Gimler’s day in the life

NEILLSVILLE, Wis. – Since the age of 16, Jerry Gimler has had a passion for dairy cattle. His passion goes beyond the black and white animals, to cows of all breeds and colors. After traveling back from a show on the opposite side of the state, Gimler told his friend, April Whaley, that they should start their own protein show on the western side of Wisconsin. 

“We were driving back from the eastern side of the state when Jerry mentioned having one near us,” Whaley said. “I jokingly told him that if he found the barn and the weekend, I would do the paperwork. A couple months later he called and I realized I had to start preparing for a show.”

That spontaneous comment turned into the Northwest Protein Show. The 2025 show was hosted at the Clark County Fairgrounds June 13-14 in Neillsville after spending the first two years at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.

Along with hosting the show, Gimler milks 25 cows in a rented tiestall barn near Northfield. Of his 25 cows, six are Holstein and the remainder is made up of a combination of Jersey, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and one Normande.

June 12 saw Gimler, Whaley and other members of the show begin preparations for the event at the fairgrounds.

Gimler’s day began with milking his herd and mixing the total mixed ration. He feeds two batches of feed to his animals every day.

After finishing morning chores, Gimler and his son, Elliott, hopped in his F-150 truck and drove 30 minutes south to pick up two heifers.

“We picked up those animals because the kids wanted to show,” Gimler said. “The parents have off-farm jobs and weren’t going to have the time to bring them up to Neillsville. I didn’t want that to stop those kids from having the opportunity to show, so I volunteered to pick them up and get them to the barn.”

A 30-minute detour for the trip nearly doubled the time on the road, but Gimler said it is worth it because providing the kids with an opportunity to show their animals is why he has continued to host the Northwest Protein Show.

After arriving at the Clark County Fairgrounds, the Gimlers spent the rest of the morning getting the truck and trailer unloaded and beginning setup. The Gimlers found their spot in the barn and put down their shavings for their three heifers. They set up water tubs and provided their animals with hay before settling in for show duties. 

Gimler brought in the clipping chute, while Elliott prepared the animals. Then, Gimler and a few volunteers began setting up the showring. Clark County hauled in sawdust which was spread on the floor, bleachers were moved and the media platform was put in place.

After a lunch break, Gimler, with the help of some friends, spent the afternoon getting the barn ready for exhibitors and the stage was set for the third annual Northwest Protein Show.

The past two years the night before the show, Gimler would head home for evening milking. But this year, a friend handled milking his herd so Gimler could focus on the show and spend the evening with the other people involved with preparations.

The next morning, Gimler was at home to do morning milking before heading back to the Clark County Fairgrounds to check in exhibitors and continue preparing for the show.

This year’s show featured 42 exhibitors, showing 90 head, the highest number for both in the show’s existence. 

“Our show is a little unconventional in the order we present,” Gimler said. “We have the older groups show first, and the younger ones go last. It sets up differently, but it provides the younger group a chance to watch and see how experienced handlers lead their animals and how showing can be done. We hope that inspires the younger group a little bit and they can continue to learn.”

Protein shows are multi-breed shows, with exhibitors showing Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Jersey and Milking Shorthorns. 

“When I was younger, a friend introduced me to Jersey cattle,” Gimler said. “I’ve been hooked on them since. They’re more docile and have such friendly personalities. I wanted to help showcase that and help those kids and farmers who are like me.”

Gimler showed cattle throughout his childhood. 

“At county fairs when I was younger, it always felt like the Holsteins got the bigger trophies or fancier awards because of the sponsorships that come with that breed,” Gimler said. “The other breeds didn’t get that same treatment. That’s why I want to provide these kids with a chance to win something.”

Providing the experience for older farmers and the younger generation is what has inspired Gimler to continue to put on the show. With his friend Whaley focusing on the paperwork, the tandem has seen their numbers grow annually, while still focusing on providing a great experience for new exhibitors.

“We want to have a place where farmers who want to show, but don’t want to drive across the state can have that opportunity,” Gimler said. “This can be easier to get to for farmers on this side. They can come up at 2 p.m. on Friday and go home 24 hours later and still get that showing experience.”

His upbringing on a dairy farm in Watertown, and his passion for colored breeds drives Gimler to continue to put on the show, and provide an opportunity for youth to show and work with cattle.

“This gives youth a chance to show on a smaller scale,” Gimler said.

Whaley agreed.

“It’s so great to see these kids continue to come back,” Whaley said. “To see them work as hard as they do and earn that award is what makes this part of the job rewarding for me. And when they come back, it’s a nice reminder to know that we provided them with a good experience and they want to continue being here.”

Gimler has worked with youth throughout his life. While living in Watertown, Gimler volunteered as a youth wrestling coach and would often sponsor cattle to be shown at the Waukesha County Fair.

“I always wanted to help kids who live off the farm have a chance to do something in agriculture if they were interested,” Gimler said. “Sometimes those are the kids who are the most passionate about showing.”