Holsteins create community and contentment for Knutsens

By MICHEL ELBEN
Staff Reporter

RISING SUN, Md. — Bob and Ginger Knutsen, owners of Lovdal Farm, have been receiving a lot of attention for their good works but the couple says the limelight isn’t for them.
“We don’t do all this because we want attention - we do it because we like to give back, and we’re happy to do it,” Bob said.
“But I feel bad because everybody else does this too,” said Ginger.
The family will be honored for quality dairy breeding on Feb. 25 at the Maryland Dairy Shrine Banquet in Frederick.
“I’m honored to get the Dairy Shrine; it’s an award from my peers,” said Bob Knutsen. Fellow Holstein breeders Judy and Charles Iager nominated Ginger and Bob, who then went through an application process.
Bob has worked with Holsteins since he was 17. Originally from New Jersey, he took dairy short courses at Rutgers University and worked for a prominent Holstein breeder.
“One day, a county agent took me to find a calf,” he said. “There are so many choices but I liked the look of the Holstein and then, there are so many genetics involved.”
Bob met Ginger in 1960 and they started “the nucleus of a registered breed.” The Knutsens breed and sell bulls to AI studs, exporting animals and embryos to several foreign countries.
The Knutsens moved to Maryland in 1966 and they said the Holstein community welcomed them.
Over the years, Bob has served as the president and vice president of the Maryland Holstein Association. He has also chaired the Director Compensation Committee for the National Holstein Association.
He and Ginger have co-chaired the Maryland State show committee for 10 years.
Bob said his brother Warren is an integral part of the farm’s operation. “Warren has supported everything we did and taken care of the farm,” said Bob.
The Knutsens have been recognized as Farmers Home Administration Farm Family of the Year, Cecil County Farm Bureau Farmer of the Year and Maryland Extension Pioneer.
Bob also worked for 29 years with the Eastern Shore Holstein Sale.
The couple has also been active in 4-H for over 40 years, but “now that the children are grown, we don’t work with 4-H as much.”
The Knutsens instilled a love for the outdoors and a sense of Holstein pride in their family. Daughter Karen is the editor/publisher of Holstein World in Syracuse, NY.
Son Kris is married with two children and works as a paramedic in Sussex County, Del. Across the field, son Eric is married with two children. He raises custom Holstein calves.
“We have lots of fun,” said Ginger. “We’ve done farm visitations with Extension, hosted schools and had milk carton boat races in our pond.”
Bob modeled the milk carton boat race event off of something he had seen in Wisconsin.
“We were even covered by a local television station,” he said.
Ginger and Bob are active in their church and the church’s youth groups used to build boats out of milk cartons and try to race across their pond. Sponsors would get together and give out cash prizes, Bob said.
“I love Holsteins. Between my brother and I, Holsteins put five of our children through college and paid off the farm,” said Bob.