2025 Dairy Industry Award Winners Named

Dairy Industry Leaders Recognized For Service and Sustainability Efforts

Illinois Milk Producers Association recently recognized Amy Hildebrandt of South Beloit and Tony, Walt and Bobby Graves of Clover Farms in Dundas for their leadership, stewardship and excellence in the dairy industry during the organization’s 2025 annual awards program. 

Hildebrandt is recipient of the 2025 Dairy Industry Service Award, which recognizes an Illinois individual who has shown exemplary service and benefit to the state’s dairy industry. Hildebrandt, alongside her husband, Ken, and their family, helps manage a 1,200-cow dairy in South Beloit.

Hildebrandt has served the dairy industry and her community through her involvement on the Midwest Dairy Illinois Division Board and the Illinois Milk Promotion Board. She has hosted numerous farm tours, including visits from executives with McDonald’s and Aldi.

“It is important to open our farm to dispel misinformation and provide a positive dairy experience,” said Hildebrandt. “Social media is not my platform, but I am comfortable with more personal conversations. It is important to have a voice, and it is equally important to serve others.”

The Graves family are recipients of the 2025 Dairy Industry Sustainability Award, which recognizes a dairy farmer or farm that has made outstanding contributions toward innovative technologies and best management practices to improve environmental stewardship and economic viability.

The family was nominated for their demonstrated leadership and innovation in adopting conservation practices that support their dairy operation and preserve the health of the land.

Clover Farms has implemented numerous environmentally responsible practices, including reusing flush water for barn cleaning, recycling sand used for animal bedding and utilizing manure as a natural fertilizer wherever possible to reduce dependence on commercial fertilizer. The farm also uses proven soil-health measures such as planting cover crops, practicing crop rotation and establishing grass waterways to reduce erosion and improve water quality.

Through cover crops and injection of manure and organic matter, you can actually make the land better than what it was prior to us taking control of it,” Walt Graves told FarmWeek, noting he was surprised by the award. “I was glad to hear that someone sees the practices we have been doing and acknowledges that we're trying to be very sustainable on our operation for the future.”