News Release

Friday, October 2, 2026

Aaron Barclay Wins Big at World Forage Analysis Superbowl

MADISON, WIS. – Out of the 150 entries from 19 different states, entered in the 42^nd World Forage Analysis Superbowl, Aaron Barclay of Seymour, Wis., was named the 2026 World Forage Analysis Superbowl Grand Champion.

He won this award with his Grass Hay category entry and was presented with a $2,500 cash award from Lallemand Animal Nutrition. The Forage Superbowl awards were presented to contest finalists on Wednesday at World Dairy Expo, following a reception, hosted by Lallemand Animal Nutrition. The $2,000 Grand Champion First-Time Entrant award, sponsored by Lallemand Animal Nutrition, went to Paul Keune’s alfalfa haylage entry. Keune is also from Seymour, Wis.

Quality Counts Awards were also presented to competitors during the ceremony. In the area of Quality Counts Corn Silage, Koltes Dairy from St. Cloud, Minn. captured top honors with their BMR Corn Silage, sponsored by Silostop. The Quality Counts Hay/Haylage Award went to Wilke R Organic Farm of Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Their award was sponsored by Agri-King, Inc.

The 2026 World Forage Analysis Superbowl is supported by generous sponsors. Award sponsors included Byron Seeds, Scherer Inc., Agri-King, Inc., QLF Agronomy, Ag-Bag by RCI, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, KingFisher, Barenbrug USA, Silostop, Scherer Inc. and CROPLAN. Additional funds were provided by DLF and ForageMate. Lallemand Animal Nutrition served as both an award sponsor and was the reception host. Brevant seeds provided GEA ice cream coupons to participants in the FFA Forage Judging competition.

Organizing partners of the World Forage Analysis Superbowl include: Dairyland Laboratories, Hay & Forage Grower, University of Wisconsin-Extension, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center and World Dairy Expo.

The top five placings from each category, receiving cash awards are:

Grand Champion Baleage – Sponsored by Agri-King, Inc.
1^st Place – Steve Nuttleman, Bangor, Wis.
2^nd Place – Kendall Guither, Walnut, Ill.
3^rd Place – Dan Funke Farms, Larchwood, Iowa
4^th Place – Peterson Farms, Poplar Grove, Ill.
5^th Place – Murty Farms, Tama, Iowa

Grand Champion Cereal Forage – Sponsored by Byron Seeds
1^st Place – Boggess Dairy Farm LLC, Ballard, W. Va.
2^nd Place – Huizenga Family Dairy, Brandon, Wis.
3^rd Place – Cloven View Holsteins, Fond du Lac, Wis.
4^th Place – Mar-Linda-K Holsteins, Johnson Creek, Wis.
5^th Place – Reed Holthaus, Bangor, Wis.

Grand Champion Commercial Hay – Sponsored by CROPLAN
1^st Place – Lazy 2K Livestock, Wheatland, Wyo.
2^nd Place – Hardrock Farms, Wheatland, Wyo.
3^rd Place – Dick and Powell Farms, Cordell, Okla.
4^th Place – Glenn and Toni Obermann, Monett, Mo.
5^th Place – Ciolkosz Dairy, Thorp, Wis.

Grand Champion Dairy Hay – Sponsored by QLF Agronomy
1^st Place – Foraker Farms LLC, Goshen, Ind.
2^nd Place – Ridgeview Dairy Farms, Lake Wilson, Minn.

3^rd Place – Rick and Kris Schroeder, Odebolt, Iowa
4^th Place – Ciolkosz Dairy, Thorp, Wis.
5^th Place – Andy Schmitt, Fort Atkinson, Iowa

Grand Champion Grass Hay – Sponsored by Barenbrug USA
1^st Place – Comet Creek Hay Co, Wittenberg, Wis.
2^nd Place – Joseph Beechy, Bonduel, Wis.
3^rd Place – Ted Peterson, Sharon, Wis.
4^th Place – Freedom Farms, Loudon, Tenn.
5^th Place – Car-bon Holsteins, Beaver Dam, Wis.

Grand Champion Alfalfa Haylage – Sponsored by Ag-Bag by RCI
1^st Place – Andy and Melissa Vine, Greenwood, Wis.
2^nd Place – Andy Schmitt, Fort Atkinson, Iowa
3^rd Place – Tag Lane Dairy, Ixonia, Wis.
4^th Place – Huizenga Family Dairy, Brandon, Wis.
5^th Place – GenoSource, Blairstown, Iowa

Grand Champion Mixed/Grass Haylage – Sponsored by Lallemand Animal Nutrition
1^st Place – Four Cubs Farm, Grantsburg, Wis.
2^nd Place – Clearview Dairy Farm LLC, Martin, Mich.
3^rd Place – Heatherstone Enterprises, Baraboo, Wis.
4^th Place – Ciolkosz Dairy, Thorp, Wis.
5^th Place – Sand Creek Dairy, Hastings, Mich.

Grand Champion Standard Corn Silage – Sponsored by Scherer Inc.
1^st Place – GenoSource, Blairstown, Iowa
2^nd Place – True Family Dairy, Perry, N.Y.
3^rd Place – Brown Star Farm, Gillett, Wis.
4^th Place – Clint Dall, Aviston, Ill.
5^th Place – Rainbow Acres, Swanville, Minn.

Grand Champion BMR Corn Silage – Sponsored by KingFisher
1^st Place – Sand Creek Dairy LLC, Hastings, Mich.
2^nd Place – Mibelloon Dairy, St. Louis, Mich.
3^rd Place – Denmar Acres, Greenleaf, Wis.
4^th Place – Kensinger Farms, Martinsburg, Pa.
5^th Place – True Family Dairy, Perry, N.Y.

2026 Champions

L to R: Peter Coyne (Four Cubs Farm), Calvin, Andy, Melissa, and Payson Vine, Aaron Barclay, Paul Keune, Conner Olaveson (Lazy 2k Livestock), Pat Carroll, Matt Simon (GenoSource), Ethan Haywood (Sand Creek Dairy), Steve Nuttleman, Maverick and Michael Ganski (Comet Creek Hay Co.).

Champion Baleage 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman, Champion Steve Nuttleman and award sponsors, Mark King and Jason Alsum

Champion Cereal Forage 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman and Champion Luke Boggess, Boggess Dairy Farm, LLC.

Champion Commercial Hay 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman, Champions Conner Olaveson and David Hinman, representing Lazy 2K Livestock and Award Sponsor Randy Welch, representing CROPLAN.

Champion Dairy Hay 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman is flanked by Award Sponsors, Jordan Johnson and Tim Chitwood, representing QLF Agronomy. The 2026 Dairy Hay Champion was Foraker Farms, LLC.

Champion Grass Hay 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman and Champions Maverick Ganski and Michael Ganski, representing Comet Creek Hay Company.

Champion Alfalfa Haylage 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman, Champion Andy Vine and Award Sponsors, Taylor Weisensel and Wendy Clark, representing Ag-Bag by RCI.

Champion Mixed/Grass Haylage 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman, Peter Coyne, representing Champion Four Cubs Farm and Award & Reception Sponsor, Megan Smith, representing Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

Champion Standard Corn Silage 2026

World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman and Champion Matt Simon of GenoSource are flanked by Award Sponsors, John Butterly and Tim Ottenbacher, representing Scherer Inc.

Champion BMR Corn Silage 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman and Champion Ethan Haywood, representing Sand Creek Dairy, LLC. This award was sponsored by KingFisher.

Quality Counts Award – Corn Silage 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman and Award Sponsor Tim Brewer of Silostop. Koltes Dairy LLC was the winner of this special award.

Quality Counts Award – Hay/Haylage 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman, award winners Rebecca and Kevin Wilke and award sponsors, Mark King and Jason Alsum.

Grand Champion First-Time Entrant 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman, Champion Paul Keune, and award sponsor, Megan Smith, representing Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

Grand Champion Forage Producer 2026

L to R: World Dairy Expo Board President Bill Hageman, Grand Champion Aaron Barclay and award sponsor, Megan Smith, representing Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

The World Forage Analysis Superbowl is organized in partnership between Dairyland Laboratories Inc., Hay & Forage Grower, US Dairy Forage Research Center, University of Wisconsin and World Dairy Expo. To learn more, visit worlddairyexpo.com

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 29 - October 2, 2026. 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.

###

Notes to Editors: High-resolution photos are available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QIwcX1xIXnXb6k92Z8BZGrNDf5xRMS-f?usp=sharing