DULUTH, Ga. (Dec.16, 2025) — Boehringer Ingelheim has announced GenoSource LLC of Blairstown, Iowa, as the 2025 Dairy First Award recipient, an annual honor recognizing a dairy operation’s commitment to milk quality and overall herd well-being.
First cousins Tim Rauen, Matt Simon and Kyle Demmer lead the daily operations at GenoSource. Started in 2014, GenoSource was created to further pursue the passion for quality genetics that was started by their grandfather, Joe Simon, who founded Farnear Holsteins.
Today, GenoSource maintains a milking herd of 4,200 and a world-renowned genetics company, making them a powerhouse in milk production and both breeding and embryo programs. Eight families own the company: Tim, Bill and Steven Rauen’s families; Matt, Tom and Rick Simon’s families; Pat Carroll’s family; and Kyle Demmer’s family. The families’ long-standing commitment to cow care, milk quality and continued investment in technology exemplifies why they have earned this recognition…