FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, August 24, 2009

For more information contact:
Bill Clary

(502) 564-1137

ROY, BRANSTETTER EARN TOP DAIRY AWARDS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Floyd Roy family of Adair County has won the 2009 Kentucky Dairy Quality Award, and the Fowler Branstetter family of Metcalfe County is the overall Kentucky Dairy Production Award winner.

The Roy and Branstetter farms were among those honored during the annual Dairy Recognition Dinner Aug. 21 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

The Kentucky Dairy Quality Award is judged on industry quality standards and farm inspections. The Roy farm received a monetary award and a farm-gate sign. Other finalists were James Roell of Fleming County and Hord Dairy of Lewis County.

The Branstetter farm took top prize in the Kentucky Dairy Production Award – All Herds competition with a rolling herd average (the average weight of milk a herd produces in one year) of more than 27,500 pounds. Top Herd Production – Mixed Herd was won by the University of Kentucky Coldstream Dairy managed by Joey Clark. The Proficient Dairy Producer Award was a three-way tie among the David Crocker family of Logan County, Robey Dairy of Logan County and Eddie Klingenfus of Shelby County. The award is given on the basis of several factors as recorded by the Dairy Herd Improvement Association.

District winners for the production award were Pennyrile Dairy, Christian County; Robey Dairy, Logan County; Crist Dairy, Barren County; Rocky Run Farm, Green County; Roger Corbin, Taylor County; Guffey Farms, Clinton County; Nathan Horst, Lincoln County; University of Kentucky Coldstream Farm, Fayette County; Rouse Farms, Mason County; Edward Moore, Campbell County; Tri-Mast Dairy, Marion County; and Longview Farms, Grayson County. The production awards were sponsored by the Kentucky Dairy Development Council and Kentucky Farm Bureau.

The second annual Kentucky Quality Milk Hauler Award went to Paul Phillips of Willisburg. Nominees were evaluated on activities that have contributed to the quality of their work and the positive image that they portray for the dairy industry.

The outstanding Kentucky dairy products exhibitor at the Kentucky State Fair was Bluegrass Dairy and Foods of Glasgow. Bluegrass also received an award for highest percentage of gold entries. The outstanding overall exhibitor was Purity Dairy of Nashville.

The Kentucky Milk Safety Branch presented Public and Community Service Awards to six dairy plants that either bottled water or hauled bulk water to communities affected by the 2009 ice storm: Winchester Farms Dairy, Flav-O-Rich of London, Southern Belle Dairy of Somerset, Turner Dairies of Fulton, Louis Trauth Dairy of Newport, and Bluegrass Dairy and Foods.

The Milk Safety Branch also presented Outstanding Dairy Producer Awards to Darrell Carlton, Lincoln County; Eddie Gibson, Kenton County, and Jim Sidebottom, Green County.

The Dairy Promotion Award went to Roger Thomas, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy and former executive director of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council. The Culinary Sweepstakes Award winner was Erica Todesco of Louisville.  The Dairy Service award winner was Chris Thompson of University of Kentucky Regulatory Services.

More than 180 dairy producers and industry representatives from throughout the Commonwealth attended the dinner, which honors the individuals and groups that produce, process, and promote Kentucky’s high-quality dairy products. The dinner and awards were sponsored in part by individual dairy plants and cooperatives, the Dairy Products Association of Kentucky, the Kentucky Dairy Development Council, Kentucky Farm Bureau, Southeast United Dairy Industry Association and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

—30—