Growing his herd for the future

WESTBY, Wis. — Jed Olson has discovered that a good support system can make the difference between reaching goals or falling short.

In the past, he had worked towards completing his Supervised Agricultural Experience grant through FFA but never got his application over the finish line. This year, with the support of his family and his agricultural teacher, Amanda Herman, he finished the application and earned the full amount — $1,000 — for his dairy entrepreneurship SAE project.

“On Dec. 19, I got an email, opened it, and saw the first word was, ‘Congratulations,’” Olson said. “I thought there was no way I actually got it. Even when I was applying for the grant, I never thought I’d actually get it.”

Olson and his mom and dad, Ashley and Jeff, milk 50 cows near Coon Valley. The herd includes several different breeds and is milked in a tiestall barn and housed in an adjacent freestall barn.

Olson, who wants to continue his family’s farming tradition as a fourth-generation farmer, has started his own herd that includes a Jersey, a Guernsey, three Milking Shorthorns and two Ayrshires.

“We’ve been moving away from Holsteins over the last 5-7 years,” Olson said. “We’ve had some issues in the past, some tough calvings. Bigger breeds produce bigger calves and that’s when complications happen. My dad used to have lots of registered Holsteins, but over the years, we’ve bought a few colored breeds and have really loved our experience with them.”

Olson used his grant money to purchase an Ayrshire heifer, adding an eighth animal to his herd.

“I wanted to use the grant to continue to expand my herd,” Olson said. “Expanding breed variation within my herd is something that I’m interested in, and this grant helps me do that. I also hope to improve the genetics of my herd. I want really good genetics, and these Ayrshires come from a line of excellent cattle.”

Olson continues to gain expertise with his herd through his SAE and the family farm. His primary responsibilities include working with the heifers and calves, cleaning, feeding and bed-ding the animals. His experience is not limited to bovines, as the Olson farm also has 15 goats. During the warmer months, they also have eight pigs.

“My parents, my grandpa, my grandma Lindahl on my mom’s side, my grandpa Olson — they were all farmers,” Olson said. “It’s what I love. My dad is a big part of this too. That keeps bringing me back to the farm and makes me want to continue our long family tradition. That tradition, and my outlook for the future of agriculture, is bright. That’s something that many young farmers and I think.”

Herman encouraged Olson, who is a junior in high school, to complete the SAE grant application, one of three from the Westby chapter to do so. In her first year leading the program, she hopes that this can help others see what their time and effort can lead to.

“It means everything to have Jed win this grant,” Herman said. “I see these students who can do so many amazing things. I want to push them into doing all these wonderful things.”

To get a grant for the full amount was phenomenal, she said.

“I filled out the application mostly because Ms. Herman kept encouraging me,” Olson said. “She pushed me to expand my horizons in FFA. Having a good support system at home and at school really helped me find out exactly where I belong in agriculture. It’s helped me figure out who my people are and all the opportunities I can take up and participate in.”

By providing a visual representation of what younger members of his chapter can reach, Olson said he is hoping to spark inspiration in the next generation of farmers.

“I think people who think positively of the other older youth like me can take away work ethic,” Olson said.

The aspiring dairy farmer has found that having a project like an SAE can be rewarding.

“If you take your time, and do things 100%, you can achieve what you want to achieve,” Olson said.

With a year and a half left in his high school career, Olson knows there is more he can achieve before heading off to college.

“This year, I’m doing the agriculture science fair for FFA,” Olson said. “I’m filling out an agricultural proficiency award. I’m working on my state FFA degree, and next year, I really want to run for state officer. There are a lot of opportunities that we have with FFA, and with the support from Ms. Herman and my family, I know I want to keep working towards those.”

After high school, Olson hopes to attend college at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to study dairy science and crop science. From there, he plans to find a full-time career in dairy herd management to gain experience before returning full time to the family farm, following the example set by his father.

“That was something my dad did when he was starting,” Olson said. “He’d do his chores, then go work a full day, come home and finish chores. I think you have to work a little to get a good standing on the farm, and then I can buy back into the operation.”