Going Places. Here at Home: Matt Henkes

This is one in a series of articles highlighting the latest generation of innovators making a difference in our communities.

Farmer carries on tradition but also blazes new trail in dairy judging

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

Matt Henkes always knew he wanted to be a farmer. 

“But I didn’t know the path to getting there exactly,” he said. 

After graduating from MFL MarMac, he spent a year at Northeast Iowa Community College before transitioning to Iowa State University. According to Henkes, the move was a good decision. He not only met some of his best friends, but participated on the college’s dairy judging and dairy challenge teams—experiences that have translated to both his day-to-day life on the family farm and a passion for judging dairy shows around the country.

“The dairy challenge team is something that really affects , every day, what I do on the farm,” Henkes said. 

The team consisted of four people who performed a complete evaluation of a farm, focusing on finances, nutrition, calves and heifers, and cows. The group presented their findings to the farmer and a panel of judges, outlining the impacts on the farmer’s bottom line. 

Henkes puts that into action at Henkeseen Holsteins, the family farm he operates with parents Trent and Leslie in rural Luana.

“At the end of the day, you have to think about your bottom line, how each decision you make is going to affect it—hopefully in a positive manner,” he noted.

The Henkes family milks about 65 registered Holsteins. Henkes has also started a small group of Milking Shorthorn cows, a breed he became interested in during college.

“It was a fun, little side project,” he said, “and then things have spiraled from there. I’ve really gotten involved through the association, and now I’m on the Milking Shorthorn National Board of Directors.”

At the farm, Henkes said he makes most of the breeding decisions. 

“One part I really like is you take this cow and try to find the perfect mating for her so you can improve the next generation,” he said. “From the time you breed that cow, then you have to wait another nine months to get a calf. Hopefully you can get a heifer. Then, it’s about seeing that heifer mature. A year later, when she’s ready to breed, you see what you liked about your mating and make a new one.” 

Just within his 29 years, Henkes said it’s been interesting to watch—and implement—constant changes in the dairy industry.

“Genetics is changing, management is changing, nutrition is changing,” he remarked. “You have to adapt to change or you’ll be left in the dust.”

Around five years ago, Henkes took on another agricultural challenge: he began judging dairy shows. He started small, doing one or two county fairs his first year. In 2019, he judged his first national junior show in Harrisburg, Pa., for the Milking Shorthorn and Ayrshire breeds. This summer, he’s scheduled three different state fairs along with a national show.

Henkes said he’s received judges training through the National Holstein Association, earning placement on a judging list. Word of mouth works best for landing gigs, though. 

“Getting your name out there and judging a few shows, people see you. If they think you did a good job, you usually get asked to do more. That’s how I’ve gained more experience and opportunities,” he said.

At shows, Henkes evaluates each animal strictly on its confirmation—how it looks. Each animal is placed, then he explains his decision in front of the crowd. 

Henkes was admittedly nervous at first. At the national Holstein judges training, he had to demonstrate his skills in front of some of the judges he’d once showed under.

“That was nerve racking because it’s all the people I looked up to,” he said. “But some of them told me I did a good job, so that made me feel better about it.”

Since the first year, Henkes has found it easier to get into his element in the show ring. 

“When I’m judging, I might look out into the crowd, but I never make eye contact. I focus on myself and the cattle in the ring,” he explained.

2021 will mark Henkes’ first year judging open shows with adult participants. So far, the events have involved youth.

As Henkes judges, he reflects on his experience showing cattle in 4-H. Many judges provided good explanations, coming right up to him and showing the improvements his heifer needed to make.

Some judges, on the other hand, provided no comments.

“I can remember being really frustrated by it,” Henkes recalled, “so I try and be as thorough as possible with each kid, whether you’re first or last.”

“I never let a kid leave the ring without talking to them at least once,” he added. “I always ask them the birth date of their calf. After they’re placed, I talk to each kid and show them what their heifer needs to be better in so she can place higher.”

This past summer, Henkes was able to offer advice at the local level. The family, which works closely with the dairy show at the Clayton County Fair, leased calves to two families with 4-H kids who were interested in showing. The young participants didn’t live on a farm, but they’d had prior experience in the ring.

“We would help get the heifers caught. Then, when they were tamed down, [the kids] would catch them, walk them around, practice leading them and wash them,” Henkes said. “They were super interested and really passionate.” 

That re-instilled a passion for showing Henkes hadn’t felt for awhile.

“Working with those kids and seeing how interested they were has lit that fire and makes me excited for 2021, not only for the calves we have for them to show but just knowing they’re committed to it,” he shared. “Last summer, despite COVID, we went to five different shows with the two families. We’re excited to see it continue this summer and might even get to more.”

Looking toward the future, Henkes remains committed to the family farm. After all, the family aspect is what he enjoys most about his profession.

“I’m the sixth generation to farm where we’re at,” he said. “I like continuing that legacy and being able to work with my parents on a daily basis and stay connected with my sister Leah too.”

He also hopes to keep climbing the judging ladder, with the goal of one day serving at the World Dairy Expo.

But while Henkes enjoys the opportunity to travel to different shows, he’s glad to return to northeast Iowa.

“Traveling with the judging gets me away for a little bit, and you have a new energy when you come back and a new appreciation for different things. I really appreciate the slower paced lifestyle,” he said. “Here, you can live a slower paced life, but yet there are still opportunities. There are so many career paths, it’s a great place to raise a family and there are so many different community things you can be involved in.”