ORLANDO, Fla. — A Pennsylvania dairy farm received a national Beef Quality Assurance Award for its commitment to responsible farm management.
Dotterer Dairy, in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, received the 2024 BQA – Dairy FARM Award. Dotterer Dairy relies on BQA and Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) principles to care for 1,200 milking cows and produce high-quality milk and beef.
The family expanded the dairy to include state-of-the-art technology, including a double 20-parallel milking parlor, a new group housing structure and a fully ventilated calf barn. The dairy also relies on record-keeping software to maintain accurate animal treatment records, which aid in accountability and decision-making related to withdrawal times, milk production, health and reproduction. Their innovative practices have helped make the dairy a pioneer within the industry.
The farm was originally called Paul Dotterer & Sons. When Paul Dotterer, who founded the farm with his wife Jean in 1951, and his two sons, Larry and John, transitioned their operations, they added three women to their management team. Candice White is the dairy manager. Her sister Amanda Condo runs the office and administrative side. Their cousin, Lori Dotterer Butler, is the feed manager. The Dotterers ship their milk to Land O’ Lakes.
Other winner. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced the winners of the 2024 Beef Quality Assurance Awards during its annual convention, CattleCon, held Jan. 31-Feb. 2, in Orlando, Florida. The National BQA Awards, funded in part by the Beef Checkoff, annually recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers, marketers and educators.
The other 2024 BQA Award winners are: Cow-Calf Award – VanWinkle Ranch, Colorado; Feedyard Award – Adams Land & Cattle, Nebraska; Marketer Award – Power Genetics, Nebraska; Educator Award – Dr. John Wenzel, New Mexico
Award winners are selected by a committee comprised of BQA certified representatives from universities, state beef councils, sponsors and affiliated groups, who assess nominations based on their demonstrated commitment to BQA practices, their service as leaders in the beef industry and their dedication to promoting the BQA message to grow consumer confidence. For more information about each of the award winners, visit https://www.bqa.org/beef-quality-assurance-awards.
