“The CentralStar Board of Directors Scholarship Committee is proud to recognize students who are passionate about agriculture and committed to its future,” said Communication Specialist Dori Lichty. “By investing in these students, our member-stockowner board of directors is helping support the long-term strength and sustainability of the dairy and beef industries.”

To be eligible, applicants had to be children of CentralStar member-stockowners and demonstrate active involvement in agriculture. As part of the application, students responded to five essay prompts addressing their contributions to the industry, community involvement, work experience, personal achievements, and future goals.

The following students will receive $1,000 scholarships.

Melissa Johnson, Daggett, Michigan, is the daughter of Dennis and Sara Johnson. She is a student at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, studying agriculture business and accounting. Hailing from Waunakee, Wisconsin, Mara Endres will attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in St. Paul, Minnesota, studying animal science and agricultural- and environmental-science communication. Her parents are Randall and Karen Endres.

A student at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Zoe Van Rijn is studying animal science and agricultural communication. Her parents are Dick and Jamie Van Rijn of Deford, Michigan. Drew Butzler, Rockland, Wisconsin, is the son of Nick and Jennifer Butzler. He will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin, to study dairy- and food-animal management. Grace Clark is in her last year at University of Wisconsin-Platteville in Platteville, Wisconsin, where she is finishing up education in agribusiness marketing and communication. Grace is from Rosendale, Wisconsin, and is the daughter of Travis and Janet Clark.

The son of Brad and Tonia Ritter of Byron, Michigan, Bryce Ritter is enrolled in the dairy-management program at Michigan State University, Lansing, Michigan. Luke de Jong, Hickory Corners, Michigan, is the son of Bastiaan and Laura de Jong. He will be a freshman at Dordt University pursuing agribusiness.

CentralStar Cooperative is honored to support these driven students as they pursue their education, contribute to the advancement of agriculture, and strengthen the rural communities they call home.

CentralStar’s mission of enhancing producer profitability through integrated solutions for mutual success is fulfilled by incorporating an array of products and services critical to dairy-and-beef-farm prosperity. CentralStar’s product and service offerings include Accelerated Genetics, GenerVations, and Select Sires genetics; extensive artificial-insemination (A.I.) technician service; genetic, reproduction, and dairy-records consultation; DHI services; diagnostic testing; herd-management products; research and development; and more.

CentralStar’s administration and warehouse facilities are located in Lansing, Mich., and Waupun, Wis., with laboratories in Grand Ledge, Mich., and Kaukauna, Wis. The cooperative serves dairy and beef producers throughout Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana, with additional DHI territory in various surrounding states.

For more information, visit CentralStar Cooperative Inc. at www.mycentralstar.com.

CowManager research shows that early mastitis detection is one of the top priorities for dairy producers around the world. Producers recognize the significant long-term impact mastitis can have on a cow’s lifetime milk production, making investment in early detection and timely intervention especially valuable.

“At CowManager, innovation starts with understanding what producers truly need on the farm,” says Gerard Griffioen, founder of CowManager. “We work closely with dairy producers around the world every day, and that perspective continues to shape what we build. Our goal is not simply to add more technology, but to develop solutions that move dairy operations forward. Our new Milk Sensor will provide producers greater control over herd performance and daily operations. The results we are already seeing from early on-farm trials confirm the significant impact of this technology.”

Built from a deep understanding of how dairy farms operate every day, the new Milk Sensor technology delivers precise, real-time insights at both the cow and parlor level. The system monitors individual cows per quarter liner, providing early mastitis detection while also evaluating milking equipment and milker performance for quality and efficiency.

The Milk Sensor will have two monitoring solutions: Mastitis and Parlor monitoring. CowManager plans to expand the platform with additional solutions built on the same sensor technology, creating even more opportunities for producers to strengthen herd performance and daily farm management.

The Milk Sensor is designed for simple installation and ease of use, featuring a wireless, low-maintenance setup compatible with a wide range of parlor brands. CowManager will take the first steps to introduce the system later in 2026, with wider-scale availability planned for 2027.

The Milk Sensor further strengthens CowManager’s connected herd management platform by combining these new insights with existing real-time monitoring for health, fertility, nutrition, transition, and youngstock. Together with technologies such as the CowManager Sort Gate and cow locating tools, the system allows producers to manage proactively, improve animal health, and keep daily operations running with greater confidence, efficiency and profitability.