LEXINGTON, Ky. – “It’ll never work.” “You have to be born into it.” “It’s going to be hard.”

Ty Etgen has heard all of these comments about his aspirations of becoming a dairy farmer. Still, he knew from a young age that this was his dream.

“I’ve always wanted to be a dairy farmer for as long as I can remember,” Etgen said.

Members of the world’s largest dairy-cattle breed organization met in June in Lexington for the National Holstein Convention. Honored at this huge event was Etgen, a Holstein breeder from the tiny northwest Ohio village of Harrod.

Etgen, who runs a 100-herd Holstsein operation in his village of just 423 people, was honored with the Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder Award. The award recognizes significant accomplishments made by the breeder.

“The whole list of Distinguished Young Holstein Breeders is impressive, and to be on that list, it means a lot to me,” Etgen said. “Fifteen years ago, I had nothing, and to be recognized with this award, it’s awesome.

“My advice to others is simple: work hard,” he said. “If you can outwork 95 percent of the population, you can do what you want. Don’t let the naysayers say you can’t do something. Use it as fuel for your fire. Stay laser-focused on your goals.”

Etgen’s path into raising Holsteins is rather unconventional. As a youth, he found his way to the dairy industry through jobs on dairy farms and involvement in 4-H and FFA. After high school, he worked fulltime on a dairy farm for 18 months. He then furthered his education with a degree in dairy cattle production and management from Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI). At ATI, he participated on the dairy judging team and interned at Air-Osa Dairy in California as key learning experiences during college.

After graduating from college, Etgen farmed in a partnership for a few years before starting a small herd of his own. In spring 2015, he and his family broke ground on a 110-cow barn and double-seven herringbone parlor. Today, he takes on all the primary responsibilities on the dairy, and continuously works to improve his Registered Holstein herd.

“One thing that got me where I am today is, I’ve always been surrounded by great people who challenged me and pushed me on,” Etgen said.

The herd at Etgen-Way is milked twice daily and has a rolling herd average of 23,044 pounds of milk, with a 4.0 percent fat test and a 3.1 percent protein test. Breeding high-scoring cows is also important to Etgen, and in 2022 his herd had a Breed Age Average (BAA) of 111.4.

Ty and his wife, Heather, met while showing dairy cattle. To this day they show in the ring. Whether doing day-to-day chores or getting ready for a show, Ty said he’s thankful for the work ethic he’s teaching his two young sons. He’s also quick to give credit to the many mentors and friends he’s had in the dairy industry who have helped him pursue his dreams.

“Farmers work really hard and they don’t always get off the farm, so conventions can be a great time to reconnect with old friends and just meet new people with common interests,” said Holstein Association USA’s COO Lindsey Worden.

Etgen echoed that sentiment, adding that the convention allowed him a breather that he appreciated.

“I know it takes a lot of people to put this on, but, yeah, it’s been great,” Etgen said. “We were treated great. We drove around the area and enjoyed the scenery. It’s totally different than what I’m used to at home.”

Next year’s National Holstein Convention will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah.