Two northern Indiana dairy farmers were honored last week during the Indiana Dairy Forum in French Lick. Meanwhile, Doug Leman, executive director of Indiana Dairy Producers, was recognized for his decade of service to the dairy organization.
The award winners are: Maurice Loehmer, Pulaski County, Producer of the Year; and Johan and Dejanne DeGroot, Huntington County, Young Producers of the Year.
Loehmer is the owner of LoehmerDairy LLC, located in Monterey. He started the dairy in 1983 with 36 cows and a double-four parlor. He has since grown the herd to over 1,800 head with a double-eight and a double-12 parlor.
IDP's Producer of the Year has two children, Adam and Ashley. Adam was a key member of the dairy in the early 2000s and helped to start the second parlor. He now works off of the dairy, and owns his own trucking company. In 2016, after teaching high school Spanish for six years, Ashley, joined the dairy as the herd manager and human resources coordinator.
When he is not on the dairy or spending time with his six grandchildren, Loehmer can usually be found outdoors exploring all that Indiana has to offer whether hiking, biking or kayaking. His most recent accomplishment has been riding 100 miles in a day.
In 2001, the DeGroot family started building a new dairy farm in Andrews. In 2002, Johan, then 13, moved with his parents and one of his sisters from the Netherlands to the United States. They started milking approximately 1,200 cows in 2002.
After eight years, his father decided to step away from the farm in Indiana, and he moved to Florida with his mother. Meanwhile, Johan finished his dairy tech program at Michigan State University and moved to Florida as well. After two years, he returned to Indiana to start all over again. He started with 50 cows, sold some feed for cash flow and got help from multiple people. After two years, the herd size had increased to 900 cows, and more were added over the years.
Currently, 1,900 cows are being milked three times a day in a double-25 parallel parlor.
The DeGroots, are currently transitioning to robots. As of June 2, half of the new robot facility is running. By the end of this summer, they hope to have a total of 10 robots to milk approximately 650 cows in Keystone, Ind.
Johan and wife Dejanne have one daughter, Hannah, and are expecting their second child in July. They work together to run the farm with some help from Johan's mom, Wilhelmina. Johan's dad passed away two years ago.
In other awards, Indiana Dairy Producers recognized outgoing executive director Doug Leman, who is retiring after 10 years of service. Leman officially retires on July 31. His successor will be Steve Obert, a dairy farmer from Gibson County and past IDP president. Obert began his duties on May 1 and has been working alongside Leman as he prepares to take over as IDP's chief executive.
"On behalf of the board of directors, IDP members and the whole Indiana dairy industry, I would like to congratulate Doug on his impending retirement and express our deepest gratitude for his tremendous work," said Arie Jan de Jong, IDP president. "Doug served the organization for 10 years and was the first full-time executive director. He is responsible for the robust growth in membership and corporate partnerships. He is credited with improving relationships with state governmental agencies and successfully organizing IDP's keynote event, the Indiana Dairy Forum. We only wish Doug and his wife Margret the best as they enjoy a slower pace."
Leman was presented with a plaque recognizing his service to the organization.
IDP also honored Nathan Kuehnert of Fort Wayne, who is stepping off the IDP board after six years of service.