Purdue News
Purdue NewsPurdue News
February 21, 1997
Tuholski Farms Inc. is a family-operated dairy business established in 1949 by Joseph and Mary Tuholski, both of whom came from dairy backgrounds, and incorporated in 1980. The Tuholskis' sons Larry, Bill and Dale, and Larry's children Meri and Joe, are active in running the 4,400-acre, 276-cow operation.
The award is given by the Indiana State Dairy Association, based on the farm's history, future plans, and involvement in community and dairy industry activities.
The Tuholskis, according to Meri, have earned county, state and national awards, including five silver Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) awards on the state level and a Brown Swiss award on the national level. They were LaPorte's Dairy Family of the Year in 1995.
"We've received all levels of county DHIA production awards for the past 10 years," she said, "from individual cow awards to best rolling herd average for our herd size."
The Tuholskis attribute their success to good management practices. They've used freestalls since 1961 and total mix rations (TMR) since 1965. According to Purdue University dairy specialist Merle Cunningham, freestalls protect cows from being injured by other cows, and they're cleaner because waste is collected in an alley behind the stalls, which saves on bedding and is more hygienic.
With TMR, he said, the animals receive a balanced ration of hay, silage and grain together, rather than having free choice of each ingredient at a different station. As a result of this controlled feeding method, the cows produce more milk.
In 1972, the Tuholskis started using DHIA to provide monthly production records on each cow to improve management. In 1996, they became automated and now get daily production reports.
Another management upgrade installed in 1996 was a parlor flushing system. According to Larry, the system automatically flushes waste from the alleys into a manure pit. The milking parlor was completely computerized in 1995, including automated ID, milk weight, and milk weight deviation from prior milking.
Two generations of Tuholskis have been involved in the 4-H dairy project, showing dairy cattle, participating on and coaching judging teams, organizing and planning service activities for dairy members, and instructing people on showing dairy cattle in competition. They also help friends and family select animals for show.
Larry and Meri have belonged to the National Brown Swiss Association for 24 years and five years, respectively.
Promoting the dairy industry is an activity that involves the entire family. They participate in local Ag Day activities and give five school tours per year. They also give other tours, including ones for foreign visitors. They've given interviews for both print and broadcast news and have been featured in dairy videos. In addition, they make school visits to talk about dairy and farm life.
Future plans for Tuholski Farms include increasing herd size and computerizing all facets of dairy production. Larry said computerizing herd health records, in particular, is a priority.
But for all their attention to management techniques and involvement in the industry, Larry says there wouldn't be a Tuholski Farms without his parents' dedication and commitment.
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
