Representing, serving the dairy goat community

ZUMBROTA/ROCHESTER, Minn. — The 2025 Minnesota Dairy Goat Association Outstanding Youth, Caden Gilbertson, and the 2026 recipient, Haley Pfiefer, are both dairy goat herd owners. The high schoolers each own about 35 registered dairy goats and both hope to maintain their herds past high school.

“I plan to keep the dairy goats with me for as long as I possibly can,” Gilbertson said. “I find it really a part of me now.”

Gilbertson is wrapping up his tenure as MDGA Outstanding Youth. Pfiefer will be taking on the duties of MDGA Outstanding Youth in January 2026.

“Dairy goat people are probably my favorite people and (the) nicest people I’ve ever met,” Pfiefer said.

The role includes mentoring youth, assisting at MDGA events and educational seminars, and presenting dairy goat awards at the Minnesota State Fair. The position also includes helping at the MDGA booth, helping plan youth activities at the MDGA fall conference and Best of the Midwest-MDGA State Show, and other duties as requested. For their service, the recipients receive a $500 scholarship to be used for college tuition or attending the American Dairy Goat Association Annual Convention and competing for the ADGA Youth Representative.

“The dairy goat community has done a lot for me,” Gilbertson said. “They’ve taken their time and given me chances. I feel it’s a good way to give back.”

Gilbertson, the son of Kurt and Shellie Gilbertson, is a junior at Zumbrota Mazeppa. He has had goats in his life since he was about 4 years old, when he got meat goats. Around 8, he got his first dairy goats. Gilbertson raises Toggenburgs and Saanens.

Some of the appearances Gilbertson made as the outstanding youth this year included helping put on three showmanship clinics, helping at five dairy goat shows and passing out awards at the Minnesota State Fair.

“I just tried … to get the showmanship out there,” he said. “It’s a pretty big part of the dairy goat industry and dairy industry in general, to know how to properly show your animal.”

Pfiefer, a senior in high school from Rochester, is the daughter of Alan and Teresa Pfiefer. She has also had meat goats in her life since a young age. Then in 2018, her family got Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats for the first time. In 2021, Pfiefer attended her first ADGA-sanctioned show.

“I was able to actually get my first ADGA ribbon with my second goat ever born on my farm,” Pfiefer said. “After that (in) 2022, … I just started going to almost every show that I could.”

Pfiefer said one of her goals as she steps into the role of outstanding youth is to increase youth access to buy goats, lease goats or to help on a dairy goat farm. She said she also wants to continue to add more educational pieces, such as the showmanship clinics that Gilbertson did or fitting clinics.

“I always try to be a role model for the younger kids,” she said. “If I see somebody who maybe doesn’t have something, I try to help them. Or if I see someone struggling with something that I’ve struggled with, I try to give them any tips that I have.”

Gilbertson said he was inspired to try for outstanding youth after watching his older sister, Kayla, in the role. He also wanted to get out in the community and meet more people.

“With my role, I’ve gotten a lot closer to the people who are on the dairy goat association board in Minnesota,” he said.

In 2025, not only has Gilbertson been assisting and representing the Minnesota dairy goat community, he has also been busy in the show ring. A few of his accomplishments have included reserve champion herdsmanship, grand champion junior doe of the show, and senior grand champion dairy goats, premier exhibitor dairy goats, premier sire dairy goats, and junior grand champion dairy goats at the Minnesota State Fair. At the 2025 ADGA National Show, he was the Toggenburg premier youth exhibitor. He also had the highest-selling dairy wether at the 2025 Premier Youth Goat Sale.

Pfiefer also has had show successes over the years, including winning best in show at the MDGA State Show in 2024, winning premier goat exhibitor for FFA at the Olmsted County Fair twice, and winning premier youth exhibitor for Nigerian Dwarf goats at the ADGA National Show in 2024.

“Every ribbon I’ve ever won was with a goat that was born and bred by me,” Pfiefer said. “That’s really cool to me. … I try to not really bring (in) any other genetics.”

Pfiefer plans to become a veterinarian and to keep goats on the side. Her herd genetics are part of why she is interested in continuing with goats.

“I love them all,” she said. “I put so much work into breeding them, and I’m finally seeing what I want and what I’ve been working for and dreaming for.”

She said most life lessons she has learned have come from dairy goats or 4-H.

“I’ve learned a whole bunch of communication skills,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about life and death, … because (farming) it’s not always the good parts. It’s taught me a lot about life in general.”

At home, both Pfiefer and Gilbertson make goat milk products with extra milk from their herd. Gilbertson and his family make goat soaps and lotion. Pfiefer makes lotion, too, along with lip balm. Her homemade treats include fudge, ice cream and butter, which are suited to Nigerian Dwarf milk, which has a high butterfat content of 6%-10%.

The products Pfiefer makes are for friends and family, but her family has considered selling at a farmers market next spring.

As Pfiefer looks forward to being the MDGA Outstanding Youth in 2026, she said improving public perception of dairy goats is a goal.

“Dairy goats are so good for everybody,” she said. “The milk is good for so many different things. … I want to advocate for dairy goats and all of the products they provide, and all the different breeds and all the things you can do to be involved.”