Junior Membership

Any youth 9-21 years of age who owns one registered Brown Swiss animal can become a junior member. Wisconsin Brown Swiss Junior Membership is $5/yr. Junior Membership allows youth to show at state shows, enter youth contests, become a junior officer, participate at junior outings/events and be eligible for the share a heifer program.

PHOTO CREDIT: Tammy Rule

 February 7

 February 20 

 February 28

Wisconsin Brown Swiss Junior Officer & Queen Profiles

President

Joseph Opsal, Blue Mounds, Wis.

Joseph Opsal is the 20-year-old son of Troy Opsal and Jane Sarbacker. He works on his family’s dairy farm, Opsal’s Ridge, in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. They currently milking 80 Holsteins and 2 Brown Swiss. He is pursuing an Associate’s Degree in Commercial Photography at Madison College, with plans to eventually take over the family dairy farm and have a photography business on the side. He recently completed his term on the Junior Activities Committee for the Wisconsin Holstein Association, and is very excited to bring those skills and experiences gained from this role to the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Junior Association serving as the 2019 President. He was also the 2018 Wisconsin Junior Brown Swiss President.

Vice-President

Natalie Roe, Monticello, Wis.

Hello! My name is Natalie Roe and I am honored to be the 2019 Wisconsin Brown Swiss Queen. I am the daughter of Dan and Sally Roe, and I have two younger brothers, Nick and Alex. I currently attend Monticello High School, where I am very involved at school, participating in many extracurricular activities which include FBLA, Spanish and Investment Clubs, Volleyball, and Track & Field. I have been an active member of the Washington Center 4-H Club for eight years, including serving as the current President. I am also a very active member of the Monticello FFA Chapter, having participated in many activities, such as dairy judging, soil judging, speaking contests, and more.

I have enjoyed showing Brown Swiss ever since I was little. My involvement in the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Association has grown and expanded my dairy knowledge, and my passion for Brown Swiss. I am very excited to represent the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Association this year as 2019 Wisconsin Brown Swiss Queen. I want to share with others the wonderful assets of this breed, be an advocate for our Association, as well as the dairy industry as a whole. I am excited to attend as many events as I can this coming year, and if you would like to see me at your event, please email me at natroe02@gmail.com. I am looking forward to meeting many of you this year!

~Natalie, 2019 Wisconsin Brown Swiss Queen & Jr. Vice-President

Secretary

Sarah Hagenow, Poynette, Wis.

Sarah Hagenow is the 16 year old daughter of Bob and Lisa Hagenow from Poynette, Wis. She is a sophomore at Rio High School, where she is involved in several activities, such as basketball, track, FFA, and FBLA. Outside of school, she has found her passion for dairy cattle, specifically within the Brown Swiss breed. She became involved with the brown cow in 2016, and has since started her own line of cattle with the prefix Sar-Boh. She is exstatic to be a part of the 2019 jr. officer team and she is looking forward to a great year ahead!

The Nelson McCammon Share-A-Heifer Program

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Brown Swiss Youth Heifer Program accepting applications for 2020

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Youth looking for support to purchase their first Brown Swiss should consider applying for the Nelson McCammon Youth Heifer Program offered by the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Association. The organization is accepting applications between now and February 7, 2020. 

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“The Nelson McCammon Youth Heifer Program helps youth interested in working with dairy cattle gain hands-on experience with high-quality Registered Brown Swiss, explains committee chairperson Josh Hushon. “By working with Brown Swiss through this program, our hope is that they will learn to appreciate the many outstanding qualities the Brown Swiss breed offers as the well as the camaraderie of those who own them.”

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Award recipients will receive a grant for 50% (up to a $1,000 total) towards the purchase price of a Registered Brown Swiss female of any age. The program is intended to run for two years with the applicants being between the ages of 9 and 18 for cows and 9 to 19 for heifers as of January 1, 2020. Applicants must be residents of Wisconsin and become members of the Wisconsin Junior and the National Junior Brown Swiss Associations.

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Since the project started in 2013, 18 youth have purchased Registered Brown Swiss heifers thanks to the generosity of long-time Brown Swiss breeder and youth supporter Nelson McCammon, who generously donated the funding for the program via his estate when he passed. Mr. McCammon was a mentor to many, and a past winner of the Klussendorf Trophy. 

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Winners will be presented at the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Annual Meeting, March 7, 2020, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Appleton, WI. 

Applications and more information about this and other programs can be found at the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Association website at www.wibrownswiss.com or by contacting Josh Hushon at or 920-342-0611. 

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About  Nelson McCammon:

Nelson McCammon was born September 29, 1919 and passed May 21, 2012.  He was raised on a diversified dairy farm in southwest Indiana. He graduated from Carlisle High School and attended Purdue University. He earned a Bronze Star during his four years of service in the 38th Infantry Div. of the U.S. Army while stationed in the Pacific, New Guinea, and the Philippine Islands. Nelson worked for the Curtiss Candy Company Dairy in Chicago for seven years. He mainly worked with their show cattle and became Herdsman for their Brown Swiss and Holstein Herds. He later managed Rolling Acres Guernsey’s in Illinois, CB Farms Brown Swiss of Connecticut and Indiana. Nelson was in charge of the show herds for Norvic Farm Brown Swiss in Lake Mills WI, as well as Cold Springs Brown Swiss, Monroe, WI, and Red Brae Brown Swiss, Eagle, WI. He and his wife Lois bought her parents farm in Clarno Township, Monroe, WI which he named Nelsland. There he bred and developed several All American winning Brown Swiss. In 1959, Nelson won the prestigious Klussendorf award which honors ability, character and sportsmanship in the dairy show ring. A mentor to many, Nelson was always willing to help youth interested in Brown Swiss. He spearheaded the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Breeders Share-A-Heifer program which gave WI youth practical experience with cattle. He also annually supported national youth involvement through the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders Association. 

2019 Grant Winners

(l-r) Heidi Heller-committee member, recipients-Josie Kinnard, Hunter Holewinski, James Wanke and presenter-Josh Hushon