About

The Koester Family • Dakota, IL

The Koester Family:

Standing: Cindy, Kyle, Brent, Bria, Lance, Cynthia
Seated: Dan and Amber

A Multi-generational farm

Through forward thinking and steady decisions, the Koester family maintains a tradition of top-notch milk production.

Koester Dairy Inc. leads their home state of Illinois in DHIA production.

Dan Koester has grown the family operation using improved genetics and management. His parents, LaVerne and Clarice Koester, established the dairy in 1956. Starting as a herd of 28 grade Holsteins, steady expansion and consistent improvement has allowed their herd to grow to more than 400 Registered Holstein cows today.

"We stress cow comfort, watch nutrition really closely and, of course, genetics," Dan says. "We're pretty aggressive about improving genetics."

As the herd grew, the family focused on breeding functional, high-producing cows. They currently use bulls with good type and strong pedigrees. As they mate their herd they especially watch DPR, somatic cell count and components.

The Koesters employ genetic data to make significant improvements, and all heifer calves are genomic tested.

Dan says Registered Holsteins provide them the advantage to increase and accelerate herd genetics by studying pedigrees. Having data instantly accessible allows them to build on the herd's overall production and functionality, he says.

Each family member has a role in making Koester Dairy run smoothly, Dan says, and being able to work alongside them is something he doesn't take for granted.

Building on progress, with powerful genetic data at their fingertips, Koester Dairy has made significant improvements in overall production and functionality of the herd — and is poised for the future.

Featured in Hoard's Dairyman - January 2024

Koester Dairy Inc., Dakota, III.

With several members of the next generation interested in returning to the dairy, the Dan and Amber Koester family of Dakota, III., formed a corporation and moved from their tie stall barn to a new freestall facility built in 2010. Today, they are milking about 350 registered Holsteins 3x in a double-12 parallel parlor. As Illinois' top producing herd, the cows average 36,376 pounds of milk with 4.3% fat and 3.2% protein and a somatic cell count of 125,000. Wide stalls, fans and sprinklers for heat abatement, and long-day lighting help keep cows comfortable and producing well. They also farm 1,000 acres of cropland that is used to grow feed for the herd.

The Koesters place an emphasis on production and genetics, carefully selecting sires and collecting genetic data, and they have been recognized as a Herd of Excellence by the Holstein Association USA seven times since 2016. They believe that genetics, high-quality forages, and good management are the keys that help them maintain high levels of milk and component production.

Pictured are members of the Koester family, from left to right: Brent, Lance, Cynthia, Bria, Amber, Erica, Dan, Jordan, and Kyle.

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