Indiana Dairy Producers names award winners

FORT BRANCH, Ind. — Indiana Dairy Producers announced its 2022 award winners to honor outstanding people in the dairy industry.

“Our 2022 honorees inspire us with the passion they have shown for our industry,” said Steve Obert, executive director of IDP.

“Alan Kuehnert’s legacy will live on, and we look to rising leaders like Gregory Brawner and Alaina Weaver to help our industry continue to advance.”

The Producer of the Year honor recognizes someone who embodies all that is great about the dairy industry.

The 2022 IDP Producer of the Year was given to the late Alan Kuehnert of Kuehnert Dairy Farm in Fort Wayne.

Kuehnert passed away in a farm accident last April. He was one of the organization’s most dedicated ambassadors.

He proactively adopted technologies on the farm, including robotic milkers and a robotic calf feeder.

Kuehnert prided himself in breeding strong, profitable, long-lasting, highly productive cows. He was a 40-year member of the National Holstein Association.

The 2022 IDP Young Producer of the Year was given to Gregory Brawner of Hanover.

Brawner is a Purdue University graduate.

He partners with his parents to run their dairy farm. He is focused on continual improvement on his operation.

He and his wife, Erin, raise three young children on the farm.

“Our dairy farm consists of 250 milking cows twice a day with 250 heifers,” Brawner said. “We raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat on 5,000 acres.

“We all enjoy what we do each and every day, and I am so proud of where we are. But we have so much more we want to do and overall becoming a more efficient dairy farm.”

The 2022 IDP Scholarship winner was Alaina Weaver, a senior at North Miami High School.

Weaver lives on a dairy farm with her family and is active in 4-H and FFA, including being a member of her FFA chapter’s top-ranked dairy judging team.

This summer will be her 10th year in 4-H where she shows dairy, poultry and sheep at the county level.

Learn more at www.indianadairy.org.