Farm Horizons
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June 6, 2016
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Page 9
Submitted photo
Ben Donnay (right) shows his poise during competition, handling a cow assigned to him at random.
“The speakers were great and everyone in one stadium — it’s just incredible, the energy that it brings,”
Donnay said.
Haddad attributes Donnay’s state success to the
amount of time he puts in and his passion for the dairy
industry.
“Ben’s a super hard worker,” she said. “He is incredibly dedicated to the dairy industry. He’s been showing
for a very long time.”
Last year, Donnay secured reserve champion showperson in the senior division at the Minnesota State Fair
4-H dairy show. He’s a member of the Glencoe Junior
Pioneers 4-H Club and shows his family’s registered
Holsteins throughout the year, in addition to projects in
photography and fruit.
Parents John and Connie operate a 44-cow dairy farm
just outside Glencoe, and Donnay feeds animals, milks,
and does odd chores. He is the fourth of four boys, and
has a younger sister.
With his first-place finish in dairy cattle handling,
Donnay will no longer be able to compete in that area,
and plans to do dairy judging next year. His goal is to
finish first at the state fair dairy show this year. n
Complete Excavating Services
Submitted photo
Ben Donnay, a junior at Glencoe-Silver Lake High School, secured the title of Minnesota’s top dairy handler at the 87th annual FFA convention in April. Pictured with Donnay is National
FFA Western Region Vice President Sarah Draper.
• Percolation testing
• New septic systems
& septic tank pumping
• Driveway and road building
• Basement digging
• Water & sewer lines
• Rock, gravel, pulverized
dirt, and dirt hauling
• Demolition of old buildings
• Site leveling and land clearing
• Pond, manure lagoons and pits
• Shed sites
Darian & Denise Litzau