Dedicated to the Holstein cow

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. — The registered Holstein cow has long been the axis Bonnie Van Dyk’s world has turned on.

For her dedication to the breed, Van Dyk was honored by the Wisconsin Holstein Association as the recipient of the Marlowe Nelson Distinguished Service Award at the organization’s annual convention Feb. 22. The association has been at the heart of breeding registered Holsteins in Wisconsin for over 130 years.

“The industry has changed a lot, it’s totally different,” Van Dyk said. “It’s changed faster than I think anyone thought it would.”

Van Dyk served on the association’s board of directors, beginning her term in 1999. She served several years on the executive committee before being elected as the organization’s first female president in 2003.

Van Dyk said during that time, the board chose to separate the running of the magazine from the association itself. Van Dyk’s experience working in both finance and management proved valuable tools to take on the tasks at hand.

“That was a big task because it was a major restructuring,” Van Dyk said. “We saw an upside to the magazine. We knew it could be, and we wanted it to be, profitable. The management of the association was going fine, but it was subsidizing the magazine way too much.”

The commitment of board members during that period was great, Van Dyk said.

“It was very time consuming,” she said. “I remember making three trips to Baraboo in a 9-day time period. At that time, all of us on the board paid for everything ourselves. It was a time for restructuring, for some very sound forward thinking, to ensure we were on good footing.”

Van Dyk said that was a turning point, as they began to operate the association like a business. Despite the hard work required, Van Dyk is proud of what she was a part of accomplishing.

“There have been boards that had a lot more fun than our board did, but we got things done,” Van Dyk said. “The magazine is still separate. Things have changed over time, but the fundamental basis is still there, and based on the 2025 annual report, it’s been successful.”

Leading by example, Van Dyk supported the magazine as a regular advertiser.

“At that time our farm felt we were in a position to help out,” Van Dyk said. “We advertised on the inside front cover at least six of the publications a year.”

The Willows–Edge prefix is one that is synonymous with top-quality registered Holsteins, and the Van Dyks have been perennially successful in both the show and sale rings. They have bred more than 435 Excellent cows that carry the family’s prefix along with accumulating over 40 All-American, Junior All-American and Red & White Dairy Cattle Association All-American nominations. Throughout the years, the Willows–Edge show string has brought home 43 premier breeder banners, including the 2003 International Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo.

The farm has hosted many sales featuring the best from their herd, with their final dispersal held in 2022.

“We had 10 sales on the farm, many back in that 2000s era, that were extremely successful,” Van Dyk said. “They averaged $4,800 on what were just our cattle, always having at least 80 head in the sale.”

While the herd has been dispersed, Bonnie enjoys continuing to dabble in the industry, keeping a small herd of heifers at the farm, one milk cow housed at her nephew’s nearby farm, along with a few partnership animals housed elsewhere and a solid inventory of embryos from her favorite cow families.

Along with implanting her embryos to create heifers to consign to sales, Van Dyk said she occasionally enjoys investing in exceptional genetics to keep her interest in the breed fresh.

This spring she has several animals consigned to sales around the upper Midwest, including a granddaughter of one of her favorites selling in the Quest for Success VII sale next month.

Van Dyk’s all-time favorite cow still resides on the farm at nearly 20 years of age. Willows-Edge Advent Malika EX94-2E was a prolific show and brood cow for the Van Dyks, garnering several Reserve Junior All-American titles.

“Malika was modern before her time,” Van Dyk said. “She was a bit smaller cow but always pretty, with a perfect udder. She has several Excellent daughters. It’s a cow family that breeds back and has tons of longevity; they get better as they get older. And, she has a great personality.”

With the close proximity of their farm to the Minnesota State Fair, Van Dyk has been a staunch supporter of the show there and was influential in lobbying for the Holstein Association USA national show designation.

“It’s not easy to obtain that designation,” Van Dyk said. “You have to have the numbers to support it and exhibitors from several states. It’s been a phenomenal show — the Holstein, Red & White and Jersey shows are all exceptional.”

Van Dyk’s interest in the show ring parlayed itself into a judging career.

“I haven’t done any judging lately, but I used to do a lot,” Van Dyk said. “I did a bunch of state and regional shows and judged the Western Spring National Holstein Show. Then it looked like my daughter had the chance to play Division 1 volleyball. You don’t get an agent for that — that’s what mom has to do. I made a choice and spent my time working towards that. But I always think about that. There just aren’t enough women judging.”

Van Dyk has served three terms on the Holstein Association USA audit committee, a term on the RWDCA national board and two terms on the World Dairy Expo Dairy Cattle Exhibitor Committee. She was also a long-time 4-H leader. Recently she has begun refereeing basketball and volleyball for the Catholic Athletic Association.

Van Dyk said she is pleased with the young leadership in the industry, stepping forward to keep WHA and other organizations strong and viable.

“Everyone who has been involved at the state level has put their heart into it and tried to do their best,” Van Dyk said. “We have a lot of natural leaders in this industry, and each one can come forward and leave their mark, making things better for everyone.”