Oregon Dairy Farmers Present Awards for Lifelong Contributions

Salem, Ore. – (March 25, 2024) – The Oregon Dairy Farmers Association presented awards during their Annual Convention to acknowledge three very deserving recipients for lifelong contributions made to Oregon’s dairy industry. The Community Service Award was presented to Marshall and Nancy Christiansen, Turner. The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Greg Wildhaber, McMinnville.

Marshall and Nancy Christiansen have been married for 55 years, and together they have spent a lifetime dedicated to the dairy community, to community service, and to each other. They are two of the most humble, genuine people you will ever meet, and they make everyone feel like family.

Marshall and Nancy moved from Ferndale, CA to Oregon in 1986. They purchased their current farm as bare land without power, water, or even a road. Through a lot of hard work, they developed that land into the farm it is today. They currently farm with their two sons Erik and Brian, their daughter-in-law Megan, and grandchildren on Meadowood Dairy in Turner.

Marshall and Nancy have generously hosted numerous farm tours and youth calf sales over the years.  They are avid supporters of both 4-H and FFA, hosting a dairy judging contest at their farm this spring.

Nancy previously served as the Holstein Association Secretary and been the main calf feeder and head bookkeeper for the dairy. Her favorite job is being “Grammy”. Marshall has been very active in the State Holstein Association having served as President and as a delegate to National Holstein Conventions. His local service includes the DHIA board and Marion County Farm Bureau.

Greg Wildhaber started in the dairy industry at a young age when his father brought home two milk cows. Greg was active in 4-H and FFA in his youth and was a State FFA Officer in the state of Washington. His two children, Grace and Luke, followed their father's path and both were State FFA Officers in Oregon. Following his state officer year, Greg went to WSU where he graduated with a degree in Ag Economics.

In 1983, Greg landed in McMinnville shortly after graduation and started selling dairy feed for McDaniel Grain out of the McMinnville plant. Greg stayed in the dairy feed business for nearly 40 years. His last day selling feed was late February2023, and he remains close to many of his former customers who became family to him over the years.

Greg has dedicated himself to helping dairy families his entire working life. He has been generous to those in need, thoughtful to countless others over the last 40years, and has a heart for service. He is a person of faith, always ready to lend a hand no matter the task. Greg has truly been a friend to our dairy community.

In his spare time, Greg is an active supporter of 4-H and FFA programs. He has shared his sales knowledge with FFA members and has taken many teams to the National Convention for Agricultural Sales. Every team has placed in the top 10and several earned a gold medal.

Congratulations, and thank you, to Marshall and Nancy Christiansen, and Greg Wildhaber for your lifetime of service and support to the Oregon dairy community.

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About Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
The Oregon Dairy Farmers Association, established in 1892, works on behalf of Oregon's nearly 150 dairy farm families. Milk is the official state beverage of Oregon, and Oregon is recognized nationwide as a leader for milk quality. The Oregon dairy industry contributes more than $1 billion to Oregon's economy each year. Oregon dairy producers care about their cows, their communities, and the land, air and waters of our state.  

 www.oregondairyfarmers.org.  

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