The University of Missouri’s Holstein herd at Foremost Dairy received two awards from Holstein Association USA for 2025.

Foremost Dairy — part of the Central Missouri Research, Extension and Education Center — is a 1,065-acre research and teaching farm in Columbia. Faculty and students in Mizzou’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources use the farm to conduct research projects exploring new ways to maximize milk output and efficiency while maintaining herd health.

Holstein Association USA is the largest dairy breed organization in the world, providing over 20,000 members with programs, products and services to enhance genetics and improve profitability.

Holstein Association recognized Foremost Dairy with the Progressive Genetics Herd Award and the Progressive Breeders Registry designation.

The Progressive Genetics Herd Award recognizes the 500 herds in the nation with the highest Cow Total Performance Index (CTPI) scores. CTPI is a genetic evaluation that combines cow production, type and other traits into a single score. Foremost Dairy has qualified for the award seven times, and in 2025 had an average CTPI of 2685 — the third highest score in Missouri.

The Progressive Breeders Registry recognizes herds with an excellent balance of production and type performance and a high percentage of homebred females. The university’s herd has qualified for the designation seven times, and in 2025 had 100% homebred females — a percentage shared by only one other herd in Missouri.

Foremost Dairy’s success in raising physically and genetically elite cattle is made possible by the faculty, staff and students who work on the farm and the stakeholders who invest in its future.

Learn more about Foremost Dairy at Foremost Dairy – Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station.