News Release
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Pennsylvania Youth wins the 2025 Merle Howard Award
MADISON, WIS. – Kyle Welk was named the 21st Merle Howard Award winner at the 58th World Dairy Expo on Friday, October 3. Super polite, super respectful, passionate, driven, and incredibly humble were all thoughts shared by past winners of the award, who nominated Welk for the selection committee’s consideration.
Like many juniors, he began showing cattle at the local level and eventually began to exhibit at state, regional and national shows. Along the way, his parents, Matt and Jen Welk of Peach Bottom, Pa., began driving him to state fairs so he could begin working for some of the best show strings in the area well before he was old enough to drive. While an extremely talented fitter, what elevates Kyle in the eyes of many is that he’s also willing to make pack, wash animals or do anything else that others ask of him … not just the fun and glamorous jobs.
While his family primarily raises dairy heifers, this Pennsylvania native began working for Tom and Mandy Arrowsmith, Hillacres Jerseys, so he could learn more about the dairy business. As others began to recognize his talents, he started working at sales such as the Pennsylvania State Convention Sale and the March Madness Sale Series.
Still a Junior Holstein member, this go-getter began traveling coast to coast working the likes of Pappys Holsteins in Utah, Airoso Dairy and Van Exel Dairy in California, Budjon Farms for both Spring and State Shows in Wisconsin and Oakfield Corners Dairy in New York. Respected for his work ethic, Kyle has even traveled to New Zealand to work on the tanbark.
While Kyle has worked for many throughout the industry at a rather young age, he has also done well with his homebred project animals and has won such honors as 2022 Junior All-Pennsylvania Winter Calf, Junior Champion at the 2023 Pennsylvania Spring Show, Honorable Mention Junior Champion at the 2022 Pennsylvania Spring Junior Holstein Show, and 2023 Junior Champion at the Premier National Junior Show in Harrisburg, Pa.
A valued contributor to the Oakfield Corners show string, Alicia Lamb shared, “Kyle is a really good young man. While he may be quiet and reserved, he is a nice young man who many youth look up to. He is among the hardest working youth that I know and does a great job for us regardless of if it’s a tiny county show or on the big stage at World Dairy Expo.”
When it comes to his fitting skills, Kyle ranks among the best. At the 2024 World Dairy Expo, he topped the Senior Male Division and then was named the Overall Champion Fitter winning the inaugural Michael Heath Overall Fitter Award.
Nearly all the previous award winners of the Merle Howard Award were on hand for the award presentation. They include: 2004, Robert Teixeira, Turlock, Calif.; 2005, Matthew Mitchell, Speedwell, Tenn.; 2006, Greta Koebel, Poplar Grove, Ill.; 2007, Brandon Ferry, Hilbert, Wis.; 2008, Kelly Lee Reynolds, Corfu, N.Y.; 2009, Kyle Natzke, Fond du Lac, Wis.; 2010, Stephanie Aves Schroeder, Lancaster, Wis.; 2011, Karen Anderson Johnson, Litchfield, Minn.; 2012, Cy Conard, Sharon Springs, N.Y.; 2013, Cassy Krull, Lake Mills, Wis.; 2014, Jade Jensen Kruschke, New Richmond, Wis.; 2015, Jared Dueppengiesser, Rush, N.Y.; 2016, Doug Boop, Millmont, Pa.; 2017, Dawson Nickels, Watertown, Wis.; 2018, Kyle Barton, Cecil, Wis.; 2019, Kaleb Kruse, Dyersville, Iowa; 2021, Kylie Nickels, Watertown, Wis.; 2022, Keenan Thygesen, Tunbridge, Vt., 2023, Savannah Crack, Richmond, Quebec, Canada, and 2024, Jacob Harbaugh, Marion, Wis.
Merle Howard was a respected dairy industry pioneer. Winner of the 1954 Klussendorf Award, Howard was a herd manager, Holstein classifier, and later a sales and export businessman. Howard also served on the first National Dairy Shrine Board of Directors.
Serving as the meeting place of the global dairy industry, World Dairy Expo is the premier forum for the dairy community to learn, share, create commerce and showcase competition. The annual event took place in Madison, Wis. September 30 - October 3, 2025. Dairy producers experienced the world’s largest dairy-focused trade show, a world-class dairy cattle show, attended seminars, meetings and presentations highlighting the latest and greatest in the industry and connected with other producers. Download the World Dairy Expo mobile app, visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow WDE on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Spotify, or YouTube for more information.
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Notes to Editors: High-resolution photos are available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1716yh4bHHBcDhxVEAhy8QHZ5B-cJRvhT?usp=sharing
