Crown Point's Steve Hein Honored by Dairy Group
Published: Friday, March 13, 2020
If Steve Hein were a pork producer, he might say he's happier than a pig in slop when he's working on his farm in northwestern Indiana. But Hein's a dairy farmer, so he described his job satisfaction in even earthier terms in an autobiographical sketch he wrote for last week's Indiana Dairy Producers annual meeting.
"I continue to live my dream of being a dairyman (and) I can usually be found in a barn covered in manure," IDP executive director Doug Leman read before presenting Hein with the organization's Young Producer of the Year Award before a gathering of contemporaries at the Indiana Soybean Alliance headquarters in Indianapolis.
Hein's wife, Vanessa, vouched for the sweat equity he has invested in his home dairy in Crown Point and the 800-cow operation he manages in Francesville.
"It's nice for him to be recognized by his peers for all his hard work," she said. "He had said in his bio you can find him in the barn covered in manure, which is true. He's very hands-on with his herd and his employees. He'd rather be in the barn with his favorite girls than anywhere else—girls meaning his cows."
Hein is a fourth-generation dairy farmer who grew up watching his father work the family's dairy and grain farm.
"I guess this means I'm still young," Hein said of the award despite describing himself as an "old" 32-year-old. "I just appreciate my wife and my family giving me the opportunity to milk cows. You know, there's a lot of good producers our there and everyone's doing their part.
"None of us are any better than the next guy; we're just all trying to work the same role of trying to make quality products."
Bob McKaig, who owns a 120-cow operation with his older brother Ed in Logansport, was presented with the IDP Dairy Producer of the Year Award. McKaig, who serves on the board of the Indiana State Dairy Assn. and is the treasurer for the National Dairy Herd Information Assn., was unable to attend the meeting.
McKaig wrote that the award is shared with his brother and "our families for the fact they have been willing to allow me to take time away from the farm to serve on the board while they stay home and do the work to keep the farm running. I've been greatly blessed and have been able to meet with many dairymen across the state and across the country as well as many others involved in the dairy industry."
The IDP Scholarship went to Kelsey Rexing of Haubstadt, who graduated from Evansville Mater Dei Catholic High School and is attending the University of Louisville.
Arie Jan de Jong, who had been serving as an IDP board member and works his family farm in Francesville, was elected as the new IDP president. Carrie Jo Bollenbacher of Argos and Alex Lueken of Birdseye were elected to board positions.
Leman concluded the proceedings with what he called a "positive" outlook for dairy in 2020.
He said the USMCA treaty should eventually work to dairy's advantage and promote more growth, especially in Mexico, America's biggest trading partner for dairy. However, Canada and Mexico still have to ratify their portions of the deal and the U.S. may still have some more work to do on it.
Leman was hopeful the deal will be finalized sometime this summer.
Leman said he gets a lot of calls on the Dean Foods and Borden Dairy bankruptcies, and the Dairy Farmers of America's acquisition of Dean Foods.
"The question now is, what's the impact DFA buying Deans will have on our producers in Indiana?" Leman said. "I don't know that answer for sure. I think the important thing with that is it preserves some of those local markets for our producers. We've got three Deans plants in Indiana that are part of that purchase and if we can keep those plants going in viable hands I think there will be a positive impact from that.
"I think the Borden issue was strictly a reorganizing. I don't believe there's any milk from Indiana currently being shipped to Borden's."
IDP continues to work with the Indiana Department of Transportation to remove the restriction preventing milk from being hauled in super-tankers on highways during holidays because the federal government doesn't classify milk as a commodity.
"We're trying to get that straightened out so milk can become legal to haul on holidays," Leman said. "It's kind of ironic, the plants are running, the farms are running, and lumber and aluminum and all kinds of products can be hauled on holidays but milk can't. We're hoping to get it straightened out with an exception, but if not, we'll have to go through the state Legislature. Hopefully, we won't have to go there."
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