The 2021 Breeder’s Seminar took place on May 8, 2021 following the MHA Annual Meeting in Hutchinson, Minnesota. This event also took on a new format this year, with only one in-person location. The presenter this year was Mike Creek of Palmyra Farm in Hagerstown, Maryland. Palmyra Farm is home to many breeds of dairy cattle, most prominently Ayrshires. The Creek family has bred and exhibited numerous All-American Ayrshires and Holsteins. In addition to their incredible showing accomplishments, the Creek’s also own Palmyra Farm Cheese, a restaurant, and coming soon, a deli. Mike spoke about how their family diversified and their many different business ventures. He spoke fondly of his mother, Mary, who works daily on the dairy farm, his wife, who runs all social media pages, and his cows, most notably Ruth. Their family works together to make each entity run smoothly and they invest a great deal of their time into making their farm and Palmyra Farm Cheese a success. Mike touched on the challenges they have faced, such as operating during a pandemic, finding cheesemakers, and making certain sacrifices. He spoke about needing to invest in the right people, making the most of your time, and having the right motivation behind starting a cheese company. We would like to sincerely thank Mike Creek for coming and speaking to the Minnesota Holstein membership!
The 2021 Breeder’s Seminar was streamed live on Facebook and can be found there for viewing. If you would like a copy of the video to show at your club meetings or other events, please contact the MHA office.