By Dave Chapman

We had a well attended convention in Decorah this year at Hotel Winneshiek. Much better weather than 2007 Convention! It was great to see everyone and reminisce while watching the video that was presented. We've come a long way!

The state sale was held March 15, 2008 in West Union. The sale average was its highest ever at $3,294.05 with 84 lots. Thank you to consignors and buyers! Also a special thanks to the chairman and manager for a job well done. Our state sale profits are a big part of the association's yearly budget. The board of director's have allotted more money for scholarships. Make sure your junior applies today!

June 11 & 12 will surely be a time of excitement and anxiousness as the first big show of the season will be held in Spencer at the Clay County Fairgrounds. The State Show is being held earlier than ever. We trust that our fellow breeders will give this change a chance to prove (or disprove) itself. Many thoughts went into the decision including interfering with the dates for county fairs, National Holstein Convention, July 4th holiday or Iowa State Fair. While we realize that animals that you planned on being show ready may not be, it also opens the possibility to showcase more than one set of animals in your herd in June and later at State Fair. We are also aware of the possibility of damaging our district shows, but believe change can be good. We welcome any comments or criticisms to make our show and future shows the best it can be.

We're headed into a great time of year. It's SHOW TIME!