Holsteins and Jerseys (pictured above) had the honor of personal congratulations from Congressman Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson, striking up a conversation about the National Holstein Convention back in June, where G.T. was honored for Distinguished Leadership. Madison had been part of Pennsylvania’s national champion dairy bowl team, where she recalled a question about farm bill legislation, to which G.T., himself, was the answer.

On that note, G.T. brought some good news from Washington on the critical five-year farm bill. “Progress is being made,” he said, indicating the House and Senate Ag leadership from both parties all want to complete the new farm bill by the end of this year instead of doing an extension of the current legislation, so they are working through their differences on the “pay-fors.”

When asked whether he thinks the language for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act will stay in the package through these intense negotiations, G.T. said: “I’m going to do my best to keep it in there. To me it’s a top priority.”

After such a big day in the ring, pageant, and beyond, the bottom-line answer was simple for these youths when asked what was most memorable:

“To be here with everybody and having the time with my family,” said Tyler.

“I just love showing my cows, and I’m glad they did well,” added Madison.

When asked about Udder Comfort in their routines at home and at shows, Denise said: “We use a lot of Udder Comfort. We have been using it for a really long time. We stick with what works, and this works. We use it most on fresh cows, as well as on hard quarters, even hocks. By softening and soothing, we are absolutely promoting udder health and quality.”

At Sweet Peas, 65 Holsteins and Jerseys are milked with an RHA of 25,000M and low SCC averaging 120,000.

Rounding out the Supreme awards for the 2024 PNJS, the bred-and-owned honors went to another longtime Udder Comfort customer, Isaac Folts of North Collins, New York for his Holstein milking yearling J-Folts Unix Carly-ET. She is the daughter of Isaac’s grand champion Holstein ‘Cali’ at the 2021 World Dairy Expo junior show.

Isaac is an enterprising young man who has been breeding, showing, and growing a first-generation herd of his own at the family’s dairy farm, where cows are milked voluntarily with robots.

The Supreme heifer banner went to Cooper Merrill and Alexis Schultz of Seneca Falls, New York. They had the junior champion Red and White, M-Divine W Lady Jane-Red-ET. The spring yearling heifer repeated as junior champion in the open show the next day and was named Supreme heifer of the open show as well. For the AADS award, Cooper stood with his grandfather Alan. Cooper, 11, nursed Lady Jane’s leg back to health after an injury at the New York Spring Carousel in March, gradually getting her walking again after 45 days of rest and healing. A super sweet Supreme win, for sure.

Before Supremes were selected, awards were bestowed. The poignant Obie Snider recognition awarded to Steve Cornman of Boiling Springs, Pa. marked the first time in its 20 year history that a father and son have been honored with the prestigious award. Steve’s late father Creedin received the Obie in 2005.

Steve humbly thanked those he has worked with handling the milkhouse for AADS and the state Farm Show each year.

“When I stop and think of who this award is named after, and the past recipients of this award, it is quite an honor, especially one name on that list, and I got to call him ‘Dad,’” said Steve, whose family was all present for the occasion.

Earlier in the day, Steve and his wife Debbie presented the Creedin Cornman Memorial award for Best Bred and Owned of the Pennsylvania Junior Holstein competition to Claire Stoltzfus with her Pennwood Sidekick Pop Fly. The wooden bench was handcrafted by Steve and painted by Debbie.

The crowd was also treated to a surprise appearance by Representative Glenn G.T. Thompson (R-15^th), the first U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman to hail from Pennsylvania in 170 years.

G.T. did the honors in presenting the Pennsylvania Dairy Hall of Fame induction award to Lolly Lesher of Way-Har Farms, Bernville, for her decades of dedicated service to the dairy industry, its youth, and this show. She was joined by her family as well.

“I love serving this dairy industry, and especially helping the kids — like you — at different levels and I will continue to do the best I can,” said a visibly moved Lesher, who not only serves on dairy producer, promotion, and industry boards but also in public education as a Hamburg Area School District board member.

Diane Cashell was humbled with the AADS Image Award, noting that she begins thinking about the decorations each year for months in advance — in both her waking and sleeping hours, that is.

Jim Osborne, DVM announced the 2024 Arthur Nesbitt Scholarship, presented to Regan Jackson of Boyce, Virginia. She was at the show earlier but had to get back to her studies as a pre-med student with a focus on nutrition at Louisiana State University.

“Regan feels that dairy needs more voices in the human medical field, promoting the benefits,” Osborne recounted. The 2024 scholarship was increased to $2000 as the All-American Dairy Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, voted to match Nesbitt’s own $1000 in funding.

During these memorable moments, the breed show judges looked over the assembled grand champion cows, junior champion heifers, and champion bred-and-owned animals to submit their Supreme picks.

Champions by breed vying for the three Supreme titles are pictured and captured at the end of this story: