Bio: Selz, John - Humbird Farmer (Honored - 1983)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Selz

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/17/1983

Selz, John-Humbird Farmer (Honored - 1983)

John P. Selz, Humbird, will be honored for his contributions to agriculture and rural life by the U-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Selz is among three Wisconsin residents to receive the honor at the 75th annual honorary recognition banquet set for 6:30 p.m. on March 24 in the Great Hall of the UW-Madison Memorial Union.

Selz developed a small family dairy farm into one of the top registered Holstein herds in the nation. Average production from the 100-cow herd now tops 19,500 pounds of milk and 730 pounds of milk fat.

Breeding stock from Selz’s herd, which also includes 180 head of purebred young stock, has been sold throughout the United States and several foreign countries.

Selz was also among the first to use a comprehensive soil management and conservation program and was an innovator in many production and management techniques, including electronic farm records.

Among other awards, Selz has received the Progressive Breeder Registry Award from the National Holstein Association for 22 consecutive years, the Distinguished Breeder Award from the Wisconsin Holstein Association, and twice was named Premier Dairyman for Jackson County.

He has served county, state and National Holstein organizations for more than 20 years and has been delegate and chairman of national Holstein Association meetings. Selz has served as director and president of the Clark County Holstein Breeders Association, as district coordinator for the Central Wisconsin Holstein Breeders, and as chair of several committees of the Wisconsin Holstein Association, in addition to serving as a director of the organization for 12 years and as president in 1968.

Sela also has been president of the Jackson County Dairy Herd Improvement Association, served on the local school board and on advisory committees to the local vocational district, CALS, and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. He is also a member of the state 4-H leaders council, was president of the Jackson County 4-H Leaders and Parents Association, and has been a 4-H leader in Jackson County for 12 years.

As an accredited dairy cattle judge, he helps train judging teams and assists in judging clinics, breed improvement meetings and other dairy-related functions. The Selz farm has been used to train 4-H, FFA and vocational agricultural students.

Selz has also served on numerous civic, county and church groups and is director of the Neillsville Bank. He has worked closely with the UW-Extension dairy programs and applied research studies. He also cooperates with the agriculture intern program at the UW-Platteville.

Came Back to Farm

After earning his BS Degree in chemical engineering from the UW-Madison in 1957, Selz was employed for two years as a chemical engineer before he returned to manage the family farm, Selz Farm, Inc.

Selz and his wife, Marianne, have three children; Pamela attends the UW-Madison, Michael and Sue reside at home. (His wife spent many years as a member and president of the Fairview HCE Club of Jackson County.)