BROOKINGS – Laura Frye, a South Dakota State University junior studying dairy production and dairy manufacturing, was selected as the 2018 Youth Achievement Award winner by the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Association of the U.S.A. at the national convention held in Coralville, Iowa on June 17-30.

The National Youth Achievement Award recognizes an individual who does outstanding work in the Brown Swiss breed.

Frye, from Logansport, Indiana, exhibits her Brown Swiss cattle on the local, state and national levels. Her herd is on Dairy Herd Improvement Association milk testing, which evaluates milk production, milk fat, milk protein, Somatic Cell Count and animal information on birth date, pregnancy and number of lactations. She also participates in the classification program, which measures how close individual cows come to the ideal Brown Swiss cow through linear scores of specific traits.

“Laura has been a life-long Brown Swiss enthusiast. She is well known in the Brown Swiss world, especially in Indiana, through her outstanding achievements over the years. At SDSU she is double majoring in dairy production and dairy manufacturing, giving her a thorough understanding of the dairy business from ‘cow to table,’” said Dairy and Food Science Department Head Vikram Mistry.

Frye chose to attend SDSU because of the dairy production and dairy manufacturing programs, coupled with the presence of a Brown Swiss herd at the Dairy Research and Training Facility.

Frye served as the 2014 and 2017 Indiana Brown Swiss Queen. She was also a finalist in 2015 for the FFA Dairy Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Contest.

The Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Association of the U.S.A. was established in 1880. It registers about 10,000 animals per year and serves around 1,800 combined adult and junior members.

Courtesy photo: Laura Frye has been recognized for her outstanding work in the Brown Swiss breed by being named the 2018 Youth Achievement Award winner.