Innovation, leadership and hard work are at the heart of every successful dairy. Each year, the MILK Business Awards recognize the producers, employees and operations that exemplify those qualities, honoring the people whose contributions are making a lasting impact on the industry.
Presented during the Milk Business Conference, the awards honor producers and employees whose work is moving the industry forward. Farm Journal is now accepting nominations for the 2026 awards, which will be presented Dec. 7-9 during the Milk Business Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The awards recognize excellence in three categories.
- The Leader in Technology Award honors dairies using technology to improve efficiency, animal care and business performance. Whether it’s automation, data management or another innovative approach, the award recognizes operations willing to try something different and make it work.
- The Young Producer Award recognizes dairy producers age 35 and younger who are building successful operations while giving back to the industry through leadership, advocacy and community involvement.
- The Employee Excellence Award shines a light on the people who keep dairies moving every day. It recognizes employees whose dedication, leadership and commitment have become essential to the success of their operation.
Past Winners Set the Standard
Take a look at the past winners, and you’ll see leadership comes in many forms. Some have embraced new technology to improve their dairies. Others have stepped up as the next generation of dairy leaders or spent decades helping their teams succeed. Each has found a different way to leave a lasting mark on the industry.
McCarty Family Farms - Leader in Technology
McCarty Family Farms of Kansas earned the 2025 Leader in Technology Award after building one of the country’s most innovative dairy operations. The family’s story began in northeastern Pennsylvania, where four generations milked cows before Ken and Clay McCarty’s parents made the bold decision to sell their 200-cow dairy and move 1,500 miles west to Kansas in 1999. That leap of faith laid the foundation for what is now a 20,000-cow operation spanning multiple farms and employing nearly 250 people.
Today, technology drives nearly every aspect of the dairy. The McCartys use data, genomics, automation and other precision tools to improve efficiency, animal care and sustainability while preparing for future challenges like labor shortages and water availability. Their willingness to embrace innovation while continuing to grow their family operation made them the 2025 recipient of the Leader in Technology Award.
Wybrand Vander Dussen - Young Producer
Wybrand Vander Dussen of Prado Dairy in Colorado received the 2025 Young Producer Award after stepping into a leadership role at a young age. Following the death of his father, Vander Dussen returned to the family dairy after graduating from college and assumed responsibility for the operation, building on a family legacy that began generations ago in the Netherlands. Under his leadership, the dairy has continued to grow while maintaining a focus on long-term success.
Vander Dussen has paired that leadership with a willingness to adopt new technology, including health-monitoring collars, automated sort gates and facility improvements that enhance cow comfort and labor efficiency. Combined with a commitment to continuous learning and support from his family, those efforts earned him recognition as the 2025 Young Producer Award winner.
Travis Ties - Employee Excellence
Travis Ties of Holdgrafer Dairy near Bellevue, Iowa, is the 2025 Milk Business Employee Excellence Award winner after more than 25 years of steady, hands-on leadership at the farm. No two days look the same in his role. He starts each morning at 6 a.m. feeding cows before shifting into a mix of shop work, crop production or field operations, all while overseeing feed management for the 400-cow dairy and keeping a close eye on milk production and components.
Over time, Ties has become a central part of both daily operations and long-term planning at the dairy. He works closely with herd nutritionist Samantha Reighard and co-owners Scott and Tricia Holdgrafer on ration changes, forage planning and future facility decisions. Beyond his technical role, he’s also become a mentor to the Holdgrafer family’s sons and a steady presence on the farm, known for a strong work ethic and a focus on doing what’s best for the cows and the operation.
Apply Today
A MILK Business Award recognizes the work happening on dairies every day, but it also gives winners a chance to step back and share that story with the broader dairy community. Winners receive a complimentary trip for two to the 2026 Milk Business Conference in Scottsdale, where they’ll be recognized on stage and join dairy producers from across the country for industry discussion and networking.
Nominations are open now through Aug. 1. If you know a producer, employee or dairy operation that represents the best of what the industry has to offer, now is the time to share their story and submit a nomination.
