For Immediate Release
June 2017
Contact: National Dairy Shrine
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Eiholzer selected 2017 National Dairy Shrine Graduate Production Grant recipient
DENMARK, WI—Stanley, New York native, Garrett Eiholzer,is the National Dairy Shrine’s Graduate Production Grant winner. This $2,500 grant is designed to recognize and encourage college graduates to pursue careers in commercial dairying and to gain ownership of dairy cattle with the intent of growing the size of their dairy herd.
A 2009 Cornell University graduate, Eiholzer focused his studies on Dairy Management and Agricultural Economics. He also was a part of the Dairy Fellows Program, which allowed opportunities to interact with progressive dairy producers, industry leaders and agribusiness professionals. These college experiences were very valuable to Eiholzer, whose only knowledge of dairy farming had stemmed from watching his uncles on their 80-cow dairy as a young boy.
Eiholzer first began his career as a management trainee within Linwood Management Group, with responsibilities at Noblehurst (1700 cows) and Synergy (2000 cows). Over the course of four years, he took on many different management positions on the farms, including herdsman, parlor manager for Noblehurst’s rotary parlor and feed manager at both farms. During his employment, Eiholzer also began purchasing cattle and was given the first opportunity in the organization’s history to lease the milking cows to Synergy, as a way to grow equity. “Every opportunity he had to advance in his career he took,” remembers John Noble, President of Linwood Management Group.
In 2013, Eiholzer, along with fellow Cornell graduates, Austin Copenhaver and Clayton Wood, found an opportunity to make their dreams a reality- to form a partnership and a dairy together that would later become known as Ivy Lakes Dairy, LLC. Collectively, their different career experiences and contacts made within the dairy industry had prepared them to be the ultimate collaborative team and helped make entry into dairy business ownership successful.
Soon talks began with dairyman, Todd Hathorn, who owned and operated a 500-cow, 1,000–acre dairy in Stanley, NY. Hathorn was nearing retirement age with no family or employee interested in working toward ownership. The plan would allow them to transition into management and ownership of the dairy herd while bringing in equity with their own cows and purchasing the dairy facility and Hathorn’s cows over time.
Today, the excellent management and financial skills of this group has allowed the dairy to expand to 850 cows withHathorn continuing to own and operate the crop side of the business. Ivy Lakes plans to continue this agreement until Mr. Hathorn is ready for full retirement. But, this dairy is not where the story ends.
Through this experience, Eiholzer realized that the dairy industry today includes many dairymenwholike Hathorn, are nearing retirement and are in need of a transition or succession plan. He and his partners plan to apply their business model to work with interested dairies in this capacity. The plan may include taking over management of the dairy or certain areas of dairy management, or a succession plan that allows them to gain equity in cattle and other dairies.
When asked what his vision was of the future Eiholzer said, “We have a lot of management capital and youth at this point in our career, but not a lot of financial capital. Our growth will depend on collaboration opportunities.”
“I have worked with dozens of young aspiring dairy producers in my career,” recalls John Noble. “The impediments for entering the business for these folks without a family tie to the business are great. The volatility is huge, the risks are large and the margins are small. There are, however, a few like Garrett with the passion, the work ethic and the people skills to climb the mountain.”
Eiholzer will receive the Graduate Production Award at the annual National Dairy Shrine Awards Banquet on October 5th in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information about the individuals or students being recognized by National Dairy Shrine or tickets for the Awards Banquet, contact the NDS office at . Additional information on National Dairy Shrine membership or other activities is also available at
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Pictures of honorees are available upon request at .