Congratulations to Patty Holbert, Magnolia, Ky. and Justin Edwards, Starkville, Miss. who have both has been named Area Representative for the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. The USJersey field service team now has 11 full-time staff, just as the association is anticipating another record year for registrations and performance program enrollments.
Holbert joined the Jersey appraisal staff in February of 2004. She is a lifelong dairy producer, becoming owner of McDowell Farm after working with her grandfather and father for many years in operating the Registered Guernsey dairy. The farm now produces dairy replacement heifers and also beef cattle managed by her son Andy.
Patty was co-chair of the ninth World Guernsey Conference, held in March of 1998 in Louisville, Ky. She is currently a member of the dairy advisory committee for the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE), and previously served on the national show committee for the American Guernsey Association.
Her educational background includes coursework in accounting and dairy product manufacturing. She worked as a professional tax preparer with H&R Block, and most recently also operated a catering business.
Edwards holds a Bachelor of Science degree in animal and dairy science from Mississippi State University, with completion of his Masters degree anticipated shortly.
For the past five years, Edwards has worked on the university’s Bearden Dairy Research Center, becoming assistant herdsman in June 2005. In that position, he was responsible for day-to-day management of the 150-cow Holstein and Jersey herd, as well as training and supervising student employees. In addition to facilitating research trials using the dairy herd, Edwards conducted undergraduate lab classes and was teaching assistant for the basic course in reproduction and breeding.
As an undergraduate he was a member of the MSU team competing in Academic Quadrathlon, an event that tests students’ knowledge in management, nutrition and genetics in production animal agriculture, across all species.
A native of Forest, Mississippi, Edwards grew up on his family’s beef cattle stocker operation, with responsibility for herd health care and farm equipment maintenance.