JAMES C. KUHTZ

December 1, 1921 to September 30, 2001

Jim Kuhtz was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin on a dairy farm and one of three boys. In 1941, at the time of America’s involvement in World War II, he left the family dairy and went off to fight for his country. His wife was expecting there first child, Jim Kuhtz Jr. While serving in Africa, he sustained an injury which almost took his life.

After a long convalescence, he returned to his family in Wisconsin. Jim had 3 additional children, Tom, Karen and Patti. He started to work for the Curtiss Candy Corporation’s dairy division which was just starting to develop the technology of artificial insemination for cattle. In 1955, he was promoted to a district manager and moved his family to Modesto, California. This move demonstrated his courage, resourcefulness, creativity and strong work ethic which were the theme of his life. While in California his fifth child, Marlene was born.

In 1965, Jim started DMS (Dairy Mating Service). He started DMS because he felt dairyman needed a herd analysis program that was effective in meeting the commercial and registered herd needs. DMS resulted in a highly effective system that continues to help dairyman breed higher producing and longer living cattle with minimal problems.

DMS continues to be a tool used by dairyman today to create a high producing, well balanced cow with longevity. It is a mating service whose goal is to produce a cow that effectively and efficiently meets the goals of the dairyman. With only three major parts of the cow being analyzed, this can be accomplished in one generation and generations to come.

DMS was Jim’s life work although one can hardly call it his work because he loved what he did. He loved the animals, the challenge, the science and the people he worked with. He loved the dairyman and their families.

In fact, there were few people he did not love and if he did not, you would never know it, because he always said, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all”. He really believed that, and practiced that in his everyday life.

In 2001, a fund was established in Jim’s honor, the Ag One – James C. Kuhtz Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund. The income earned by this fund provides a yearly scholarship to a deserving student with a demonstrated interest in the dairy industry.