1. What is your dairy name and where is it located?

Name: Valley View Dairy

Location: Just outside of Mount Vernon in Big Lake, Washington

 

  1. What is the history of your dairy?

“There’s a lot of history on this place. It used to be a ranch, then a lumber company back in the 1900s. When we first moved here all of the locals had stories to tell about this place. Our dairy has been here almost 32 years. We started out dairying together with Jerry’s mom and dad and eventually we purchased the farm. We’ve had employees for a long time. Most of them have been with us the majority of our time here. We currently milk 600 cows total and we raise 450 young stock.”

 

  1. What is your favorite part about being a dairy farmer?

Jerry: “Every day is something different. There’s so much variety being on the farm. You’re taking care of animals, you’re taking care of the land, you’re fixing fences, you’re chasing cows, and you get to walk through the field with your grandkids. All of those little things are just so valuable. I just love it.”

Linda: “We raised our four children here and it’s been great. They enjoyed the farm and enjoy coming back to the farm. Our grandkids love to spend time here!”

 

  1. Describe your experience with All West as a member-owner.

“As a kid, I grew up with All West. My dad used All West back then and All West has always been here for us, ever since! We’ve always expected and appreciated the fact that they always have great bulls and their genetics have always been top-notch. All West is a standard on our dairy and we wouldn’t go anywhere else.”

 

  1. What are some of your hobbies beyond dairy farming?

“We like to travel. Lately, it’s been a lot of business travel as an All West/Select Sires Board Member, but we enjoy those trips, too! We enjoy seeing different places and meeting new dairy farmers from across the nation any chance we get. I always learn new ways to improve my dairy by hearing the ways they farm and do things on their farms. Linda and I also enjoy hiking and biking when we can.”

 

  1. How did you get involved in leadership roles with All West/Select Sires?

“When my kids were done playing basketball, I finally had some free time in February to attend the All West Annual Meeting. That’s when All West Sales Representative Larry Nootenboom approached me and asked if I’d like to serve in a delegate position and I did! I wanted to get involved to participate and learn and the more I got involved, the more I enjoyed meeting all of the different dairymen and their families throughout All West Territory.”

 

  1. What has been your favorite part of serving your cooperative in these roles.

“I enjoyed being the 2017-2019 All West/Select Sires Board President for many reasons. Looking at the future of where we are going as All West and how we are going to continue providing for our customers and evaluating the future of the dairy industry is an important task. As a member of the Select Sires Inc. Board of Directors as well, I want Select Sires to stay competitive and be the number one semen company in the United States and in the world.  I am now looking forward to serving as All West/Select Sires Board Vice President for the next two years.”

 

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