Kimberley Morrill: Focused on the Next Generation
“Children are not a distraction from more important work.
They are the most important work.”
Dr. Kimberley Morrill sees a lot of corollaries between raising kids and raising calves. “Our kids are the future, and my own boys are my life,” she declared. “Similarly, calves are the future of the dairy industry. For so long, they were viewed as an annoyance or a second-tier priority on dairies. Now, it’s so encouraging to increasingly see them receiving the attention and value they deserve.”
As the newly hired Technical Services Specialist for Strauss Feeds, Kimberley will parlay her education and passion for raising calves into technical support for Strauss representatives and customers nationwide.
“I feel blessed to live a life that incorporates all of the things that I love: family, farming, and calves. I look forward to the next chapter with Strauss Feeds.”
Kimberley grew up raising calves herself, on her family’s dairy farm near Concord, NH. The dairy is still operated today by her three brothers and their parents. Their family’s heritage dates to Justin Morrill, the Vermont congressman who sponsored the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862, which enabled the creation of Land Grant universities across the United States. And she’s also a product of that educational system. Kimberley completed her bachelor’s degree in dairy management and master’s degree in animal nutrition at the University of New Hampshire. She went on to study animal physiology at Iowa State University, where she earned a PhD before embarking on a storied career in the U.S. dairy industry.
Her first post was with Cornell University Extension, where she served dairy producers in northern New York for 7 years with education and outreach through the Cornell PRO-Dairy program. In the next 7 years, she provided technical support across North America for Chr. Hansen, focusing on silage inoculants and probiotics for dairy cattle.
Now, she is excited to embrace a 100% focus on calves, working for a company as humble and foundational as the calves themselves. “Strauss Feeds has always had an excellent reputation in the field, and I appreciate that they are a small organization that prioritizes the customers and the calves,” she shared. “When I took this job, everyone I talked to who knows them said virtually the same thing: ‘You’re going to love it. They’re a wonderful team!’”
Kimberley will stay abreast of new developments in calf management and nutrition, sharing her expertise with Strauss clients across the country.
When she’s not traveling to client farms, Kimberley stays busy on her own farm, a 120-cow dairy she and her husband, Mark Decker, operate with his family near Winthrop in northern New York. They also raise crops to feed the cows and manage a small sugarbush from which they harvest and sell maple syrup.
All these activities revolve around family life that includes three growing boys. Their oldest son, Derek, just completed four years in the U.S. Army and will be pursuing a degree in agricultural engineering. Two younger sons, Calvin and David, are just entering their 4-H years, and are excited to hit the show ring with their dairy projects.
In addition to helping break show calves to lead, Kimberley’s other hobbies revolve around coaching her sons for 4-H dairy quiz bowl competitions, and spending time hiking and exploring outdoors. Their farm lies on the fringes of Adirondack Park National Historic Landmark, which provides endless opportunities for investigating wildlife, fishing, and soaking in the great outdoors.
She also spends time in professional service. As a current member of the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, she serves on the organization’s Planning Committee and Gold Standards Update Committee.
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