THE GREAT
Volume 26, No. 20
See pages 24 and 25 of this section for details!
December 7, 2024
“All dairy, all the time”™
Rosabella’s Educating via social media winning ways Megan DairyGirl brings the farm to the phone By Dan Wacker
dan.w@dairystar.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAIRY AGENDA TODAY
Mia Smith presents her Junior AllAmerican Aged Cow, Miss Ronde Rosabella-ET, Nov. 8 at the All-American Junior Jersey Show in Louisville, Kentucky. Smith’s cow went on to be named the senior and reserve grand champion and the overall premier performance cow of the show.
Wisconsin cow captures All-American banners By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — This year will go down as one that Mia Smith will never forget as the 12-year-old experienced show ring thrills that most never will. Smith’s Jersey aged cow, Miss Ronde Rosabella-ET, hit the fall shows running, collecting a bevy of ribbons and banners, including big wins at the All-American Jersey Shows, held last month in Louisville, in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition. Smith lives with her parents, Matt and Kate, brother, Moxon, and sister, Letty, on the family’s farm near Elroy, Wisconsin, where they milk a small herd, raise show heifers, and are developing a edgling direct-to-consumer beef market. Rosabella kicked off Smith’s inaugural foray onto the green shavings of Freedom Hall at the All-American Junior Jersey Show Nov. 8, by being named the Junior All-American Aged Cow before being tapped for the honors of senior and reserve grand champion. “When she got pulled in rst, I was really excited,” Smith said. Turn to SMITH | Page 6
NEW VIENNA, Iowa — In a day and age where the public is disconnected from food production, there are tools to bridge the gap and put dairy farms in the pocket of consumers. Megan McAllister, known on social media as Megan DairyGirl, is helping to educate the public about life on the farm by utilizing social media to reach people from all walks of life. Across three platforms — TikTok, Facebook and Instagram — Megan DairyGirl proles have nearly 600,000 followers as McAllister seeks to educate the public on daily life on a dairy farm. Megan and her husband, Ted, in partnership with Ted’s brother, Rob, milk 280 cows at McAllister Family Dairy in a double-12 parallel parlor. The Holstein and Jersey herd has an average daily production of 100 pounds of milk, with tests of 4.5% butterfat and 3.3% protein.
Turn to MCALLISTER | Page 5
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
Megan McAllister stands in her calf barn Nov. 19 on her farm near New Vienna, Iowa. McAllister has garnered a following on social media with her Megan DairyGirl proles as she educates people on daily life on a dairy farm.
Dairy, hunƟng go hand in hand Hardie-Quall Family Farm celebrate traditions of togetherness By Dan Wacker
dan.w@dairystar.com
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
Andy Quall sits with his sons, Jamesen (leŌ) and Cedric, in the woods Nov. 25 near Blair, Wisconsin. Quall and his family milks 35 cows. He has been hunƟng since he was 4 and hopes to pass the tradiƟons on to his children.
BLAIR, Wis. — In November, people all over Wisconsin make a wardrobe change. The neon jacket is easy to spot and invokes memories of deer hunting season in people from all walks of life. At Hardie-Quall Family Farm near Blair, the traditions of hunting and farming have been passed across generations. Dairy farmers Andy Quall and Claudia Hardie-Quall are now hunting, farming and making chili with the next generation. The family has been milking 35 cows in a tiestall barn since 2018. The couple took over after HardieQuall’s parents retired from the farm, which has been in the family for nearTurn to HARDIE-QUALL | Page 2