LEWISTON — The Tri-County Dairy Herd Improvement Association held their annual meeting on March 30 at Governor’s Restaurant.

Dr. Gary Anderson of UMO Cooperative Extension was the featured speaker, on the topic of USDA’s margin insurance program. Thirty-seven progressive area dairymen attended this year’s meeting, with President Pete Waterman of Sabattus presiding.

Officers elected for the upcoming term were Pete Waterman of Sabattus, president; John Bissell of Canton, vice president; and Ann French of Sabattus, secretary/treasurer.

Long-time area dairy specialist Glen Wildes reported on the Dairy Farm Working Scholarship, a program that helps young people on Maine dairy farms.

DHIA is an upbeat group in Androscoggin, Sagadahoc and Oxford counties that focuses on improving herds through being enrolled in a professional testing program administered by Dairy One, of Ithaca, N.Y. Approximately once a month a supervisor from Dairy One comes to each farm and weighs the milk from each cow. The samples are analyzed for butterfat, protein and quality. Dairymen are able to determine the profitability of each cow.

Tri-County High Herd award winners named at the meeting were:

* Rick Hemond of R.E. Hemond Farm, Minot, who won 2nd Highest Holstein Herd for milk, 25,888 pounds per cow per year; and 2nd High Holstein for protein at 783 pounds per cow per year.

* Albert Bradford of Goodnow Jersey Farm, Turner, Highest (1st) Colored Breed Herd for butterfat, 694 pounds per cow per year.

* John Hemond of Hemond Hill Farm, Minot, Highest Holstein Herd (1st place) for milk, 26,077 pounds per cow per year; for butterfat, 1026 pounds per cow per year; and for protein, 804 pounds per cow per year.

* Alden Fisher of Fisher Farms, Sabattus, 1st place Highest Colored Breed Herd for milk, 18,442 pounds per cow per year; for protein, 551 pounds per cow per year; and also won 2nd place Quality Award.

* Mary Briggs of Brigeen Farms, Turner, 2nd High Holstein Herd for butterfat, 957 pounds per cow per year, and 1st place Quality Award.