New employee owners

Brandon Van Soest, Ph.D., recently joined Vita Plus as a dairy technical specialist. He will be based in northwestern Indiana, providing technical expertise and primary nutritional responsibilities to help producers have the most success within their milking herd.

Vita Plus interns are gaining valuable experience in dairy and youngstock nutrition, marketing, and the feed industry this summer. Evan Mennen and Elizabeth Plunkett are working on different teams focused on specific projects for the duration of the summer. They also are learning how Vita Plus employee owners bring feed, nutrition, and management expertise to the dairy and livestock industry across the Midwest.

Micah Kooiman recently joined Vita Plus as a livestock nutrition consultant. He will provide nutrition and management consulting to swine and beef farms throughout southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa, and southeast South Dakota. He will work with Vita Plus teammates to offer farm-specific solutions – based on the latest research and technologies – to help producers meet their business goals.

Megan Abeyta, Ph.D., recently joined Vita Plus as a dairy specialist. She will lead dairy sales and consulting efforts in southern Wisconsin. Abeyta will work closely with dairy producers and other consultants as she formulates rations, evaluates farm data, troubleshoots challenges, and makes farm-specific recommendations.

Katelyn Goldsmith recently joined Vita Plus as a dairy specialist. She will be based in southern Wisconsin providing nutrition and management expertise to help dairy producers reach their production goals. In addition, she will remain up to date on cutting-edge technologies to better serve customers now and in the future.

Dr. Bethany Dado-Senn recently joined Vita Plus as a calf and heifer technical specialist. She will be based in northwestern Wisconsin, providing technical expertise to help producers raise the next generation of their milking herd. She will also be an active member of the calf and heifer team supporting Vita Plus consultants as they serve producers across the Upper Midwest.

Two students are gaining experience in calf and youngstock nutrition, forage management, and the feed industry as Vita Plus interns this summer. Grace Haase and Chase Rievert are working on different teams focused on specific projects for the duration of the summer while learning how Vita Plus employee owners bring feed, nutrition, and management expertise to dairy and livestock farms throughout the Midwest.

Brad Miller recently joined Vita Plus as safety manager based in Madison, Wisconsin. He will ensure corporate safety standards and develop supporting training procedures throughout the Vita Plus network of manufacturing, grain storage, and fabrication facilities in the Midwest. This will include overseeing compliance with all state and federal regulations and agencies. In addition, Miller will continue to develop and promote a behavior-based safety culture for all employee owners throughout the organization.

Ryan Fritsche recently joined Vita Plus as a dairy specialist in Wisconsin. Based in Eastman, Wisconsin, Fritsche will provide nutrition and management expertise to help dairy producers reach their production goals. In addition, he will remain up-to-date on cutting-edge technologies to better serve customers now and in the future.

(Madison, Wis.) – Jonathan Ydstie recently joined Vita Plus as a dairy consultant and business development specialist in South Dakota, working with farms along the I-29 corridor.  He will utilize his experience as a large-herd dairy manager and his extensive industry experience to help provide high-quality diet formulation, management expertise, and customized solutions to help dairy producers reach their production and management goals.

(Madison, Wis.) – Dr. Paulina Letelier recently joined Vita Plus as a dairy nutritionist and technical services specialist. She will provide nutrition and management consulting to dairy producers throughout northeast Wisconsin.  Additionally, Letelier will provide field-driven technical support for fellow Vita Plus consultants in the region.

(Madison, Wis.) – Chandler Kurth recently joined Vita Plus as a dairy specialist in Minnesota and South Dakota.  He will utilize cutting-edge ration formulation software to provide high-quality rations and solutions to help dairy producers reach their production goals.  In addition, Kurth will remain up-to-date on industry research and technologies to serve customers now and in the future. 

(Madison, Wis.) – Brad Auger recently joined Vita Plus as grain merchandising manager.  He will work with all Vita Plus facilities across the Midwest to fulfill grain needs for the feed business while focusing on grain origination, merchandising and risk management through effective hedging.  Auger will also work directly with farmers, helping them navigate the volatile, ever-changing marketplace.