The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors honored its 2023 winners in a special ceremony Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, said Gloria Johnson, executive secretary for the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors.
Sean Cornelius of Hamilton is a recipient of the Dairy Leadership Award. Cornelius is a third-generation dairyman currently milking 120 crossbred cattle on 1,200 acres. He says he takes great pride in producing of high-quality, home-grown forages for his dairy herd, providing the key component in supporting profitable production and maintaining the herd’s rolling average of 23,580 pounds. In addition to the daily dairy enterprise, he owns and operates Best Axis Consulting where he helps dairy producers in all surrounding states reach production goals through nutrition and implementing best management practices. Cornelius played a pivotal role in the creation, development and vision for Missouri Dairy, a commodity organization for dairy producers. He has chaired the Missouri Dairy Industry Alliance and the planning committee for University of Missouri Extension’s Tri-Co Dairy Day. He has served on the Missouri Farm Bureau dairy advisory council and as president of the Caldwell County Farm Bureau organization.
Greg Helbig is also a recipient of the Dairy Leadership Award. A lifelong resident of southwestern Missouri, Helbig has spent his entire working career of 38 years in the dairy industry. He started with Hiland Dairy in 1985 in the quality assurance lab. He was later promoted to plant supervisor and then in 1989 became corporate quality control manager. Today, he is director of operations for all of Hiland’s 23 manufacturing facilities, overseeing plant operations, capital budget and quality and food safety issues. He is currently president of the Missouri Dairy Products Association. He has also been a longtime member of the Missouri State Milk Board and is on the board of directors of the QCS Purchasing Group. Helbig is also a past member of the Ice Cream Segment Board for the International Dairy Foods Association.
Larry Wright of Wrightvale Holsteins in Verona is the recipient of the Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder Award. Wrightvale milks 70 head of registered Holsteins with a BAA of 108.7 and farms 340 acres of corn silage and hay. Wright says his focus remains breeding high-type cattle, focusing on strong cow families that last generations. This allows Wrightvale to market cows, bulls and calves to local and national buyers. To date, Wrightvale has had six Grand Champions and exhibited the 2022 Supreme Champion at the Missouri State Fair. Other honors include multiple All-Missouri awards nearly every year since 1976. Wright has been a member of Holstein USA for more than 40 years and the Missouri Holstein Association for even longer. He served as the 2012 National Holstein Convention sale chairman. The farm was honored as the Missouri State Fair Farm Family in 2004. Every year, Wrightvale hosts the youth dairy judging camp and is heavily involved in the Missouri 4-H Dairy Cow Camp.
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Categories: Missouri, Livestock, Dairy Cattle