The Indiana Dairy Producers Association (IDP) recently announced its 2024 award winners at its Annual Meeting held in Indianapolis.
“Our industry is built on individuals like our 2024 winners who tirelessly advocate and work to shine a spotlight on dairy producers. From decades of involvement to our young scholarship winners who are early in their journey, our 2024 honorees represent the passion and leadership that makes the dairy industry great,” said Steve Obert, Executive Director of Indiana Dairy Producers.
2024 IDP Producer of the Year: Tony Goltstein
The Producer of the Year honor recognizes individuals who embody all that is great about the dairy industry. The 2024 award was presented to Tony Goltstein, Union Go Dairy, Winchester, Indiana. Tony and his wife Yvonne, milk 1,750 cows along with their children Rob, Sanne, and Maike.
Originally from the Netherlands, the Goltsteins moved to Indiana in 2003 to pursue growth opportunities in the United States. Tony saw Indiana as his dream location, and they built their operation from the ground up. Tony takes pride in their excellent nutrition program for their cows, as well as the sustainability initiatives taking place on their farm.
Union Go Dairy has earned several certifications, including Validus Animal Welfare Certification to ensure quality care and animal comfort. Tony and his family are outstanding ambassadors for the dairy industry, including host farm tours and telling the story of the dairy industry.
2024 IDP Young Producer of the Year: Abbie McKaig
Abbie McKaig, Chapel View Dairy, is IDP’s 2024 Young Producer of the Year. She farms with her parents, Sandra and Robert McKaig, and her uncle Ed McKaig on the farm near Logansport, Indiana. An active community member, Abbie has represented the Indiana dairy community at several industry meetings including the National DHIA meeting and the Dairy Records Management Meeting as a delegate. Abbie is a graduate of Purdue University and uses her education and expertise both on and off the farm to tell the story of the dairy industry.
2024 Alan Kuehnert Memorial Scholarship Winner: Reagan Koester
The recipient of this year’s Alan Kuehnert Memorial Scholarship is Reagan Koester, Diamond K Dairy, Wadesville, Indiana. Reagan has been an advocate for agriculture and the dairy industry since a very young age and has a long list of accolades and activities that illustrate her commitment to advancing the dairy industry. Regan states that her dairy involvement has played a key role in shaping her values and purpose.
Community outreach is her passion as she informs the public about the importance of dairy nutrition in a variety of ways. Regan sees dairy products as a source of joy, even providing ice cream to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to help at a tough time. Regan is thriving as an agribusiness student at Purdue University and is involved in a variety of activities including being selected to go to Washington DC to advocate for dairy issues.
2024 IDP Scholarship Winner: Sydney Haag
The recipient of this year’s IDP scholarship is Sydney Haag, Thorntown, Indiana. Currently an animal science student at Purdue University, Sydney has been passionate about learning the dairy business since childhood. In middle school she began leasing and showing dairy cattle for 4-H and also became active in FFA.
Sydney shares that she fell in love with the dairy industry and enjoys helping others expand their knowledge of animal husbandry. She is expanding her own horizons as an ambassador for the American Dairy Association of Indiana and serves as an officer of Purdue’s Dairy Club. She currently works with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture as a milk tester, gaining insight into animal handling, health, and farm management skills.
Source: Indiana Dairy Producers
