By Danielle Nauman
 

CECIL, Wis. – In 2012, Heidi Heller took on the role of serving as the junior advisor for the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Association, for what at the time was supposed to be a three-year term.
Nine years later, Heller is still loving the role, working with the breed’s most precious commodity: its youth.
“I enjoy encouraging juniors to become more involved within the organization, and offer a lot of guidance to the officer team and the juniors overall,” Heller said of her position. “If someone proposes a new idea, I help give them some perspective on how to make their idea a reality.”

2018 National Convention: Heller, far right, organizes the trip for Wisconsin Brown Swiss juniors who wish to make the trip to National Conventions that host a National Heifer Show, such as this group that went to the 2018 National Heifer Show held in Iowa. (Photo submitted)

Heller’s involvement in the association dates back to her own time spent as a Wisconsin Brown Swiss Junior. She grew up on her family’s farm with registered Brown Swiss and Ayrshires and a few grade Holsteins.

“When I was little, I was convinced I was going to be the next jockey for Bob Baffert,” Heller said with a laugh. “I needed a horse, and since Dad kept saying no to the real thing, I decided to try honing in my jockey skills on a Brown Swiss. I eventually came to realize they were more than just trusty steeds.”
Heller continues her involvement as a breeder and adult member in the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Breeders Association as well, developing her small herd of Lucky Charms Brown Swiss, which currently call Random Luck Farm in Darlington, Wis., home.
Heller’s herd consists of four cows and five heifers, and she has four more female pregnancies due this year.
“When I turned 21, I decided I wanted to get back into owning cattle, so my dad helped me apply for a loan to purchase some animals,” Heller said. “The day after he passed away, I found out I was approved.”
Heller enlisted the help of Allyn ‘Spud’ Paulson, who was working on the sale crew at the Springtime Show Window Sale in Elkhorn, Wis., which took place the day after Heller’s 21st birthday.

“Spud found two heifers for me, and now all but two of my animals go back to those purchases,” Heller said.

In keeping with her commitment to create opportunities for junior members, Heller has leased out heifers for the past four years, and with her growing herd, hopes to be able to give more juniors that opportunity in the coming years.
When it comes to her love of being a junior mentor, Heller credits those who served as junior advisors during her youth, including Debbie and Gary Fox, Josh Hushon, Judy Kasten, Jeannie Winkelman-Bishop and Shelly Hart; with fostering her passion for not only the role of junior advisor, but also the organization and the breed as well.
“They all pushed me to see I was capable of more than I thought I was,” Heller said. “They made me go out of my comfort zones. After having an organization give me so many opportunities, serving as a junior advisor is a way for me to give back.”
One area of primary focus for Heller is continuing to encourage youth to join the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Junior Association, showing them the great opportunities that membership can afford them.
Heller strives to keep her junior members connected with their adult counterparts and works with each junior officer team to help create opportunities to foster that connection.
“When we grow, the adult association grows as well,” Heller said. “It means a lot to me when an active junior member graduates and goes on to being an active adult member.”
One hallmark of the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Juniors is the annual Bell Ringer contest which Heller organizes as a capstone to the show season, with the state winners being forwarded on to the national contest.

In recent years, Heller has worked with past junior president Joey Opsal to launch a photography and craft contest. With the success of that endeavor, Heller and her current junior officers are working to expand on those types of ideas to engage both junior and adult members.
Typically, each year the group meets at the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Breeders’ annual meeting, having a pizza and game night the evening before their own annual meeting. At the State Show, the juniors make time to get together for some games, such as corn hole, ladder ball or a simple water fight.
During years when the host state of the national convention offers a National Junior Heifer Show, Heller takes the reins, coordinating the trip for any juniors interested in participating in the convention and the show.
Serving as an advisor for a state-wide organization is not without its challenges, but Heller takes those in stride.
“Trying to organize kids from all over and work with their various school, sports and work schedules can be difficult at times,” Heller said. “I work for a great company that allows me to be flexible in my schedule, and offers one paid day of volunteer time each year, so that really helps.”
Besides her employer’s support of her role, Heller is always grateful for the support she gets from not only parents of the junior members, but from a wide variety of adult members as well.
“The people make our state adult and junior organizations among the best in the nation,” Heller said. “We have a lot of pride in what we have been able to accomplish.”