2025 Junior Youth Achievement Winner & Finalists
2025 National Junior Youth Achievement Winner
Abby Meyer, WI, District 5
Abby Meyer is the 15 year old daughter of Larry and Jennifer Meyer of Chilton, WI. Abby and her family own Jenlar Holsteins & Brown Swiss. She has an older sister, Brianna, and an older brother, Austin. Abby's chores on the farm include feeding calves, scraping heifer pens, driving tractor for picking up bales, covering silage piles, entering information in the Lely Horizon computer program, and helping care for their show animals year-round.
Abby is a Sophomore at Chilton High School, is a member of Chilton Tip Top 4-H Club, Chilton FFA, Badger State Girl Choir, and St. Lukes Lutheran Church. Abby like helping care for and showing her Brown Swiss and Holstein cattle, as well as showing market hogs. She also enjoys track, singing, and baking.
District 1 Finalists:
Tenley Chittenden
Tenley Jane Chittenden is a Brown Swiss youth member from Shoreham, Vermont. Her family operates Richville Farms, and their Brown Swiss prefix is Perry Brook. Recently, she is most proud of raising Crazy Horse and Elan, the number one and two PPR bulls, and the number one PPR heifer, Lulu. Their dairy has over 800 Holsteins and 120 Brown Swiss. Tenley is very involved on her farm, especially in taking care of heifers. She has a group of 40 heifers that include flush donors that she feeds and cares for before and after school. She has started her own herd through a purchase into the W family at the Eastern Breeders Sale. She is an active 4-H member competing in the youth shows and quiz bowl contests. She attended the National convention in New England and the 2022 World Conference in Madison. She has gotten really good at taking genomic samples on calves and is an important part of the farms testing program. Outside of her cow interests, Tenley is the goalie for the Brandon Rec soccer team and has recently taken up Lacrosse. She likes to
volunteer and helped to pass out a tractor trailer load of milk donated by her farm and DFA to local families during the pandemic.
Brooke Foote
I am Brooke Foote and I am one of the 2025 New York State Junior Brown Swiss Ambassadors. I have been involved in the New York State Junior Brown Swiss Association for 8 years, and I reside on my family farm, Glamour-Ridge in Dolgeville, New York. I am 14 years old and am currently a freshman at OESJ Central School. I am an active member of Mohawk Valley FFA, Fulton-Montgomery County 4-H, and Fulton County Dairy Promotions. When I am not busy with my Brown Swiss, I enjoy spending time riding and showing off my track thoroughbred horse, Biscuit. I am an active member of the United States Hunter Jumper Association as well as the US Equestrian Federation. I have been part of the Brown Swiss breed from a young age as my parents have shared their love of the breed with me. I enjoy showing my Brown Swiss at local, state, and national shows. My favorite Brown Swiss activity is showing at World Dairy Expo, where I get to see and talk with many dairy enthusiasts.
Emmett Smithling
Hello, my name is Emmett Smithling, I am 14 years old and live in Stanley, NY. My family owns Blue Heaven Farm, consisting of roughly 55 head of registered Brown Swiss. I personally own 8 Brown Swiss (6 bred and owned) and have a passion for showing them at the county, state, and national level. I have been showing Brown Swiss since I was 6 years old with my first Swiss, “Pickles”. I am a freshman at Marcus Whitman High School where I am actively involved in my school’s FFA chapter, cross country, and track teams. I enjoy participating in dairy judging with both my FFA chapter and county 4-H team, 4-H dairy bowl, 4-H dairy challenge, and FFA milk quality. I also am the New York Brown Swiss Junior Board Vice President and attend monthly zoom meetings to help plan fundraisers and fun activities for youth members to do throughout the year.