Karen Hunt | The Bullvine

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Archive – Page 9

DAIRY YOUTH WILL GO FAR: Exchange Is Good!

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Wednesday, June 26th, 2013

“Life begins at the end of our comfort zone” quotes Katie Kearns of Wisconsin, USA about her dairy exchange experiences. She explains. “Traveling or working abroad pushes me to continue with more experiences. Sure, it can be nerve wracking to move to another continent but that is what is exciting about it as well. It is a chance to immerse yourself in a new place, surround yourself with new faces and push yourself above your limits. What you know about dairy cattle can take you somewhere you have never been.” She concludes with her favorite sales pitch, “I promise you, you will never regret it.”

Katie Kearns & Ryanna Allen Topsy EX94 (Hon Men Champion IDW 2010)

Out of Country Experiences

From the hosting side of dairy exchanges, Dianna and Dean Malcolm of Blue Chip Genetics (Read more: Dean and Dianna Malcolm: Forward in Five Gears! And Dean and Dianna Malcolm: Gobsmacked in Australia), confirm all that is good. Dean says “The reason why we considered hosting international guests was because when I travelled through North America the hospitality from everybody was phenomenal. I always thought if I was ever in the position to take someone in or share what we have with someone, I’d be all over it.” Dianna evaluates their success. “In the main, we have been incredibly lucky with the caliber of young people who have stayed with us.” She enthuses about several stand-outs who have lived with them so far.” Definitely Ben Yates (UK, Wyndford Farms), Sheila Sundborg (Suntor Holsteins, Canada), Darci Daniels (USA) and Katie Kearns (now at Gen-Com).” They have also welcomed guests during International Dairy Week who have developed into close friends and partners in cattle. “Chris McGriskin (Canada) has been with us for seven years. Jamie Farrell (Canada) is another regular and Thomas Deuschel (Canada) is another special member of our IDW team. They are now all part of our extended family and Dean considers Chris as his brother … he just loves those guys and appreciates their extreme ability with cattle, natural teamwork, sense of humour and deep friendship.”

Dianna and Dean Malcolm of Blue Chip Genetics have played hosts to youth from around the world.

Where Dairy Passion Meets International Opportunity

There are many good stories from both sides about how like minded people found each other. Sheila Sundborg’s story started with a picture. “While in Australia in 2010, I had taken some candid shots of Dean and Di’s Grand Holstein /Supreme Champion Bluechip Drake Whynot at the Royal Melbourne. I emailed the photos to share with them.” Friendly emails and a farm visit established their connection. For Darci Daniels the internet played a role. “I did a few Google searches for dairy farms in Australia and Bluechip showed up. I saw some of the cow families and genetics that they were working with and it looked like a beautiful place. I also saw their Journal, CrazyCow and read how passionate they were for their cattle and I knew I wanted to work there.” Di recalls how they met Katie Kearns through their network and connections with Ernie Kueffner and Terri Packard. “Katie had worked at Arethusa full time for three years and she was looking to spend some time in Australia and I believe she got our contact from them.” Katie had strong reasons for wanting to try an exchange, after her work experience at Arethusa Farm and because of her goal of always working with the best possible dairy cattle. “I wanted to find somewhere to work that had high expectations of themselves and employees.” Even though this meet up seemed very well thought out, Dean Malcolm attributes the matchups to “good luck” from their end of the deal. Dianna enthuses. “Dean met Chris McGriskin at the World Dairy Expo through his UK friend, Ben Yates (who was Dean’s best man at our wedding), and once they had a drink together there was no going back!!! Perhaps it is also a slight case of, ‘birds of a feather flock together’.” Serendipity or not, the Malcolm’s feel strongly about the results. “We wish all these people lived closer to us so that we could visit with each other much more often.”

Broadening Perspectives

One of the benefits for both exchange hosts and their guests is the opportunity of seeing yourself through each other’s eyes. Dean agrees.”It’s great to share experiences with such a diverse and talented group of young people.” Darci speculates. “Growing up and living my whole life in Wisconsin has led me to under appreciate the resources for the dairy industry that are in my back yard. We have such a wealth of knowledge, ideas and products. I met many people in Australia who would die for the opportunity to come to World Dairy Expo.” For Katie Kearns her expectations were very targeted. “One thing I knew about going to Bluechip was that Di was one of the best in the business when it came to raising calves, an area I was looking to gain more experience in. I was fortunate to spend a heap of time with her in the calf area. Being able to observe and work with her on a daily basis was a great learning opportunity for me.” Sheila Sundborg drew from Di’s marketing background. “I was able to learn a lot about marketing and the step-by-step process of publishing a magazine (Crazy Cow) including layout, stories and interviewing people.”

Eliminating Fears and Misconceptions

Those who haven’t had exchange experiences may have fears about the myriad details of dairy exchange logistics. Speaking for Bluechip Genetics, Dean outlines their cow focused philosophy, “We don’t try to jam our ideas into the visitors. But I guess we have our way of doing things. Our biggest thing is being kind to the animals and listening to them so they know them inside and out.” We have, of course, had a few young people that have not fitted with us. And in those instances we generally try and find them another gig, so their trip is still what they hoped it would be. We try to keep it all positive and we understand that not everyone gels with each other and the important thing is to be aware of it and fix it before it becomes more complicated.”

Top price at the Bluechip sale was Bluechip Goldwyn Frosty, Goldwyn X Dundee x Harvue Roy Frosty, sold for Top price $72000 (Pictured here with the outstanding sale crew)

Katie was part of the team at the recent Bluechip sale that saw a top price of $72,000 for Bluechip Goldwyn Frosty, Goldwyn X Dundee x Harvue Roy Frosty (Pictured here with the outstanding sale crew)

Expanding Dairy Insights

Katie provides her viewpoint and compliments Dean and Di and the effort they put into their cattle. “They consistently turn out cattle that are quiet and easy to work with. It makes for an enjoyable experience when you work with animals that are properly taken care of.” Darci also appreciates the influence that the Malcolms have had on her (and now her husband too),”I admire how Dean and Di have the softness to raise such calm animals, yet have the strength and the drive to set big goals and accomplish them one after another.” Sheila zooms us out to the big picture, when talking about her bigger viewpoint. “Working in Australia and visiting NZ showed me how dairying is without a quota system and barns. It also gave me a better perspective on global marketing and trade.”

Katie Kearns and Kelvin taking a much earned break after the show at the recent International Dairy Week

Travel is the Great Teacher

“You learn so much about yourself when you travel and completely commit yourself to soaking up every opportunity.” says Katie Kearns. “After I finished university, it didn’t take me long to figure out that as long as I was willing to work hard and find some connections, showing cows could take me around the world and then some.” Sheila concurs. “Working abroad with local farmers/breeders for me is the best way to travel and learn. You get a different perspective than if you were just passing through as a tourist.” She has had work placements during college that took her from the Maritimes to the Rocky Mountains in Canada and travel experiences in the UK, Europe, and Australia. Katie also participated in two different study abroad trips: the first to Ghana, Africa and the second a combination trip to Egypt, Tunisia, and Spain. She sums up her experience. “Since then I have been hooked on traveling and seeing the world. I can find myself and discover what I’m made of.

Lasting Life Lessons from a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

Because of the relatively brief time that hosts and visitors spend living together it is important that they share interests and are on the same page regarding their expectations. Di sees it as win-win situation for both sides. “We like genuine people, who love animals, who are hard working, fun and willing to learn. And we learn a lot from them too.”Sheila encourages anyone who has the opportunity to go for it and make the most of it. “You only live once so make the most of it. Everyone has positive things to offer. Learn from those you work with.” Katie Kearns is building a considerable resume of work experiences with memorable time spent with people and cows. “I have had great opportunities to work for many different show strings and sale crews – all giving me valuable working experiences and creating awesome connections in this industry.” Darci’s advice is emphatic. “Go do it and don’t let anyone talk you out of it.” Exchange has meant a lot to her personally. ‘It taught me how to live in the moment because I knew that on many of the journeys I took abroad it would be the only time in my life that I would be able to experience that.” Darci seconds Katie’s enthusiasm for exchange and encourages those with the opportunity to “live in the moment.” She expands on the theme. “When you’re 10,000 miles away from home, you probably won’t get to go back to many of those places again and will never get those moments back.”

Darci and Justin Daniels

Building International Bridges

The Malcolms hope others will take the opportunity to host a dairy exchange. “As an example of young people forging their way in the world, we are routinely blown away and inspired by Katie, Darci, Justin and Sheila’s intelligence, focus and work ethic. Katie is just so together and fun to be around; Darci and Justin’s push to buy their own farm and stock it with good cattle is single-minded and Sheila’s talent in so many areas (including photography) tells us that we have actually been the lucky ones to have these exciting young people in our lives. To be honest, our time in this industry would be much less interesting without our regular contact with them.

“They are incredible people to be around, whom, we have no doubt will excel in whatever they do. We were just lucky enough to be a port of call in their journey of life.”

Dean summarizes by saying that hosting young people has been very positive for them.

“We couldn’t recommend it more highly. This is one of the reasons our industry is so global. It’s a fantastic experience and you often make connections and friendships for life. North American young people universally have so much understanding of the work involved in show cows and developing young cattle, often thanks to the 4H program. We’re so jealous it’s not in Australia. We find the young North Americans intelligent cattle people who understand the detail work that it takes with high-end cattle. It has made it so easy to welcome them into our home.” Speaking as a young person who has had opportunities to travel extensively in Canada and parts of the US, Sheila Sundborg says “It was just natural to want to explore more of the world.” She confirms that connections are relatively easy to make in the dairy business. “Through working with Reece Attenborough (of Australia) at Rapid Bay Jerseys, I made close contacts in Australia.” Now she enjoys the two way street that exchanging offers. “My travels have allowed me to promote Suntor genetics and the farm has received many visitors over the years from people I have met while working or traveling.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Katie Kearns expresses what exchanging to Australia meant to her. “I cannot even begin to describe how thankful I am to Dean and Di for giving me the opportunity to travel to Australia and have an amazing six months with them. My experience there has reinforced my belief and my love for the show cow industry. What other profession could I have that would allow me to travel around the world doing what I love, create life-long friendships and give me experiences and memories to last forever? Sheila Sundborg concludes that a dairy exchange always boils down to one thing. “It’s the people you meet along the way. The further you go the smaller the world gets. It’s a great industry to be a part of.” All three exchangers endorse her future plan. “I am using my network to give the chance to other young dairy enthusiasts to have similar experiences.” Obviously they all agree that a great dairy exchange is definitely a change for the best!”

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Categories : Youth Profiles

Tags : Ben Yates, Bluechip Genetics, Darci Daniels, Dean Malcolm, Dianna Malcolm, Katie Kearns, Sheila Sundborg, Youth Exchange

MODERN DAIRY MARKETING: Winning Hearts, Minds and Wallets

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Thursday, June 20th, 2013

It’s haying season here. A wonderful time of year for dairy farmers who produce the food that feeds the cows that produce the milk that feeds the consumers. As we are watching the weather with one eye and with the other one on the cows and machinery, do we ever spend any time thinking about the next person who buys our dairy genetics? We love dairying and we do it to the best of our ability. Our hearts and minds are engaged. Do we consider engaging the hearts and minds of our genetics customers? Or are their wallets all we care about?

We have to be careful that we don’t think only of the pay cheque and forget that we are providing a product for real people. In today’s marketplace we have two distinct customers. First, the milk drinkers who we are more or less involved with, depending on the product we produce and what country we produce it in. And secondly, the cattle buying customer. Just as our future in the dairy aisle depends on the product we deliver, our future in the genetics industry depends on what we deliver and not what we can get away with.

The milk drinking public gets turned off by the media message of scary farm practices, rising health issues and poor animal care. These concerns reflect badly on each one of us in the dairy industry. We can’t separate ourselves from the message. Likewise, when it comes to selling cattle, we have to respect ourselves and our customers enough that buyers know what we stand for. If we allow ourselves to be the type of business where responsibility ends once the cheque is cashed, then we deserve to have our sales drive out the lane and forget us the next time they buy.

Dairy Sales Are All About People First

If you ever found it impossible to find out details about animals in a sale. If you have been disappointed after purchasing an animal to find out that there is an issue that wasn`t revealed. If you ever found that you were taken in by the fine print in a contract, you know where bad feelings start. “It’s nothing personal.” is the exact opposite of how you feel. It’s very personal!

Good Business is Built on Trust

Good dairy business kicks in when marketers are smart enough and brave enough to work side by side with their buyers for the same end result – good dairy cattle. When full disclosure allows you to make informed decisions, you remember it. You will go back to that source again and again. Of course, this means that a huge opportunity exists. You will likely do best if you avoid misdirection and pandering and instead embrace an honest approach to doing business. RULE #1: Build trust by treating your customers like respected peers and admired family members.

As Good as Your Word

Think about the last time you were impressed by how you were treated in a sales transaction. It’s unfortunate that it’s rare enough to be remarkable. It is so refreshing to find your issues meaning more than a dollar sign and receiving more than was promised and not simply the legal bare bones. Today – especially with the instant sharing possible through social media – your happy transactions and your sad ones are shared far and wide. The word gets out and has instant repercussions on your business credibility and bottom line.

Marketing is More About the Stories than the Sales

Social media has found its way into the dairy business and is having a tremendous impact. Everyday there are new blog posts, videos and press releases. While this is fantastic for agriculture as a whole, it can be really hard to get your dairy business noticed. If you want to rise above the herd, you have to have a good story that captures attention. You need to share what you believe in, who you are and what you stand for. The invisible face behind a magazine ad or an AI brochure listing is too easily lost in the 21^st century crowd.

Today You DON’T Get What You Pay to Advertise For

In the not too distant past dairy players where the ones with the money to step up to the marketing table. It took advertising money to make money. Today, with social media, a business of any size can connect with customers and do it without spending a dime on paid advertising. Social media has changed the game and now anyone can compete regardless of the size of their marketing budget.

Where to Go? What to do?

No sooner do you get comfortable with one or two pieces of modern technology, then a whole handful more present themselves to your flying fingers. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and YouTube have totally changed the relationship we have with present and future customers. It can be challenging to figure out where to focus your time and energy. Here again it’s not the single choice of one site over another. In easily understood farmer terms, it’s about cultivating relationships. Find the way to tell your story in a way that is comfortable, honest and open and you will engage customers loyal to you and your business.

Talk is NOT Cheap

This may sound like a complete reversal from the “free” advertising mentioned earlier but, in this case, it is referring to what happens after everyone finds you and then has the ability to share their experience and thoughts, not just with the neighbor over the fence, but with hundreds to thousands of people. Today, more than ever, you must walk the talk and be accountable to your customers. The minute what happened in your barn, in your office or at your auction sale hits the wires it becomes the measure of your business. Believe it! When bad news gets out there it’s going to be shared so quickly it will make your head spin and your bank balance shiver in fear. In the past when bad news raised its ugly face, you had a certain amount of time to plan how to respond. Today, if you wait to respond, it can be too late. Responding in real time with real information will be more successful in transforming negative publicity into a building opportunity.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Is there a way to use social media so that you won`t have to suffer through scary mistakes? No! Mistakes happen in any environment. Equipment fails. Hay weather upsets the routine. Cows get sick. And that’s just one farm. Ramp that up to real-time techie interaction on the web and you can’t expect perfection of yourself or anyone else. Rather than worrying about making mistakes, you should be worried about not making them! If you’re not experimenting with social media that means you’re missing out on a myriad of ways to win hearts, minds and wallets!

To learn how to get your farm on Facebook download this free guide.

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Categories : Dairy Industry

Tags : Dairy Industry, Marketing, Social Media

Isaac Lancaster: The British Are Coming. The British Are Coming.

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Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

“That Isaac Lancaster, I bet he’s never milked a cow…….!” If that’s your first impression upon meeting the third of four Lancaster siblings from I-Cow Holsteins in North Yorkshire, UK you would be very wrong.

Although this comment makes Isaac smile when he travels to North America, he does prefer to set the record straight. “I have three siblings, two older sisters, Rebecca and Jennifer, and a younger brother Luke. We all worked on the family farm with our parents, Richard and Ann Lancaster, from a young age helping to milk before going to school and again when we returned. Running a dairy farm is something I’ve been involved in all my life.”

Growing the I-Cow Possibilities

I-Cow Holsteins fully represents the dairy passion of this young family starting with the pre-fix selection. Perfectly named I (for Isaac), C (for Claire), O (for Oliver) and W (for William) the I-Cow passion for detail and family planning continues with their dairy herd. “We feel that to milk as many cows as possible for the size of your farm is the only way forward in today’s dairy farming industry as your set costs remain the same. We are currently milking around 160 cows three times per day at I-Cow, but plan to increase to 300 as quickly as we can. Since my brother went to work at Ponderosa Holsteins in Spain, I have taken over the running of the farm along with my wife Claire and our sons William & Oliver. I also buy elite cows for different clients as well as dealing in commercial cattle which brings in extra income. My parents are partners in the farm and they work on the farm too, helping to rear the young stock in the winter months. They spend the summer in the south of France where we have a villa that we rent out for holiday lets.

Perfectly named, I-Cow stands for I (for Isaac), C (for Claire), O (for Oliver) and W (for William).

A “Model” Plan and Sire Stacks

When you strive for dairy excellence, your breeding philosophy shapes the growth of the business. Isaac confirms this. “My breeding philosophy has always been breed for the true type model. When you have 300 cows in one herd they need to be functional. You need good udders, stature, dairy strength and most of all sound feet and legs because, if they can’t walk, it doesn’t matter how good the rest of the animal is. Also sire stacks are very important. I feel that they do not get enough attention. We have always used high type sires but now and again we throw a higher production sire into the pedigree to maintain the production. If you look back at the great sires throughout time, you will find it in their pedigrees also.” Looking ahead Isaac outlines future plans. “We will use mainly high type sires on our herd. It doesn’t matter if some are a bit old as I will milk the daughters through the herd and I like to know what I am getting. Therefore, Atwood, Goldchip, Lauthority, and Sid. We will use a high genomic sire on the genomic cows but still have to like the pedigree, so we are using Cashcoin, McCutchen and Colt 45 at present.”

“It’s hard to pick a favourite cow”

The question of choosing a favourite cow is difficult. Part of the reason for that is that passionate breeders are always looking ahead to the perfect one that is yet to come. For Isaac choosing his favourites presents problems for him as well. “This is difficult. I have been lucky enough to own some world famous cows in partnership deals. Lylehaven Lila Z, Wabash Way Emily Ann and Drakeview Leduc Allure to name a few, but to choose one I would have to say Lila Z at this time. She wasn’t the greatest show cow ever, but the way her daughters have bred now with high type and high Genomics I will have to choose her. Her sire stack was great. Durham x Formation x Starbuck x Astrojet. And now with Goldwyn, Planet, Snowman etc. added to the pedigree, is why they are high in the genomic listings and still remain high in type.”

LYLEHAVEN LILA Z EX-94-CAN 16*
ALL-CANADIAN JR.2-YR,JR.1-YR
HM. ALL-CANADIAN 5-YR,4-YR
HM.INT. ROYAL 2004

Bovines Beyond Borders

Also I have to mention taking a string of U.K cows to Fribourg, Switzerland to the European show. Myself, Mark Nutsford and Ben Yates made the decision to go even after the members of our breed society had been told it could not happen. This was due to different government health regulations but with meetings, various discussions and perseverance, we made it happen and took seven head to the show. (Read more: GB Line-Up for the European Championships Announced!) The results were very good. One 1st placed animal, two 5th placed animals and some 7th and 8^th placed too.(Read more: Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra Wins Grand at the 2013 All European Championship Show) So we proved our point. Remember, we only had three herds to choose from whereas all the other competing nations had their whole country’s herds to choose from. I believe that we did pretty well considering that we only had six weeks to organize it. In addition, the Spanish team that won the group competition consisted of two animals from the four that I bought in the UK for Ponderosa Holsteins: Huddlesford Duplex Medora (Intermediate Champion) and Wyndford Atlas Winsome (2^nd place 5yr old). Again, this is something the UK can be proud of. It is something that I feel does not get the promotion or recognition that it deserves for such a large accomplishment.”

HUDDLESFORD DUPLEX MEDORA VG89
Intermediate Champion
European Holstein Show 2013

Mapping a Bigger Marketplace with UK Records

When it comes to accomplishments, those who organize cattle sales are well aware that it takes 110% commitment and loads of hard work. It takes even more to set benchmarks. Isaac describes the logistics behind the Global Glamour Sale at Arethusa Farm. “The average of $97,500 at that time (pre-genomic) was a great result and I don’t think that this will ever be surpassed now for animals without genomic data. I spent nearly seven months of my time in the U.S. and Canada that year organising the sale animals with Ernest and Terri and enjoyed every minute of it. We had three unanimous All- Americans in the Sale (Apple, Hazel and Dundee Mona) and also a number one TPI Animal in Wabash Way Emily Ann. Also, we sold an R.C Shottle Heifer (Riverdale Redrose from Lavender Ruby Redrose that was born in England to Willsbro Holsteins of the UK for $255.000 (£127,000 at the time) which is still a breed record price for a U.K animal to be sold. Unfortunately, this never gets a mention which is typical U.K policy not to promote animals on an international level………..anyway don’t get me started on that one.” From an appreciative point of view, Isaac turns to those who provide outstanding support. “I would like to give special mention to Wayne Stead, our head Herdsman, and Nathan Smith who do an excellent job in running the farm on a daily basis. Without them as part of the team it would not be possible for me to have the free time to travel and concentrate on other business.”

Genomics and Genetics. Setting our GPS for Future.

Always prepared to accept change, including his beard going grey, Isaac weighs in on the impact of genomics. “In the last five to six years it has turned into the be- all and end- all of the future of the Holstein Breed. Having said that, I find it strange that herds and individuals who sold only a few bulls to AI are now supplying large numbers of AI bulls to our industry.” This raises a further question for Lancaster. “Is it that all the clever cow men and sire analysts were not breeding or selecting the right bulls in the pre genomic era?? I think the idea of genomics is correct and we cannot and will not stop progress in any way, shape or form, but let’s hope that the people responsible have set the correct formula to move the Holstein breed in the right direction. That is the question we should be asking and only time will provide the answer.”

“Genomics is a great tool if it is not abused.”

Isaac feels genomics hasn’t changed things that much for I-Cow because they use it as a breeding and information tool. He explains. “If I buy a high genomic heifer for myself or a client I have to appreciate the pedigree and the individual animal not just the highest heifer in the sale which I feel some people get suckered in to. The number one GTPI heifer should not necessarily be bred to the number one GTPI bull. Check out the type linear on the heifer to see if she compliments the linear on the bull you are using on her. If this is not the case, you may have to use a sire further down the list because, if you don’t, you will get found out eventually.” Using genomics correctly as a tool is important but there are other considerations for Lancaster. “The biggest problem I can foresee is that the genetic pool is getting smaller and we won’t know what to use. The polled bulls will be used more I feel because there are different sires in the pedigrees that give us that option to gain entry to different bloodlines, so I can see the polled animals becoming more prominent.”

Projecting The Prominence of Polled

Looking deeper into the impact of polled genetics Isaac foresees changes. “I feel the polled business will get larger because in the modern world that we live in, animal husbandry and welfare will get to be a major issue. Some countries are now speaking of banning dehorning. This could be a major change we see in the next 10-20 years. Also, and I hope I am wrong, but the way show cows are presented may change because of the same reasons which will be a disaster for everyone. I love showing cows and there is nothing better than seeing the Grand Champion at Madison stand there with the spot light on her in the centre of the ring chewing her cud. She doesn’t look that stressed out to me. But some people don’t understand and make ridiculous decisions.”

Riverdane Woelkechen
1st 5yr old 2013 All European Championship
Owned with Riverdane and Ponderosa

Mentors Pave the I-Cow Pathways to Success

Dairy breeders have long recognized that four areas have tremendous impact on dairy success: marketing, business decisions, personal connections and family support. Isaac feels well served in all these areas. “I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with some of the biggest players in the industry through my time spent working in North America.

On the marketing front I will say Albert Cormier. He was great with me when I ran the A.D.I Edition Sales and gave valuable advice on how to market and discuss individual cows and different families when talking with potential clients and also offered expertise on advertising in breed magazines and forming syndicate groups on high priced animals.

On a business front I will say Ernest Kueffner. We worked together on the Global Glamour sale. Ernie is an individual that will never be replaced because of his way with people and his thought towards business and having the best financial results. His attention to detail on a daily basis is second to none and with Terri Packard they make a great team.

On a personal level Dan Doner is the best family man I know and someone that we can all learn from. Life is not just about cows and money all the time, this can sometimes get in the way of what really matters in life, so special mention to him.

Also all of my family, especially my brother. He’s my best friend and I am very proud of the job he is doing at Ponderosa Holsteins. I hope that one day we can work together on the same project in the same country.

Isaac and his brother Luke, who is also the herd manager at Ponderosa Holsteins in Spain

Positive publicity. Shared conversations.

Keeping the I-Cow name in the minds of the right people at the right time is an ongoing priority for Isaac. “We advertise in different Magazines at the moment and will advertise more in the near future. I like using Facebook because you can see who likes your posts and receive positive feedback (most of the time!) I feel that we do more business through Facebook than we would do through a website and it seems to work well for us. I think that it is an easier and more fun way to communicate rather than through e-mail and with today’s technology it’s a much faster way of communicating as many farmers now own smart phones.”

High Point Golden Rose VG-89-3YR-CAN
Goldwyn x Damion
1st 4yr old Ontario Spring Show 2013)

Meeting the Marketplace

The marketplace is always right. Isaac describes their philosophy. “We try to cover every potential market but use breeding sense. If you have something for everyone you can always sell. We are currently working with a number of different animals to cover every market. Genomic, Outcross, Showring and Polled. Willsbro Emily Angel VG 86 2yrs (Planet x Emily Ann), Broeks Elfer VG 87 2yrs (Outcross sister to Snowman), Highpoint Golden Rose (Goldwyn x Damion – 1st 4yr old Ontario Spring Show 2013) and Rainyridge URW Ella P Red (Laron P X Destry x Mr Burns x Shottle) from the Tony Beauty family. I have to fall in love with the animal’s type when I buy them and like to think they can all show no matter what market they will cover and all these cows do that for me. Also their sire stacks are what I like for their prospective markets.”

Willsbro Emily Angel VG 86 2yrs
Planet x Wabash Way Emily Ann (Who was purchased by Willsbro in Global Glamour Sale at Arethusa Farm co-managed by Isaac)

6 Steps to Success According to Isaac

There are really five… but only Isaac can claim the good fortune of having his wife for a partner. After that he shares these five steps. “1. Keep your options open. 2. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket because if one basket breaks then you’ll need to have another to fall back on. 3. Remember every day is a school day and you can always learn something new however clever you think you might be and whatever your age may be. 5. Be friendly with everyone and don’t try to be something you’re not.” The most important thing to keep in mind is number 7 – last but not least. “There has always been an art to cattle breeding and that will never change so you have to ensure that you use the information correctly.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line – “Cheers to I-Cow”

With passion, hard work and humour Isaac Lancaster looks forward to a long and rewarding career in the dairy business for himself and his family. The Bullvine and our readers wish the I-Cow all the best and assure Isaac that, upon hearing his name, many are already saying, “That Isaac Lancaster! Isn’t it amazing how passionate he is about the dairy business…..?”

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Categories : Breeder Profiles

CHRIS & JENNIFER HILL: Calling All Cows

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Tuesday, June 18th, 2013

What has two heads, four eyes, eight limbs and can raise, show and sell cattle? That would be the ultimate dairy couple, otherwise known as Chris and Jennifer Hill of MD-Hillbrook. The Hills are marriage-partners as well as business partners and it all started from their shared farm backgrounds, Chris raised at Wauwatosa Ayrshires and Jenn at Glad Ray Farm. As they proceeded through education and work experiences they developed resumes that when combined provided a great foundation for their business.

The Lure of the Crowd

Chris worked for Maple Dell Farm in high school and went on the road as a full time fitter afterwards. Jen rounded out her agricultural roots with a degree in communications and a minor in marketing. With this broad spectrum, the couple was well prepared for a full service dairy business with emphasis on show animals and auction sales. Throw in a motivated crowd, microphones and the possibility to set new records and who among us doesn’t envy them the opportunity to work every day in the industry’s two showplace settings – the show ring and the auction ring?

Chris is certainly one of the best in the business when it comes to selling elite dairy cattle.

Chris is certainly one of the best in the business when it comes to selling dairy cattle.

Call to Auction

Chris Hill’s show fitting skills provided him with a large network to build from for his business. He graduated from auctioneering school in 1990 and managed his first sale – the start of the March Madness Sale series – in 1993. Today, with so much riding on the buying and selling of top animals, Chris has mastered the technique of making the crowd comfortable and keeping it light with a little humor. Words come easily for him and both Chris and Jen say that for them the real measure of success is a satisfied client.

Two’s Company: From Feed Pails to Shows and Sales

Chris and Jenn Hill live 5 miles away from Jen’s parent’s farm where their cattle are housed. They develop primarily show heifers with a few genomic or polled females. Jenn works at the farm five days a week. Between the two of them they oversee the development and marketing of both show cattle and auction sales. With such a constantly changing work schedule, Chris and Jenn’s enterprises provide a daily barometer for what is happening in the show and sale end of the dairy business.

Finding Their Calling

Through tapping into each other’s strengths the husband-and-wife team has a unique ability to provide customers with everything that is needed from genetics, to animal fitting and marketing. “Being a sale manager and auctioneer gives us many purchasing and marketing opportunities.” Together they build excitement for the sale or the show animals being exhibited. Jenn outlines some of the tools they use. “We use print media such as Cattle Connection, Red Bloodlines and Holstein World. We also have a website and Facebook page.” Referring to the latter Jenn points out why it’s effective. “Facebook brings a lot of traffic and is the fastest way to ‘spread the word’.” Whether it’s giving orders, taking orders, receiving order or everything in between Chris and Jenn make a great team. Jenn says “We don’t think of it as balancing endeavors, we look at it as everything working together.” Chris points out that it has definite paybacks. “Being contacted to sell or manage/assist with a sale is a huge compliment for us.”

From Raising Cows to Raising Hands

Jenn outlines the parameters they work within. “Our breeding philosophy changes depending on what market niches we are in at the time.” Regardless of the area she makes one thing quite clear. “We always keep in mind a solid pedigree and try not to sacrifice type.” She goes on “Roxy has been a tremendous influence but the Ada family is gaining ground lately with popularity of Aftershock, Atwood, Attic, etc.” She outlines four in particular:

Palmyra M-O-M Manhattan

Palmyra M-O-M Manhattan ET: She is owned in partnership with Ryan Shank. She is the number 2 Red/RC cow of the breed. We purchased this cow for her outcross pedigree as well as being a high genomic RC Man O Man and realized her numbers would rank in the top of the breed. She has flushed well. We have exported embryos and have several pregnancies. The cow herself will be offered in this year’s National Red and White Sale.

Bella View Shot of Gin VG-89
Nom. All-American Fall Yearling 2012
Shottle x EX-92 Goldwyn x VG-89 Cousteau x EX-92 Skychief x EX-96 Blackrose
She Sells in the International Intrigue!

Bella View Shot of Gin: We purchased her because she has a great pedigree and was a Shottle that could show. She is now VG89 as a two year old. She will sell July 27 at the International Intrigue. He stall mate, Briar Berry Contd Tabby Red is VG89 as a two year old as well.

Briar Berry Contd Tabby-Red VG-89
1st Sr. 2-year-old NY Spring Show 2013
Nom. All-American R&W Winter Yearling 2012

Whitdale D Hvezda Sky Red: Reserve All American as a fall calf and Reserve Junior Champion at Madison last year and All American as a Yearling. We purchased her as a calf based on her type and pedigree, potential 9th generation EX Red Roxy. She is just fresh and we are excited about her future

Whitdale D Hvezda Sky
Reserve All American as a fall calf and Reserve Junior Champion at Madison last year and All American as a Yearling

Greenlead Redl Mi Red: Purchased with Chad Umbel and James and Sharon Keilholtz as a calf. She is turning into a nice brood cow. She produced Glad Ray More Fun Red 3x All American nominee. Junior Champion at the Royal as a yearling and unanimous All American that year, Grand Champion at the Eastern National as a 2 yr old. Her full sister Glad Ray Mamajuana Red was Res. AA Summer Yearling last year and is due in June to Alchemy. We have done IVF work on her and have several more females due.

MS GLAD RAY MORE FUN-RED
1st Jr. 2-year-old & Intermediate Champion, All-American R&W Show 2012
1st Jr. 2-year-old, NY State Fair R&W Show 2012
Res. Sr. & Res. Grand Champion, NY State Fair R&W Jr. Show 2012
Unanimous All-American R&W Spring Yearling 2011
Junior Champion RWF R&W Show 2011
HM Junior Champion Grand International R&W Show 2011

From a Ringside Seat

Both Hills are naturally drawn to those areas that bring out the drama, the competitive streak and the heart pounding excitement. This has led to considerable success in the show rings as well. “The greatest cow we have ever bred and owned is MD-Hillbrook Sunburst Red EX92 (max score). Undefeated in red competition 4x All American R&W. Reserve All American Black and White Senior 2. Sold for $200,000 at the 2011 International Intrigue and continues to do well (Intermediate Champion, Res Grand of the 2012 Red Show at WDE) for her new owners. Chris has had the honor of working with Cathland Lilac EX97, C Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada EX94 and C Hanson Prestar Monalisa EX95.”

MD-Hillbrook Sunburst Red EX92 (max score)
UNDEFEATED in red competition the last four years.
4x All American

Keeping Pace with Change

The Hills feel quite strongly that recognizing and adapting to change is the key to success in today’s constantly evolving marketplace. High type and solid pedigrees (that we started with and continue to appreciate) are no longer the driving force in the industry. The biggest change that we have seen most recently is the impact of the index system. When genomics hit now, it’s like a lottery system. The game now is to see who can get the largest four digit number without paying attention to essential breed characteristics. There is also more of an impact from polled. We see more of a unique pedigree coming into play with the genomics as it continues to grow.”

THE BULLVINE BOTTOM LINE

Undoubtedly there are many opportunities ahead for MD-Hillbrook but Jenn and Chris are already happy with the successful business which makes it “possible to do a job we love.” Jenn and Chris appreciate their parents for the work ethic that keeps them productive. They appreciate each other’s talents for teamwork. To the passionate dairy breeders they strive to please, they give this advice. “You need to be open-minded and take risks. No one ever succeeds by standing on the sideline.” Now that’s a good call!!

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Categories : Breeder Profiles

Tags : Bella View Shot of Gin, Briar Berry Contd Tabby, Chris Hill, Jennifer Hill, MD-Hillbrook, MD-Hillbrook Sunburst Red, MS GLAD RAY MORE FUN, Palmyra M-O-M Manhattan, Whitdale D Hvezda Sky

CHUCK WORDEN: For this Holstein President Dairy Focus Thrives Best on Diversity and Uniqueness

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Monday, June 17th, 2013

No two dairy breeders are exactly the same. They should not be stereotyped as one group but rather considered as a whole that when brought together is better than the sum of its parts.

This is direction we are pointed toward upon getting to know the thoughts of Holstein USA President Chuck Worden. Chuck is descended from a diverse dairy background himself and encourages others, including his three sons, to develop their own unique dairy philosophy. “My start in dairy cattle came through my family farm, Glen Cove Farm. My father and uncle took over their farm from their father. They had both Holsteins and beef, Scotch Shorthorns. In genetics they had more success in the beef than dairy. Today all of my three brothers also have dairies and all of my three sons have returned to our dairy.” The pride in family, uniqueness and diversity rings through every word.

Chuck and his wife, Vanessa
(Picture taken at his son Wayne’s wedding this past weekend)

“It’s a love of genetics that keeps all of our family in cattle.”

Chuck and his wife, Vanessa, point with pride to the dairy passion of their family. “Without question the biggest success story of Wormont Dairy is the interest of the next generation. All four of our children have a great passion for genetics and fine cattle. We are most proud of this.”

Wayne, Eric, Vanessa, Kate, Mark and Chuck Worden

Chuck also points back to his own father for inspiring his love of cattle. “My father’s love for cattle genetics spanned both Holstein and Scotch Shorthorns, although most of his success was in beef cattle, having bred many All Americans. At one point he had both the International Supreme Champion (1961) and the World record Shorthorn bull at $36,000 on our farm at one time. He also served on the American Shorthorn board and was voted “builder of the breed”.

A terrific role model for future generations of Wordens.”

Wormont Dairy: Growing and Moving

Whether it’s in New Mexico or New York, Wormont Dairy has always kept their herd evolving with the market. “Currently we’ve got 275 cows, both Holstein and Jersey, all registered. We’ve relocated several times from 60 cow tie stall in the 80’s and 90’s in New York to New Mexico where we had up to 1400 cows on a dry lot and back to New York where we are currently located.” He sums up the successes of their program. “Many families, both bred and purchased, have made useable females for us to breed from. As we’re working into genomics and marketing from them we’re finding surprises as we continue to test females. While in New Mexico a young Outside son of Regancrest Jolt Diantha was used. I loved the calves and bought 700 more doses of him. While at Madison, I bought a pick out of Diantha and chose Outside as the sire. I ended up getting a daughter from this mating. Today Destiny stands at Ex-93 and is our favorite cow.” Looking back Chuck singles out Wormont Blackstar Dorian-ET. “She was our best cow in the 1990’s. She sold 16 sons into AI and spearheaded a family that put over 100 bulls into AI over a ten year time span.”

Solo Outside Destiny-ET EX-93 2E 93-MS
Dam: REGANCREST JOLT DIANTHA-ET VG-87 GMD DOM

“Stay focused on your goal!”

Focus is a recurring theme of this dedicated President and Holstein breeder. “Whether you are in love with the showing or breeding for high genomics, you must stay focused on your goal. Many young breeders that I visit with will jump back and forth and never reach their goals because they lose their focus.” He supports his viewpoint with perspective gained working with the Holstein Association. “The biggest challenge we face as dairyman in the US is profitability. In tough times we’ve had to make many compromises on our dairies. One area we’ve tried not to compromise on is genetics when buying semen. With our breed association the biggest challenge will always be doing what’s right for members and the Holstein cow. There is no compromise that would take the breeding decision away from the breeders.”

Chuck explains how they walk the talk at Wormont Holsteins. “Our breeding philosophy focuses on genomics as we strive to get back into a market based breeding program for diversity in income. Over 30 young high genomic sires are always on hand based on GTPI ^TM and uniqueness of pedigree. We’re not on any AI exclusive list so we get new bulls as they’re available like most everyone else.” The Wormonts keep up with the changing times in their approach to marketing as well. “Although we’re in the building stages of our genomics marketing program, we use Facebook and our website, wormontdairy.com. Lindsey, our daughter, does our website and other marketing initiatives.”

Wormont Shottle Percell VG-87 87-MS
GTPI +2108 PL +5.4 DPR +2.7

Proud of People and Opportunities

Chuck Worden speaks glowingly of the experiences he has had as President of Holstein Association USA Inc. and points to the people especially. “I am humbled by the many great breeders that I served on the HAUSA board with and now call them and their families our friends. Two that stand out for their focus and resolve are Marvin Nunes of Ocean View and Bill Peck of Welcome, both headed our Genetic Advancement Committee and help influence the direction of our breed. The initiatives put forth by our CEO John Meyer when he was first hired stand out to me. He started “Complete,” our whole program that has led to increased use of many of our core programs. His Management by Objective, MBO, way of measuring success has given HAUSA about ten years of outstanding bottom line success while saving our members money on the services they use. It also allowed the board and staff a chance to see the success as it was accomplished.” Speaking of services he goes on. “Field services have never been free, but all data collectors, DHIA, DRPCs and breed associations have always operated at very conservative margins. The way they charge for services rendered has and probably will change a great deal as more and more marketing is done off of genomic predictions. All allied industry partners will work together to fund research.”

Chuck is very proud to represent Holstein USA. Seen here with 2011 Distinguished Leadership Award Recipient L-R: Holstein USA President Chuck Worden, Judy and Charles Iager, and Holstein USA CEO John M. Meyer

Chuck is very proud to represent Holstein USA. Seen here with 2011 Distinguished Leadership Award Recipients Judy and Charles Iager as well as Holstein USA CEO John M. Meyer

Ready to Face Challenges too!

With his commitment to American dairy breeding, Chuck doesn’t downplay the very real issues they face. “The biggest challenge that I’ve ever focused on any board has been the work done on transfer of the service work on genetic evaluations and genomic predictions from USDA to the dairy industry.” He feels quite strongly about what is needed. “This is not something we can afford to take lightly. It means protecting the integrity and preserving the “Gold Standard of the World” GTPI.”

Years of experience have given Chuck Worden a reasoned perspective on change. “The breeding industry is a constantly swinging pendulum. It‘s easy to get depressed when you feel like the breed has gone too far in one direction. I do believe the rapid rise in genomic bulls has slowed. Many great breeders I’ve witnessed don’t let the pendulum control their breeding program. They do make adjustment to their breeding programs to fit their marketing strategies, focus on your goals, not the popular bull of the month.”

“The challenge to any president is to do the best job of representing our members and our association.”

Although Chuck has spent a lot more of his “extra” time as Holstein President flying than pursuing his hobby of fishing, he is proud of the association he represents “The North American gene pool is the greatest, most in demand in the world. It’s up to our breed associations to maintain the credibility of our breed by maintaining an unbiased, accurate data collector and genetic predictor. I think we’re done a fabulous job of that.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

No doubt family, friends and fellow dairy breeders count themselves lucky to be associated with the commitment, leadership and dedication of Chuck Worden. There is also no doubt that he feels he has benefitted most. “I’ve got a great deal of respect for the many breeders and industry leaders I’ve gotten to know and work with over the last 15 years. What makes the registered Holstein industry special is the uniqueness and diversity of our breeders. I personally realize that getting involved is worth it. I’ve gained far more than I could ever have imagined. Our involvement does make a difference!” To Chuck Worden, The Bullvine joins our readers in acknowledging your fine focus toward pulling uniqueness and diversity together for the benefit of the members of Holstein Association of America and say, “Thank you!”

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Tags : Bill Peck, Chuck Worden, Holstein USA, John Meyer, Marvin Nunes, Regancrest Jolt Diantha, Solo Outside Destiny, Wormont Blackstar Dorian, Wormont Dairy, Wormont Shottle Percell

RAINYRIDGE HOLSTEINS: A Turn in the Road

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Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

There is an old proverb that says, “The more things change the more they stay the same.” For Karen and Ron Boerchers and their sons, Steven and Charles, that has proven to be true. Ron provides this update. “In 2009 Steven left the farm with his partner Ellen Gorter to start Optimal Dairy, a 100 cow free stall herd four hours away in Beausejour, Manitoba. Our son Charles who still farms with us at our 65 head tie stall dairy operation in Laurier, Manitoba did not want to continue the dairy operation so we decided it was time to sell.” (Click here for sale details and catalog) That is the emotion filled part that fathers, sons and dairy families are well acquainted with. Ron Boerchers puts a special twist however on “the same” part. “I have always said I wanted to go out at the top of my game. In early January we announced the dispersal date and place. Not even two weeks after, we received the culmination to my dairy farming career, our first Master Breeder shield.” Looks like it was an optimum opportunity shared by the whole family.

Rainyridge last classification. (l-r Devin O'hara, Tom Byers, Karen and Ron Boerchers

Rainyridge last classification occurred June 10th 2013 .
(l-r Devin O’hara, Tom Byers, Karen and Ron Boerchers (Photo by Darrel K Barkman)

Rainyridge Reflections: Beauty Won Madison. Barbara Won Hearts.

After years dedicated to dairying, there are many special moments that Ron looks back on. “Beauty’s win at Madison” comes instantly to mind. He explains. “She became the oldest cow to win the Supreme title at 14.5 years of age. That was quite remarkable.” This dairyman and sports fan draws an analogy. “That is comparable to Wayne Gretzky’s points record in the NHL. It is hard to imagine it could ever be broken.” Yet the Boerchers’ lineup had other stars to focus on. “It was special watching Barbara work her way to fame. Barbara made people stop and remember some of her predecessors in this family line. Cows that have all made people stare and imagine. Although, it might have never been spoken, we’re sure many thought ‘Just wait till she has had a couple more calves’.” (Read more: LASTING LEGACY: A Tribute to Rainyridge Talent Barbara)

RAINYRIDGE TONY BEAUTY EX-5E-CAN 9*
ALL-CANADIAN MATURE COW 1999,1995,1993,1992
ALL-AMERICAN MATURE COW 1999,1995,1992
GRAND ROYAL 1993
GRAND MADISON 1999
RES.GRAND ROYAL 1999,1995

That Everyday Black and White Magic

While striving to breed the best dairy cow, Rainyridge took a two step process. “At first we bred to bulls with extreme stature and conformation. Once we had the size, we changed to breeding great udders and strong feet and legs.” Like all passionate dairy breeders the Boerchers are inspired to dream big. “It was always our belief that every animal in the barn had a magical mating cross that could result in an EX cow or even an All Canadian. Some were more obvious than others of course.”

RAINYRIDGE TALENT BARBARA EX-95-5YR-USA 2*
ALL-CANADIAN 5-YR 2010
1ST 5-YR ROYAL 2010
1ST 5-YR MADISON 2010

Rainyridge Has Got Talent

Dairy breeders love to talk about their favorite cows. Ron is no different but he thinks his choice might surprise a few people. “Some might think Beauty would be the favorite but without a doubt it was Talent Barbara. Beauty might have accomplished more in the public eye but we were directly responsible for Barbara’s accomplishments leading up to her sale at Madison to Ernest Kueffner and St Jacobs. After we sold Barbara we had 3 red carrier Super daughters, 3 Shaquille daughters, 1 Dusk, and 1 Rampage daughter still at the farm as well as 2 female pregnancies to come sired by Lauthority and Vieuxsaule Lucas. It was a marketer’s paradise!”

RAINYRIDGE SUPER BEAUTY VG-2YR-CAN SUPERSTITION x TALENT BARBARA

RAINYRIDGE SUPER BEAUTY VG-87-2YR-CAN
SUPERSTITION x TALENT BARBARA

Insights and Highlights from the Bright Lights

As the June sale approaches, Rainyridge continued to develop their inventory. “We are currently flushing the following heifers B-S-D Hunter Paris 6081, Rainyridge Epic Leisure RDC, Farner-tbr-bh Vegas and Sully Giafeeti 299. Two cows being flushed include Rainyridge Super Beauty VG RDC who sells and will make her new owner very happy as she is a good embryo producer. Rainyridge Goldwyn Caution VG-86 is a special young Jr 2 Goldwyn from 4 Ex dams thru our Lee Candice line.”

B-S-D HUNTER PARIS 6081
One of the highest Hunter Daughters in the World (gLPI 3173), Sells in the Sale

The Bull Pen at Rainyridge

Knowing your customer is almost a cliché in marketing but it is the foundation that Rainyridge was built on. “We have two very different markets and programs that we cater separately. For the most part the type program is mainly proven bulls such as Fever, Windbrook, Sid, Atwood, Aftershock and Jordan. Our customers in this market DO NOT like surprises and are very hesitant for the most part to use unproven bulls unless it is for a red mating.

In the genomic and polled market we use the most recent bulls available in order get the most attention. Anton, Ballisto and Earthquake have been used lately along with Chevrolet and Eloquent. Polled bulls include Colt 45, Pine-Tree Overtime and Wilder Kanu. We have also started to breed lines of Immunity Plus genetics. This is a trait we believe has a lot of value to every producer and will be a coded trait one day with a huge potential to market genetics from.”

RAYVERLEY LEADER EZRA EX-CAN 7*
2nd dam TONY BEAUTY
ALL-CANADIAN MATURE COW 2003
1ST MATURE COW ROYAL 2003
GRAND MORRIS 2003
GRAND MB SPRING 2003
Owned with Wilsongrove & Erinbrett

Strategic Marketing Initiatives

Running a dispersal sale is a unique business proposition. The Boerchers adjust their marketing method according to the customer they want to reach. “Our experience with advertising through social media vs. traditional advertisements in magazines is that the solid type families get a better response from the traditional advertisements. The much more fast paced world of genomics follows Facebook and twitter much more closely.” The Boerchers must keep an eye on many important details and weigh the options on the many moving parts. “For the most part this dispersal sale is not filled with fast paced genomic genetics. We have some very exciting high genomic lots to sell but 90% is good solid type cows from great families that can be shown and marketed anywhere in the world.”

MDF GOLDWYN BREEZER 40 VG-86-2YR
3rd Dam Tony Beauty
Her choice of 2 July 2012 sid heifers or 2 March 2013 Damions sells June 24 in the sale

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Ron is very proud to see both Steven and Charles follow their dreams like he followed his: Steve in cattle breeding and Charles in hay and grain farming. Ron knows the value of good mentors too such as the ones he had in his earlier years. Martin Carrico, Glen Waldon, Ray Brown and Robert Crowe all offered opinions and advice along the uphill journey he had to make. Before son Steven moved to Optimal Dairy he was in charge of the marketing at Rainyridge and still helps out Ron to market his genetics and this dispersal sale. Steven is glad to be mentored by Ron “He taught me that you can try whatever you want to. If it works run with it. If it doesn’t work fix it or don’t do it again.” And like his father, Steven is very grateful for other mentors from the dairy industry. “In my time showing and marketing at Rainyridge, I had one mentor in particular that always helped me and challenged me to do better. Jeff Donohoe (Lakefield Farms) has taught me so much over the years. I really appreciate all of his help.”

Three generations of Rainyridge posing for a moment at the 2013 National Holstein Convention. Thanks to Christina Crowley for getting the shot

Genomics Brings Dramatic Change

The dairy journey has many twists and turns. Genomics is one that presented itself to Rainyridge. Ron and Steve have this insight on this new tool. “Genomics affected our operations dramatically. It forced us to diversify our breeding program to accommodate the changing client base. Show type and cow families are still our passion but in order to keep embryo and genetic sales at their previous levels, we had to cross reference our good families so to speak.”

Rainyridge Rampage Barb VG-86
Due in September she sells along with 4 Meridian and 4 Sympatico embryos

Rainyridge Afterglow. What’s Next?

After the sale Ron and Karen will take some much deserved holidays and enjoy life away from milking. Rainyridge Farms LTD. will still operate its grain and hay land and the commercial beef herd. The Rainyridge prefix will move over to what is now Optimal Dairy. Ron, with Steve and Ellen, will continue to be involved in the dairy industry. This past year Ron chaired the Cow of the Year Committee. His involvement as a Holstein Canada national director has been very fulfilling for him and he will pursue that as well.

Recommendations from Rainyridge

“Investing in good cattle is a lot like spending money on advertising. It is sometimes hard to gauge its return unless you could compare your results without the purchase.” So says Steven as he recalls a sale that he wasn’t completely “sold” on. “I remember giving Ron an extremely hard time about buying one particular heifer at a dispersal sale. He saw something in her I definitely didn’t. He paid $6200 for what became one of the matriarchs of our herd. The animals name was Hanson Broker Candace EX 90-4E 10* the dam of 4 Ex and 6 VG including Rainyridge Lee Candice EX 94-2E 8*.” Sometimes you just have to rely on a Master Breeder’s experience and good judgement.

Bullvine Bottom Line

As the Boerchers set out on a new path, their sale will provide opportunities for other breeders who invest in Rainyridge genetics. For Steve and Ellen it will be an opportunity to continue to expand their horizons as dairy cattle breeders and marketers. For Ron and Karen the sale marks a major turn in the road for their dairy journey but they leave great signposts for those who would follow the dairy dream.

Click on image to check out more about the sale.

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Boarded Up? Above Board? or Bored Silly?

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Thursday, June 6th, 2013

There are basically three ways that boards operate that are familiar to dairy farmers. First there are the ceremonial ones that largely rubber-stamp whatever the CEO wants. Then there are the traditional boards that try disjointedly to attempt to influence. Finally there is the progress board that is comprised of a group of experienced leaders who add value. I have no doubt that you have experienced at least two of these three main board types.

We all give lip service to the fact that we would like to have the highest performing boards leading our dairy associations. Are we successful? A quick check of how we put board members in place might hint at a less than performance-oriented selection process. Boards are only as good as the directors that sit on them.

To my mind, a healthy board is one where there are numerous potential candidates eager to lead. Healthy boards have a rigorous nomination process and, after the directors are in place, there are periodic checks of board performance and, more and more frequently, peer evaluations. Do these steps sound familiar? Probably not.

There was a time when members were face to face with board directors often enough to have a real idea of their position on issues and ability to deal with them. Boards today often cover much larger geographical areas and rely on electronic reporting.

Nothing is more disappointing then having the opportunity to vote on qualified candidates and then discover the individuals can’t, won’t or don’t deliver as expected.

After all, this isn’t like government (or we say it isn’t) where the expectations are already low and there is skepticism. But on most dairy boards the directors are our friends and peers. They’re nice. That’s the conundrum. It would be easier to accept if they were grumpy, snarly and complete strangers. That NOT being the case , we are faced with living out our disappointments when we realize that the change we hoped for isn’t going to happen or, unfortunately, the problems are getting worse.

Boarded Up!

Sometimes we need to identify the root problem that causes some directors not to grow. That problem is often a loss of passion and enthusiasm on the part of members of the Board. For whatever reason they either didn’t have or have lost their spark. An effective board is composed of people who have real excitement for the work of the organization and can sustain that excitement. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

If only we were able to build good boards from the get-go! Clearly, the framework of the board as a whole, and of each director, is paramount. The stakes are even higher when selecting directors today when the talent pool of people who are willing to accept new directorships is shrinking while the need for effective decision making by dairy organizations is becoming even more crucial. At the very least, the board as a whole needs at least eight competencies represented by several directors: business judgment; general management experience or perspective; finance; industry knowledge and trends; leadership; international markets; strategic thinking ability and crisis management expertise. Depending on the organization, the threats and opportunities may require more depth in some of these areas than others.

Plank by Plank the Board Platform is Built

With the right people in place it is imperative that they know what their role is. It is far too easy for Board members get bogged down in the administrative details. After all, many of them run their own businesses. They are comfortable with the details. However staff focus is on the details and the Board focus is on vision, policies and financial oversight. There are three main areas that every board member should be aiming to contribute toward.

Lead domestically, collaborate globally. (Even national or local Boards must keep the global picture in mind).
Innovate continuously for a sustainable future
Inspire the next generation

Above Board

We need to raise our expectations. For the sustainability of our industry, boards need to become more results oriented. And we as members need to hold them accountable. Too often we see Boards getting mired down in the administrative details that should be left to staff to carry out. It is the vision and policy (and of course finances) that are the concern of the Board. A strategic plan with measureable outcomes and assignment of tasks is the main work of a Board. It doesn’t end there. It needs to be dynamic. The biggest weakness of any Board occurs when they do not have an “ACTION” agenda that is reviewed, revised and put in place.

Tracking Open Action Items is key to Board effectiveness. One of the first indicators that an organization is struggling is that open action items are not tracked and reviewed. (Open action items are required actions that have not yet been completed.) Instead, directors only see and react to the latest “fires” that are presented around the board table. Whether open action items are critical to address now or not, they should not entirely be forgotten.

Tracking Board and Chief Executive effectiveness is also key. Too often (especially if there isn’t a crisis) there isn’t a procedure in place to evaluate BOTH roles. Quite often boards just go through the motions. In the end this could weaken the entire structure of the organization. Commitment comes from having a stake in the outcome.

Silly Board or Bored Silly?

With decades of board experience, I no longer have the patience for what I term” silly agendas”. It’s frustrating to commit time and energy to find that you are merely required to rubber stamp the agenda of the CEO, Staff or a particular interest group. In those cases, it might have been more honest to send out a report, ask for an email vote and have the vote sent in.

When you are not actively involved, another weakness can take hold— the “numb out” factor. One of the first signs that a board is in trouble is when members have opinions that they don’t express during meetings. If you find yourself sitting in a board meeting and realize you have “numbed out”, then you’re not doing your duty as a board member. Effective boards guard against this by providing full backgrounds to directors at least a week before each meeting. One of the clearest indicators to board members that the organization is not taking them seriously is if they don’t get materials in time for adequate review before board meetings. Committee reports, action reports, financial report and materials that can help board members act on any major decisions should be available before decision-making is required.

Once directors are fully informed the entire board should be invited to comment. Really invited—not just presented with the rote question, “Is there any discussion? Whenever there’s good dialogue and everybody feels like their opinions are valued and that it’s okay to open their mouths, that’s when progress will be made. Directors should get their work done in between meetings not in between agenda items as the meeting is progressing. Good director research will be brought to the table. Good information will form the basis for discussion. The board will be aligned and involved and transparent. This is the kind of Board that makes a difference to the industry.

In all of this discussion we mustn’t forget to ask, “What is the role of the membership?” Regardless of the people and the goals of the Board, unless the membership is engaged no progress will be made. The work of the Board doesn’t start and end at the Board table. There must be commitment to keeping open, transparent communication with the membership. And the membership is responsible to keep it going both ways. Support works best when it comes from both sides.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

A healthy board process creates dynamics in which everyone is engaged and listening, adding value, supportive of open and authentic exploration of ideas and participating in balanced ways. You know you have the right directors in place, when they are providing the membership with a springboard to a sustainable dairy future!

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Dean and Dianna Malcolm: Gobsmacked in Australia – Landing Right Side Up Down Under!

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Thursday, May 30th, 2013

“It is a great and rewarding life.” “We’re balls to the ball”. Those are two heartfelt comments that represent two sides of the dairy coin in Australia (Read more: Is Down Under Going Under?). But if ever a couple can be counted on to have their coin land right side up, it’s Dean and Dianna Malcolm of Bluechip Genetics. Welcome to part two of the series inspired by the Aussie Dairy industry. (Read part one: Dean and Dianna Malcolm: Forward in Five Gears! That’s Aussie D.I.Y.) Dianna tells us that it’s cows and people that will get things right side up down under. Of course this author-dairy-woman-marketer has a very unique viewpoint.

Bluechip Dundee Connie 2 VG 89 (Max Score)
3rd S2 in-milk IDW 2012 and 5th S3 in-milk 2013

They’re Sold on Great Temperament

“We also market fairly heavily about the temperament we put on our cattle with the work I do in the calf pens and the work Dean proactively continues when they are taken by him at 8 months. I should also mention that Dean is gifted at building trust with animals that we bring in from other operations. We both believe that you can’t get the best out of them if they are not happy and confident. We have found that buyers are coming back, partially for that reason, and that if a cow turns out not to be an International Dairy Week Champion they can forgive her some if she is a pleasure to work with.” For those who might question this attention, Dianna responds. “Some people say they don’t have time to put into their calves. I could easily argue the same thing – but I believe it’s important to make time for the babies. Like children, you only get one chance to shape these animals’ temperament. And I feel a massive responsibility too that we take them from their working mums and they need lots of love and a safe environment to grow.”

Corkers in the Show Ring? Too Right!

The past seven years have been very busy but they are justifiably proud of one area in particular. Since starting farming in 2006 Bluechip has won Premier Breeder (four years) and Premier Exhibitor for the last three successive years at the fourth biggest show in the world, International Dairy Week (IDW). This year they also won Junior and Reserve Junior Champion and four of the heifer classes. (Read more: 2013 IDW Holstein Show Results) Last year they won the first three heifer classes, including four of the top six places in one class. “That has been perhaps more challenging to achieve because we have staged annual sales every year and sold a lot of our top animals,” Dean said. “To be able to hold it together going forward competitively to this point (for us personally) has been an accomplishment.” Dianna adds “It is a credit to Dean’s forward planning and management. He is always thinking ahead and I think that has been a big strength for us.”

Fairvale Jed Bonnie 94 EX
Grand Champion IDW 2005/2007
Reserve Grand Champion IDW 2004

They Target Good Cow Families.

Dean and Dianna profess to following a simple breeding philosophy. “We love great cow families,” Dean said. “From there we love to sire stack and we use bulls from great cow families. One of the key things is udders and in particular rear udders. Another key thing for us is rear leg, rear view. We don’t get caught up in the stature. We like to keep the angles right. With regard to Genomics, we are using some. However, we have to have the families and the sire stacks that we believe in within that.” They look back with pleasure on one of their early successes. “Fairvale Jed Bonnie EX was co-bred by myself and Ross and Leanne Dobson (our longest partners – 15 years),” Dean said. “Di and I didn’t have a farm when we bred her. Bonnie was owned by Leslie Farms when she won International Dairy Week 2005 and 2007. She was Reserve Champion under our ownership in 2004. At the time we sold her, she was set for 2005. In more recent times Bluechip Drake Whynot is proving to be one of our very best brood cows and the dam of this year’s Junior Champion at International Dairy Week (Bluechip Alexander Whynot). Of all her daughters sold they have averaged close to $16,000. Bluechip Goldwyn Noni is another exciting prospect. She’s due in July and I believe we have not had an animal on farm with the size, length, width and beautiful set of feet and legs. She’s ticked every box right now – she was Reserve Junior Champion at International Dairy Week in 2012.”

Bluechip Alexander Whynot
Recent Jr Champion at IDW. Owned by Bluechip Genetics & Averill Leslie

Great People

“You also need a super network of people around that you trust. And that can be anything from your grain supplier to your nutritionist, to your banker and the good friends and family that you can confide in when things are tough or good!” Dean said.

High on the list of those who have mentored Dean and Dianna are their parents. Dianna credits her parents Donald (now deceased) and Averill Leslie for their work ethic and “for teaching me how to feed and care for animals and how to treat people with respect.” For Dean it was his grandfather and father. “Bob Marshall (Paringa Holsteins) was an exceptional cowman and a pioneer of the industry,” Dean said. “My father, Phil, keeps us grounded and has shared his knowledge and huge work ethic.”

Barkly Ladino Betsyann EX92
2011-12 All-Australian mature cow

Great Friendships

The ripple then goes out to Mike Deaver (Sherona Hill) “for being one of the great cowmen of all time and a man who has been so generous with his friendship and advice” and Dean Geddes (Tahora Holsteins, NZ – Di’s cousin and Dean’s close friend). A special person has been Chris McGriskin (Canada) who has fitted their IDW team for seven years. “Dean and Chris are very tight and Dean thinks of him as his brother. And that is one of the wonderful things about his industry. The friendships that you know will be lifelong.” Dianna cherishes one such special friendship with John Brooks. “He was the man who gave me my first job as a sports journalist back in 1987. He changed my life and he was one of the last great scribes of the sports world. I have his photo on the wall beside my desk and I think of him often and still ring him in New Zealand fairly regularly.” Both Malcolm’s treasure those who mentored them and are exceptional at mentoring others, especially the young.

Ryanna Allen Topsy, EX94
Hon Men Champion IDW 2010

Pass it On to the Young People

“We are so grateful to spend some time with these young people and know that the industry is richer for their presence.” Dianna is speaking for Dean and herself when she draws attention to Darci and Justin Daniels (Hixton, US), Sheila Sundborg (Ormstown, Quebec, Canada) and Katie Kearns (USA, relocating to a new position with Gen-Com). She elaborates. “These four have impacted our lives in the last years. All have visited and lived with us without knowing us beforehand. And they have all become part of our extended family. And that is the real gift of this industry. The friendships that form and stick. Katie left this week after living with us for the last six months and we are planning some exciting things with Katie with some cattle within her new role. Darci and Justin are already partners in cattle with us and they have registered Bluechip-USA on our behalf and one day we hope to show a string of cattle at the WDE. Nothing like dreaming big, is there?”

Dean and Dianna also host many international students and young breeders and shared their wealth of knowledge. Shown here are Katie Kearns(left) and Darci and Justin Daniels(Right).

Bullvine Bottom Line

Dreaming big and working hard is the key. To the Malcolms it is teamwork and solidarity that is building their present and protecting their future. As they set an example of hope for others, we encourage them. “You have a huge wall of support around you. Keep laughing and believing in yourself. You’re already so outstanding, we’re completely gobsmacked!”

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Categories : Breeder Profiles

Tags : Barkly Ladino Betsyann, Bluechip Alexander Whynot, Bluechip Dundee Connie 2, Bluechip Genetics; Extreme Genetics, Crazy Cow in Print, Dean Malcolm, Dianna Malcolm, Fairvale Jed Bonnie, International Dairy Week, Ryanna Allen Topsy

DAIRY PRIDE: Presumed MISSing!

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Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

Today the average North American is three generations removed from a farm. Food is still being provided even though the numbers would suggest that dairy farmers themselves are going missing. Both husband Murray and I represent the fourth generation to live on the family dairy farm, which puts us among the 2 percent who still live on farms. Although each succeeding generation has spent more time working off the farm, all three of our children are in agricultural careers in A.I., nutrition and ag marketing.

In the modern marketplace milk and the dairy industry are misjudged and misunderstood. (Read more: How got milk? Became got lost?) Those of us who remain are concerned about what happens to the milk they produce between the time it leaves the farm lane and takes up shelf space in the dairy aisle. This formerly “perfect food” is marked by a hit and miss journey that has many more misses than hits. Targeted by misconceptions, misinformation, and communication is it any wonder that there are days when both sides feel that dairy pride could be presumed missing?

MIStaken Identity

Every one of us who grew up with a farmer as a role model is astonished today at the metamorphosis from “Farmer in the Dell” to “The Farmer is the Devil”. However on the farmer side of the fence, we too shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that the consumer is “the Big Bad Wolf.” ready to huff and puff and blow our dairy world down. None of these images fully portrays the real strengths, challenges and fears facing 21^st Century farmers and their customers.

MISunderstood

It’s extremely difficult to understand how some of the public perceives farmers as “MOST WANTED!” for abuses against our own animals. The immediate question arises, “How can anyone imagine that people who work daily with livestock don’t care about the animals?” It would seem to be a no-brainer that only the best possible care allows animal handlers to survive and thrive on the farm. Having said that, neither are financial reasons the main motivation. “You do it because you love the animals. Otherwise why would you be up before sunrise and making final rounds after sunset day in and day out?” You wouldn’t.

MISlabeled

Over time, fewer and fewer find the rewards that are commensurate with the commitment and dedication that dairying demands. For those who do have the desire, farming methods have become more efficient. Technology has contributed to the sustainability. Automated equipment, robotic milkers and GPS tractors are just a few of the tools that keep efficiency growing. As in any other industry, investing in new technology requires that the business, in this case the farm, must get bigger. In responding to the challenges, it is frustrating to be labeled with the implied derogatory term, “Factory Farmers.” The truth is 98% of farms are family owned (what other business can claim that) and the goal is, as it has always been, to provide food …. for everyone. Not selfish. Not criminal.

MISjudged

It’s ironic in this day and age of mass production, mega stores and IMAX that big farms are judged to be bad. It’s hypocritical to accept the growth of computer assembled cars and think that food producers can remain at a static size. There was a time when one famer fed five. Everyone respected their hard work. Today one farmer feeds 200 and it seems like everything from motives, to ethics to animal husbandry is being questioned. Is there any other profession, where the consuming public insists on reverting to the past? If you’re reading this, you are using a computer. How many channels are available on your TV? Is your transportation provided by a “mom-and-pop” car shop? Do you drink your water from a pump in your yard or do you reach for a plastic bottle?

MISconceptions

As an industry we need to accept responsibility for debunking myths that have taken hold in consumer understanding. Jude Capper, assistant professor of dairy science at Washington State University spoke at the Alltech Symposium. “Organic dairy farming certainly has a very favorable consumer perception. But, productivity on the typical organic dairy farm is lower than conventional farms – anywhere from 14 to 45 percent lower in terms of milk yield per cow.” she said. “What that means is that more cows are needed in the organic systems, along with more natural resources, to make the same amount of milk as the conventional systems. And, that increases the carbon footprint per pound of milk.” Since 1944 the carbon footprint per pound of milk has been reduced by 63%. Dairy farmers have made major progress and it is something they should be proud to declare and share.

MISinformation

For whatever reason – perhaps because of their agrarian forefathers – people feel quite comfortable assuming their expertise about modern farming. Where they might tread lightly in pronouncing how factories should be managed yet there are many “activists” who can speak against modern agricultural practices. Genetically modified organisms deepen the divide between farmers and consumers. GMOs are crops that have been scientifically altered to enhance the plant’s quality and resistance to elements and pesticides. In a national survey 64 percent of people said they were unsure if eating GMOs was safe. It is time for the dairy producer to stand proudly behind the products we produce, eat, drink and serve to ourselves and our children.

MIScommunication

Farmers and consumers too often have an “us against you” mentality, which the media intensifies by focusing on negative instances that can colour the entire industry. More consumers are asking questions about where their food comes from and about farming in general. That’s great. Just asking questions is the best way for the public to learn about farming. Asking and getting an answer is the only way to bridge the gap between emotional finger pointing and mutual thumbs up!

MISSing the Opportunity

The time is long past, where we can rely on our good intentions to spread the good word to the consuming public. It’s time to proactively take whatever role we are most comfortable with. Rather than witness a loss in dairy and consumer confidence – I would rather stand on my soapbox, share great stories, teach what I believe in, and raise my voice at every opportunity. It’s time to be the “change I wish to see!”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

It’s not easy being on the receiving end of blame. However whether producer or consumer it’s in our best interest to make sure that there are voices, from both sides, speaking with pride, about the products we produce and eat!

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Tags : Dairy Industry, Got Milk, Milk Consumption, Milk Marketing

Charlie McEvoy: As Good as Gold

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Monday, May 27th, 2013

We all love good cows. We also admire good cattle breeders. When you find a good story teller to add to that mix, you have met Charlie McEvoy of Marathon, New York. Whether you are a member of his family, a friend or a fellow cattle enthusiast, Charlie is one of those good people that inspires everyone who knows him to sing his praises. Of course, he is far too modest to agree but quite simply states, “I’ve been driven by my love of cattle and the thrill of breeding the next generation.”

A Holstein Family Man

Busholm Eclip Ken Milkshake EX-95.
She is owned by McEvoy’s, VanSkiver, McGarr and Green

Family means a lot to Charlie McEvoy. In 1951 his parents established Mac-Mara Holsteins in Marathon, New York. Charlie was 16 years old at the time. His father Ken played an important mentorship role in Charlie’s life. He was a farmer and also sheriff of Cortland County for 27 years. “Dad was my good friend, partner in the farm and a man that who was respected by everyone he met.” Sixty-two years later Charlie is now the respected role model. He continues his love for registered Holsteins as 2013 President for the New York Holstein Association. He has served on many boards and committees and always encourages the next generation.

There are many reasons for Charlie to be proud of his legacy but he is quick to proclaim what he feels to be his finest achievement. “Caroline and I have raised eight children that are great kids and fantastic parents for our 18 grandchildren.” Today Charlie is in partnership on the farm with his youngest son, Ken and his wife Lydia. The other seven are professionally employed in their chosen careers: engineer, lab tech, accounting , sales, town high employee, retired cooperative extension agent. They are all proud of their agricultural roots and the sons still find time to show and help at the farm. On the cow side his herd reached 113.1 BAA in 2008. Great achievements in family and in the barn.

Charlie McEvoy is a standard fixture at many dairy shows. He has been actively exhibiting at every New York Spring Dairy Carousel since its origin. Pictured here with his son Donny.

The Rail McEvoy

It was in the early 1950s when McEvoy met Henry Thomas, a nationally known cattleman who Charlie felt, along with Casey Sly, “were the first great cowmen I got to work with.” During those days, Charlie traveled across the country by railway to shows in Columbus, Chicago, Waterloo, and points farther west. He tells the story. “My first trip on the box car was when I was 14 years old with McDonald Guernsey Farm going to the National Dairy Congress in Waterloo. It was the first trip of many. In the box car each cow or bull had their own stall. We would brush them regularly and their tails were washed daily. We would put 8 mature cows and 4 younger head on a box car. Over the top of them we would build a deck that housed hay, feed, water and our cots. It took about 5 days to get from Cortland to Waterloo. We would load the cows in the morning and let them get comfortable and acclimated to the car. At night the engine would come to take us to Binghamton to meet more show herds and head west. We’d stop in Buffalo to add more cars and head to Chicago where we’d spend a day getting rearranged to go to Waterloo. Once at Waterloo a tack truck would meet us to haul our show gear and we would lead the cows to the fairgrounds about a quarter mile away. During the ride on the box car we lived on cheese, crackers, sardines and beans.” Those grand kids are going to hear good stories!

Charlie Has A Way With Cows

Doing what he loved throughout six decades provides Charlie with an opportunity to meet and work with the best in the business. He has worked with such iconic herds as Dreamstreet, Lylehaven, Pamtom, Arethusa and many others. Herb Kerr, owner of Pamtom Farm, often referred to his famous Star Marie cow as “Charlie’s Cow,” as he was the only one to show her at the National Shows. From Charlie’s viewpoint two things stand out from those experiences. “What made it special were the amazing cows that each string had in them.” And then he adds “But what made it more memorable was the great talented people I got to work with. Any amount of pressure and hard work is easy when you’re laughing.”

The Award Winner of Marathon

Charlie McEvoy & Gary Culberston of Ladyholm Holsteins in picture when they were showing for Mansion Valley Farm

In 2006, Charlie was honored for his dedication to the Cortland Classic show, and, in 2007, for his outstanding fellowship and sportsmanship at the New York State Fair. McEvoy’s career as a farmer and a showman has included a number of awards, among them New York State Active Master Breeder (2009), Northeast Fall National Holstein Herdsman Award in Springfield, Mass., the Stanley Murphy Award, the New York State Fair W. Stewart Stephens Memorial Award for Outstanding Fellowship and Dedication as a Showman. In 2009 Charlie McEvoy, was named the 68th winner of the Klussendorf Trophy, the highest recognition given to a dairy cattle showman in the United States. He says, “It was a humbling experience.”

Showman. Sportsman. Herdsman.

Charlie has had a long and distinguished career with dairy cattle and has witnessed tremendous changes. He points out. “The speed at which things change or move is mind boggling. I’m from a generation when you mated cows it was with bulls that you’ve seen daughters out of and have reliability. Now we use a son of a young sire out of a heifer that hasn’t calved yet”.

To this day, he still loves the show ring and is enthusiastic. “The quality at any show up and down the line is amazing. The modern cow has so much style, balance, openness of rib combined with dairy strength and a sewed on udder. Also the fitting practices have changed so much. When I first started out we would clip their heads and shoulders and then blanket them. Now toplines and belly hair are groomed to perfection.”

Looking back at cows that have had impact on the Holstein breed Charlie singles out Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada. He explains his choice. “She is one of my favorite young cows of all time. Her descendants, whether male or female, have changed our barns and show strings forever.”

Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada EX-94-2E @ 14-02 (USA) Born: 09/13/86 Sire: Hanoverhill Starbuck Dam: Aitkenbrae Sheik Arlene GP-80-2Y (CAN) Exhibited by: Gay Ridge & Kingstead Farms Ijamsville, Maryland, USA Holstein

Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada
EX-94-2E @ 14-02 (USA)
Born: 09/13/86
Sire: Hanoverhill Starbuck
Dam: Aitkenbrae Sheik Arlene
Exhibited by: Gay Ridge & Kingstead Farms
Ijamsville, Maryland, USA
Holstein

Closer to home his love of breeding the next generation of cows makes narrowing down the list difficult. “It is hard to choose just one “greatest”. There are so many special cows but I guess the first ones that jump to my mind are Millervale Ultimate Rosalyn and Camp-Hollow Ultimate Kate. They were Grand and Reserve at World Dairy Expo in 1983. Taraley Astro Sherry was another favorite, just because she was an awesome individual and a true dairy man’s dream.”

Committed to Cows and Community

Dairy cattle remain a passion for Charlie who does chores every day and still finds time to think about the next human generation as well. He has served on many boards and community groups. McEvoy served as the dairy supervisor at the Broome County Fair for 30 years. While supervisor he encouraged the creation of a milking parlor which demonstrates the milking procedure to the public. He has been an advocate for the youth in agriculture, assisting many with the pursuit of their dreams.

Charlie recognizes that changes are inevitable and has seen many of them. Looking toward the future he says, “Hopefully the greatest change will be the American milk pricing system. If it aint broke don’t fix it. If it is broke over haul it.”He offers this advice. “Work hard, stay positive, take advice from ones that have been in it, visit and see other successful farm operations and when possible diversify your farm to provide different avenues for income. “

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Much has changed in the dairy business from the shows to the barn to the cattle themselves, but Charlie inspires those who learn from his dedication and hard work. A family man. A cow man. A gentleman. Goodness knows Charlie McEvoy is as Good as Gold!

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Tags : Aitkenbrae Starbuck Ada, Arethusa, Charlie McEvoy, Dreamstreet, Klussendorf Trophy, Lylehaven, Mac-Mara Holsteins, Pamtom

Dean and Dianna Malcolm: Forward in Five Gears! That’s Aussie D.I.Y.

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Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

Recently the Bullvine wrote an article, “Is Down Under Going Under?” which initiated an ongoing exchange of emails between Murray Hunt and Dianna Malcolm. Despite her happiness with the “positive messages regarding our sale”, Dianna was somewhat revved up. “Your blog’s timing was just appalling in terms of our sale marketing. The story was fair, but we had our balls to the wall and we were trying to be so positive for ourselves and our courageous co-vendors.” With a little coaxing on our part, Dianna agreed to give us a more fully rounded picture of the situation. So settle in for a trip down under to the State of Victoria, where Dianna and husband Dean keep at least five business growing. It numbers even more when you include their commitment to encouraging the young, the dedicated and even the discouraged dairymen and women to hang on to hope in these crazy times for the Australian dairy business.

Keeping Up and Always Moving Forward

When faced with adversity in the dairy business, there are many who would scale back. Not so for Dean and Dianna Malcolm, who were born into dairy families and inherit their work ethic and, probably their tenacity, from their parents. At the present time, they have no less than five businesses that grew out of their shared expertise: Crazy Cow in Print and website; Public Relations; Bluechip Genetics; Extreme Genetics and Cattle Photography. These are their offspring. “We were unable to have a family, so we have instead put our energy into the business.” And what considerable energy that is. Indeed the Malcolms continually widen their circle as they polish every aspect of their passion for dairying.

Bluechip Apple Spice (left – sold for $101,000) and Bluechip Toffee Apple (Right)
(photo taken at 6 1/2 mths old)
Dam: KHW Regiment Apple, EX95, Grand Champion R&W WDE 2011, All World R&W 2010

The Tall Poppy Syndrome

“We do push each other and ourselves to be the best we can be.” says Dean referring to the successes they have already measured. “We started Bluechip Genetics from the ground up in 2006. The farm comprises 225 acres, milking 125 cows averaging over 10,000 litres at a 4.1% fat and a 3.3% protein. We have 125 heifers (40 bulls to be sold as herd sires) and 50 Angus cattle, which are used as recips. We are honoured to have partnerships with Mike Deaver, Mike and Julie Duckett, Ferme Blondin and St Jacobs/Tim Abbott, which has been exciting. We also have a number of awesome Australian partners and Dean and Jo Geddes, from Tahora in NZ.” They stand poppy-tall in the showring too where they have been Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor for the last three successive years at the fourth biggest show in the world, International Dairy Week (IDW).

Bluechip Alexander Whynot
Recent Jr Champion at IDW. Owned by Bluechip Genetics & Averill Leslie

The Dean and Di Duo: She Fits the Words .. He Fits the Cows

Success for this couple hinges on working closely together while highlighting their different areas of expertise. Dianna’s background in mainstream media (including working as a reporter in television) has been a big help. The CrazyCow website was established in 2000 and CrazyCow in Print has been up and running since 2003. Dean and Dianna see key advantages to their shared talents. “At the core of it all, Dean was a successful cattle fitter, so we do have the advantage of being able to manage and develop (and now to also market cattle through photography and CrazyCow) relatively inexpensively in-house.” Both get to travel (for instance regularly to the World Dairy Expo). “And through CrazyCow and Bluechip, we have found like-minded partners and supportive networks that keep us thinking globally and moving forward.”

CrazyCow In Print

Dean and Dianna are justifiably gratified at CrazyCow In Print’s evolution. “When we started the first all breeds journal of the modern era back in 2003 out of our lounge room it was in the middle of the drought and so many people said it wouldn’t work. But it has endured, grown and been mirrored by a number of other international publications. To now have international respect and interest for a magazine produced in Australia is a personal triumph for us both. It’s also good for the Australian industry to be showcased and understood by the greater global dairy community.”

To Market. To Market.

The Malcolms have complimentary roles with the cattle too “I rear the calves and Dean takes my babies from eight months of age to complete their development and plan their careers.” And then promotion clicks in: both showing and picturing. “We believe print advertising still plays a huge part in the dairy industry. But, in particular, Facebook is becoming massive and we try to manage a balance between the social media and the various in print mediums. We have also pursued video work, which has been distributed through social media, and that has been incredibly successful.” Dean sums up their marketing philosophy: “We also work extremely hard to build stronger and deeper cow families in terms of show ring success, picturing, classification and production.” Is it becoming clearer what triggered their concern over worldwide attention to the Aussie dairying troubles?

“Advertising is Critical!!! Just Critical!!!!!”

Like any entrepreneurs who put everything on the line, the Malcolms risked everything for their recent Bluechip Invitational Sale. “We had all our marketing on the line, because we used CrazyCow In Print and FB to market, including the video that young industry talent Bradley Cullen, Di and I made,” Dean said. “So many people were fearful that our sale would not fly … and, to be honest, we depend on marketing cattle to keep the farm going forward because there is not enough money in milk right now. But we also had CrazyCow on the line because we had marketed so heavily through there (naturally) and we knew people would judge that decision too. Di and I stuck together and put up 75% of our young in-milk team and our best heifers in a year that I have to wonder if others would have done.” They kept moving forward but recognized what was at stake. “To say I wasn’t breathing when the sale started is an understatement – but this sale proved that good animals, with the right pedigrees, presented in the right form do sell,” Dianna said. The sale averaged $6600 overall – Bluechip animals averaged $7300. How does she feel today? “Dean is more courageous than me, perhaps because he is such a detailed planner. For me, I’m just so relieved to have this sale behind us. It was (in the end) a positive day for the whole industry and hopefully injected some hope into the whole game that has been seriously missing in Australia.” Thank goodness for today’s marketing. Both Malcolms feel it is “so much more immediate, fun and so empowering.”

Top price at the Bluechip sale was Bluechip Goldwyn Frosty, Goldwyn X Dundee x Harvue Roy Frosty, sold for Top price $72,000 (Pictured here with the outstanding sale crew)

Knickers and Knockers – A Knotty Situation

With a quick sigh of relief due to their well-earned success, Dean and Dianna readily admit that there are still many challenges facing them. What you may ask could ever faze these two. Dianna answers with heat. “ Milk price!!! And our useless government!” She feels quite strongly about these two. “Strangely, that has hurt us more even than the droughts, the floods, the pestilence and the severe heat (animals aren’t housed indoors in Australia)… So that gives you some idea of what we face right now. We have never seen it so tough.” Dean looks forward with a grim prediction. “If small business and agriculture are not more respected by our governments, there will be no food. We love that saying: If you ate today, thank a farmer.” The picture isn’t pretty in fact they both describe it as “horrific.” “We have been pushed into working harder and harder, for less and less,” Dean said. “Without our passion we would have exited this industry long ago because we have the ability to make money in other lines of work. Someone must be making money from our product. The world needs more and more food, yet primary production (not just dairy) in Australia has been smashed. That goes for small business too. It is criminal really. No-one is educating the next generation about farming and they are getting more and more disconnected. It is incredibly disappointing and concerning. Milk price needs to lift significantly and immediately because when farmers make money, everyone makes money.” Dianna adds: “Sadly, farmers are so independent that achieving solidarity is no mean feat and that is what we all need to achieve change (in my opinion).” If only more opinions were so eloquently expressed and actively implemented but there is only so much time for these multi-faceted business entrepreneurs.

Dean and Dianna also host many international students and young breeders and shared their wealth of knowledge. Shown here are Katie Kearns(left) and Darci and Justin Daniels(Right).

“We Don’t Have a Life”

It’s hard to picture with so much going on that the Malcolms declare that they don’t have a life. Dianna does give a clue to the management philosophy. “There are some very robust conversations in this house, but we have a common goal so we usually work it out without too much bloodshed.” We’re sure it is much more peace loving than that and she agrees. “The fact that we’re still married might be viewed as an accomplishment in this fast-moving world.” Of course they don’t have a life. They have five lives.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Constant change (much of it unsettling) is unfortunately the current situation for dairying in many parts of the world. For these two Aussies we are grateful that they are sharing their passion and enthusiasm. We wish Dean and Dianna Malcolm all the best as they continue to turn things up down under!

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Tags : Bluechip Alexander Whynot, Bluechip Apple Spice, Bluechip Genetics; Extreme Genetics, Bluechip Goldwyn Frosty, Bluechip Toffee Apple, Crazy Cow in Print, Dean Malcolm, Dianna Malcolm, International Dairy Week

Glen McNeil: Communication, Common Sense and Respect for the Speed Bumps Delivers Holstein Leadership

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Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013

So much about dairying in North America is in a state flux, that it is reassuring when people are willing to take leadership roles. Glen McNeil, the Immediate Past President of Holstein Canada, demonstrated his commitment to Holsteins and leaves the position still committed to continuous improvement of the industry and hopeful for changes ahead. “There will be speed bumps that give us a reality check and that is called balance and experience.” But overall he is positive. “People seek, adapt and embrace change at different stages. Developing proactive policies and direction on an ongoing basis is the responsibility of the Board of Directors as is due diligence…” This doesn’t mean he sees the world through rose-coloured glasses. “The constant degree and speed of change, and the methods of communication that are being used today mean that everything becomes super fast paced.” Adapting to the times and respect for the people on all sides of an issue has worked well for Glen.

Barn to the Board Room – Respect for the Roots

Glen has great respect for people in the barn and in the Board Room. It has served him well and been returned to him. He highlights his experiences while at the Holstein Canada Board table. “This enriching experience at the Board table has helped me develop an attitude of respect towards people and their opinions. People remember how you treat them and how you make them feel, longer than what you said. The most important ingredient of success is knowing how to get along with people.”

Getting the basics right about people and developing cow knowledge skills has been important to Glen. He looks to those who influenced him early on. ” My parents taught me work ethic, morals, respect and care of livestock. Dave Houck (Romandale Farms) taught me the art of breeding including aAa. Dave introduced me to Bill Weeks from Vermont, Frank Phister of Mexico, and many great Holstein enthusiasts worldwide. Earl Osborne, Bill Grieve and Pascal Lemire, all Past Presidents of Holstein Canada, were great leaders that inspired me.”

The Triple Excellent Heather Holme Team

The team of Glen and Vanda took over ownership of Heather Holme in 1977 and they have always focused on “the vital importance of developing positive relationships with family, employees, clients, and suppliers to our business.” Attention to detail has helped the McNeils to bring out the best in their cows. Having won three Master Breeder Shields is a unique and rare achievement. It is always amazing that those who reach these heights make the success sound simple. Glen has a four point philosophy. “Sire selection and animal care on a day to day basis is paramount! Consistently using elite breed improving sires in complimentary matings for generations is vital. We use our classification information and aAa in every mating. We avoid incorporating inferior genetics. “ Simple but true. And yet it goes beyond genetics to the people involved. The McNeils praise each team member on-farm at Heather Holme or through their service suppliers for the expertise that they contribute to the overall success.

(L) Heather Holme R Josee EX 4E
(C) Heather Holme Gibson Jolene EX 2E
(R) Heather Holme Golden Jewel VG

The World Wide Excellence of Canadian Holsteins

Glen is equally emphatic about his commitment to Canadian Holsteins and their role. “There is not a country in the developed world that is short of milk or we would not have the milk price issues that are as evident as they are today in so many countries. Canada needs to continue to breed a balanced dairy cow that can sustain the high production to enable them to express their genetic potential over a lifetime to increase profitability. Every dairyman in the world wants trouble free, profitable cows, with the correct conformation to withstand the high production that today’s dairy cow is capable of producing.” A big order but one Glen is confident can be achieved.

Holstein Canada CEO Ann Louise and President Glen McNeil share their Canadian "hockey" heritage with Irish and Finnish #2012WHC Participants!

Glen McNeil and Holstein Canada CEO Ann Louise share their Canadian “hockey” heritage with Irish and Finnish 2012 World Holstein Conference Participants!

Achieving More Close to Home Too

With the pressures on all organizations to provide relevant and needed services to its members, The Bullvine asked for Glen’s thoughts on Holstein Field Services “Field Service is just that, an extension service to our members to communicate to and educate our dairies on the profitability opportunities with registration, classification, milk recording, genome testing, etc. The pricing model for services must be flexible and will evolve as more dairies see the advantages of these services. Communications in different forms is paramount today.”

The Next Turn in the Road

Having seen the Holstein industry from various viewpoints, Glen shares his perspective. “I have tremendous respect and faith in our youth involved in the dairy business at many different levels. In having the opportunity to travel worldwide I have great appreciation for supply management in Canada.” New opportunities will present themselves with all the hills and valleys that progress demands. McNeil knows it will take willingness to change. “We would never consider using the same sires that we used 20 years ago, or farm the same way, feed or manage our cows the way we did 20 years ago. Common sense and understanding what Genomics can and cannot do will be very revealing in the next 2-3 years.”

Holstein Canada CEO Ann Louise Carson, President Glen McNeil, and Board member Mario Perrault were very pleased to recently attend the All-European Championship Show in Fribourg, Switzerland

Glen McNeil and Holstein Canada CEO Ann Louise Carson, Mario Perrault were attending the All-European Championship Show in Fribourg, Switzerland. The traditional alpine horns in the picture are played in the Swiss Alps.

“One Door Closes. Another Opens.”

History will continue to be written at Heather Holme where one theme they have built on is that “challenges are also opportunities”. Glen welcomes the changes opening up in his schedule. “I am fortunate to be able to return to our farm on a more regular basis than I have for a few years to assist Curtis and Vanda as required and spend more valuable time with our family”. No doubt there will be new evolutions ahead. It is noteworthy that the McNeils are using Facebook to share their ideas and to market their cattle by almost daily updates. Look for the McNeils to have and sell healthy cattle as they have maintained their CHAH (disease free) Herd status when others found it an expense rather than an investment.

Curtis and our Herdsman Greg Feagan, Greg has been working with us for 31 years.

Son Curtis and herdsman Greg Feagan, Greg has been working with Heather Holme for 31 years.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The McNeils at Heather Holme believe in taking good stock and best practices, making them better and getting results. Adapting to and changing with the times has built their success. Glen looks to the future with the same equanimity that has served both Heather Holme and Holstein Canada well. “Change is inevitable and desirable. Adapt and harness new technologies to continue to be profitable and competitive and learn how to adapt to change. “We applaud McNeil for his dedication, vision and commitment. It smoothes out the speed bumps so that Glen can confidently declare. “The future is bright for Holstein Canada and the Canadian dairy industry!”

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Tags : Canadian Dairy Industry, Glen McNeil, Heather Holme, Holstein Canada

COLOSTRUM: Stop Making Costly Mistakes

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Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

It would be oversimplifying a very complex management situation, if you reduced calf management to feeding colostrum. You must pay attention to a myriad of details. It all starts with the health and management of the mother and ripples out to include the environment, biosecurity, health and protocols of all the areas that touch on a calf before birth and after. Having said that, it is still valid to declare that colostrum remains the key to success with newborn calves. It is also where too many of us are falling short.

Not ALL Colostrum is Created EQUAL

Researcher Kim Morrill and a team of colleagues at Iowa State University conducted a study on colostrum quality. The team collected 827 samples of first-milking colostrum from 67 farms in 12 states between June and October 2010. The parity of donor cows was recorded, as was the storage method of the colostrum when it was sampled — either fresh, refrigerated or frozen. The findings were reported in the July 2012 edition of the Journal of Dairy Science. What the team found is rather revealing. Only 39.4 percent of the samples met industry standards for both immunoglobulin (IgG) concentration and a bacteria measure known as total plate count (TPC).

Survival of calves with inadequate serum immunoglobulin concentrations is reduced, compared with calves having acceptable levels of immunity. Source: National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project, NAHMS, 1992.

Therefore, slightly more than 60 percent of colostrum on dairy farms is inadequate, putting a large number of calves at risk of failure of passive transfer and/or bacterial infections.

If judged only on the basis of IgG, without looking at TPC, a sizeable number of the samples still fail to pass muster. Almost 30 percent of the samples had IgG concentrations that fell below the industry standard, which is defined as having more than 50 milligrams of IgG per milliliter.

Nearly 43 percent of the samples had total plate count or TPC that failed the industry standard, which is defined as having less than 100,000 colony-forming units per milliliter.

Colostrum Effectiveness: Goes Down Fast

The ability of the calf to absorb colostrum decreases with time. By 9 hours after birth the calf can only absorb half of the colostrum. By 24 hours the amount absorbed is minimal.

Feed the colostrum as soon as possible after birth
Feed calves one gallon of colostrum (100 pound calf). Minimum for Holsteins is 3 quarts.
Eight to twelve hours later feed another two quarts
Try to get the calf to suck the colostrum, whatever they do not suck will need to be tubed.

What about ARTIFICIAL Colostrum?

The most common methods used for evaluating colostrum quality are with a colostrometer, a refractometer or by visual appearance. The calf needs to continue to receive colostrum the first two days, if not from its mother then from another cow that has recently given birth. Manufactured colostrum replacers are also available. Sometimes these arrive frozen. Because the antibodies in the colostrum are crucial to helping the calf build its disease resistance, thawing should be achieved slowly and carefully to avoid destroying the antibodies.

Quantity: This area needs improvement.

“A lot of dairy producers are giving only about 2 quarts of milk per calf per day. They’re doing a pretty good job of getting it to the calf early, but they’re not giving them a great enough quantity of milk. They need a gallon a day and more in cold weather.” Surveys show that 45.8 percent of operations hand-fed more than 2 quarts but less than 4 quarts of colostrum during the calves’ first 24 hours of life. there’s a lot of data on the role colostrum plays in growth, says Jim Drackley, dairy scientist at the University of Illinois and another of the roundtable participants.“The initial development of the intestinal tract in the first couple days of life is very much dependent on colostrum intake. We know that the basics include getting enough colostrum into the calf as quickly as possible, and that the colostrum should be of good quality in terms of its antibody concentration.

KEEP IT CLEAN: Unsanitary Colostrum

There is too much bacteria in much of the colostrum that is collected and fed on dairy farms. This could be the source of an early infection or give the calf problems in absorption. But even people who feed adequate amounts can still have problems if the colostrum is unsanitary, points out Simon Timmermans, veterinarian from Sibley, Iowa. “We’ve started a HACCP protocol where we collect a random colostrum sample weekly before it goes into the calf,” Timmermans says. “We can detect if there is a hygiene problem based on the bacterial count. I think that’s the key reason why we see such better performance out of the beef industry. It’s the human element, and it goes to hygiene.”

Every Delay. Every Bucket Change. Multiplies Contamination

Timmermans explains that colostrum is a great culture media for iron-loving bacteria like Salmonella. “The producer may do everything perfectly, collecting that one gallon of colostrum, but then he lets it sit out in a bucket for three hours before he gets it fed to the calf” and bacterial levels explode.

What We All Know. What we DON`T Always Do!

Cows have stronger, higher quality colostrum compared to heifers. It is important to feed one gallon of colostrum to Holsteins to make up for the differences in strength. (The stronger the colostrum, the more antibodies that it contains.) A colostrometer can be used to determine the quality of colostrum. This will detect the poor quality of colostrum which should not be used.

Save Calf Lives, Sanitize

Dam’s udders should be cleaned and prepped with pre-dip before colostrum is harvested. Extra colostrum can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Be sure to date the colostrum so that freshness can be ensured. Colostrum can be frozen for up to one year. Colostrum should be thawed out by placing the container in warm water. Microwaving colostrum will destroy the valuable antibodies present.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Producers do a pretty good job of getting colostrum to the calf early. Colostrum is the key to success, but you have to have the right combination of timing, quality and quantity.

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Tags : calf managment, COLOSTRUM, dairy calf nutrition

How Healthy Are Your Cows?

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Monday, May 20th, 2013

There are some herds where the temperature is checked on fresh cows twice a day for the first couple of days after calving. But for the rest, how many of us know the temperatures and the borderline sicknesses of animals in our herds? Should we?

Let’s look at this a little closer.

Lost Dollars

“The economics of animal disease are huge and often unrecognized.”

“A goal of every dairy producer is to have healthy cows that breed back quickly.”

“Early detection of disease reduces the cost of disease to the farm and increases the length of animals’ lives.” These are three quotes from Dr Jeffrey Bewley, a University of Kentucky Professor whose research focus is precision economics.

Consider your own farm. If you are not 100% aware of the health status of every animal on your farm, how can you know the dollars disease is costing you?

There are numbers reported that say each mastitis case costs us $350-$400 or that each extra day open for our milking herd costs us $4 – $5 in lost profit. But do we know anything about our heifer herds? What does a case of calf pneumonia or scours cost? How much of our labor costs are associated with treating sick animals? And then there are costs to subclinical disease that we do not even know exist (Read more: Dollars and Sense: Herd Health and Reproduction).

The Big Unknown

How many disease incidents get missed on our farms? Let’s admit it, we do not know. If we could have an army of herd persons, we might come close to knowing but then our bank balance would be a very large negative number.

So let’s step away from dairy farming for a minute. Let’s go to our local hospital, where sick people are nursed back to health. The patient is hooked up to machines for constant monitoring so that the Doctors and Nurses can use the numbers to make decisions. Continuous monitoring.

Wouldn’t it be great to make informed decisions by having numbers provided by continuous animal health monitors on dairy farms??

Enter Precision Dairy Farming

The Bullvine has discussed milking robots (Read more: Robotic Milking: More than just automation it’s a new style of herd management and FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ: Passion with a Purpose) but they are just one of many devices that capture continuous observations on our dairy farms. Besides milk yields robots have information on milking speed, milk temperature and electrical conductivity by each quarter. Someday soon they may be able to capture fat % and protein%.

Is it any wonder that robot owners tell us that they have never known as much about their cows and managed them so well?

But robots exist beyond the milking herd. Calves can now be fed robotically. And other devices are arriving on the market every year to capture more animal performance information.

Another way to consider precision dairy farming is to think in terms of more data to manage with and make more profit from.

Like to “Know”

However before going further into what equipment is out there to capture on-farm animal data. it is important to know where you’re starting from. What are the biggest health challenges on your farm?

How would you rank the following?

heat detection / timing of breeding / cows not showing heats until over seventy days in milk
heifers not detected in heat until after fifteen months of age / heifers not calving until 27 months
LDAs / milk fever / ketosis
lameness followed by loss in production, hoof trimming, medication and milk being discarded
difficult calvings followed by retained placentas, metritis,… resulting in cost and delayed conception
animals off feed and off on performance
calves or heifers with health challenges
not able to detect the onset of sickness prior to it becoming a major problem

We all have problems. First we need to identify our problems. Only after that can we plan to manage to not have them.

Systems Available

State-of-the art milking systems will measure drops in yield. Robots will do it by each quarter of the cow’s udder, and in particular, electrical conductivity of the milk at the quarter level during milking. Parlor systems measure it at the cow level. There is a good association between electrical conductivity, somatic cell count and mastitis.

Tags will measure rumination, or cud chewing, providing an opportunity to react quickly to, say, the onset of illness or disadvantageous feeding changes, at the single-animal and herd level

Another system uses ear tags to take the surface temperature of the inside of the right ear of each transition and fresh cow every five minutes.

A passive rumen bolus system will monitor animal core temperature, which provides information for early disease detection, ovulation detection, heat stress and timing of parturition.

Another ear tag will monitor ear temperature and head-ear movement to identify potential peripheral shock (cold extremities), which may be particularly useful for early identification of milk fever or for detecting cows moving their head or ears more when they are in heat.

Another technology will monitor lying behavior and activity. Activity monitoring is a comparatively new technology that is gaining in use for monitoring animal health including estruses.

Yes there are new systems continually becoming available but the question is how accurate are they and do their benefits out-weigh their cost? For example, $25 more profit per cows per year from using a device may not be worth it but $200 more profit per cow definitely requires serious consideration of the technology.

Plan for Profit

It is no longer good enough to not know or ignore health (that includes fertility) details on your cows. Past approaches of ‘not sweating the small health stuff’ are not appropriate as profit on today’s dairy farms depends on taking a total package approach. Remember: you need to continually looking for ways to improve; you need to decide on the limiting factors on your farm; you need to prioritize your technological enhancements; you need to capture the information accurately and economically; and you need to manage for profit.

The-Bullvine-Bottom-Line

None of this is new information to people who work with dairy cows. We all breathe a sigh of relief when a cow gets through the transition period disease free and we can look forward to a productive lactation and a confirmed pregnancy ahead. Or when a healthy calf in born that grows quickly and enters the milking herd at a young age. Obviously the first line of defence or attack is always a proactive plan to grow and have healthy, disease free, disease resistant profitable cattle. When it comes to profitable dairy cows, raising health is a good thing!

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Tags : Fertility, Herd Health, Percision Dairy Farming, Robotic Milking

HOMETOWN JERSEYS: Beating the Odds

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Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

We are glad you have joined us at The Bullvine for Part 2 of the Hometown Jerseys success story. In Part 1 we saw how Neil and Melanie Hunter started a dairy farm which in some ways seemed to be “Against All Odds”. (Read more: HOMETOWN JERSEYS: Against All Odds). Mentored by family Melanie and her sister Tiffany started in 4-H with two daughters of Springville Designer Jewel VG. Neil too was mentored by his Uncle Ralph Cherry and local dairy farmers, Doug and Mary Anne Peart of Peartome Holsteins. Once married, the young couple saw past the drawbacks of purchasing a 265 acre farm that hadn’t shipped cream in 15 years. They claim that they took advice to “find a way to get started and worry about everything else after.” However they continued to carefully plan and evaluate their choices. Despite BSE, changes in quota regulations, financial and family health impacts, this young couple persevered thanks to hard work, due diligence and, above all, the ability to take advice. They learned from the best mentors in the business including family (Glenn, Ann and Tiffany Babcock, Ralph Cherry, Earl and Jean Baker), friends (Doug and Mary Anne Peart) and cattle breeders near and far who shared their passion for good cattle.

Great Accomplishments & Very Good Two Year Old Streak

Hometown Jerseys have recorded several successes but they agree on what Neil describes as their greatest accomplishment. “For us it was simply getting started to milk cows against the odds and all of the people who said it couldn`t be done. That includes our bank client rep at the time, who told us in 2009 that we should sell it all and buy a house in town.” A benchmark of which they are also justifiably proud is this one “We have had a VG 2yr old in every round since we started milking 8 years ago , including the round when we only had 1 cow to show, a VG 86 2yr. old. And over 50 percent of our homebred 2 year olds (Hometown prefix) have scored VG.” Very good indeed!

Strategic Climb to Opportunities and Hometown Recognition

With growing confidence after their purchases in Virginia and Tennessee, Hometown returned the following year to Gaby Jersey Farm’s Production Sale and purchased lot #1 “Pick of the Herd” for $25,000. Neil covers the highlights. “We selected Gabys Action Baby EX 91 who was the 3^rd high seller in the US that year. She has put 5 bulls in AI. Our relationship with Gaby Jersey Farm was further strengthened in Nov 2011 (15 months later) when we travelled back to Louisville KY (the 1^st time since representing Ontario on the judging team) to show Gabys Artist Ambrosia in the Mature Cow class of the All-American. Ambrosia created quite a bit of interest since there had never been as high a genomically tested Jersey at such a high profile event. She had already been 2^nd Mature Cow at both the Quinte and Stratford Championship Shows in Ontario, also winning the highest BF record in both shows. Ambrosia placed 10^th in Louisville, but opened the eyes of many conventional breeders that there may be something to this “genomic thing”. Completing the list of awards for 2011 was the highest Butterfat produced by a Jersey cow in Canada presented to Gabys Artist Ambrosia. Our herd had never achieved anything like that before and certainly had never made it a goal. The strategic purchase of these cows in 2010 was proving its worth in recognition of the Hometown herd name worldwide and was starting to pay dividends.”

Gabys Action Baby EX-91
4-11 proj. 11681M 603F 5.2% 429P 3.7% (373-351-361)
Dam of three TAG sires (Branson, Banker, Donovan)
Full sister to Ballard at ABS
Has contracts with Semex, ABS and Alta

Hometown Bred. Hometown Owned.

Two cows have fulfilled Neil and Melanie’s goal of working with and breeding the best. Neil describes his first Hometown Owned choice. “Way-Bon Counciller Mystery SUP EX 95-5E was bought at the end of 1^st lactation. She has wowed visitors anytime in her lactations with her huge, long dairy frame that looks the same all year long. This is the cow which gave us confidence to take some chances after selling her son first son, Hometown On The Money, to AI. She is a 3* brood cow off of the 1^st 4 milking daughters. She will continue to increase as she will have at least 4 sons in AI and likely all but one daughter will be EX.”

Way-Bon Counciller Mystery SUP EX 95-5E
HM. Grand Champion – NY Spring Show 2013
2nd Place 100,000 Lb. Cow – NY Spring Show 2013
6th Place Mature-Cow – Royal Winter Fair 2010
1st Place Mature-Cow – Ontario Spring 2010
2nd Place Mature-Cow – Ontario Summer 2010
4th Place Mature-Cow – Royal Winter Fair 2009
Nominated All-Canadian – Mature-Cow 2008
6th Place Mature-Cow – Royal Winter Fair 2008
4th Place Mature-Cow – Ontario Spring 2008
Nominated All-Canadian – 5-Year-Old 2007
3rd Place 5-Year-Old – Royal Winter Fair 2007
Female Offspring:
8 Daughters Average 87.75 Points
Including 3 Excellent Daughters
Dam of Semex Genomax Sire: Hometown On The Money

Next Neil goes on to describe Hometown bred J Meant To Be VG 87 2yr. “Meant To Be has attracted great cattle people like Gerald Coughlin’s interest since a being a Sept Calf. She lived up to our expectations when she went 87pts 10 days fresh and later that week was 1^st Senior 2yr old, NY Spring Carousel 2013 and a major contributor to our 1^st Premier Exhibitor banner at a major show. Meant To Be is from the prolific heifer giving family we are developing which traces back to the original Jersey cow Melanie’s grandfather gave to her and her sister Tiffany.”

Hometown J Meant To Be VG 87 (18 days fresh, 1st calf)
1st Senior 2 Year Old at the New York Spring Carousel 2013

Hometown Marketing Programs and Initiatives:

Melanie and Neil have a 4-step approach to marketing. They outline what they use and why.

Unique Niches: “We aren’t large and don’t have a large budget, therefore we buy or develop unique cows and market sons to AI or privately sell semen, leaving us with the females for the next generation”.
Facebook: “For the past 5 months we are continuing to increase our use of this marketing avenue as it is cheaper, simpler and more current than a webpage or magazine advertising.”
Magazines: “This is used for large announcements and ads when we have a need to speak to a larger audience than the keenest or most aggressive 25% which we feel already use Facebook.”
Face To Face Contact: “We attempt to be in contact with people as often as possible by supporting the breed events like shows, sales, meetings and judging opportunities. We feel people buy from people in the majority of cases, therefore, pure use of the internet as a marketing tool will have a limited reach.”

The “Bull Business” and “Genomics” Growing at Hometown Jerseys

Hometown Branson_Advantage_April 2013_Canadian

Click on image to see ad

Neil and Melanie are keen and look for opportunities to take advantage of such as Genomics. “The advent of genomics gave us a trend to recognize and get ahead of. It has become a key, but not exclusive, decision making tool when deciding which sires to use and which donors to include in our flushing program. It will also be utilized as a culling tool in the same fashion, but will never supersede our “cow sense” related to their visual appearance.” They go on to provide examples of how it is working. “In the recent April proof run, Hometown privately genomically tested 9 bulls; 6 of them will be high enough to see AI service. The future of our business should include bulls sold to major AI’s as well as privately proven. The decisive factor of which ones will be private will relate to the size of the potential market and the “net” value attached to them by ourselves vs. conventional AI businesses.”

Hometown Breeding Philosophy:

Hometown sticks to a sustainable breeding plan. Neil describes the parameters. “We breed for pleasing general appearance cattle with snuggly attached udders, solid feet and legs, deep rib and wide enough chest and muzzles to eat large amounts of homegrown forage in order to convert it to high amounts of BF and Protein in the most cost efficient manner possible. This has led us to use a base of more typically type sires and cross them with the more attractive general appearance “production sires” that possess extreme rear udder width.” They make use of genetic tools. “We do rely on genomic testing as one of the influencers in narrowing down our sire and donor dam selections, but not exclusively. Finally, we breed from the deepest cow families as they will always be in demand as they have the highest probability of transmitting the traits they are recognized for.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

With the courage of their convictions and a dream that they shared through whatever came their way, Melanie and Neil Hunter are building Hometown Jerseys in a way that is making the family, friends and fellow dairy breeders who encouraged them very proud. We know that they will use their experiences and enthusiasm to encourage and mentor those who aspire to thrive against the odds. For Hometown Jerseys they’re working hard to make sure the odds remain in their favor.

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Tags : Gabys Action Baby, Hometown J Meant To Be, Hometown Jersyes, Melanie Hunter, Neil Hunter, Way-Bon Counciller Mystery

DECRAUSAZ IRON O’KALIBRA: Simply the Best

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Thursday, May 9th, 2013

Many heads are perking up to the siren call of “Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra *RC EX-96-SW.” Bred by Fredy Decrausaz and Sons who also bred her dam, this Swiss Miss has set off much debate.“Many North American experts say she should walk on the colored shavings at Madison and give the North American cattle a run for their money”.

Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra
Grand Champion 2013 All European Championship

O’Kalibra “Where the Wins Keep Flowing Like Champagne”

The speculation about her winning ways that started when O’Kalibra won Honorable Mention, Reserve Best Udder and 1st place at Lausanne in 2011. Two months later she again took 1st place and Reserve Grand Champion at Expo Bulle. She continued to develop and in 2012 won Supreme Champion at Swiss Expo at Lausanne which fueled even more speculation about how she would compare with the Hailey cow, Supreme Champion at the 2012 Canadian Royal Winter Fair and 2012 World Dairy Expo ((Read more: World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A battle for the ages and The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the greatest stories ever told!). In 2013 she rose even higher in the ranks placing Grand and Supreme Champion at Swiss Expo and observers enthused. (Read more: 2013 Swiss Expo Holstein Show Results) “O’Kalibra from Switzerland was crowned Supreme Champion at the All European Holstein Show in one of the finest displays of black and white cattle ever gathered at one location.” There are many who are now prepared to crown her “the best in the world”. (Read more: Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra Wins Grand at the 2013 All European Championship and The All European Championship Show: The Greatest Show On Earth)

Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra – Mammary Photo from All European Championship Show 2013

Where is O’Kalibra Now?

At a cattle show in the Switzerland she stood out for Edwin Steiner, GS Alliance (Buerglen Switzerland) who bought her almost dry as a 2 year old. When she was fresh as a 4 year old a share was sold to Pat Conroy (Indiana USA). GS Alliance started with a predominantly Brown Swiss herd. Currently GS is 60% Holstein, 20% Red and White and 20% Swiss. To fulfill their goals of providing buyers with varied top quality breeding, they seek out exceptional cattle. Edwin explains, “Additions made to our herd are either show cows or bull dams and we invest in individuals with a deep pedigree. This way we seek to develop cows that satisfy every breeder.” Pat Conroy who partnered in the purchase of O’Kalibra, who still resides in Switzerland, adds to the story. “We bought her when she was fresh and for Edwin and I, it was her massive frame, wide chest, and high quality udder that caught our attention. It was only a bonus that she had a pedigree that made her marketable outside the show ring.”

Decrausaz Iron O’ Kalibra *RC EX-94-SW (3rd Lactation Photo)
Grand Champion Swiss Expo 2013
Grand Champion Swiss Expo 2012
Res. Grand Champion Expo Bulle 2011
Hon. Mention Grand Champion Swiss Expo 2011
Res. Grand Udder Champion Swiss Expo 2011

And the Best Just Keeps Getting Better

Although not a common sire stack, O’Kalibra is backed by well proven sires. Her sire Boss Iron (Bookie x Chief Mark) was proven over a decade ago in Italy. He has many strengths, including high daughter fertility, fat percent, daughter calving ability, somatic cell score and productive life. This easily makes him the kind of sire many breeders look for today. Beyond Iron her sire stack goes to Integrity (Blackstar x Chief Mark) who is known for his deep bodied show type daughters. After that her sires are Milestone, Factor and Astre. Definitely the inclusion of Chief Mark twice in her sire stack is well expressed in O’Kalibra’s dairy strength and overall style.

Decrausaz Iron O’ Kalibra *RC EX-94-SW (4th Lactation Photo)
Grand Champion Swiss Expo 2013
Grand Champion Swiss Expo 2012
Res. Grand Champion Expo Bulle 2011
Hon. Mention Grand Champion Swiss Expo 2011
Res. Grand Udder Champion Swiss Expo 2011

Five Generations Makes O’Kalibra Special

O’Kalibra traces back five generations to Cloverlands Skylar Cherry Red 11 Stars and two Superior Production records made famous by Granduc Holsteins, Quebec, Canada. Her fourth dam Granduc Carla Astre 9 Stars was one of three outstanding Astres from Cherry. Her third dam was a Milestone embryo sold by Lystel Holsteins to David Clark, UK. Originating from this same famous cows family are Dudoc Mr Burns (Thunder x Storm X Astre x Cherry) GLPI 1715 popular also as red carrier and Granduc Tribute a full brother to Mr Burns’ Storm grandma who is 4Stars with three Superior Production lactations. Her owners feel there are even more ways that she is special. Edwin proudly points out that “O’Kalibra has the build for longevity and a pedigree to go along with it. She is an extremely good day to day cow. She is the kind of cow that can look after herself, and never has a bad day. In addition to that, she milks like crazy.”

GRANDUC CARLA ASTRE

O’Kalibra Is An Excellent Swiss Hitter

O’Kalibra recently has been nominated for Excellent 96 and will see the panel next week. Her outstanding parts are Mammary and Frame. Not far behind those top areas are great scores for Rump and Legs. She has fulfilled the predictions of many that she would move beyond 94.

First calving at 2 years 2 months, in305 days O’Kalibra produced a respectable 9166 kgs, 3.6 % fat and 3.3% protein. Her best record in 305 days was as a four year old: 14,247 kgs., 4.0% fat and 2.9% protein. Great production runs in her pedigree with her dam producing 13,372 kgs as a four year old. Her grand dam produced 14,217 kgs as a seven year old. It goes all the way back to her fifth dam who produced 17,621 kgs as a three year old.

You’re Doing Fine O’Kalibra

Pat Conroy is happy with O’Kalibra. “We have sold a Sid daughter to a guy in Australia, a Sid bull to Select Star in Switzerland, an Acme son to Swiss Genetics, a Red Destry son to Swiss Genetics, and an Atwood choice in the USA to Morasci/Borba&Glaeser. We will also sell an Armani or MAS choice in the Field of Dreams sale May 24 in West Union Iowa.” Although he acknowledges that the best cross is yet to be determined he says, “All of her daughters and sons so far have been very good “do-ers”. We will decide which has been the best cross as the daughters freshen or sons transmit. Plans are to do a flush on her in 2 weeks to Armani (Goldwyn x Apple).”

It’s Beyond Okay for O’Kalibra in the Future

Both Pat and Edwin have a positive attitude toward O’Kalibra’s potential. “At this point, we will consider showing her again in the future” “when she really looks perfect.” When asked to compare her to cows in North America these proud owners remain positive but humble, “She has a bit more strength than most, however we do not want to take away anything from cows over there.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

When encouraging breeders to breed the best Pat sums up his and Edwin’s theory. “Personally we would say that cows that have some power and strength, yet are still dairy, will ultimately outlast and out milk the high style younger cows that seem to be one hit wonders.” For both gentlemen it is obviously a shared opinion when Pat concludes, “I think that Iron O’Kalibra is one example that proves this fact to be true”.

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Categories : Donor Profile

Tags : All European Holstein Show, BOSS IRON, Cloverlands Skylar Cherry Red, DECRAUSAZ IRON O’KALIBRA, Edwin Steiner, Granduc Carla Astre, GS Alliance, Pat Conroy, Swiss Expo

HOMETOWN JERSEYS: Against All Odds

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Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

Producing The Bullvine keeps us in touch with the best people in the world – dairy breeders. The unlimited passion, commitment and enthusiasm that they share with us is awesome. We recently struck pure dairy gold when we reached out to Neil and Melanie Hunter of Hometown Jerseys in Bath, Ontario. If you can believe it, they thanked us for the opportunity. Neil responded, “You don’t often take time to take a picture of your activities and just stand back and look at it. I decided to write it as it happened so somebody can give it to our grandkids.” And what a story he forwarded to us! In the Hunt family we call it the stuff legends are made of. The legend of Hometown is a two part series: Part 1: Against All Odds Part 2: Beating the Odds

Against All Odds

Unlike most dairy stories, the hero and heroine did not grow up on dairy farms but were infected with the bug through family, friends and mentors who turned their interest, into passion and eventually into a shared dream. Their paths, separate and together, led them through part time employment, to flushing from proven cow families until by 2005 they were ready to risk it all and start farming on the farm they purchased from Melanie’s grandparents; the same grandfather who had given Melanie her 1^st Jersey heifer.

Neil, Chelsea and Melanie Hunter

Disaster Strikes Hometown More Than Once

Neil takes over the story. “In September 2002, I purchased 50 Holstein heifers and 5 old Jersey flush cows to provide my part of our future herd base. The following spring BSE hit and the fresh Holstein heifers I was counting on selling for $2200-$2500 that fall were now worth $500-$600. For those wanting to do the math, 50 x $2000 difference equals $100,000 in cash flow (all borrowed money). Luckily, the private lender holding the loan was pretty understanding about having to wait for his money until I had either worked it off or borrowed enough to cover it as I stepped into the next venture. Uncle Ralph Cherry (a past Holstein Canada President), was hired to help calve out these Holsteins and raise the ET Jersey calves until weaning, as I needed to work full-time and then some with such a big hole I had dug myself.” The hole may have been deep but Neil held to his dream and had prepared a detailed business plan for commercial lenders and, with a little bit of luck, had it approved. However…..

“The approved business plan had been to purchase the farm, 5.1kgs immediately and the balance of 25kgs of quota that fall at the budgeted $25,000/kg price tag. By the time bidding in the fall came around, the price was almost $30,000/kg and was no longer within the reach of our business plan and borrowing capabilities. We were stuck. Gut check time. Do we struggle along hoping for a break and find a use for our extra milk or quit? For the next 6 months we fed pigs, extra calves, etc. In the spring we managed a milking reduction sale, which included another herd of cows we purchased to increase our sale numbers in order to make it worth the trip for buyers. We sold everything saleable, leaving us with the ¾, old and high SCC cows and a few select unfresh heifers.” Keeping strong through all of these physical and financial setbacks would have been enough on their own, however, disaster seems to come in multiples. Sadly Neil relates what happened next to the first and one of the finest of Neil’s mentors.. “It was on the way home from the sale that Uncle Ralph Cherry, who so eagerly was there to assist where he could, died after hitting a transport.” It was definitely a very low day “Not only did we have to sell most of the cattle we were trying to build up but then we lost one of the key mentors of our efforts to that point.”

After Hard Knocks, Opportunity Knocks?

Obviously not ones to give up Neil and Melanie hung on. Finally, the break every start-up needs. We were provided with an opportunity to milk another person’s 30 cows and fill their quota for up to a year under DFO’s disaster relief program on a shared facility arrangement due to his sudden illness. This turned out to be the break every start-up needs. This opportunity allowed us to create cash flow, utilize the freshening cows/heifers of our own in the herd and create a financial track record for the financial institutions to scrutinize at a reasonable 35kg start-up level. It was kind of like our own DFO start-up program with the ability to equivalently rent all of the quota for 1 year to prove we could do it while holding down full-time jobs and therefore borrow that amount needed using our own cash flow records, rather than the estimated numbers for the average Holstein herd the banks wanted to compare us to.

“Around the time this opportunity ended, DFO was announcing the quota cap at $25,000 and related new rules. (Note: this was the $ level for quota we had previously been approved at) We could see that only being able to bid on a maximum of 10% of quota holdings each month was going to be like trying to climb Mount Everest since we only owned 5.1kgs.” And then came the decisions that make the Hometown story remarkable. Neil chooses his words carefully. “ After thorough scrutiny of the rule book, we made what is clearly the ballsiest (riskiest if you prefer) move to date. We sold our 5.1kgs in July in order to be considered a “New Entrant” on the September quota exchange.

A Special Anniversary Project

When many look back on anniversaries with candlelight and roses, Neil and Melanie share a much different memory. “Because we were an approved bidder without quota in September, we were allowed to bid on up to 35kgs and would get it as long as we were one of the 1^st three bidders. Melanie and I spent our wedding anniversary sitting in the Purina Feed dealership office where I worked in order to utilize the direct line, high speed internet in Napanee. The glow of the heat lamp overtop of some unclaimed new chicks from earlier in the day was our candle as midnight approached. Not knowing whether DFO’s clocks were the same as ours, we sat with the internet form filled out with our bid, hitting the bid button and the back button for the last 10 minutes before midnight. The closer it got to midnight, the faster I would do it. Fingers sore and heart racing as blinding button punching speed ensued until… pop! It was done. Our bid was accepted. It was not for a few days before we knew that our bid got in 1^st and we were going to ship 35kgs of milk starting October 1^st. Yes, we finally had achieved our goal.” Was there every any doubt Bullvine asks?

Alert for Opportunities

As we follow these two on their dairy quest it is obvious that they are not ones to rest on their laurels. Soon they would respond to another opportunity. “Yet another dairy farmer had fallen ill. Having heard about our past shared facility agreement, he contacted us to see if he could work with us to utilize the DFO disaster relief program and move his 20kgs of quota to us as well while his teenage son decided to go to school the next fall or stay home to milk cows. Since we are gluttons for punishment and needed the cash flow, we agreed. We phoned the bank and our rep wasn’t going to be able to come out to for a couple of days to discuss our needs. The trusses for the new building to be used to house the new herd of cows and swing them in/out of the tie stall arrived 30 seconds after the banker stepped out of his car later that week. After quickly showing the driver where we wanted the trusses, we presented our new business cash flow and borrowing needs to the banker for the 1^st time. It was one of those make it or break it meetings early in a business relationship that had to go well. That day, and several times since, that same banker realized we had a plan, but weren’t afraid to change it as new opportunities needed to be capitalized on. Milking 60 cows in a 40 cow tie stall barn, while maintaining 2 full-time jobs, nearly killed us for 9 months, but gave the business a much needed cash flow boost and left another structure the dairy barns needed to support the eventual goal of 50 milking cows and supporting young-stock.” Opportunity knocks but not everyone has the Hunter’s welcome for hard work while chasing possibilities and potential.

Hometown Jerseys and Genomics

The Hunter’s vision for the future allows them the occasional rose colored glasses viewpoint but they never wear blinders and are always ready to look into the leading edges of science and technology. Genomics came knocking next. “That fall, after the RAWF, we had too much time on our hands so we surveyed the activities and new technology being rolled out in the Holstein industry in the form of genomics. Since we had sold our 1^st bull to AI (Hometown On The Money @ Semex – On-Time x Way-Bon Counciller Mystery SUP EX 95-5E) we had some new found confidence that this was a business we could do as well in the Jersey breed. We reviewed what key breeders in the Holstein circles had done to utilize genomics in the year before Jerseys started releasing information.” This time Neil and Melanie didn’t have to use a heat lamp to work on the internet but they did stay up late says Melanie.”Three months of nightly research went into finding a high genomic Jersey family which we felt had a similar type standard to the herd we were developing. To get into this venture, it was imperative that the new cows could be appreciated by all breeders and that they would “fit in” whenever visitors came to view our herd.” This opportunity would mean taking to the road as described by Neil. “A trip to Greeneville, TN to Gabys Jersey Farms with childhood neighbour and adored Jersey Master Breeder, Bill Fletcher was planned. The goal was to purchase Gabys Blair Aruba, a VG 87 2 yr old and sister of the then #1 JPI Jersey cow in the US, Gabys Artist Ambrosia. Ambrosia had been the #1 cow for an unprecedented 24 months straight. After a very enjoyable day-long tour of the 150 milking cows and equal number of heifers, we were left dumbfounded by the deal offered. We elected to purchase the cow we went for, Aruba, a sister to her dam and 50% of Ambrosia. Ambrosia was clearly the most expensive cow in the offering, but by buying 50% of her, a long-term relationship was about to be built sharing the American breeding guidance and marketing connections of Henry Gaby for the foreseeable future.” The planning had paid off. What next?

Gabys Blair Aruba VG 87 2 yr old Full sister to former #1 JLPI cow - Gabys Artist Ambrosia Dam of Gabys Arrow at Semex

Gabys Blair Aruba VG 87 2 yr old
#1 Protein, #2 Fat and #2 Milk among genomically tested
cows in Canada in December 2010
Full sister to former #1 JLPI cow – Gabys Artist Ambrosia
Dam of Gabys Arrow at Semex

Hometown IVF Ready

Not ones to shy away from the unknown Neil reports Hometown’s first experience with IVF. “All of Greeneville purchases stopped at Transova Maryland, for our 1^st experience with IVF on their way to Canada. It was also the place where we made exportable embryos to Canada by a sire Mack Dairy Region, who was the highest type sire in the US, but not available in Canada. These embryos became part of the 1^st genomic marketing effort in Canada by Hometown. 10 embryos were offered in the RJF Red Carpet Sale that summer with 2 bull contracts and a 2 bull, 1 heifer guarantee. Nothing like this had ever been done before in the Jersey breed and caused lots of discussion (pro/con) when it sold to John Claessens, Ingersoll, ON for the highest price of the day at $22,000. Genomics had officially arrived in the Canadian Jersey breed!” As they say on TV, obviously, Fear Wasn’t a Factor for Hometown Jerseys” as their enthusiasm for elite cattle breeding continued to grow.

Gabys Artist Ambrosia EX 91
Former #1 JPI Cow (for 24 months)
Two Second-calve daughters with maximum lactation scores in the US of EX-91
Five sons in A.I.
4th generation EX bull dam

“More Opportunities Right Around the Corner”

Neil and Melanie exemplify how enthusiasm breeds more enthusiasm and soon they were finding another way to get ahead of the curve but this time in “Polled” Jersey cattle. Neil explains, “I had learned of a really high genomic test for a polled “Legal” son of a cow I had picked out of 350 cows in the Schultz herd of Jim Huffard, of Virginia, on the way down to Gaby Jersey Farms in 2010. The test would make this 6 month old calf the highest ranking “Polled” bull within any dairy breed ever; being released around #8 in the Jersey breed. With this knowledge in hand, I reconnected with Jim Huffard and purchased Schultz Mygent Chilli-P EX. Back to Transova-Maryland we went for extensive IVF.” Hometown was very literally living the part of the dream where the rubber hits the road.

Schultz Mygent Chili-P EX-90
She is a polled daughter of Schultz Paramount Mygent-P out of a Hallmark dam. She has a GJPI of +179 (04/11).

Another Hurdle or Another Hometown Opportunity?

Sometimes we miss opportunities because they come disguised as too expensive or too risky. Neil and Melanie have been there and done that … but they never let it hold them back from their continued quest to add the best genetics. They did the pedigree research to make that happen and as they tell it, “We tripped onto a son of a past RAWF Champion, Huronia Connectn Crystalyn SUP EX 95-3E. The bull was by Impressive Indiana (probably the best Renaissance son who was not available in Canada). When I approached Lorne Ella, Hornby, ON to purchase Rock Ella Impression, I was told that I would have to outbid AI, namely ABS. After inspection of the bull, we agreed to pay the price asked as long as we had the opportunity to purchase at least 50% of Crystalyn and be able to take her home to work with her. After a couple of days, Lorne phoned back with the offer to purchase all of Crystalyn at double the price. Not knowing where we would find that money too, Melanie and I jumped at the chance to own this world renowned Jersey cow. It was clearly a huge honor to have this revered Jersey Master Breeder sell to a young, upstart couple like us, what we thought was his best bred Jersey cow. We also knew she had a huge number of admirers/marketability. Having the bull’s semen sales pay for them both was the NEW plan!”

Huronia Connectn Crystalyn EX-95-2E the 2006 Royal Grand Champion and All Canadian in 2006 and 2007. We purchased Crystalyn from Lorne Ella along with her son, Rock Ella Impression (by Indiana)

Huronia Connectn Crystalyn EX-95-2E
the 2006 Royal Grand Champion and All Canadian in 2006 and 2007. Neil and Melanie purchased Crystalyn from Lorne Ella along with her son, Rock Ella Impression (by Indiana)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Having a solid plan is what gave Melanie and Neil their start at Hometown Jerseys and against all odds they have continued to build toward success. Don’t miss Part 2 of their story “Beating the Odds.”

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Categories : Breeder Profiles

Tags : Gabys Artist Ambrosia, Gabys Blair Aruba, Hometown Jerseys, Huronia Connectn Crystalyn, Lorne Ella, Melanie Hunter, Neil Hunter, Ralph Cherry, Schultz Mygent Chili-P, Way-Bon Counciller Mystery

EXIT HERE! It`s Your Cull

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Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

Even though we write from Canada where Supply Management supports against extreme variation in milk prices, there are more and more of our fellow producers in from Canada and the US quietly exiting from the dairy industry. For the time being, total production is maintained by the increased herd size. Whether it`s exiting from the business entirely, or deciding which cattle are not pulling their freight (Read more: Why You Should Get Rid of the Bottom 10%), the decisions you make about the future of each cow directly affect your dairy farming future.

The Numbers are Up

In the US after dropping from high levels in January to a more-normal range in February, slaughter of cull dairy cows crept back up in March. According to the “Livestock Slaughter” report by the USDA on Thursday, April 26th 274,000 dairy cows were slaughtered under federal inspection in March. — up 15,000 head from February, but down 4,000 head from March 2012. In January, the number of slaughtered dairy cows reached 297,000 — the highest monthly slaughter figure since 1986. This high cull rate came as no surprise, since many farms have had to deal with high feed cost and low profitability.

Tough Call! Tough Cull!

When you`re already facing mounting costs on every front, it`s seems disloyal to put any of the blame at the feet (or udders) of the cows you love working with every day. For many, although necessary, it isn`t as easy as firing the bottom 10% (Read more: Why You Should Get Rid of the Bottom 10%). The question involves a full range of variables including the financial, the emotional and all the other “when, why and how” questions.

Say “When!”

Quite often when serving family and friends a beverage we automatically offer the choice, “Say when!” Unfortunately, when the glass of dairy life is filling with the hard issues of debt and sustainability, deciding when enough is enough is much more difficult and definitely not hospitable.

At a basic level the decision to cull less-productive cows is made on how much room is available for housing and/or how many are needed to fill quota. At the financial level, bankers and lenders have definite opinions on keeping the barn full for cash-flow reasons. Ironically, lenders should be the first ones who see the value in pencilling out all the numbers. In an article entitled, “Rewriting Culling Decision with Changing Marketing Decisions” Dr. Jeffrey Brewley of the University of Kentucky urges dairy breeders to consider 4 steps:

Calculate the breakeven production level necessary to cover feed costs.
Each cow, at a minimum, should produce enough milk to cover the costs of the feed she is eating.
Cows below the minimum level must be culled from the herd. As feed prices increase or milk prices decrease, the breakeven production level increases.
Although difficult to consider, if the majority of the herd falls below the breakeven level it is time to seriously consider exiting the dairy industry.

Leaving by Example

The very informative Brewley article provides statistical examples and tables of production costs

Table 1. Breakeven milk production levels (pounds per cow) needed to cover daily feed costs for varying daily feed costs and milk prices.

“For example, when milk prices are high ($25 per cwt) and feed prices are low ($4 per cow per day), breakeven milk production level to cover just feed costs is only 16 pounds per cow per day.
On the other hand, when feed costs are high ($10 per cow per day) and milk prices are low ($12 per cwt), breakeven milk production level is 83 pounds per cow per day. With today’s feed costs for many herds in the $8- to $10-per-cow range with milk prices around $20 per cwt, breakeven milk production levels range from 40 to 50 pounds. As feed and milk prices change, dairy producers need to re-evaluate when cows should be culled.” Jeffrey Brewley goes on to say,” This method for calculating when to cull dairy cows only accounts for feed costs. Feed costs account for the largest percent of total costs (50 to 75 percent) but do not account for all costs.
Thus, the true breakeven milk production level will be a few pounds higher and will vary considerably from farm to farm.”

Beyond the Milk

Unfortunately, culling decisions are seldom based on a single factor. For a cow beyond mid-lactation the most important issue is whether or not she is pregnant. Cows pregnant in later lactation and producing below daily feed costs can be dried off early. Of course, the future for these cows depends on other factors such as the feed costs during her dry period, the length of the dry period and the projection of whether she will be able to produce enough to pay for the next lactation. Finally, the availability of a replacement for her must be factored in.

“Show Me the Money!”

The constant repetition of the demand for the sports agent in the movie Jerry McGuire to “Show Me the Money” was humorous but not entirely without a reasonable basis for sustaining a profitable dairy business. The actual calculations for this “money showing” retention pay-off are fairly complex. Dr. David Galligan from the University of Pennsylvania has an excellent dashboard to calculate the retention pay-off for an individual cow in your herd (Click here to view this dashboard). The concept is also useful when deciding what cows to cull. It comes down to weighing of the future income potential compared to the income potential of the replacement heifer brought into the herd. Culling is recommended when numbers show that the future heifer will outperform the present cow.

How Old is Too Old?

Experts, such as Dr. Greg Bethard of G&R Dairy Consulting Inc., caution that the bottom line on culling decisions is also affected by the age of the animals involved and the decisions are different for younger cows than they are for older ones. “The future income potential of an older cow is limited. The future income potential of a pregnant cow in late gestation is much higher than that of an open cow. The future income potential of a non-lame, low SCC cow is higher than a lame, chronically high SCC cow.” The list of cull reasons for your particular situation could be much longer than the ones mentioned here. The basic points to consider are:

Every milking cow needs to cover the cost of the feed she consumes. No debate.
Pencil in the realistic amount earned by the current animal compared to the potential income from her replacement. Do the math.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Business minded breeders are finding that culling is key. With such important decisions affecting success on the dairy farm, your knowledge of your own herd, your cows and your marketplace is the key to your survival. It’s your cull.

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GMOs: Beyond Right and Wrong

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Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

There are some issues that polarize everybody and the debate over GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) does that. People emphatically declare that the facts are black or white, wrong or right one way or the other. If you’re on the wrong side, you are not only politically incorrect but you offend science, religion and the environment. This does not sound like the win-win situation that we are encouraged to seek in most areas of life. Indeed when it comes to GMOs we are determined to prove only one thing… and that is that… the OTHER side is absolutely wrong.

GMOs Throw Dirt… Lose Ground

It’s a no win situation with both sides throwing dirt at each other in the press, on TV, in rallies, parades and even, resorting to boycotts and stand offs. There’s an old saying that my grandmother (a mother of 10 and grandmother of 43) quoted effectively when rivalry escalated to harmful levels, “Whenever you throw dirt, you lose ground.” Today`s dirt throwing GMO war of the words has shifted the focus from the production of sustainable, healthy food to a challenge of the very character of the producers. Like anything, even when incorrect, if it is repeated often enough, it gains the perception of truth. As a result consumers are beginning to bite the very hand that feeds them.

The Win-Sin Battle between Good and Evil

Emotions run high when you’re talking about the life-giving food required by every living thing. Add into the mix, the conspiracy theory that money will make food producers sell their souls and it becomes a battle between right and wrong, good and evil. At the other extreme, the equally evil fanaticist viewpoint is that farmers, unlike their apparently perfect forebears, are working fiendishly with big science or big companies to give you cancer, make you fatter and, generally, ruin your good health.

It`s Your Choice

The underlying fear of sickness, misinformation about food-raising processes and a desire for an absolute answer propels the attack on food producers. If only it were that simple. A target allows us to lay the blame for sickness and obesity onto someone else. But at the end of the day it isn’t some agricultural trickster but our own choices that are making us sick and fat. It’s the choices that are made that produce the results that raise alarms for the health of future generations. And choice is a fundamental part of the GMO or anti-GMO debate. People who are anti-GMO have the absolute right to choose what they eat. People who produce food have the absolute right to choose what to grow. It’s hypocritical to limit the choice of either side.

Take off the Rose Colored Glasses

We often look to the past and assume it must have been better and healthier then. We must not overlook the facts. There are reasons that the life expectancy for our farming forefathers was considerably less than today’s norms. Every early farmer practiced genetic selection to improve food production. It’s even harder and more necessary to select for improvement today. Try growing an organic garden in the city with all of the challenges – air pollution, lack of water and too much or not enough sunshine. Imagine if your life depended on the results. That’s farming!

Where Praise is Due

That’s were kudos go to the scientists who are creating seeds and foods that can withstand so many adversities. Kudos to scientists and farmers who are taking responsibility for reducing chemical applications. With the advent of GMO crops there is significantly less usage of insecticides and herbicides. With so few farmers providing for so many, subsistence farming is now obsolete.

Survival of the Fittest or “Who Controls Who?”

Whether you`re talking animal genetics or plant genetics, survival of the fittest has been nature`s way of modification. Weeds, like any other life form, adapt to survive. Weeds adapt to cultural practices as well as chemical. Growing food or crops in a “steel city”, as we do, is a challenge before a single chemical has been applied to the fields. One “strong” unrestrained monoculture that provides no edible benefits for man or animals is an ever present challenge. Drive along any roadway and ask yourself what has happened to biodiversity? It’s not blame but “better” that we need to aim for.

Here at The Bullvine we raise the question of animal genetics and GMOs (Read more: Are You Ready For Genetically Modified Cattle? ). Again ours is an industry with numerous regulations and scientific studies driving profitability and sustainability. Again there are big guys, bad guys and concerns for safety and health issues of the food products we are producing. And again, it isn’t blame but “better” that should be the driving mantra for the future. It will be too bad if we resort to, “Don’t confuse me with facts, my mind is made up”.

Two Different Paths … the Same Destination

Total agreement is not the goal. Total vindication of one side or the other doesn`t serve any constructive purpose. Regardless of absolute right or wrong there is one absolute truth,

The world must be fed.

During the next 40 years the world`s population is projected to reach more than nine billion people. Demand for food is expected to increase by 60 percent. The competition for land, water and food will escalate and is having a very real impact on food production and therefore on health, poverty and hunger. We must find a way to safely and sustainably support the world`s poorest and most vulnerable.

Without returning to everyone becoming a food producer, there is no way to feed the huge and growing demand. Yes! Small scale farmers feed 70% of the world…but they are subsistence farming to sustain their own family. North American farmers are producing to provide for a growing population. Not every country can do this. But imagine a scenario where everyone ate only locally grown, organic food. Where does that leave metropolitan areas? We cannot turn back the clock on large cities. In that scenario, what would become of Tokyo, New York, London or Rio de Janeiro?

The Bullvine Bottom Line

In every responsible home there is the desire to make better choices for the health of our families. On the farm, we make those choices too with the added responsibility of providing for others. There is a time and a place to hear the concerns of all sides of the debate. We farmers must defend and guarantee the food products we produce. Don’t throw dirt but hold our ground. We must not be silent.

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Categories : Technology

Tags : Genetically Modified Organisms, GMO

AUSTRALIA: Is Down Under Going Under?

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Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

Dairy producers around the world can be forgiven for having a romanticized vision of producers in Australia. We imagine that, like the country, the industry is big, bold and populated by the friendliest people you could ever meet. Well, that`s the story. But unfortunately our peer group is finding it impossible to stick with it! Headlines report that a full blown “Crisis” is turning things upside down with “Massive job losses!” and “Rural Debt Approaching $60 Billion” It is hard to imagine what they’re going through. However, it isn’t only financial strife that is hitting that usually Teflon group known as Aussie dairy farmers. The downturn has gone on so long that it is spreading beyond the farm. Many rural towns that rely on farm dollars are closing businesses because of the financial impact. Banks are closing down on lending. It’s dire straits for everybody. In the long term it doesn’t look any better. ABARES (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences) forecasts a 36 cents per litre farm-gate price within five years – well below the cost of production. For many families who make up the backbone of Australia’s third biggest agricultural industry, the threat of going under has turned from “it will never happen” to “it could happen soon”!

Quit or Lose Everything?

Yes! Although renowned for their warmth and informality and universal love for their country, today’s Australian dairy farmer is facing serious challenges. It is estimated that 20 per cent of south-west Victorian dairy farmers are potentially in great trouble with the banks. The current 6,700 dairy farmers in Australia is a number that is down considerably from 12,000 a decade ago. And instead of enjoying productivity and success even fourth generation dairy farmers are on shaky ground and seeking options before it’s too late. For many that time is here. “There comes a time when you’ve got to stop. That’s why we’re getting out because I don’t want to walk away with nothing.” Year after year of losses have affected what options they face in leaving too. Those who have clung desperately to their dairy operations are finding it next to impossible to sell, especially in the last two years. There are hundreds of dairy farms for sale in south-west Victoria. Unfortunately there are very few buyers. Farmers who previously expect up to $7000 an acre are struggling to get offers of $4000 or $5000. On the sale of an entire farm that could mean a million dollars less after years of dedication and hard work.

Dollars and Senselessness

From the outside looking in, we would love to identify what caused this situation in Australia and, hopefully, guarantee that our own national industry, wherever we’re from, isn’t on the same path. However, the causes of Australia’s crisis are eerily familiar:

Milk prices are NOT rising.
Input costs – electricity, fuel, wages, feed and water – ARE rising.
Investments were made that look foolish in hindsight.
New policies and new taxes add new burdens.
Not heeding #’s 1 to 4.

… C.O.P.s and Robbers

Two variables have had particularly unpleasant repercussions in Australia. Dairy farmers are usually resilient and cope with Cost of Production challenges with belt-tightening and management methods that have seen them through the regular up and down cycles of the dairy industry. However, COP creativity can’t make a stand against the highway robbery that appears to be happening in Australian grocery store aisles. Press releases report that “At the moment the milk price we’ve been getting is 25 or 26 cents a litre. The cost of production does vary from farm to farm, but for us it’s around 43 cents a litre.” As if that wasn’t disheartening enough, the strong Aussie dollar (and who doesn’t want a strong national currency) is severely weakening the dairy industry. But the blows just keep on coming.

Coles says the milk war is not to blame for lower prices.

Milk Wars

Dairy producers worldwide face country specific challenges. Even so the battle between two parts of the same industry is disconcerting for Australian producers. “Two years ago Coles discounted its home brand milk to $1 a litre. Its decision sparked a milk war as the other supermarket chains followed suit. This has driven down the farm gate milk price. Coles argues the milk war is not to blame and has undertaken an advertising campaign to put a better spin on their role. Dairy Farmers president Noel Campbell replies, “Part of the reason why people are so angry with the Coles situation is, whether you supply domestic or the export market, people think milk being sold for $1 a litre is just wrong. “The amount of capital expended on the farm,. The amount of labour expended on the farm, long hours etcetera, people just see it as a slap in the face.”

Seeking Solutions

When milk is cheaper than water, a universal cry is raised, “Help!” Some Australian groups turn to the government. “The government should appeal to the consumer to support our local dairy industry and the additional 50 cents per litre would be distributed direct to each farm by way of 12 cents per liter and would keep this quality product on our supermarket shelves,” Coffey Hunt On-Farm Agribusiness partner Garry Smith said. “We need to get more money paid for our milk and continue to reduce our costs and inputs.” Good suggestions but another hurdle is thrown up since there have been savage cuts to agricultural R&D right around the country. Places to seek innovative solutions and leadership are running out. Farmers are understandably agitating for low interest or no interest loans to help them through until prices improve. One suggestion is that there could be a consumer-paid 50-cents-a-litre Dairy Industry Support Initiative on milk.

Is Today’s Crisis Tomorrow’s Disaster?

Wherever they are, but most especially in Australia, farmers need to start thinking about the big picture beyond the farm gate. Failure to face the future could mean that the opportunity to build a sustainable industry is lost. Profitability is the goal. We need to stop internal competition and fighting before the entire industry is lost.

The Bullvine Bottom Line – Who’s Next?

The milk industry is volatile and affected by many variables. That’s not new but now there is a new world order of dairying nations. Everyone – perhaps foolishly – buys into the story of a glowing future where demand soars and there is a wealthy future for dairy farmers. Unfortunately here and now Australian dairy farmers must face the reality that they are no more profitable now than they were a decade ago. Something needs to change or the down under romantic story will become the down under dairy industry tragedy.

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Categories : Dairy Industry

The Anti-Social Farmer: On the Verge of Extinction?

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Thursday, April 25th, 2013

We all know what an oxymoron is: working holiday, tight slacks and freezer burn. Well here’s another one “An anti-social dairy farmer”. Farmers have always enjoyed the “social” aspect of their 24-7 business. Wherever there are two farmers there is bound to be good gossip.. ahemm … good conversation going on.

Can we talk?

In an industry blown about by the whims of Mother Nature, politics, local regulations and world issues … there’s a lot to talk about. Facebook and all other social media are all about connecting (Read more: 7 Reasons Why Your Dairy Farm Needs To Be On Facebook). It is absurd to think that our already social business would not grasp digital social networking with open arms and tapping fingers. Think about it. Today at some point you will “social” ize with someone coming in your lane. Whether it’s a sales person of genetics, feed, seed, nutrition or health … you will meet, greet and connect at some level. To me, it follows that it should be natural to welcome delivery of the same informed decision-making tools from cyberspace.

Social media is made for farmers

Farmers are completely familiar with sharing opinions, recommendations and trusting those who have their feet in our barnyard, feed alley or under our board table or kitchen table. Couple this with the home truth that farmers rarely have the opportunity to do their networking on the golf course, a sandy-beach or at the gym and social media is not only the logical choice it’s the perfect choice!

Videos such as Ram Trucks’ “Farmer” Super Bowl ad have gone viral promoting farmers to 0ver 20 million viewers on YouTube alone

Not that it doesn’t take getting used to.

Those of us, who spend time in social media, tend to live and breathe the space as if it were real life, which of course it isn’t. It is however, a great place to build a network, to find like minded people and discover what they are working on, and learn with and from them. Just like over the line fence or at the farm supply store or at a farm meeting. It`s a place to live, learn and move forward.

The goal is to apply what we learn to real life.

Like any social interaction, the benefit comes from applying what you know to what you are doing. New ideas for improving the logistics, cash flow, genetics and marketing of our dairy businesses are what we are seeking out. Doing these things better doesn’t only pay the bills, it also provides satisfaction for those who love their work. Now we can come in from the barn after a long day and have the quiet satisfaction of having a day’s work well done and take time to enjoy a more technical version of “cow talk”.

“The most important connection in marketing today is business to business”

I would challenge everyone in the dairy industry to modify that mantra to, “the most important connection in dairy marketing today is barn to barn”. Numbers wise, there are not a lot of us left out there. In times past you looked to the horizon and saw farms as far as the eye could see. Today, it’s hard to see a fellow farmer from that viewpoint. It doesn’t mean the network is lost, it simply means in the 21^st Century it actually is a “network” of connected internet users.

From Face-to-Face to Place-to-Place

We need to receive these “online” conversations in the same way we receive face-to-face conversations. When face to face we can express our view and assume from the non-reaction of the person we’re expounding to that they support our position. It’s too bad we don’t hear their report when they share it with the next person who comes into the milk house.

There is the question of tone of voice being missing from social media. Anyone who has had the tone in one of their emails misread will understand the problem. It’s hard to convey the subtlety of face-to-face or telephone interaction using words or text only. However, when was the last time your spoken words were misunderstood? Nothing promises total perfection.

What`s Next?

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already beyond the beginner level with email and Facebook. Do you have a Website or Blog? Don’t skip this step. Your website is the first place you can let the market know that you have something they’re looking for. Even if you’re not planning to conduct all your business on line, you still want to drive customers to your website or to your farm.

So how do you get started?

There are online Guides for every social media program. Check them out and set up accounts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. Of course (bias aside) you could check out the Dairy Breeders Guide to Facebook. The wonderful thing about technology is that there are many ways to learn the how, what and when. A simple question placed on “Google” and you can discover step by step instructions to your success using social media.

The first step is always the hardest.

The neat thing is that there is always somebody close to you that has the expertise to help you join up. While “joining” is easy, it is wise to consider that rushing in and then doing nothing is like that New Year’s resolution to workout. You join the gym but your membership is as active as the clothes hangar otherwise known as your Treadmill. While you won’t lose it if you don’t use it, remember that it is “social” and why join, if you intend to remain a wallflower?

There are two questions to ask yourself.

What do people need to know about you and your dairy operation?
What do you need to know about the marketplace?

The primary goal in becoming “social” is to have your prefix, product or genetics come to a buyer’s mind the minute they have identified what they are looking to buy. Hit people with your features and benefits and you win their minds. Get your story out there and you win their hearts.

Make sure that you share new births, fresh heifers, your genetic successes, your dairy industry issues and your pride in your family business. You can never post too many pictures.

Continually polish and perfect your “story”. It’s the social magnet to attract more business.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

At the end of the day dairy farmers are definitely social. We’re not talking extinction …but dairy DIStinction. Far from being on the verge of extinction, farmers are prime candidates for using this handy new tool. In reality (a word overused today) we probably do better when our social life takes place in a variety of ways. If we limit ourselves to one form … we limit ourselves period. Let’s get social.

To learn how to get your farm on Facebook download this free guide.

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Categories : Dairy Cattle Marketing

Julia James: “Cow by Cow. Doing it Now.”

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Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

Julia James of Norwich, Ontario has the wisdom of a seasoned business analyst, the heart of a philosopher and the adrenaline of a long distance runner. However the secret of success for this one-of-a-kind dairy dynamo is the well-honed focus that allows her to live the lifelong dream of owning a dairy farm every single day. She is not yet 30!

Growing by Leaps and Bovines

Julia has numerous examples of how long she has held the dream of owning a dairy farm. What makes her one-of-a-kind is that she apparently never put that dream on the back burner for any of the commonly accepted reasons. “I started milking cows on August 1st, 2008 in a rented facility just outside of Woodstock.” This is a mere two years after graduating with a B. Sc. Agr. (Animal Science) from the University of Guelph. She outlines the process. “I purchased my beginning quota from my parents who reside in Lanark County (Eastern Ontario). Since my start date and through buying quota as often as cash-flow allowed I have been able to grow my total quota holdings by 24% in 5 years.”

The Dream is Real. Today.

Obviously, Julia is not waiting for a better time, a different time or any time that means waiting or holding to the status quo. She describes her setup. “Currently I milk 29 cows in a 3 row free stall, slated floor rented barn. The herd is a mixed herd of Jersey and Holstein. I raise all of my own replacements for a total of 78 head currently. Where the cows are currently milked is a rented facility. Where I reside is a 54-acre farm that I purchased last year in hopes that someday a dairy facility would be built there.” Her use of “currently” reflects her acceptance of and push toward continuous change.

FUELING THE DREAM: Education. Collection. Selection.

There’s an old saying that people often miss opportunities because they come disguised as work. It’s unlikely that Julia James will ever miss an opportunity. She works everything in. “When I first graduated I worked as an AI technician for ABS Global for 2 years. Then started milking in 2008, once settled into my routine of farming I was hired by Select Sires Canada in June of 2009 where I currently work today as a reproductive specialist.” The key word for Julia is that she is working.

Positively Positive

Many would consider her grueling schedule as a deterrent to success, but Julia, as expected, has a different viewpoint. “Being a driven, independent person I don’t see many things as challenges but rather learning opportunities. There are days when it is challenging getting through your to-do list, but by putting one foot in front of the other I always manage to get there. I also have great students who help out during the week with some chores.” She loves the support of agricultural community, family and friends. “Over the past 5 years, there are definitely more people cheering me on than standing in my way or providing negative energy.” Julia is also a cheer-leader of her favorite pastimes (soccer, curling, cycling), community groups (church and milk committee) family and friends, especially Thomas. “When you’re doing what you love,” says this dynamo “there’s a time and place for everything … including dehorning and cleaning calf pens.”

While Julia works extremely hard it's doesn't hurt to have a little luck on your side.

In dairy farming Julia has found her pot of gold.

Julia James on a Mission Statement

Businesses are encouraged to be able to briefly express their goals. For Julia the word mission could be replaced by the word passion. She says,” I am driven by passion. My heart, my passion and my dreams are rooted in the dairy industry. I am very happy and fortunate to be doing what I love and receive great satisfaction from contributing to the economy everyday as a primary producer of a safe and quality product.” That could be a motivational posting in every dairy barn.

Don’t Keep Your Dreams on the Shelf

Julia’s dreams are being achieved because she has an eye for those to follow and emphasizes that “My parents and family have always been supporting me and cheering me on, even in times when they may not agree with some of the decisions I make. “ She encourages others. “Anyone who takes responsibility for who they are and what they believe in and works hard and smart to make themselves happy all while being a productive member of society is a salt-of-the-earth hero to me. For Julia fear of the future is not an option. “People are afraid to take risks and chance their dreams in fear of failure or lack of self-confidence. You never know until you try and you have to chase your dreams. With proper research, networking and planning you will get there. But you never know unless you try and you must remain positive.” This dairy entrepreneur has teaching and mentoring talents in her resume too.

Appreciate the Gift of Every Day

Julia thrives on learning and modestly claims she has much to look forward to. “My greatest accomplishment is still a work in progress. Every day I celebrate little achievements. Whether it is a new baby heifer calf alive and well running around in its pen or watching all of my cows lie-down chewing their cud an hour and a half after milking. It could be a satisfied customer, or being in bed by 9:00 with the to-do list empty and all animals healthy and resting, preparing to start a new day. These are all accomplishments to me.” It sounds like she has achieved the perfect idyll already but she sees great things ahead. “My work in progress is to be able to farm one day with the one I love, raising a family on the farm, and running a very successful, sustainable dairy farm with my best friend, fellow team-mate and husband. Thomas and I are well on our way there taking on the challenges as they come and making them into opportunity.”

Ready for a Sustainable Future

Julia’s special talent is having her hands taking care of the “now”, while her eye is targeting the “future” with realistic assessments. She has considered the challenges ahead. “The biggest change I see coming is sustainability. Many aspects of the industry achieve this on some level already probably more so than many others. Taking responsibility for what we do and making sure our passion for what we do is evident will be critical in growing our markets and further establishing the trust of our consumers.” She rallies her dairy peers to provide a foundation for the next generation to build on.

Flying High Between Chores

It isn’t surprising to hear that Julia would like to take speed lessons and learn to fly in an hour. “If I could learn to fly in an hour, I would do it in a heartbeat. There is so much to see in the world and so much to learn outside your own back-yard. Being able to fly would allow me to experience these wonders all between chores.”

Choose it. Do it. Achieve it.

Even when she fantasizes about having her head in the clouds, Julia’s feet are firmly planted on the ground. “Take time to smell the roses (even if they are growing in the manure pile). Never stop dreaming, believing, achieving and ALWAYS have fun!! Her dream of her ultimate dairy farm is powered by the Julia’s amazing ability to live the dream every day.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Some people dream of a life they hope to have some time. Julia has a three word answer to anything and everything that may be holding you back, “Do it now!”

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Categories : Breeder Profiles

Emma Caldwell’s Art Stirs Mind and Heart!

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Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

When successful artists recount their early inspirations, they often recall their youth. Emma Caldwell isn’t yet old enough to look back from that distant viewpoint, but this already attention-attracting artist confirms that she is inspired by her dairy roots.” I grew up on Maple Holme Farms, a dairy farm in Carp. We milked 45 Holsteins in a tie stall barn, until we sold our quota in 2007. We mainly do cash crops now. I have been a member of the Carp 4H dairy clubs for the past 12 years. After we sold our herd, I borrowed calves from Sandy Crest Holsteins, Riview Jerseys and Drentex Jerseys for my 4H projects. Last year I bought half of a jersey calf which I co-own with Mike & Monique Bols of Russell, Ontario. The past three years I have been helping the Bols of Drentex Jerseys along with Jenna James with their show string and helping out with clipping and preparing for the classifier. This will be my last year in 4H, but I hope to continue working with Drentex.”

Emma’s recent painting “Hailey” of the great RF Goldwyn Hailey. Want to own this this painting? Click on the picture to find out how

In Praise of Painting

It’s exciting to hear how young Emma was when her artistic talent took root. “I think I have been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil, and it was something my dad and I did together after he got in from morning chores.” Looking at Emma’s portfolio, one envies the vision and talent that produce such art with apparent ease. It turns out that it was indeed a special talent. “I have two learning disabilities, and up until I was diagnosed I really struggled with school. I think if you don’t think you’re good at much else you’re going to focus on anything that gets you that bit of praise from your teacher or peers. So I guess art was attractive to me from a very early age because it was and still is a method of communication that I find most natural.”

Painting Her Way to the Top

Despite challenges along the way, 21 year old Emma has always set and achieved her goals. “I think my greatest accomplishment will be graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. I have struggled throughout my entire education with learning disabilities. The Fine Arts program at Queen’s only accepts 30 students out of the 300 that apply each year, and since Queen’s was my first choice, to be one of those 30 is something I worked really hard for, and am really proud of.” This is a special achievement for Emma and one that, through her art, she can continue to share.

Basically Bovine with a Unique Perspective

As more art enthusiasts get the opportunity to explore Emma’s portfolio, they will become part of the evolution of this artist who feels her style is still developing. “I am always trying to grow as an artist. I want my art to have energy. I use a lot of bright colours, splashes and drips of paint with brushy strokes of paint. I like it when I let some of the underpainting show through, and leaving hints that there is more than meets the eye underneath. This year I started using gold leaf in some works and I really love the contrast it brings to a painting. It is not important that a painting be totally realistic, I am more concerned with the impression of character or presence. I think sometimes when I leave a part unfinished or just give a suggestion of something like hooves, it brings more life to the painting than I would achieve by trying to copy a photograph. What really draws me to cows is their personalities that you only get to know from being in close contact with them your whole life. I want my paintings to feel like they have captured the character of an animal.”

Emma’s painting that was auctioned off as part of the 2012 Jersey Ontario AGM.

Expressing Dairy Strength and Power

One of the great pleasures of being an artist is having the opportunity to explore the different aspects of the chosen subject. “With cattle this becomes challenging,” says Emma, “because they do not fall into the two usual categories of animal painting: pets or wildlife.” She elaborates, “Cows are working animals, and although we love them, they’re not our pets, they are still bred for a purpose. I want to capture the strength and power that humans have bred them to be.” She sees the contrasting sides of these dairy animal partners. “Cows have been bred to be big, strong animals but also to have wonderful quiet temperaments that allows people to work with them). I try to convey the calm air that a mature cow has AND that tremendous physical strength that is absolutely necessary in an enduring cow, which is only really obvious in person, but also present her as feminine, dairy and stylish. That is a challenge exclusive to cow painting.” In eagerly accepting this challenge, Emma also recognized others who excel in this field and therefore are role models for her. “Bonnie Mohr has had the biggest influence on my artistic career. Not in terms of style, I am not going to try and be the next Bonnie Mohr because there is only one Bonnie Mohr, I just want to be myself. But I definitely look to Bonnie as my role model, especially her work ethic and setting goals for myself.” (Read more: Bonnie Mohr – Science and Art Together Creates a Holstein Love Story)

Emma’s picture of Gillette E Smurf who holds the world record for the highest milk yield in a lifetime by Guinness World Record. (Click on image to see enlarged version)

From Work in Progress to Charitable Fund Raiser

Emma’s art has provided her with special experiences recently as she explains, “When I am at school I often tweet pictures of my ‘works in progress’. One of the works I did at school was a painting of the legendary Ayrshire Sweet Pepper Black Francesca (Read more: The Magic of Francesca). I tweeted a picture of the unfinished work and a couple retweets later, Francesca was recognized. Deer Hill Ayrshires inquired about the painting and Jason French & Kris McLeod of Holstein Ontario asked if I could work on something for the branch AGM’s fun auction. These exchanges all happened within an hour.” The painting of Ferme Gillette’s Smurf was a highlight of the auction and was purchased by another passionate bovine observer, Patty Jones. The final site for hanging the painting was also meaningful to Emma, “It was so generous of Patty Jones to hang Smurf at Gillette. I think she looks right at home!”

Check out the detailed work on “Smurf” udder

Sharing Art in a Social World

Emma is continually surprised and humbled by the speed with which her work has reached people and inspired their enthusiasm. “Thanks to social media, my art has reached more people from across the world than I ever dreamed. I am absolutely blown away by the response, and when people retweet or share an image of mine I am absolutely just so humbled that people want to share my art with their followers or friends. It truly is an amazing time to be growing up with social media.” This modern change inspires her to reflect on what agricultural artists who precede her faced. “It gives me so much more respect for artists like Ross Butler who were as successful as they were in getting their art out there. It used to be just word of mouth and making sure you got your art seen and traveling.”

The Agricultural Spirit – Unlimited!

Forecasting the future for this rising artist is another broad canvas for Emma, seeing as she is so recently out of school. “Right now I am still just working as establishing myself as an artist, but in the future who knows! I think that there are many opportunities out there for myself as an agricultural artist. However, I don’t want to limit myself to only one area of art. There is so much I want to do and learn.”

Motivated by a tweet by an individual alarmed about dirt on their potatoes, Emma painted this in response. (Click on image to read the full story)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Despite her youth, or perhaps because of it, Emma has a clear vision of the possibilities she is facing. “A lot of my work at school has to do with the future of Canadian agriculture and I think my goal as an artist will always be to depict the passion of life that Canadian agriculture embodies. The farming community in Canada takes tremendous pride in the beauty and life in our land, and my art is a reflection of that spirit.” Obviously her artistic future is in good hands … her own!

Don’t miss your chance to own Emma’s work of art “Hailey” click here to find out how.

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Categories : Youth Profiles

Van Den Pol: Peak Performance

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Thursday, April 11th, 2013

Around the world whenever the province of Alberta is mentioned everyone pictures beautiful images of the Rocky Mountains. Ranchers and dairy farmers are farming in one of the most scenic settings in the world. Imagine for a moment what it would be like to move from a country like the Netherlands with the goal of “going dairying”. For Gys and Silia Van Den Pol and their three daughters Corien, Djoeke and Tilly they not only moved there but used the mountains, buttes and foothills as encouragement to take their goals higher all the time!

Gys and Silia Van Den Pol and their three daughters

All the Right Moves!

Silia and Gys both grew up on dairy farms in the Netherlands. Gys had been on international exchange programs to New Zealand and Canada and considered moving to New Zealand. Married in 1985 the couple’s first move involved raising (hogs). It was good training for their future because that industry is fast moving with emphasis of technical results and management skills can make a big difference. In 1998 they visited Canada. In 1999 they bought a going concern dairy farm near Picture Butte, Alberta which included a 60-cow purebred Holstein herd and a quarter section of land (160 acres). Seven years later (2005) they moved to their present 160 acres farm outside of Coaldale, Alberta.

Higher Ground Overview of Pol Butte

This part of Alberta is (ranch country) so you can imagine how a tie-stall barn would stand out in this free-stall landscape. Corien sums up the Van den Pol Farm logistics. “We currently milk 80 purebred Holsteins in a modern tie stall facility. We raise our own young stock of 130 head, as well as 50 young bulls for future breeding purposes as natural sires. We farm 150 acres of irrigated land, where we produce our own corn and alfalfa hay.”

“The Home of Contented Cows”

The Van Den Pol family are dedicated to fulfilling their farm slogan, “Home of Contented Cows”. It is the foundation of their breeding philosophy which Gys outlines for us. “My breeding philosophy is to strive for good udders and feet and legs. Sires are selected on genomic numbers and depth of pedigree. We have also been investing high profile cow families to breed the next generation from.” Gys makes his own breeding decisions and strives for a balance of type and production. For beginners he urges, “Start with a purchase of cows from solid cow families that will give less risks of failure in the future. And watch for health traits!”

A Work in Progress – Then and Now

“When we purchased the original herd in 1999, it had 2 VG cows and was 50% GP and better. Our last classification round showed our improvement. We are now 100% GP and better.” This is remarkable but it is not the only benchmark that is being met. “We are also expecting 4 of our homebred cows to surpass 100,000 kgs this year.” Their herd average is 11,953 kg milk 3.8% F 3.1% P putting them in the top ten herds in Alberta. Oh yes and they also flush 40-50 cows a year and genomic test about 40 animals. Not to mention that three years running they were Premier Breeder and Exhibitor at the Green Acres Club Show (2009-2011). Gys looks realistically toward the future and the changes ahead. “Marketing will change and genomics testing of our young bulls is ahead. The very fast pace of new genetics – coming and going – will create higher risks of failures.” He cautions. “We have to watch that we don’t go too far now and just focus on genomics and index and the end number.”

BUTZ-BUTLER GOLD BANNER – VG 88-2YR
02-06 P268 13005 546 4.2 400 3.1 Kg

Waving Barbie`s Special Banner

Gys is obviously a man prepared to take action when he sees something he likes and he always liked what he knew about (Barbie) and her descendants with a Goldwyn x Shottle x Durham sire stack. “I saw Barbie herself a few months before her passing. She made such an impression on me that I was determined to purchase something from this tremendous cow family. I was also very impressed by her offspring. Her Shottle and Goldwyn daughters were just recently milking. So when the Goldwyn sale in PEI (2009) offered a Goldwyn choice from Brasilia, we went after it. After the genomic results were in, Banner proved to be an easy pick.” Corien expresses the family enthusiasm for Banner. “Banner is special because she’s not just a cow. She has her special spot in the barn and shines when she gets that extra special treatment.” She is already recognizably special and the #1 Genotyped Conformation cow in Canada. This continues to attract attention. “We still get regular email requesting offspring from her.”

Regancrest Brasilia-ET EX-92 DOM

Cows and Families: Worth the Drive to Pol Butte

All the hard work would hardly be worth it, if there wasn’t a market for the results. The Van den Pols have invested in many different cow families so there is always something for the variety of buyers local and international who make their way to the Van den Pols. Imagine going to Pol Butte Holsteins and being able to buy from cow families like Barbie, Corey, Crimson, Delia, Fools Gold, Janice, Linda, Paradise and Zandra. A great choice, no matter how you stack it and well worthy of consideration.

Breeding Naturally from Top Marketable Sires

Gys looks for popular bulls with good numbers who rank at the top of the lists. He will use high genomic young sires only if they have a solid cow family behind them. Ì look for bulls that can sire long living, good framed, open ribbed cows with good udders and feet and legs. We currently have heifers by Dempsey, Goldchip, Beau, SuperSire, MCCutchen, Meridian, Hero, Cancun, Number Uno, Mogul, Colt P, Epic and Lavaman.” He sums up other points they consider. “We don`t need a 64-inch, show cow, but because one of our biggest customers is the Hutterite Colonies who buy natural bulls, we do need to also breed a good framed, commercial, barn cow with good feet and legs who can walk in a free- stall.” With a keen eye for cattle, they also watch the marketplace.

Make Contacts and Keep Them Coming

Corien explains “If you don’t have something to offer, they won’t come here. It’s a fast moving market. You have to find things sometimes outside of the box to attract people.” They value other means of marketing too. “We have our own website http://www.polbutte.com/ and we advertise in magazines. We do keep in touch with the sire analysts and give them updates. We regularly visit our customers who purchase our natural breeding bulls. We also enter animals into sales and shows.” A unique marketing feature was added several years ago. “We added a free-stall training area to sell more animals into the local commercial market.” Gys explains that simple changes can be very important. “The simpler you keep things, the fewer mistakes you can make.” Wise words.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The Van Den Pols live by the motto, “Always do your best. Nothing half way.” So there will always be new breeding mountains for Gys and Silia and the girls to climb. They would like to win a Master Breeder Shield. And dear to their parental hearts “It would be great to see one of the girls eventually take over the farm.” Regardless of the surrounding terrain …. mountains, buttes, flatlands or valleys, Pol Butte Holsteins have their sights set on moving on and moving up. We wish them all the best!

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Tags : BUTZ-BUTLER GOLD BANNER, Regancrest Brasilia, Van Den Pol

It`s NOT WHO YOU KNOW but WHO KNOWS YOUR COWS

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Thursday, April 4th, 2013

We are all familiar with the saying, “It’s not WHAT you know, but WHO you know that counts!” when you’re looking for a job. However, when you’re in the business of selling cattle, it isn’t who you know but who knows YOUR COWS that will get the job done!

If you don’t intend to sell dairy genetics, stop reading now. However, if selling is in your future, this article is for you.

Selling breeding stock in 2013 is a rapidly changing market which means that old marketing strategies like waiting for someone to beat a path to your door just doesn’t cut it anymore. I know the argument, “But I’ve got the best (fill in the blank with cows, bulls, calves, embryos or genetics.) They sell themselves.” To start with, all the great genetics in the world won’t have you making deposits in the bank, unless the right people (aka the buyers) know what you have to offer.

Grab Customers by the Horns and Fire Up Your Brand

You could be the best dairy cattle breeder the world has ever seen, however, if no one knows you exist you might as well be doing something else. Branding is about letting the world know that you are here and that you are selling exactly what they need. Just like a brand burns into cowhide, you want to make a memorable impression on the marketplace. When they’re looking for embryos, heifers, cows and bulls, you want your Herd Prefix to spring immediately to their minds. Long before you offer a product for sale, make sure you know what the market is looking for.

Don’t Just Shoot the Bull. Get Them Talking About Your Cows!

Every time you shake a hand, you market your brand. Think of all the people you interact with daily. Share your passion so that when people talk about you they become walking, talking advertisements for what you’re selling. What other farmers say about dairy breeders is becoming the most important input in cattle genetics buying decisions. Statistics say that more than two-thirds of buyers seek review or recommendations from others. And we’ve all been put off a product or service by a lone bad review. Make sure that everybody has heard great things about your herd. Revenue starts with your reputation and the reputation of your cow families.

You Must Have a Tale – not just a Tail – to Sell

Even if you don’t believe what you offer is truly spectacular – and it’s important to be honest with yourself about that – there are still many ways to differentiate yourself from others. Every breeder is not starting from the top 10% and there are many improvements to be made along the way. Make sure you know what your genetic “improvers” are. Educate the audience so they know the story of your success breeding strategy and how it can work for them. Of course, your usual farm charm and gregariousness will help too. Buyers love to be part of a success story. Share your good news! Follow up with buyers. Encourage their success and share it online, on your website and over the farm fence.

Establish Your Cow-Know-How

Once you have captured the interest of your audience, you must then establish your cow sense. People do business with those they trust. Deliver what you promise. That is your brand.

But some will say, “I’m not a company. I’m just a one-person-show. There is no one else to help me market my genetics.” That’s one of the biggest branding myths out there! Everyone you know is on your “marketing team” and can help spread the word! The truth is everyone already has perceptions, thoughts and feelings about you and your herd. This is why it’s so critical to take charge of your brand definition. Leaving it to chance is no way to build a genetics business. After all great herds didn’t get to be great by accident.

You Can’t Sell All By Keeping Secrets

So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. If you want people to buy genetics from you, they have got to know what’s in it for them. What can they expect to improve in their own herd, if they buy something from yours? This means you have to be as open about problems as you are with successes. It is never as simple as the single sale. That customer who leaves your farm– glad or sad – is going to have an impact on your future sales too! You have heard the saying, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold?” Well these “old friends” are your existing customers. Just how golden are they? Studies show that it costs six to nine times as much to attract a new sale as it costs to keep a current customer happy. Responsiveness is the name of the game today.

Talk Back

There will undoubtedly be times when you face a less than perfect situation. There are many things that can change both before and after money changes hands. The only mistake is trying to “shout down” or “freeze out” any unpleasant discussion. Learn from big business examples. BP failed to engage with the debate after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010. Their big budget advertising retaliation only served to alienate people and further damage the company’s reputation. In the real world and with dairy genetics in particular, caring trumps bullying every time. The ability to engage with customers one-on-one particularly after purchase is vital to success and key to customer loyalty. Focus on making sales transactions, easy, convenient and delivery of real benefits.

Market Dissemination. 10 Ways to Achieve Sales Success.

The test of your marketing success will be the number of customers who know to come to you for what they need. Your goal is to have your Prefix seemingly appear everywhere. Seize every opportunity to make sure customers have heard about your Prefix from several different validating sources

Make it easy for customers to find you and your cattle genetics information.
Use all media: Internet, television, radio, farm signage. Start small. Keep growing.
Subscribe to industry e-newsletters and blogs, follow Twitter, “like” or comment on dairy articles on Facebook, share YouTube videos. Your “brand” will come naturally.
Invest in a good website. Unfortunately a bad one will work against you. Highlight what makes your genetics unique.
Make it easy for customers to find you, find your farm and find your genetics.
Learn how to work with potential clients to help them meet their goals.
Always provide full disclosure, in writing, of cows available for sale, their performance and what you see as their strengths and weaknesses. Trust travels fast.
Make sure information is always up-to-date and that you are always ready to work with customers to meet their needs.
Don’t hesitate to send customers to another seller if you don’t have what they’re looking for. . Your openness will be appreciated and the favor could come back in the future, from this same potential customer or even from your competitor.
Keep up the connection. Don`t miss future sales because of poor follow-up.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

If you can engage customers and enhance their good experiences with cattle breeding, you will undoubtedly build long-term dairy breeding sustainability and value! At the end of the day the it`s not YOU but YOUR CATTLE that will do the talking!

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Stephanie Aves – Anything Is Possible If You’ve Got St-yle!

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Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Stephanie and Kyle Aves

“My Grandpa gave me my first Holstein when I was 6.” and that gift of Wishing Well Mata-RC really sparked Stephanie Aves lifelong interest in dairy cattle. In case there was any doubt where the family saw the future, Stephanie’s parents, Kevin and Julie, took her name and her brother Kyle’s and christened the farm with the prefix, “St-yle!” That happy label was further inspiration for Stephanie who reports that she was always involved trying to do chores and then “From age 8 I began showing at local and county fairs.”

Show Your Winning St-yle

Stephanie had successive years in the winner’s circle and has added these honors to her show ring credits:

2005 Senior Showmanship Winner World Dairy Expo Fitting & Showing
2006 Jr Champion Grand Int. Red & White Show (JR/Open)
2007 Winner of Sr Showmanship World Dairy Expo
2008 Supreme champion JR Show World Dairy Expo
2009 Grand Champion Grand International RW Jr Show
2010 Bred the Intermediate Champion Grand International RW Jr Show who then became my first Bred & Owned JR All American.
Also was honored with the Merle Howard Award in 2010.
2011 Won the Sr Best 3 Class at the Grand International RW Show. (All daughters of Joyful by Advent)

Currently In St-yle

Stephanie provides this St-yle update where we can see that the show ring is definitely part of the big picture. “Currently ST-YLE Holsteins consist of my Parents, Kevin & Julie, and my brother Kyle and I. We have about 100 head of cattle total on the farm consisting of Holsteins, Red & Whites, and Jerseys. We also are currently boarding about 10 show quality animals being Red & White, Jersey, Guernsey, and Holstein. In 2007 we completed our show barn that features 2 big box stalls to hold a max of 8 milking cows, along with 7 individual pens for heifers, and 2 box stalls for individual cow care when calving or needed for show rations.”

Do You Have That in Red?

Whenever you set goals that include the show ring, there are bound to be opportunities and obstacles. Stephanie confesses “The biggest challenge to me has been to find sires that combine the pedigrees along with the conformation that are Red & White or RC. Those Red of RC sires are few and far between that have something that I would use to breed to make the next show winner. It has even gotten harder with increase in genomics.

Scenic-Edge Joyful
Supreme Champion World Dairy Expo Junior Show 2008
Unanimous Junior All-American R&W 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009
Unanimous All-American R&W 2006 & 2008
Reserve All-American R&W 2009
3rd 5-year-old World Dairy Expo R&W 2011

The Beginning of Joyful St-yle

Once again, we hear how “luck” played a part in hard-working, well-planned dairy operations that achieve success. “I have had a great amount of luck over my past 10 years. I have 2 animals that were the foundation of ST-YLE Holsteins. Scenic-Edge Joyful who I purchased in May 2006 who was JR Champion WDE, then on to be named Supreme Champion as a 2 year old at WDE. Joyful now has 4 daughters on the farm. 3 by Advent, and 1 by Talent-RC. Savage-Leigh Alexee-ET is also another great individual that I owned she was the 2007 All-American Spring Calf. Both these 2 were foundation animals that have truly left an impact on ST-YLE.

Joyful was purchased after Spring Show 2006. I saw Joyful show in her class that year and I knew I needed her. Seven years later Joyful is still leaving that impression on me. When I saw her was the complete package she had everything I wanted style, balance, and strength. Joyful also has a great pedigree which is a huge selling point in animals to me. They have to be able to back up the looks that they have and show that they are going to be able to make a great cow.

From exporting embryos around the world Joyful now has 1 bull testing to be in stud at KI De Toekomst in Holland. Defender is a Debonair out of Joyful. He also has a full sister in Sweden. Semen will be available in April in the UK. In July 2013 Joyful will also have 1 heifer and 1 bull in Columbia.

SAVAGE-LEIGH ALEXEE EX-90

Alexee I picked at the Savage Leigh sale in 2007. Alexee caught my eye being the biggest calf in the group combining that with the pedigree she had. I remember the day I bought her my mom said “She’s a 1 month old calf, and you never know how she’s going to turn out.” I knew even though she was very young she had every potential to be my next All American. “

ST-YLE-SA JUMPN 4 JOY-RED-ET
Advent X Joyful-Red

Currently Looking Good and In St-yle

We love to hear how people are moving forward and what their focus is. “Currently we are working with 2 Advent X Joyful- Jumpn 4 Joy (4yrOld), and Itz Joytime (5YrOld). I bred both of these and own Joytime still. In September 2012 a part of Jumpn was sold to Todd Galton. Advent was a choice I made as there was not a huge selection of RW Sires. Advent was popular and fit the need at that time. We also have a Fall Yearling for 2013 (JumpRope) out of a herd bull, and have a Redburst Heifer by Joytime (Itz SpringTime).”

ST-YLE-SA IZ JOYTIME-RED-ET (EX-91)
Advent X Joyful-Red

St-yle Savvy Sires

As previously mentioned, Stephanie finds it’s very slim pickings when looking for red and white sires to use. She explains. “It is especially hard to find ones to use on Advents. We are currently using Redburst on the Advents X Joyful as he is making them a little more dairy, and longer necked. As far as Holstein’s bulls we have been using Gillete Windbrook and Atwood.

Stephanie Aves’ passion for showing dairy cattle demonstrated through her junior project work, has earned her the 2010 Merle Howard Award

Stephanie Aves’ passion for showing dairy cattle earned her the 2010 Merle Howard Award

St-yle Must Have Pedigree – Pick from the Name Brands

This youthful dairy breeder encourages others to follow their dream. “The biggest piece of advice I have is to make sure when you are purchasing animals to make sure they have the pedigree to back the animal up. I’ve seen a lot of people older and younger make huge investments in animals that have nothing behind them to fall back on. At least animals with a pedigree that can’t be shown you can say there is pedigree and that it holds value for the animal otherwise they are just another heifer.”

St-yle is getting the Word Out: Black and White and Read All Over

Having a market to sell to is especially crucial when you’re breeding show type animals. “Social Media and Word of mouth is the 2 biggest things we use to market ourselves. We have set up a Facebook page for the farm and use that as our primary marketing tool. We used to have a website, but didn’t find the amount of interest was there from the website that couldn’t be on Facebook. I actually sold more embryos online on Facebook in 1 year then on my website in 2 years. Keeping things fresh and updated is the key. The more you see it the more it sticks in their mind. We have giveaways here and there to give away St-yle gear. People enjoy getting gifts and its free advertising for you.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line: Tomorrow’s Style Forecast

There are times when we fantasize that we would like to have three wishes granted. Stephanie imagines what her questions would be. “What are the right choices of the dairy industry to make things profitable, and successful for my dairy career? Is it genomics, polled, red and white, Holsteins, or colored breeds? If someone could tell me now what even 3 years in the dairy industry is going to be let alone what 10 years will bring could help set up what I am doing today to make things assist in a successful tomorrow.” We hope she shares if she finds the answers.

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Tags : Kyle Aves, SAVAGE-LEIGH ALEXEE, Scenic-Edge Joyful, St-yle Holsteins, ST-YLE-SA IZ JOYTIME-RED, ST-YLE-SA JUMPN 4 JOY-RED, Stephanie Aves, Wishing Well Mata

KEIGHTLEY and CORE JERSEYS: Heart of the Family

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Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

“All we know for sure is it was in our blood.” This is the heartfelt reason given by every member of the family at Keightley and Core Jerseys when asked to answer the question, “What motivates you?” The Core’s who live and farm in Salvisa, Kentucky believe this is the healthy force that keeps them going strong. “While dairy farming and the show business can be a rewarding life, it also isn’t easy. You really have to make sure that you understand the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices involved. At the end of the day, you have to have and understand the passion that is needed.” The Core family has it: Alta Mae and Jeff, son Brady, daughters Brittany and Brooke Powers (married to Chad) and grandchildren Jackson and Embry personify the vision of a close knit farm family.

They’re Putting Down Roots and Raising Records

Having found their passion the family works together to keep their focus on doing better all the time. “We currently farm about 250 acres and milk right around 70 cows with a total herd size of 175. We are truly a family run operation and employ no outside help. We are very proud to announce that we have recently achieved 2 milestones in production and classification. After a resent classification our herd of 71 cows has an average of 90 points, this is a first for us as we have average 89 for many years. Second, in the March issue of the Jersey Journal you will find that in the 40-79 lactation herd size we now rank 3rd in the nation for milk at 22,207 lbs of milk, 4th for protein, and 10th for fat, another exciting accomplishment at KCJF!”

Alta Mae Core recalls the 1964 Kentucky Nationals because her dad, A.J. Keightley, sold a champion cow that year, Sleeping Jester Kate.

Valued Family. Family Values.

Families are the building block that provides the foundation for how people develop in life. Alta Mae acknowledges this influence. “My parents definitely helped shape the person I am today. I was raised on a small registered Jersey farm and was taught at a young age that the hard work is the key to success. Both of my parents, AJ and Adelene Keightley believed in the Jersey breed and instilled that same passion within me.”

Watch the Best. Ask Questions

This nationally renowned dairy judge and 1999 Klussendorf winner expresses warm praise for other influences too. “I was also fortunate to grow up in the golden age of showing Jerseys. I had the honor and the privilege to watch and compete against Happy Valley, Vauclause Farm, Heaven Hill, Mayfield Farms, and many others. It was both a thrill and a learning experience to see how the great cowmen associated with these farms ran the operations and managed the show string. I’m sure as a kid I was a little annoying to some of them as well as their staff. I can remember watching and asking questions as they tended their cattle. I was eager to learn the fine points of what they did whether it was making the pack, putting the immaculate edge on the pack, putting up their display ( years ago some of these places wouldn’t have a straw out of place), or even the fine art of fluffing a switch. Norm Nabholz was and is probably the master of the switch. (Read more: Halter, Pen and Gavel. That’s Just the Norm.) But people like “Big John” Bob Finberg, Dick Walraven and many many others were people I watched. Also Lew Porter and Max Gordon were people that I looked up to for their class and professionalism.”

The Family “Treasure” Album

Although there are plenty of cows that still hold a special place in our heart we consider ourselves blessed to have had the opportunity to breed and develop KCJF Regency Treasure. She is not only one of the few 97 points cows in the breed but is also homebred on both sides of her pedigree by a homebred sire out of a homebred cow family. Treasure has not only been a five time All American but has also won numerous production awards and at 12 years of age continues to be an impact on our herd. She defines our breeding philosophy of strong cow families and a breeding program that balances type and production.”

KCJF Regency Treasure EX-97
Supreme Champion 2012 KY State Fair

Family Hall of Fame: Ritzy

“Treasure is obviously still a large part of our current program and her impact is felt in the pedigrees of numerous other cows we are currently working with. Most notably KCJF Tracers Ritzy, winner of the 2012 National Jersey Jug Futurity is by a Treasure son. In addition Ritzy was All American Junior Two Year Old in 2011. Ritzy’s mother KCJF Centurion Ritz is also a cow that is still in our herd and show string and was All American Senior Two Year Old in 2009.” (Read more: Gary Sauder – The Muse in his Studio)

Puttin on the Ritzy

Family Hall of Fame: Molly

Another cow family of note that is making a current impact on the Keightley-Core herd is KCJF Sambo Molly, 2008 National Jersey Jug Futurity Winner. They tell us, “While Molly may be gone, she left behind numerous offspring both male and female that are making waves in our herd currently. We recently had 3 Two Year Olds all score 89 points who are all directly from that family. In addition, Molly’s son KCJF Molly’s Ren Motion sired 1 All American and 2 Reserve All Americans in 2012. Another son that has been collected and is now being used in many herds besides our own is KCJF One in a Million.”

KCJF Sambo Molly
2008 National Jersey Jug Futurity Winner

Keightley-Core Values

At this point it is hard to say how genomics will affect our operation. It is something we will definitely watch long term to see how it will meld into our breeding philosophy. Probably due to my upbringing and parents influence we have always believed in using bulls out of good strong cow families whether it was our own farm bred bull or from another. Breeding strategies are as varied as the people who devise them. Keightley-Core Jerseys has a strategy that works for them. “We definitely use a number of our own homebred bulls such as Million, Motion, Regency and although we did not breed Hollylane Response we did purchase and collect him and still use him in our current program. We also use a number of other AI sires from both American and Canadian genetics.”

Generation “Next”

At Keightley-Core they are concerned about the steady reduction of family farms nationally, however, they have also seen many positive changes in the Jersey breed and they point specifically to the areas of productivity and efficiency. Jeff and Alta Mae agree wholeheartedly on one other thing. “Raising our children to have an interest in the Jersey breed and our farming operation has definitely been our greatest accomplishment. All three of our children were educated in the Agriculture field and continue to be involved in the farm. Now we also have grandchildren and are beginning to see their interest as well. It is a great feeling of satisfaction to see the future generations taking an interest in the future of our farm and the desire to continue the legacy that was started by both Jeff and my families.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

It is all about building on heartfelt passion for family – both home and livestock. Everyone at Keightley and Core Jersey Farm knows exactly where their heart is!

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Tags : Alta Mae Core, Jeff Keightley, KCJF Regency Treasure, KCJF Sambo Molly, KCJF Tracers Ritzy, Keightley and Core Jerseys, Norm Nabholz

DUSTY SCHIRM: From Show Ring to Sales Ring Building a Franchise

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Thursday, March 21st, 2013

We all look forward to those times in life when all the pieces come together. That is exactly what is happening for Dusty Schirm who resides in Chebanse Illinois with his wife Nicole and son Wyatt, awaiting the arrival of their second son due in June. Dusty is the Show Manager at Butlerview Farm where he tells us he feels fortunate to work with some of the top show cattle and most sought after genetics. (Read more: Exciting Times for Butlerview) “I spend the vast majority of my time working with Joe Price and our crew with the show cattle, preparing everything for the upcoming show season.” This life he loves started at home for Dusty.

In His Footsteps

Dusty has always had a keen eye for cows and people and gives credit to his father, Larry Schirm. “The biggest influence in my life has always been my dad. He is a man I have respected as long as I can remember. He has always been sought after to judge the greatest shows in the world and is someone everyone always enjoys. Mike Heath is someone who has helped me along with every aspect of learning cattle. When I was first starting out I would spend weeks with him touring around looking at cattle and trying to learn how to see them in the rough just like he does. He has also been one of the toughest critics on me and never afraid to push me to be better.”

Dusty’s First Top Model

Dusty’s father and Grandpa both contributed to the star maker he would become. He looks back fondly, “My start in cattle started in Junior Jersey shows. Both of my grandparents were Jersey breeders and the passion for not only dairy cattle but the show ring started at a young age. When I was 8 my grandpa Schirm let me pick out a calf to start my own cow family with and to show that year. I spotted my calf. She was a broken color Jersey with quite a bit of white on her and I named her Dusty’s MX Butterscotch and she was a March calf. Little did I know she would go on to be very successful the following year and be named Jr Champion at all the national shows (World Dairy Expo, Harrisburg, Louisville) and that was when I was hooked!”

Learning the Saw-Dusty Trail

Some people have a natural talent for bringing out the best in dairy cattle. Dusty is modest and prefers to give credit to others. “I first started fitting around the age of 16 and was very fortunate to have some great teachers. Starting out with Terry Rawn and Steve Deam. Once I turned 18 I worked with Delbert Yoder for the first year and learned many valuable tools. After that I was fortunate to work along with all the great fitters, Paulo, Roger Turner, Mike Heath, Joel Kietzman and Mark Rueth.” He continues to study these talents.

Roadways, Roses and Runways

For the observer, fitters are the magic makers of the show scene. We rarely consider what hard work that must be. Dusty explains, “For me the hardest challenge in being a fitter was the lifestyle I lived. I would spend 320 plus days a year on the road never having much free time and when I did have some time off I would usually spend that looking for the next great one on the road. It is a wear and tear business and not for everyone. There are many highs and lows that also come with being a fitter and a lot of scrutiny win or lose!” Dusty has learned to make it work.

Learning from the Topliners!

Being at the top of your chosen career is never easy but Dusty has advice to those who would follow the fitters dream, “Starting out is not as tough as one might think. There are many great people in this business that will give anyone a chance. My advice is when you get an opportunity, take full advantage of the people you are surrounded by. The reason you are working with those individuals is because they have the formula for success. Take what they do and apply it to your own goals.”

From Heads and Tails to Setting Sales

Looking back Dusty’s career path is a straight line from show string to sales string but thinks it has more serendipity (he encouraged the Bullvine to use big words). “Last year was my first sale on my own. It is a funny story how I got pushed into doing one though. Mike Heath always had a very successful Spring Valley Jersey Sale every other year and last year would have been time for him to do another sale. When he told me he wasn’t going to do one I thought well, do you think I could do one. He more or less said yep you are doing one and that was it. Following in his footsteps was not an easy task because his success with his sales has always been top level. Mike was great though with helping me through all the steps of having my own sale and with his help and many others we had a very successful sale.” A little serendipity. A lot of hard work.

Happy Talk is the Measure of Success

Everybody measures success differently. For Dusty Schirm he likes to have people talking about him. “Success for me is getting calls from all the consignors that let me know they saw their animal win at a show or they just talked to the buyer of the animal who wants to come to the farm to purchase another one or to see the animal’s cow family. That for me is how I measure success from a sale when seller and buyer are happy and say, “Thank you!”

Dusty Follows the Stars from Runway to Retail

Over the course of his “hands-on” career, Dusty has been side-by-side with many great cows. As always, cow-men find it hard to pick out favorites. “There are so many I have loved to be part of. From Jerian Sterling Mason, Dupasquier Cousteau Mamie, Friendly-Acres Linjet Murphy, Co-Vista Airliner Sarah, SavageLeigh Linjet Joy, Harvue Roy Frosty to current stars such as Cookview Goldwyn Monique, Silvermaple Damion Camomile and R-E-W Happy Go Lucky. I have been so fortunate to be associated with these individuals over my short career. But I would have to say my favorite all time was JIF Little Minnie. I bought Little Minnie as a 3yr old many moons ago in an old tie stall barn before she was popular and she has now gone on to be such a marquee cow in the Jersey breed.”

JIF Little Minnie EX-96 4E
All-Canadian Mature Cow 2002 & 2004
All-Canadian Champion Cow 2002

Making Change when Shift Happens

For Dusty the biggest change he has witnessed in his career has happened in the marketplace. “The value of show cattle is increasing to extremely high ends at the top and losing some of the value for the state show and regional type of cattle. It used to be if you had a real nice cow with a great pedigree that could win or compete at state show levels, she would be worth $7500-$15000. Though it’s great to see the value on the greatest show cattle in the world at an all time high, it’s sad to see that the markets for smaller homebred herds to market their individuals are losing their value.” This brings Dusty to face the future with a forecast.

Survival of the Fittest

Not one to mince words, Dusty looks ahead with a clear eye. “The number one change ahead for my generation is survival. This means that milking cows will probably not cut it to raise a family so you must find a niche market to provide more income to support your love for dairy cattle. Also we must learn the art of mating cattle to achieve our personal goals. Taking the time to study pedigrees that would be the ideal cross on a cow to make the next great one. It seems more and more we use the “HOT” sire, which is ok for some matings, but we really need to learn about cow families and thinking outside the box. Some of the best cattle ever have been as a result from someone doing something no one else would have!”

Fortunes, Favorites and Fatherhood!

Dusty says he is fortunate to have been involved in many great accomplishments from fitting cattle that have won at Madison to owning or selling individuals that have been National Winners or All Americans. However, these are not number one on his achievement list. He points out, “My proudest moment ever is seeing my little guy for the first time!” He continues to add special achievements, “My greatest accomplishment so far would be seeing so many individuals go on to be successful from our Jersey Sale this past spring. It is truly one of my proudest moments seeing the Reserve Jr Champion and Honorable Mention Jr Champion heifers from Madison that sold in the Franchise Sale last spring.” (Check out the great work Dusty and the team are doing for The Franchise Kind II Sale)

Wit, Wisdom and a Happy Wife

Dusty loves the new opportunities opening up in his life and has special visions for the future. Jokingly he suggests, “Perhaps I will start up an internet site that tells the truth about the cattle industry… OOPS! … That’s been done .. The Bullvine!”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Then seriously Dusty concludes, “I would like to continue the blessings of time shared with my wonderful wife and family and someday have my own herd of cows that my children could carry on with.” No doubt his boys will enjoy learning hand-in-hand with their dad. Dusty Schirm is a shining example!

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Tags : Butlerview Farm, Co-Vista Airliner Sarah, Dupasquier Cousteau Mamie, Dusty Schrim, Dusty's MX Butterscotch, Friendly-Acres Linjet Murphy, Harvue Roy Frosty to current stars such as Cookview Goldwyn Monique, Jerian Sterling Mason, JIF Little Minnie, Joel Kietzman, Larry Schrim, Mark Rueth, Mike Heath, Nicole Schrim, R-E-W Happy Go Lucky, Roger Turner, SavageLeigh Linjet Joy, SILVERMAPLE DAMION CAMOMILE, The Franchise Kind

Dairy Carrie – Diary of a City Kid Gone Country

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Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

“I grew up in Madison WI, exactly 2 miles south of the World Dairy Expo grounds.” So begins what could be a simple diary entry. But there is nothing simple about the writing of Carrie Mess who was raised in the heart of dairy land but not exactly part of it – at least not in the beginning. “Aside from seeing lots of cattle trailers on the Beltline as a kid, I had zero connection to dairy farms.” That all changed when Carrie met Patrick Mess whose family has been in the dairy business for generations. “After we got married I left my job in town and started working on the farm. We knew we wanted farming to be a part of our future but I had no idea if I could hack it on a dairy farm. I literally knew nothing about cows when I started but fell in love fast and found what I believe is the path I was meant to be on.” Those who know Carrie wholeheartedly agree.

Blogging In Vicariously!

Carrie had found her path but there would be some twists and turns. Technology became one helpful signpost along the way. Carrie explains some of the first steps. “Via twitter I found a group of farmers that called themselves the AgChat Foundation. This group was all about using social media to tell the story of agriculture. I attended the 2nd AgChat Foundation 2.0 Conference and started thinking about creating a blog. At the time I was searching for a strong connection to agriculture. Patrick and I had had changes in our lives and weren’t on the dairy farm. I wanted something that kept me part of the dairy industry. A few weeks later I wrote my first post and the rest is history!” History yes! But a lot more interesting for her readers!!

“All the Moos About Me!”

Patrick and Carrie are back on the farm now and have formed an LLC (Limited Liability Company) with his parents to purchase their 100 cow dairy. Carrie manages the herd health side of things as well as scheduling a few part time employees. She is a blog writer but her passion makes it so much more as she explains, “My blog is centered around agriculture and mainly dairy. However the title is “The Adventures of Dairy Carrie” and my life does include things outside of cows. Sometimes I will blog about music, food or whatever else I am thinking. It’s my blog so I make the rules! I find that writing about non dairy topics is also a great way to connect with people outside of agriculture.” You might say that anything relating to pen-manship — on the farm or on the keyboard — inspires Carrie.

This Merry Prairie Carrie has Mentors

Actresses have role models and bloggers do too! Once again, Carrie aspires to the unexpected. “When I grow up I want to be a combination of the Pioneer Woman and Mike Rowe*. They are both great at sharing stories in a fun and entertaining way.” However, Carrie’s career path has been mentored well on the serious side too. “When it comes to the cows, my in-laws, Clem and Cathy Mess have taught me the vast majority of what I know about dairy cattle. The care they give their cows is an example for all of us.” (Michael Gregory “Mike” Rowe is an American media personality best known as the host of the Discovery Channel series Dirty Jobs)

Carrie is Caring, Sharing and Calling YOU!

Carrie’s commitment to agriculture is a rallying cry for all of us. ““I believe that the future of agriculture, the very future of our food supply, rests in my hands and the hands of the people out there on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube sharing their lives.

Does She Get Carried Away? Absolutely!!

As the wave of Carrie’s dairy enthusiasm grows, so does the pressure on her schedule. She admits, “I don’t sleep very much and my smart phone is glued to my hand. Between the farm, my full time position with Udder Comfort, selling semen for Sierra Desert Breeders and Dairybullsonline.com, my blog is often neglected. I try to post at least one post a week. A post can take me anywhere from 20 minutes to write to hours. I’ve found that some of my most popular posts are posts that I put up in a hurry. I guess I should take that as a hint and not to over think everything that I write.” Judging from her popularity Carrie probably could rest on her laurels and fall back on, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” That’s not the Carrie way however!!

The Big Barn Theory Hammers Home Carrie’s “Shocking” Message

Carrie has used many means to deliver her message and one of them was especially revealing. “My most popular post, with over 42,000 views was the video I made showing what really happens on a dairy farm. I set it up as a “shocking undercover video” to mimic the animal rights videos that get out. Again, I was blown away by the response I got! The video was shot quickly and put up so I wouldn’t feel guilty about not posting all week. I think it went over so well because people who were expecting to see something bad instead watched, laughed and learned and didn’t even realize it. I find humor is the best approach to the heavy stuff. Makes it all easier to digest.” Whatever her method the results are music to dairy lovers everywhere.

Someday She Will Carrie a Tune

This dynamo has many fields that she would like to cover in the future. “I would really love to learn to play the guitar. I am a huge music lover and wish I had the talent to make my own music.” She’s modest but her musical enthusiasm led to a connection that was behind this hardworking ambassador’s promotion of another agricultural event. ““The Departed song “Worth the Fight” is a really great tune; it really gets me revved up and rocking,” It was the inspiration behind her Farming: Worth the Fight! Agvocacy. “The song has been my biggest inspiration. Last fall when I was organizing a Hay Drive to help struggling farmers and ranchers in Oklahoma and Texas, the guys from The Departed helped me out by sharing the Hay Drive info to their fans. I really appreciated their help and thought that this was a great way to say thanks to them, as well as tie my love for agriculture and music into one big post.” When Carrie loves something, you’re going to hear about it.

Diary of Another Fine Mess

Inspired by the family farm and loving her life with husband Patrick Mess, Carrie says he is the one she relies on. “He can make or fix anything and he keeps me sane when life starts spiraling out of control.” And that is probably why she so firmly believes that there is hope even though as she puts it, “ the future of farming in our country is teetering on the edge of disaster.” and needs all of us to raise our voices. “Misinformation is running wild across the news channels and internet. If the people out here making the decisions about how food in this country is produced don’t speak up and provide the transparency that our customers are demanding, soon our decisions will be made for us.” Hear here!!

The Bullvine Bottom Line – Carry Forward!

With champions like Carrie sharing her Dairy Diary and carrying the Dairy Torch, the future looks brighter indeed. Let’s help her keep carrying on!! It’s good for all of us!

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Luck-E Holsteins: The Harder they work, the Luck-E-r they get!

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Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

Brothers Joe and Matt Engel and their parents, Dennis and Beth, have the obvious good fortune to own and operate Luck-E Holsteins of Hampshire, Illinois. The really fortunate part is that their luck is not just in the name but in their achievements too!

Talk About Luck-E

Luck-E Holsteins have bred or developed hundreds of Excellent cows (260+ homebred) including 5 EX-95, set national production records, bred 15+ All-American nominations. That is outstanding and Joe Engel gives further updates. “For years the average score of the dams of all cows in the herd has been EX-91 or EX-92. I think the biggest accomplishment is developing our four main cow families that transmit so consistently every generation our ‘goal cow’.” So obviously it isn’t just an accident. But where did their Luck begin? The Engel brothers explain.

Luck-E Goldwyn Aaliyah VG-89-2yr
Dam is Luck-E Outside Anxious 3E-93 x 2E-90 x 3E-93 x 2E-94

Luck-E Start

“Our parents grew up on Angus farms. Our dad bought the farm we are at today and started milking 38 grade cows. Our parents married in ’68 and bought their first registered cow. From then on all purchased animals were registered. When getting ready to register the first calf, they realized they needed a prefix. After seeking advice from an established breeder, they were told you want something short, positive and easy to remember. Take the Y off Lucky and put E for Engel and the Luck-E name was born. When the first of us five boys started 4-H so did going to the county fair and district show which led to State Show and then to National shows.”

What Luck-E Holsteins Looks Like

Currently the Engels are milking 150 cows in 38 stall barn with 19 machines; all cows are housed in sand freestalls and feed a one group TMR. Calves are raised in hutches for about 80-85 days and then to loose housing bedded with straw. Bred heifers, milk cows, and dry cows have access to pasture about 8 months a year. The two brothers and their parents all play an active role in the everyday operation of the farm.

Luck-E Advent Atlanta EX-92 3yr Max Score
Atlanta is a full sister to the dam of 200H6450 Adonis-Red.

Making Their Own Luck

When it comes to cattle breeding they have a well prepared plan. “We want a truly well balanced cow; wide from her muzzle to her pins with a silky well attached udder and high protein. A cow needs to be able to calve, go right out to the freestalls, be healthy, have the capacity to make a lot of milk from forage and last. Chest width is the building block for all of that. Proven cow families on both sides of the pedigree are important. We want to develop and work with families that hit every time. It is just as important how good the worst sister is as the best one. It costs just as much to make and feed a bad one as a good one. Duds are too expensive. Protein makes a huge difference on the milk check and marketing.” Obviously they feel that the harder they work on their goals the better the results will be.

Loving All Their Luck-E Stars, Including the Red Ones!

Luck-E Holsteins have had so many great cows they feel it is hard to narrow down the list of favorites says Joe. “I can’t pick one. However Luck-E Blitz Australia and Luck-E Rubens Kaylie” stand out for him. He describes these two “*RC. Australia was built just the way we like with tremendous dairy strength and perfect udder attachments. She was the high index Blitz for a long time when Blitz was hot. She is the cow that started bringing international visitors to the farm. She has our kind of pedigree, production and type. She has had three daughters max out at EX-92 2^nd calf. We are very excited about how they are starting to transmit including Asia’s in demand son Luck-E Adonis-Red.”

Luck-E Advent Kandie-Red EX-92-95-MS 2yr Daughter of LUCK-E RUBENS KAYLIE *RC EX-92

Luck-E Advent Kandie-Red EX-92-95-MS 3yr
Daughter of LUCK-E RUBENS KAYLIE *RC EX-92

Then their attention turns to Kaylie and an outline of her strengths. “Kaylie *RC is a Rubens from two generations EX-94. She was the first virgin heifer we ever flushed. She was the kind of heifer you just wanted to breed from. Wide chest, tremendous rump, straight lines, and *RC (like good Triple Threat). We flushed her to the first available semen from a red bull out of a really nice young Durham with a great pedigree. That flush yielded what we believe to be the first milking All-American Advent Luck-E Advent Kite-Red, the first EX-92 Advent Luck-E Advent Kalotta (first to win at a National show milking) and the first EX Advent son Luck-E Advantage. Their full sister is Luck-E Advent Kandie –Red EX-92 MS95 3yr. Kalotta’s daughter Luck-E Talent Kiwi EX-92 (max) is following the families mold with great type protein.”

Building on Luck

The plan is working well for the Engels. “We aim for consistent performance every generation. Luck-E Advent Asia EX-92, Luck-E Advent Atlanta EX-92, Luck-E Advent Kandie-Red EX-92, Luck-E Talent Kiwi EX-92, and Luck-E Goldwyn Aaliyah VG-89 2yr. are all cows built the way we like with maximum scores, and most importantly from proven cow families that seem to always transmit.

Luck-E Advent Asia EX-92 2yr Max Score
1st 2-year-old Futurity, IL Championship Show 2010
Daughter of LUCK-E BLITZ AUSTRALIA VG-87 2YR

Luck-E Matches Strength to Strength

Joe outlines how clearly they build the exact mating for each Luck-E Holstein. “Despite the opportunity to fill index contracts, we flushed Australia (dam of Asia & Atlanta) to Advent because we thought it would make a beautifully balanced cow and *RC is appealing. Kaylie we did to Advent to make Kandie because of the success of her first Advents. We mated Kaylie to Advent originally because of Advent’s cow family and sire stack. Kiwi we made because Talent and Advent makes sense. Talent just needs to be used on strength; a Talent from Kalotta is going to have that. Aaliyah’s dam we did to Goldwyn because of her tremendous frame (98 Dairy Strength) and Goldwyn’s style.”

Luck-E Talent Kiwi-ETS *RC EX-92 93-MS 3yr
Dam LUCK-E ADVENT KALOTTA EX-92

Spreading the Good Luck

Adonis, Absolute, Acme, Armani, Baltimor, Braxton and Buxton are some of the current service sires at Luck-E. “The Adonis- cow family is our ideal.” Joe affirms his confidence in cow families asking, “Do Altitude or Barbie ever disappoint?” He then goes on, “I would add that the Bolton blood in Buxton is a nice shot of milk where needed. Like Blitz in Guthrie and Windbrook we used previously.” He sums up their marketing goals, “We try to take a well rounded approach to marketing. Nothing is better than word of mouth and the best way to get that is happy customers. That is the most important. We think it’s also important to get out and see people at sales and shows whether it’s here, Canada or across the ocean. We try to spread our advertising around to reach more markets. Of course our website is important and the center of our advertising. Facebook is a nice way to compliment those things.” For the Engels there is one important target, “We aim to stay in touch with people and get updates out fast.”

Learning How to be Lucky

Joe gives credit to those who have contributed to his and Matt’s success. “Our parents taught us how to work, how to live, how to farm.” Others have shared lessons too. “Bill Berghorn (former herdsman of Hartman Farms) was at our first classification and almost every one since. He helped us catch the ‘show bug’ and taught us everyday cow sense. Jim Hipel helped us purchase hundreds of cows from Canada.” He wraps up the list with glowing praise.” Of course there is Barb Royle- Master Breeder of the Bardholm herd we purchased in ’99. Anyone who can breed cows like that can teach you something.”

Luck-E Braxton Maeve VG-89 EX-MS
2yr Sr 2 for 2013!

Genomics On Demand

Everyone is aware of today’s changing marketplace and Matt and Joe Engel pinpoint two particular areas. “Genomics and shifts in the market resulting from them and the tightening in dairy margins that have made an efficient, long lasting cow more important than ever no matter what path you take to breed her.” In typical style they know how to deal with this. “Genomics has not had a large affect on how we manage our herd. The young sires we are using are selected because of their maternal line and sire stack. An example would be when we used Braxton and Baltimor initially. We bought a lot of semen before their genomics came out because we loved Barbie and her daughters.” The more prepared you are the luckier you get. Matt continues discussing market demand. “Demand does seem to have made a shift from embryos to live animals. And the higher the level of animal the more demand has increased.” They both feel there is future in “polled”.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The Engels don’t attribute success to any single method. “There is no question there are more ways than one to breed cows and be successful.” The next step is important too. “Whether you want the highest genomics, elite type or just a herd full of balanced cows, always follow your goal with each bloodline.” say these two brothers. Joe sums their philosophy with feeling and, in doing so, gives away the secret of their exceptional success “The reason we try to breed the kind of cow we do, the way we do, is because that’s what we love doing.” Luck-E indeed!

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SHAKE, SIZZLE and FRY! – Social Media in Agriculture is Heating Up!

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Thursday, March 7th, 2013

Several years ago, the marketing team I worked with was led by a gentleman who loved to use the quote, “When you’re selling, don’t sell the steak sell the sizzle.” Although celebrity Chef Lynn Crawford was a keynote speaker at Canadian Dairy Xpo, the Dairy Classroom got cooking early with Billy Frey’s on-farm social media presentation. The dynamic Frey is the Senior Vice President of Alltech Ag Network and he really knows how to sell the sizzle. He grabbed attention early with on-line streaming of his presentation and one-liners like, “What happens in Vegas stays on Facebook” which caught and held the attention of the standing room only audience.

Lyons, TVs and Broadcasts – Oh My!

Alltech Ag Network, as envisioned by its founder, Dr. Pearse Lyons, has always been a company built on relationships explains Billy. “We knew if we could build a relationship, we could learn of someone’s problems. Once we knew the problem, we could find a solution. About 2 years ago, we spoke with our friend Jim Host. Jim is known as the grandfather of sports marketing for the programs he and his company (Host Communications) put together for the NCAA. In fact, Jim was just inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, not for his play, but for his contributions to the game, principally setting up the NCAA corporate partner program.” This dream team was primed for what was about to happen.

It’s iHigh Time for Ag

Frey outlines the serendipity. “Jim Host had started a new company called iHigh.com. This was an online TV company that broadcast high school sporting events. The idea was simple: iHigh put the Production Truck that you see at major sporting events into a computer and let the schools broadcast their own games. The schools could generate revenue through advertising, which proved quite profitable. Jim and Dr. Lyons thought “Why not agriculture?” That was the first step and then “Alltech bought the rights to agriculture and began engaging Ag groups (FFA, rodeo organizations, horse shows, etc) to broadcast their events on iHigh.” This was a key and very logical piece according to Frey, “Agriculture has such a great story to tell, and who better to tell it than the participants themselves?”

A Communication Cover-All for Ag

As with any great idea once the pieces start coming together the momentum builds. Frey shares this synopsis of events. “Shortly thereafter we entered into discussions with RFD-TV. Patrick Gottsch, the founder of RFD-TV had been ‘telling ag’s story” for many years and he was looking to move into the online world. Once he met with Jim Host and Pearse Lyons and learned about the technology, a partnership was formed. Now, all RFD-TV content can be found online by going to MYRURALTV.com. Patrick and RFD-TV have given a voice to the smaller events that might not be on network television. Not only do they provide great coverage to their 65 million subscribers, but they also direct them to MYRURALTV.com whereby fans of RFD-TV can watch even more Ag content online.” Social media was on the move and the potential it was facing, meant a lot to Billy Frey.

Frey Gets Plugged In

The timing was right for Frey who had graduated from Centre College in 1998 with a degree in International Economics. He outlines his career path, “From there I worked in a bank. The banking business didn’t enthuse me so I applied for a job with this international animal health company called Alltech. I had never heard of it, but after interviewing, seeing the marketing philosophy, etc, I realized that this is something that I could get into. I’ve been with Alltech for 14 years. When I started we were an $85M company with about 500 people. Now, we should hit about $800M in annual sales with 3000 employees.”

Computer Traffic Increase on the Information Highway

To date we have more than 300 organizations or groups broadcasting live events online. Our traffic continues to grow, as people watch signature events like the FFA National Convention, the National HS Rodeo Finals, and more online. With the world, in particular the world’s youth, watching video online we have seen a 4-fold increase in traffic online.”

Watch! It`s Alive!

Frey confirms that the online Ag content that will be provided by the partnership between Alltech and RFD-TV, utilizing the iHigh.com technology, will continue to grow. “Last year 12 state FFA conventions were broadcast live online. This year, we expect 30 state conventions to be broadcast online. We expect more rodeos, more equestrian competitions, and of course, all the same great RFD-TV content to be available online. No longer does mom and dad have to wonder what’s going on at the FFA Convention. They can tune in. No longer does Grandma and Grandpa have to look at pictures of their grandchild win an award or compete in a rodeo…they can watch it live.”

Technology is Smokin’

As an observer of change Frey joins the rest of us in awe at the rapidly changing social media scene, “The rise and adoption of technology has been first and foremost of the changes I’ve witnessed. The world is at our fingertips, so that leads to infinite possibilities. Consumer attitudes have shifted. Globally we’re taking an interest in what’s in our food and how is it produced. Look at what’s happening in Europe right now with the horse meat situation. People want to know what’s in their food and when they’re duped, they revolt. Along with oxygen and water, it’s one of the three most important things in life.”

Family Matters. They’ve Got Freys with That!

Speaking of important things in life Frey affirms his appreciation for the Alltech philosophy of marketing through education and, he adds, “our goal of helping to feed the world while at the same time educating people as to where their food comes from”. Frey admits that his current role as Senior Vice President of the Alltech Ag Network is his biggest challenge to date but then, in his branded positive style adds,” Like most great challenges, it’s the most rewarding.” Nevertheless it isn’t Frey’s biggest success story, “Personally, in the past 5 years I’ve met the love of my life, gotten married, and last June, became a father to a beautiful baby girl. That’s definitely the best thing I’ve ever done.”

It’s Fast. It’s Instant. It’s Ready to Serve.

There’s another old saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!” However, everyone knows that’s where the action is. A few minutes of listening to Billy Frey confirms that social media is the kitchen and you become a believer that this company has also found the “secret ingredient”. Frey looks into the future for us. “I see traceability and value added products coming to the forefront. I want to know who produced this milk I’m drinking and what went into the ice cream or the cheese I’m eating (too much of by the way). Why can’t I just use my phone, scan the carton and see the farmer? I’m in agriculture so I trust those who provide me food. Most people don’t have the good fortune of working in our industry, so they don’t know how milk is made. When they don’t know, they do two things: find out for themselves or assume the worst. Since the internet has given us instant information, people trust whatever comes up first on a Google search. People want to know where their milk comes from, so let’s tell them. We have every reason to do it and zero reasons not to.” The recipe for success!

BULLVINE BOTTOM LINE

Thanks to our look at marketing through the eyes of “Shake Sizzle and Frey” we have learned that, social media is the means whereby, the farm, the farmer and agriculture are no longer anonymous. People are eager to get to know and like who is growing their food. The Bullvine thinks that Alltech is one of the first companies to turn up the heat on Ag sizzle. If you are still waiting for a taste test, you could not only miss the heat, but the entire kitchen altogether. Go where the action is. “Social Media in Agriculture is Heating Up!”

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Bryhill International Genetics: 10 BIG Steps to Following Their Dream

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Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

The Bryson family of Ormstown, Quebec are following their dream of growing Bryhill International Genetics into a leading dairy breeding operation.

Of course, expanding a farm and growing a family business can be both rewarding and challenging at the same time. Matthew and David Bryson take a moment to look back and consider how far they have come. “The past 6 years have led us to change our breeding philosophy completely, while gearing up for a large commercial dairy environment.” As the Brysons share how they made the necessary changes, Bullvine readers have a perfect opportunity to look at 10 big steps taken by Bryhill International Genetics as they follow their dream.

1. THE FOUNDATION: Start with the Right Team

The principle of building on the foundation of a great team is the basis of success for sports and business. The team members at Bryhill are Lynn, David, Stacey, Matt, and Sarah. Jason Bryson, a cousin, is also a very important employee involved throughout the farm activities and specifically the nursery where the new calves and high end genetics get their start. A brother, Alan, helps analyze breeding decisions and investments for future genetic orientations. It takes commitment and a shared vision for the future.

David, Lynn and Matthew Bryson at the original homestead

2. LEADING EDGE IDEA. Make it Work.

David and Matt Bryson describe the motivation behind Bryhill International Genetics. As a founding member of Trans America Genetics, “B.I.G. was used to set focus and aim at identifying, acquiring and merchandising breed leading genetics with a specific focus in mind. The move to a large freestall, the need to adapt to the changing technology (genomics) and the need to be more efficient, means that every decision we have made has led to aggressive moves so as to be better positioned for the future in order to have a business that would move easily into the next generation.” A successful, sustainable family dairy business.

3. FAMILY MATTERS. That’s Where We’re Going.

Every big dream starts with little steps. There are many variables that impact decisions. This was definitely the situation facing the Bryson family. “The expansion was prompted by a few different things. First, the business needed to support two families. Second, the previous site had limitations due to highway, rivers and town in close proximity. Third we wanted to offer a working environment that facilitated high volumes using efficient methods therefore allowing quality time with our families and preparing ourselves better for the future.”

4. GROWTH IS A GIVEN. Build More.

With growing clarity on where they needed to be, Bryhill got down to the actual building. Matt says, “The latest expansion is now complete. There are now two main dairy barns of 105’ x 475’ and a hospital, close-up barn of 75’ x 250’.The milking parlour is a double 16 allowing for more expansion and high flow as well as a calf barn with automatic feeding, just off the milking parlour. We currently milk 300 head and plan to keep growing the herd with the most efficient genetics possible.”

Innaugural feeding in Bryhill's new facility

Inaugural feeding in Bryhill’s new facility

5. A WORLD VIEW: Key in On It

Great product and facilities would be nothing, if it wasn’t meeting the demands of the marketplace. Dave clarifies the Bryhill philosophy. “We have identified the high GTPI, NM, Polled segments as our key markets. These are to us the markets which shall develop the highest demand for the commercial dairy farm and meet over 95% of world market needs.”

The number one GTPI polled heifer of the breed, Bryhill One Sassy P. Potentially the best heifer ever bred at BIG.

6. MAKE THE COWS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. Make it Fast

Growing a successful dairy business always boils down to the cows that produce the milk, the genetics, the buyer interest and the bottom line financial success. The Brysons share which families they have introduced, “The cow families that we are working with are Sizzle P, Planet Lucia, Chart Topper, Shottle May, Converse Judy, Allen Dragonfly, Brocade, Baxter Carmel, Cosmopolitan, Adeen, and Dreary.” Here too there is a great deal of thought that has gone into the selections. “These are all cow families that have proven their abilities to make extremes. Breed changers we like to call them.” BIG changers!!

7. GENOMICS. Go for it NOW.

There is no hesitation at Bryhill International Genetics when it comes to using Genomics. “The top sires we are using are 100% genomic. Leading genomic sires will remain among the top of the breed regardless of rank.” That is important to the Brysons. “This gives us an advantage over the longer run as we shorten generation intervals and increase genetic gain.” Again it is no surprise to hear them say, “We aim to remain among the forerunners.”

8. GENOMICS. The Game Changer.

When you’re developing an international company that is relevant and sustainable you have to evolve with the modern marketplace. David recognizes the impact of genomics. “Genomics has significantly changed the way we do business. It has made us realize the value of cattle and breeding. While we still enjoy solid conformation, it has created more objectivity in our decisions and, we look more at what that individual will potentially transmit. We take pride in making these top females available and in fact it has also helped our merchandising. New progeny become recognized on objective, public top lists that are accessible to all. This has led to great contacts and marketing opportunities.”

9. CHANGE IS HERE. Be Part of it

Matt confirms this viewpoint. “The marketplace will change according to changes in market demand and technology. Consumers will play a huge impact and animal welfare will play a part too.” Dave highlights another game changer. “The polled gene has been a big part of our change as we see this becoming a standard!”

De-Su 199 Chart Topper" In partnership with TAG, Bryhil purchased Chart Toppers 1st Choice Numero Uno daughter for $79,000 at World Classic Sale 2011

De-Su 199 Chart Topper
In partnership with TAG, Bryhill purchased Chart Toppers 1st Choice Numero Uno daughter for $79,000 at World Classic Sale 2011. Chart topper is a Watson x Pine-Tree Missy Oman Miranda VG-86 x Wesswood-HC Rudy Missy EX-92 3E GMD DOM x EX-90 GMD DOM x VG-87

10. GET GOOD ADVICE. Grow With It

Despite their relative youth, the Bryhill team knows the value of good mentors. “ TAG has been an influential entity in our genetic development,” say the Brysons. They admit it is tough to offer advice to others but know that their experience could help others who are interested in expanding their genetic marketing strategies. “Two things come to mind.” say the Bryhill team. “It’s hard to go wrong with high genomics from top cow families.”” Try to identify where the market is going.” “This is not easy but it is doable.”

THE BULLVINE BOTTOM LINE

When you want to know what makes the BIG difference, it really is clear what is working for the Bryson family and Bryhill International Genetics. They take many small steps consistently and persistently. They are following their dream and obviously are ready to make a mountain out of Bryhill. That’s the B.I.G. difference.

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Tags : Bryhill International Genetics, Bryhill One Sassy P, De-Su 199 Chart Topper, Genomics, Trans America Genetics

CANADIAN BULL PROOFS – You’ve Got to Prove It to Use It!

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Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

No one likes paying upfront fees for anything. After all, what’s the point of paying for something you haven’t received yet? But there are some situations where paying upfront totally makes sense. Getting genetic information is one of those times. You give up your money first and it translates into rewards later.

The Pieces are Put Together to Pull Together

Twenty years ago in Canada the dairy industry was faced with a challenge. Government said it would fund research and development but not genetic evaluation services. The goal was to shrink the cost and size of government. The industry said these reports are valuable so we are going to have to get involved and that is what happened.

Canadian Dairy Network (CDN) was established in May 1995. General Manager, Brian Van Doormaal, has been with CDN since its inception and summarizes the general details. “CDN is governed by a Board of Directors that primarily consists of breeders who are elected as representatives from four categories of member organizations, namely Breed Associations, DHI Agencies, A.I. organizations and Dairy Farmers of Canada.

The Canadian Dairy Network provides five major services:

Genetic Evaluation Services
Research and Development Projects
Industry Standards
Maintains the National Dairy Data Base
Operates the Data Exchange amongst the industry partners

It`s Fully Integrated and Always Moving

In the simplest terms, all the relevant information is shared by those who contribute. Examples are: Breed pedigrees go to CDN; CDN shares them with everyone who is a partner; DHI records go to CDN and are shared with partners. These and more types of information are available to all users at all times via the Internet. Everything can be found at the CDN website AT NO CHARGE for lookups.

The Dollar Division

Van Doormaal updates the funding process behind CDN. “All activities of CDN are financed by the industry organizations that are its members and for this reason the CDN Board of Directors has established an equitable service fee structure.” He further breaks out the pay structure. “80% is paid by AI and 20% by breed associations and milk recording provide their information at no charge to CDN.”

FEES: Fearsome Hurdle or Forward Thinking?

When there is a 79% cost increase (effective April 2013), there are going to be questions. Namely, “How did CDN determine the cost of $7500 to prove a bull in Canada?” Previously the fee was $4200. The same fee has been set on a per bull basis for privately owned genotyped bulls, starting April 2013. CDN does not have any other fees so this is an all-inclusive rate that gives the bull owners access to various services associated with genetic and genomic evaluations.”

Van Doormaal further clarifies. “With the arrival of genomic evaluations in 2009, operational costs have risen due to increased staffing needs and computer power while the number of young bulls with semen released in Canada each year has almost halved.” Obviously, the plan is three-fold: provide more research; more development and, at the same time, cover costs into the future.

Everybody Pays!

Van Doormaal stresses that, “In one way or another, all people and organizations will be paying fees to receive genetic and genomic evaluation services from CDN for bulls. While the mechanism for paying differs for breeders compared to A.I. organizations that are members of CDN, the level of payment is equivalent. On the female side, no fees are applied on an animal basis since the breed associations contribute to funding CDN activities on behalf of their members.”

Brian Van Doormaal, CDN
Speaking at the 2012 China-Canada Dairy Conference

What’s Up in Other Countries?

Van Doormaal knows the international scene and explains, “While there are other countries like Canada for which the genetic evaluation services are financed completely by industry stakeholders, as opposed to government, each country inevitably ends up with its own funding formula and mechanism.” He speaks of the American situation. “In the US, the mechanism proposed for financing its genetic and genomic evaluation services includes some level of fee applied to every male and female for which a genomic evaluation is to be calculated.”

Proving Your Own Bull

When asked about advice for breeders looking to prove their own sires, Van Doormaal urges. “Genotyping young bull calves shortly after birth makes as much sense for breeders as the genotyping of their newborn heifers. Once the genomic evaluations are available to the breeder, better decisions can be made about the bull’s future. Owners (AI or breeders) of bulls with outstanding results can then pay the CDN fee to make results official and have the young bull ranked among others available in Canada.”

LPI Formula Changing

Van Doormaal reports “The LPI for Holsteins in Canada currently has a range in values of approximately -3000 to +3000, which is three times bigger than the TPI in the United States and over 50 times bigger than national indexes used in most other countries.

The CDN Board of Directors decided, after consulting all stakeholders, that the LPI scale should be halved. To achieve this objective while maintaining the current level of LPI values for the highest progeny proven bulls, it was decided to add a “constant” value to the LPI formula in a manner similar to what the United States has done for years with its TPI formula. Conversion from current LPI values to the proposed new scale is simply done by dividing the current LPI in half and then adding the constant of 1700.”

LPI Formula Give and Take

Another adjustment Van Doormaal expects to happen to the LPI formula relates to the specific traits included and the relative emphasis placed on each. Analysis of various options and discussion will proceed through 2013 with a likely implementation of an updated formula in April 2014. Based on feedback received from a cross-section of breeders, there seems to be a general interest to increase the overall emphasis on longevity, fertility and disease resistance in the formula. Of course, once the emphasis is increased on some traits, there also has to be other traits losing emphasis.

Future CDN Genetic Evaluation Evolution

In December 2012, CDN introduced Body Condition Score as a newly evaluated trait for all breeds, which can be used as an indicator for fertility, disease resistance and longevity. The release in December 2013 will include the first official genetic evaluations for Mastitis Resistance in all breeds which should be followed by Resistance to Metabolic Disorders in 2014. Other traits on the planning horizon within the next five years include desirable fatty acids and other components of milk, hoof health and feed efficiency.

Changing Gears for Genomics

Van Doormaal provides updates resulting from the introduction of Genomics. “Prior to 2009, CDN had six different genetic evaluation systems, which were run monthly to evaluate over 60 traits including production, type, longevity, female fertility, calving performance and milking speed/temperament. With the arrival of genomics, a new system was developed and implemented, which estimates Direct Genomic Values (DGVs) for all traits and combines them with traditional evaluations to produce the published genomic evaluations. This new system is also run monthly and also required the establishment of a national database to process and store all genotypes, which now totals over 310,000 across all breeds. Operationally, these new services that are highly valued by the industry organizations and breeders, have required additional geneticists and new web site development as well as investments in advanced computer equipment and processing power.”

CDN: Providing Global Genetics and Genomics

Looking to the future, Van Doormaal gives an overview. “The era of genomics is still in its embryonic stages. It is difficult to predict the extent to which it will continue to impact the dairy cattle industry over the next 10 or 20 years. One thing for certain is that the world of genetics will continue to shrink at an increasing rate since it is so easy to collect DNA from any animal in the world and assess its genomic evaluation on numerous country scales.”

CDN: Fine-Tuning

CDN will dedicate much time and effort in the coming years to fine-tuning existing traditional genetic evaluation systems and methods for estimating genomic evaluations. Van Doormaal is realistic about the possibilities. “The shift towards a higher market share held by genomic young sires compared to progeny proven sires will likely experience some pendulum swings, eventually reaching stabilized proportions as breeders and industry gain experience in the coming year.”

After 25 years working and educating in the Canadian proving system, Van Doormaal is proud of the achievements. “We are fortunate in Canada to have many geneticists and research scientists who realize that the ‘practice’ of genetic selection and mating is not the same as the ‘science’. Both sides need to continue to respect and listen to the knowledge and experience of the other. The most progress is made by incorporating the ‘science’ of genetic improvement into a solid, practical breeding program.”

BULLVINE BOTTOM LINE:

Recognizing the potential of responding to changes in the industry, in technology and from science, CDN is focused on the future on behalf of breeders.

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EUROGENES: You Love It. They List It!

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Thursday, February 28th, 2013

Today Jan de Vries and Arjan van der Vlis keep their cattle connections productive through Eurogenes the Netherlands based online cattle auction service. Looking back, it`s easy to pinpoint their early interest in cows. Jan says, “Since I was a little child I have been working on farms. During holidays I always spend time on farms. I always had a special interest for breeding and mating sires.” Arjan too had a cattle connection. “Got my interest in cattle through my father with buying cows, he is a butcher and we searched for the cattle ourselves. Later on I became more interested in dairy cattle and in the breeding of them. Through practical training and family I got my extreme interest in dairy cattle breeding.” No doubt their joint enthusiasm for cattle led them to keep open minds regarding ways to be involved with the business.

Eurogenes Means E(asy) Commerce

In 2000 Alex Arkink, a cow photographer started Eurogenes. Both Jan and Arjan were involved in managing the Eurogenes Sales. After four years Jan ws ready to take the next step with Lammert Hielema. The two of them who own Genetics Consolidated went forward. “In 2004 we purchased all shares from Alex Arkink.” Arjan is the Business Unit manager for Eurogenes. They were excited at the possibilities presented by this young company. “Eurogenes was among the first companies in cattle breeding to really use internet as its main marketing gateway.” Jan confirms their belief in this idea. “We have always felt the simple concept of having members consign embryos, calves and now also bulls to sales is a very strong one.”

Buy, Buy Bovines

Eurogenes is part of Genetics Consolidated B.V. This group of companies also includes Diamond Genetics, Holstein Plaza, AI Total, Holstein Select and more. In a little over ten years there has been significant growth. “Eurogenes currently has 150 members from across Europe. Once a month there is an embryo sale and 2x per year there is a heifer sale. The next sale is in March.” Everything works smoothly. They explain. “The Heifer sales work according to the Dutch Auction system, in which an animal starts with a start price and then goes down each day until a buyer decides to take it for that price.” They are pleased with the interest and report that embryos have been exported to 25 different countries.

Holland Masters Sale 2012
Managed by Eurogenes and had the highest sale average ever in Europe with EUR 15.809

Eurogenes has Sell-A-Bulls … and cows.. and heifers… and embryos

On line cattle sales are proving to be dynamic for Eurogenes. “Current cow families that get a lot of trade done are the Atlee’s, the Roxy’s, the Ralma’s, the Barbie’s, the Altitude’s. Then there are always some specific cow families from a specific country like the Denmire Marie’s from the UK, the Rita’s from Holland, the WEH Janna family from Germany which can get a lot trade done.” The sales inventory has something for everybody. Arjan gives examples. “Eurogenes stand for offering a wide range of Holstein Genetics, from top genomic females to show type animals to good families that a lot of cow lovers would like to work with in their barns at home.”

Eurogenes: E(asy) Commerce

Filling a niche and providing breeders with what they want is only part of Eurogenes success. “Eurogenes has been the first in the industry to start selling heifers on line and still has all the online record in Europe for sale averages. Eurogenes and Holstein Plaza together make the Hotspots magazine. This magazine gives you a perfect insight into what is going on on the main breeding farms and what cow families are being actively worked with.” Jan and Arjan explain why they are on the leading edge. “Eurogenes is still the first company in the world to host online bull sales with bulls for AI companies. Inventing new things and keep going forward always looking for improvement is probably our biggest accomplishment.”

Don’t stall. Get off the Auction Block. Just start.

With any new business there are new lessons. Both men feel that they are learning something every day. Having said that, they feel that you have to make the leap and learn some lessons as you go. “Our biggest lesson is probably that you learn by doing. If you have an idea, if you want to do something you have to do it and see if it works and then keep improving.” There is always more to learn so Eurogenes is always learning and trying new things. For example, Eurogenes is organizing a big live sale each year. Jan provides this update. “This year the sale will be on the farm of Eurogenes members JK Eder Holsteins on May 25^th 2013.” They proudly point out that, “This sale will contain 100% Eurogenes member consignments.”

Genomics is Spreading the Opportunities

One of the biggest learning curves for any 21^st Century cattle breeding business is the one presented by Genomics. This new tool is impacting every part of the industry. Everybody has new opportunities. Jan explains, “Part of our business that is driven to make the bulls for AI companies has changed with genomics, since the world is more transparent. Embryo buyers in other countries than the former main suppliers of AI bulls suddenly have just as much chance to get a high bull that the AI companies want.” This is exciting for everyone. “People who want to are able to bring in embryos or a heifer to improve their herd. They can use genomics as a tool to make a better selection and make better matings.”

Genomics and Technology – 2013

The Eurogenes team points out that April 2013 is going to be interesting with the opening up of genomics. “It is going to be interesting how many things will settle out after this; how is the European Consortium going to respond, what will Interbull’s role be, who is in favour the big multionational AI company or the small flexible AI company.” At the same time that this is happening, technology will continue to evolve and impact the marketplace. “Then we will see new things coming after Facebook. There will be new and better applications. The technology on pc’s, smart phones and I-pads will keep developing.” Beyond these tools, the trading word is changing as well. “The world wide growing demand for milk will create new Holstein countries.” Far from being overwhelmed these entrepreneurs are excited.”There are always more things that we do not even know about.”

The BULLVINE Bottom Line

The last decade has seen tremendous changes in the selling of cattle internationally. Not everybody has the ability to manage a website themselves and attract visitors. Jan and Arjan have the expertise. “Eurogenes is doing all the work. Visitors from around the world will see your top genetics with a great presentation. “ Today the sales logistics whenever you want to buy or sell are as simple as a few clicks on a keyboard. If you are ready to consider marketing genetics internationally, Jan and Arjan have one final piece of advice, “Eurogenes is open 24/7 to advertise your genetics.” Don’t just love it. List it!

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Han Hopman: Shooting Straight at Holstein International

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Monday, February 18th, 2013

Dairy breeding is about putting the right pairings together. It is also the formula for success that has worked more than once for photographer Han Hopman, one of the founders of Holstein International. He explains the beginning of his dual interests. “With my parents I always went on vacation to a dairy farmer. He always took me with him for milking and feeding the cows. I loved them. Back home in town again I missed them dearly. When I became 10 years old I asked for a camera to take pictures of the cows and glue them into a book. From that time I wanted to be a cow photographer.” Cameras and cows. Han can’t have one without the other.

Han Hopman has captured some of the great bull shots in history, including this one of Ensenada Taboo Planet

Han Hopman has captured some of the greatest bull shots in history, including this one of Ensenada Taboo Planet

Mission Possible: Write On! Great pics! From Cover to Cover

Han’s passion for cows was later enhanced by collaboration with Jan Bierma. “We were already making articles for several magazines like Holstein World, Holstein Journal, Typex in France, Bianco Nero in Italy and Veeteelt in the Netherlands and a few more. In Holstein World we had the Euroworld section. We published in that section information about bulls and genetics from Europe. When we had to stop that because of political reasons, we decided to start our own international magazine.” In 1994 they founded Holstein International in the Netherlands. Because of their professions Jan Bierma took on the editorial part of the magazine while Han took over the photography. Another great pairing.

Special presentation by Han Hopman (holding camera) and Jan Bierma (left) to Barry Slack and Charlie Will of Select Sires.

Quantum of Success

Hopman and Bierma already shared the bonds of friendship and commitment to Holsteins and it soon became obvious how well their words and pictures would continue the complementary relationship. “We have made Holstein International as it is now. One of the most important and leading Holstein Magazines in the World. The only independent unbiased magazine in the world, which is published in six different languages in over 60 countries. And all the information so up to date!” They have come a long way as Han marvels, “I didn’t foresee this when we started in 1994.”

The Incredible Shrinking World – Cows Unlimited

During the nineteen years spanned by their publication, Holstein dairy breeding has gone from primarily a country-by-country breeding focus to a global panorama where the Holstein breed is international in every way. “When we started HI, global breeding was just beginning. Every country was on its own. Now days you can use almost every bull you want and use every cow family you like – from anywhere in the world. The breeding world has become one big country. I think this is the biggest change I have seen. It has helped the industry a lot.” Han is happy with these changes and proudly affirms, “I am sure Holstein International did a good job to speed up this process!”

Han Hopman has captured some of the most iconic images in the dairy industry. Including this shot of the great Harvue Roy Frosty.

Genomics Isn’t a ‘Point and Shoot’ Solution

Han urges caution when incorporating new and exciting changes such as the ones coming about with Genomics. He advises. “Genomics is a good tool for a breeder. But only a few parts are known.” It is the unknown that concerns him. “What is the influence of linking genes? We don’t know yet but we act as if we know everything about it.” He has concerns for the future. “We have to take care that we do not destroy our breed by using genomic bulls on daughters of genomic bulls who don’t have a daughter-proof yet. It is a pity if we destroy what breeders like Pete Heffering, Frank Reagan and others like them have built up for us.” The worst case scenario for Han would be, “Mating purely on genomics (because that) has nothing to do with breeding any more. It is multiplying the ‘highest bull with the highest heifer’. A pity.”

Always catching the moment this is a great teamwork shot by Han Hopman.

The “BIG” Picture is Changing Focus

Han anticipates that other changes will also be coming into view. “In the long run I think that small farms cannot survive and that there will be more and bigger farms.” These evolving changes will be impacted by many other things as Han points out “Land will be expensive and also the costs of transporting food will increase.” He foresees major changes ahead for the cows he loves. “Genetics technology will have a big influence on our Holstein population. Genomics in the future will have more and more reliability. If that is true, then you will see a larger difference between farms who have cows to produce milk and farms who produce the animals for the next generation. So the whole set up of the industry will change when genomics becomes more reliable.”

Han Hopman’s great passion is catching dairy cattle in their natural state.

Shooting Stars – Naturally

From the very beginning Han has enjoyed taking pictures of cows in a natural setting. “I started as a side shot photographer but my passion is to picture them as relaxed as possible. It is nice to make a natural shot of a cow. To picture her in a way that you can see from the picture that she is happy or at least fully herself. If you can catch that moment, it gives me a happy feeling. And it is nice that I have my own magazine, which is a beautiful podium to publish these kinds of pictures.”

Han Hopman always get’s his shot including this one of Eastside Lewisdale Goldwyn Missy & RF Goldwyn Hailey, Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion at Royal Winter Fair 2011.

You Only Love Once – Get It on Film

Han loves his work and has advice for others. “Do what you like and love. You only live once! I loved cows as a child and got homesick when I wasn’t with them. Now I have the best job in the world. I have my own cow magazine and travel a lot around the world to visit the most important herds of the world and see the most beautiful cows.”

Han Hopman pictured To-Mar Blackstar pictured a few weeks before Blackstar died.

Photographic memory: Once More with Feeling

Such enthusiasm and dedication has undoubtedly produced a huge portfolio of images. Han has an evolving list of favorites. He says, “For a long time it was the picture of Blackstar. I pictured him a few weeks before he died in his box. He was my first important American bull that I pictured. I was so proud that I got the opportunity to do that. Charley Will from Select Sires made it happen for me and I am still thankful for that.” New pictures are always rising up his list. “At the moment it is the picture of Planet. In the picture you can see who he is. And such an important bull at the moment!” Han speaks emotionally of a picture he took last year at Omaha Beach. “Just a cow with a beautiful girl. It was the place where D-day started and you could still feel the atmosphere of the awful things that happened there. So many young people killed. The picture is very serene. And the interaction between the woman and the cow was so special. It looks as if they are alone in the world. A great moment which I never will forget!”

The Bullvine Bottom Line: Aim High

Han has discovered much wisdom from his chosen breed and chosen career. “There are so many small lessons I have learned through the years. The biggest one is that it is better to cooperate with your competitors than to compete with them.” That’s a lesson we can all benefit from. However Han feels his greatest life lessons are owed to his friend. “Jan Bierma, taught me what friendship means and from him I learned the passion to make a magazine.” As they head into their third successful decade, we thank Han for sharing with the Bullvine. “All the best as you continue to aim HI.”

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RAELAND LEDUC WILHELMINA: 2012 Canadain Cow of the Year Nominee

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Thursday, February 14th, 2013

The story of RAELAND LEDUC WILHELMINA’s Excellent Adventure began in Ontario where she was bred and owned by Rae and Concetta Stadder of Raeland Holsteins. They enthusiastically believed in improving genetics and made the sire choices that laid the groundwork that would come to fruition for Wilhelmina more than 2000 miles to the west at RockyMountain Holsteins of Alberta.

RAELAND LEDUC WILHELMINA EX-92-2E-CAN 5*
RES. ALL-CANADIAN JR.3-YR 2004
GRAND CALGARY SPRING 2005

In true Cinderella story fashion, the family behind Wilhelmina started at the commercial level. Her dam was RAELAND R MARKER WINNIE VG 87 2*, followed by VG85 and a VG85 2*. With each succeeding generation the family got better due to breeding for conformation. Her entire Sire Stack is at least Superior Type: Leduc x Red Marker x Lincoln x Unique x Ned.

Beautiful Wilhelmina, as a yearling heifer, attracted attention and soon she was off to the west to become a great show cow.

Goldwyn-ing Ways

If Wilhelmina is the Cinderella of this fairy tale, then Goldwyn is Prince Charming. To date there are nine Goldwyn daughters with seven in lactation classifying EX94, VG89, VG88 (2 yr), 2 VG86 (2yr) and 2 GP (2yr). It’s not too surprising that Wilhelmina would have show ring successes in 2011-2012 seeing that she carries frame and capacity and Goldwyn added the udder and refinement.

ROCKYMOUNTAIN GOLD WINTER EX-94-CAN
NOM. ALL-CANADIAN SR.3-YR 2011
HM. ALL-QUEBEC SR.3-YR 2011

Wilhelmina’s Significant Udder

Right from the start Wilhelmina’s type placed her in the top 1% of first lactation cows. By the time she was in her fourth lactation, Wilhelmina was in the top 0.1%! Here’s how she did it:

1^st Lactation (106 days in milk) VG85 Mammary System VG85

2^nd Lactation (152 days in milk) VG89 max Mammary System EX90

3^rd Lactation (19 days in milk) EX92 max Mammary System EX90

4^th lactation 2E

While type is what has distinguished Wilhelmina, her production ability should not be ignored. She grew into a great production cow as well. Her two Superior Lactation records stand out. Her three year old record (305D) was 13,135 kgs with 4.7% Fat and 3.2% Protein. Then at four years of age she produced (305D) 15,746 kgs with 4.7% Fat and 3.2% Protein. In four lactations she produced 5,975 pounds of butterfat. Wilhelmina’s production records, especially for butterfat, put her at the top for Red Carriers and cows nominated for “Cow of the Year”.

Wilhelmina Sends the Family to Make History at the Royal 2012 Ball

Years of observation and experience, would lead any judicious cattle fan to conclude that one cow cannot produce a winning Breeder’s Herd all on her own. Especially at a show of the quality of The Royal. At least, that’s what you would have said until November 2012. The RockyMountain Breeder’s herd that was 5^th at the Royal Winter Fair 2012 and was nominated for All-Canadian was made up of 3 milking Goldwyn daughters of Wilhelmina. This was the first time in the history of the Royal and All-Canadian contest that 3 full sisters made up a Breeder’s Herd.

Wilhelmina’s three Goldwyn daughters RockyMountain breeders herd at the 2012 RAWF

Wilhelmina`s Daughters are True to Type

As a brood cow Wilhelmina really shines. Her sixteen daughters, none over 6 years of age, score 63% Very Good or better and 50% VG 86 or better. No wonder she is a Five Star Brood Cow. There are 8 more that were born in 2011 and 2012 sired by Fever, Goldwyn, Atwood, Braxton and Dempsey. Her daughter popularity has seen 24 of her daughters owned in 21 herds.

ROCKYMOUNTAIN GOLDWYN WINNIE VG-88-2YR-CAN
HM. ALL-WEST JR.1-YR 2011
3RD JR.2-YR ROYAL 2012

Some are already making their presence felt.

Rocky Mountain Gold Winter Ex94 was nominated All-Canadian Senior 3 Year Old 2011.
Rocky Mountain Gold Wishes VG89 2yr was Intermediate Champion at Quebec Spring Show 2012.
Rocky Mountain Goldwyn Winnie VG88 2yr was 3^rd Junior 2 Year Old and Best Udder in Class at the 2012 Royal and was nominated for All-Canadian.

Internationally, another Goldwyn daughter of Wilhelmina was Junior Champion at the Northern Expo and Champion Calf at the Lancashire Calf Show in 2012 in the UK.

ROCKYMOUNTAIN GOLD WISHES VG-89-2YR-CAN
HM. ALL-QUEBEC JR.2-YR 2011
2ND JR.2-YR QC INTERNATIONAL 2011

Happily Ever After

From relative obscurity to international recognition, Wilhelmina has garnered attention as a winning example of a show matriarch. Her consistent transmitting qualities are the magic wand that will guarantee that Wilhelmina`s influence is felt in breeding programs both near and far. Many look forward to happy-ever-after results from 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee, Raeland Leduc Wilhelmina EX 92 2E.

Make Your Vote Count

Over the next few days we will be profiling the nominees and encourage you to get your vote in before the deadline. There are 4 ways of voting— Voting options for Holstein Canada members include mail in ballot; faxing your ballot; emailing your vote to cowoftheyear@holstein.ca; or voting online through your Holstein Canada account. Also share this on Facebook to make sure your fellow breeders get out and vote.

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Tags : 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year, RAELAND LEDUC WILHELMINA, ROCKYMOUNTAIN GOLD WINTER, ROCKYMOUNTAIN GOLD WISHES, ROCKYMOUNTAIN GOLDWYN WINNIE

GEN-I-BEQ SHOTTLE BARBI: 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee

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Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

Bred and owned by Syndicate Gen-I-Beq, GEN-I-BEQ SHOTTLE BARBI EX-92-CAN 5* takes the spotlight to reveal the complete package of pedigree, performance and type. She fulfils the pedigree behind her, has excelled in her own right and she has produced progeny that are high achievers as well.

GEN-I-BEQ SHOTTLE BARBI EX-92-CAN 5*
Potential 3rd Generation Canadian Cow of the Year

BARBI’S BEAUTY IS IN HER STAR FILLED GENES

Barbie’s sire stack, Shottle x Champion x Storm x Grand x Aerostar, is without question one that is highly balanced and pleasing to the most discerning of breeders. Barbie’s sire, Picston Shottle, is famous for producing daughters that are the balanced Canadian kind of cow. His credits do not stop there however. Shottle has produced many highly proven sons in many countries.

On the maternal side, Barbi ensures the continued success of a deep and prolific Gypsy Grand cow family. Her dam is the solid 4 Star Brood Cow, Gen-I-Beq Champion Bambi Ex 90, whose daughters include 1 EX, 6 VG, 3 GP and 1 G daughter. Two of her daughters are multiple star Brood Cows.

GEN-I-BEQ CHAMPION BALLY EX-95-CAN 4*
RES. ALL-CANADIAN JR.3-YR 2007
ALL-ONTARIO JR.3-YR 2007
Full sister to dam of Barbi

Behind Bambi is Barbi’s second dam, 33 Star Baler Twine, 2007 Cow of the Year, 2008 Global Cow and the dam of Goldwyn! (Read more: Durham vs. Goldwyn: A Clash of the Titans and Braedale Goldwyn: Is he the greatest type sire ever?) Baler Twine also has two other Extra sons!!

BRAEDALE BALER TWINE VG-86-2YR-CAN 33*
Holstein Canada Cow of the Year – 2007
2nd dam of Barbi

Of course, Barbi’s next dam is none other than Gypsy Grand 37*, the foundation of this great family. She has no less than five extra sons

In the four generations immediately behind Barbi, every sire is Extra or Gold Metal and the dams on her female side have earned 112 Stars. That in itself is amazing!

BRAVO BARBI

Barbi has earned 1 Superior Lactation Award, is high in components and in three lactations has produced as follows:

2-00 (305D)    11,602 kgs 4.3%F   3.4%P
4-11 (305D)       12,917 kgs 4.5%F   3.5%P
6-06 (305D)        13,520 kgs 4.7%F 3.4%P
3 lactations 45,283 kgs 4.5%F 3.5%P BCA’s 268-324-292 +9 +55 +36

Her Mammary System is Barbi’s strong point in her conformation.

1^st Lactation (59 days in milk)            VG87                     Mammary System VG88
2^nd Lactation (61 days in milk)            VG88                    Mammary System EX91
3^rd Lactation (112 days in milk)   EX92                              Mammary System EX95

BARBI IS A DOLL ON PAPER TOO!

In addition to the previously mentioned 1 Superior Lactation Award, Barbi has placed well on the gLPI cow listing. In fact in August 2009 Barbi was #13 with a gLPI of +2832.

Currently daughter Bibi (Man-O-Man) is the #21 gLPI cow excelling in fat, protein, components and conformation (Read more: Man-O-Man Will He Turn Platinum?). Daughter Bellita (Man-O-Man) is the #51 gLPI cow. But it does not stop there.

GEN-I-BEQ MANOMAN BIBI VG-85-2YR-CAN
Man-O-Man from Barbi
#21 gLPI Cow in Canada

Granddaughters Bermuda (Snowman x Bibi) has a DGV gLPI +3862 and Bindy (Lexor x Bibi) has a DGV gLPI +3152. The Barbi family is putting up the numbers!

GENERATION NEXT: Barbi’s Sons and Daughters

Barbi follows in the footsteps of her model forebears/ the model brood cows ahead of her.

She has produced 52 registered offspring: 29 heifers and 23 bulls. Barbi’s embryos have sold around the world and she has daughters in Germany, Italy, USA, France and Argentina.

Her offspring follow Barbi’s pattern excelling in both type and production. Four daughters are classified Very Good, 10 Good Plus and 1 Good. Her daughters’ first lactation performances in Canada include:

Berthe (Baxter) VG 87 2-01 (305D) 11,068 kgs 4.3%F 3.3%P

Britany (Baxter) VG87 2-01 (305D) 13,548 kgs 4.3%F 3.1%P

Bibi (Man-O-Man) VG86 2-03 (305D) 13,705 kgs 4.1%F 3.4%P

GEN-I-BEQ BAXTER BERTHE VG-87-2YR-CAN
Barbi’s Baxter Daughter
Full sister to BRAWLER

Berthe and Britany are full sisters to Brawler and AltaBuzzer. Bibi is the dam of the #1 Fat and Protein heifer in the world.

HER SONS SHINE ON THE BARBI BILLBOARD

Barbi has 8 sons in Canadian AI studs. Two are proven and six are awaiting proofs.

Barbi has a son, Brawler, who received his first official proof in August 2012 and immediately was designated as Class Extra coming in at #1 Canadian proven LPI sire at +2368 (Read more: A Closer Look at the August 2012 New Release Sires).

GEN-I-BEQ BRAWLER VG-87-4YR-CAN EXTRA’12
Barbi’s Baxter Son
Former #1 gLPI sire in Canada

He had very good genomic numbers, even though he was sampled before genomics was on the scene. Brawler has been used as a sire of sons by many AI organizations. Not far behind Brawler, is his full brother AltaBuzzer gLPI +2148.

BANK ON BARBI

Investing in Barbi has provided good return on investment. Sales results from the 2012 Genetics By Design Sale show that Barbi daughter Bibi sold for $83,000 and Bibi daughters had great sales: $124,000 (Oconnors Snowman Bermuda – DGV LPI +3862); $44,000 (choice female by Ladd P from Bibi) and $18,000 (Mapel Wood Epic Believe in ME – DGV LPI +3107). (Read more: Genetics By Design – Crosses the $4,000,000 Mark)

THE BARBI EFFECT:

Barbie will have global influence through both her sons and her daughters. The family produces progeny with high genomic numbers and comes through with high sire proofs, high cow indexes and solid performance in the barn. Barbi`s family are the kind that every breeder wants to milk!

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Tags : BRAEDALE BALER TWINE, Braedale Gypsy Grand, Canadian Cow of the Year 2012, GEN-I-BEQ BAXTER BERTHE, GEN-I-BEQ BRAWLER, GEN-I-BEQ CHAMPION BALLY, Gen-I-Beq Champion Bambi, Gen-I-Beq MANOMAN Bibi, GEN-I-BEQ SHOTTLE BARBI, GEN-I-BEQ SHOTTLE BOMBI, Mapel Wood Epic Believe in ME, Oconnors Snowman Bermuda

EASTSIDE LEWISDALE GOLD MISSY: 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee

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Tuesday, February 12th, 2013

Eastside Lewisdale Gold Missy EX 95 bred by the Thompsons and Lewis’s of Eastside and Lewisdale was bought 3 weeks prior to freshening on April 01, 2008 by Morsan Farms Ltd. Ponoka, Alberta from Frizzells Valleyville Farm Inc., Hunter River, PEI. Valleyville had purchased Missy as an embryo (Read more: Morsan Farms – Money Well Spent and Eastside Holsteins- Where Modern Marketing Rises to the Challenge). Missy has had a dominant career in the North American show ring. She and her offspring are moving the Holstein breeding industry forward. In 2009, Missy sold for $1.2 million in the Road to the Royal Sale.

EASTSIDE LEWISDALE GOLD MISSY EX-95-CAN
ALL-AMERICAN 5-YR,JR.3-YR,JR.2-YR
ALL-CANADIAN 5-YR,JR.2-YR
GRAND ROYAL 2011
GRAND MADISON 2011
RES.INT. MADISON 2009

Missy’s Gold Bearing Pedigree

Missy expresses the best that can be derived from her sire stack of Goldwyn x Outside x Progress x Southwind x He-Man. She has dairy strength, production and show ring prowess. Of course, she sparkles with that pure vein of gold derived from Braedale Goldwyn Extra ’05 and Gold Metal ’12 (USA). Missy also has the example set by her dam Stadacona Outside Abel VG 88 who hits all the right numbers too (Read more: St adacona Outside Abel: 2011 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee) . With 1 Superior Lactation and 29* on 35 milking daughters, Abel has produced 5 EX and 28 Very Good daughters and was Honorable Mention All-Atlantic Intermediate Yearling in 2001. Missy has 7 VG full sisters. 3 EX Champion sisters and 3 full sisters yet to calve (Read more: You Can Bank on Amaze to Pump Up the Volume).

STADACONA OUTSIDE ABEL VG-88-4YR-CAN 29*
2011 Canadian Cow of the Year Finalist
Dam of Missy

Missy Is ALL Gold in the Show Ring Too

It seems like Missy has won everything. The following is the long list of show accomplishments that have made Missy a household name in show circles (Read more: Do All-Canadian Heifers Make All-Canadian Cows?). Note that there are no less than seven major titles.

All-Atlantic 4H Jr Yr – 2007
All-Can Jr 2 yr – 2008
All-American Jr 2 yr – 2008
All-American Jr 3 yr – 2009
All-Can 5 yr – 2011
All-American 5 yr – 2011
Supreme Champ WDE & Royal 2011

The plan is for Missy to continue writing her story in the show ring. She is due to calve in April 2013 (at 7-00 years) and hopefully will be back on the fall show circuit this year.

Missy Is Setting the Gold Standards

Only the best will do for Missy. When it comes to posting conformation scores, during her 1st lactation (152 days in milk) she received VG89 and Mammary System VG 89. Both maximum scores possible! During Missy’s 3^rd lactation (82 days in milk) she scored EX 95.

Missy’s production records are also sky high. Missy has 1 Super3 and 3 Superior Lactation Awards.
2-00 (305D)        10,673 kgs 4.5%F   3.2%P
3-01 (305D)    14,331 kgs 4.4%F   3.2%P
5-00 (305D)      16,208 kgs 4.2%F 3.2%P
3 lactations 48,379 kgs 4.4%F 3.3%P BCA’s 306-363-310 +58 +114 +62

On the Canadian gLPI Cow List, Missy has been as high as #86 gLPI cow.

Daughters of the Divine Miss “M”

In Missy`s biography the “M” will stand for mother. A star in her own right, this famous mother has produced 52 fabulous daughters. Imagine the impact they will have as they take their turns in front of the classifier. One daughter is in Germany and the remaining 51 are in North America: 15 were born in 2012 and 27 were born in 2011. Five daughters are VG 2 year olds (none lower) with four of these sired by Man-O-Man. Obviously the daughters are as eye-catching as their role model mother.

Missy’s oldest daughter, Valleyville Dolman Missy VG89, is just completing her second Superior Lactation. An interesting fact is that four of Missy’s five lactating daughters are currently projected to be making Superior Lactations. Missy’s highest gLPI daughter is a Numero Uno daughter, Morsan Miss Alined. She has 2425 gTPI and +3061 DGV PA gLPI with +16 for Conformation (Read more: Does Genomics Belong in the Show Ring?).

Some of the more popular mates in producing Missy daughters have been – Damion (9), Hero (7), Numero Uno (6), Man-O-Man (5), Sid (4), Snowman (4) and Shamrock (4).

MORSAN MISS CONGENIALITY VG-86-2YR-CAN
Man-O-Man daughter of Missy

Missy daughters are in demand at sales. In 2011 eighteen daughters changed ownership and in 2012, twelve went to new homes. Everyone wants a Missy!!!

Far and Near Missy Sons

Missy’s transmitting power is expected to continue with her sons. To date, her sons haven’t embarked on their proven careers. Seven sons are in AI by Man-O-Man, Showman, Shamrock and Shottle. Her highest PA gLPI son (+2818), sired by Man-O-Man, is in Germany. Her highest DGV PA gCONF son (+15), Morsan MR Snow Business (Snowman) is currently in his sampling period. Obviously, the Missy lineup is rapidly expanding and marked for success.

Missy Leads the Way to a Gold Mine

Missy is a definite hit! Dominant in the North American show ring, Missy has fulfilled her great pedigree, performed at the highest levels and is set to transmit both production and conformation to her progeny. Clearly Eastside Lewisdale Gold Missy, 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee, is ready to go for the gold!

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Tags : Eastside Holsteins, EASTSIDE LEWISDALE GOLD MISSY, Morsan Miss Alined, MORSAN MISS CONGENIALITY, Morsan MR Snow Business, Stadacona Outside Abel, Valleyville Dolman Missy, Valleyville Farms

COMESTAR GOLDWYN LILAC: 2012 Canadian Cow of the Year Nominee

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Monday, February 11th, 2013

“It was a very good year.” can be the opening lyrics for a song or the lyrical description of a remarkable year in the life of Comestar Goldwyn Lilac. In 2012 Lilac had daughters and granddaughters command high prices at sales. Her progeny became list toppers during the year. Owned by Genervations Inc., Mapel Wood Farms and O’Connor Land & Cattle Co., of Jerseyville, Ontario, Lilac was flushed in 2012 to add polled and red to the family. On all sides she expressed what a complete cow she had become: pedigree + performance + progeny. As her owners confirmed, “Lilac, from the Lila Z family, was great to work with in developing and marketing elite genetics.”

COMESTAR GOLDWYN LILAC VG-89-5YR-CAN 3*
ALL-ONTARIO SR.2-YR 2008
NOM. ALL-CANADIAN SR.2-YR 2008
2ND SR.2-YR ON SUMMER 2008
1ST SR.2-YR AUTUMN OPP. 2008

There are Many High Lights in Lilac’s Pedigree

An amazing year doesn’t happen just out of the blue it has to be supported by a great foundation. The sires behind Lilac read like a who’s who of highly proven, well-respected sires: Goldwyn x Durham x Formation x Starbuck x Astro Jet. Now that is a formula for success! And that’s just the sire side. High is more than just a word commonly used with Goldwyn who has high scoring, high producing and high genomic sons and daughters. He has re-written the book on daughters winning at shows.

Let’s take a look back at Lilac’s dam and you face the dazzling resume of Lylehaven Lila Z EX-94, 9* (Read more: LYLEHAVEN LILA Z – 2012 Golden Dam Finalist) . She, herself, has two generations of EX 94 cows with high production preceding her. The Million Dollar Cow was living at Comestar, when she was flushed to Goldwyn to produce several full Goldwyn sisters, including Lilac (Read more: Lylehaven Lila Z : Was She Really Worth $1.15 Million?). They all carry high type, high production and high index. Like Lilac the other daughters have also placed bulls in A.I. and have had global demand for their embryos. Now Lilac carries on the strong transmitting potential she got from this great pedigree.

LYLEHAVEN LILA Z EX-94-CAN 14*
Dam of Lilac
ALL-CANADIAN JR.2-YR,JR.1-YR
HM. ALL-CANADIAN 5-YR,4-YR
HM.INT. ROYAL 2004
1ST JR.2-YR ROYAL 2004

The Limelight Loves Lilac

“It never rains but it pours” could be applied to the showers of accolades that fell on Lilac in 2012. Not only was she in the top four for 2012 Cow of the Year but she topped a field of six finalists, Comestar Goldwyn Lilac was named Holstein World’s Favorite Goldwyn Daughter.

Lilac Blooms in the Spotlight

Even though 2012 was a peak year for Lilac, it merely marked the next step on a path filled with a considerable list of achievements. Over two lactations Lilac produced 53,569 kgs at 4.6% Fat and 3.6% protein. She has garnered two superior lactation awards with records of 2-03 (305D) 14,556 kgs 4.6%F 3.7%P and 4-06 (305D) 19,612 kgs 4.6%F 3.4%P. In addition in 2008, Lilac was named All-Ontario Senior 2 year old and in her second lactation lit up with a VG89 classification score – the maximum possible. Lilac has been competitive on the index list as well. She has placed as high as #6 LPI cow but, even more amazing, is that she has placed in the top 16 on the LPI list no less than 9 consecutive times. That’s blooming great no matter how you look at it.

OCONNORS PLANET LUCIA VG-86-2YR-CAN
Daughter of Lilac
#1 LPI Cow in Canada

Shining Lilac Reflects on her Neon Offspring

This is one family whose reputation has only been enhanced with the arrival of genomics. Lilac’s high indexing sons and daughters are set to follow in her red-carpet footsteps. Her daughters’ star power stands at 3 stars led by Lucia and Lucy. She has 17 classified daughters: 13 Very Good and 4 Good Plus. Nothing lower! Taking a closer look at Planet daughter Lucia, we see she was the #1 LPI Cow in August and December 2012. Lilac’s MOM daughter, Lucy, is her highest DVG LPI daughter. Another special note is that Lilac’s Brewmaster daughter Lauren 3210 DVG LPI has an unheard of +1.15% Fat and 0.40% Protein.

MAPEL WOOD M O M LUCY
Lilac’s highest DGV daughter by Man-O-Man

No doubt this seemingly magical transmitting ability will continue with her sons who are too young yet for official proofs. Having said that Lexor was once the #1 PA gLPI Bull and Latimer (Freddie) has been high on the PA gTPI Bull List. As well as her grandsons Willpower, Liquid Gold, Fuzion and Gizmo also topping the lists (Read more: $750 Dollar Semen! Are You Crazy?)

Lilac Also Transmits the Scent of Money

Lilac’s daughter, Lucia, sold for $410,000 in the Genetics By Design Sale. She and her progeny sold for more than $2.1 Million in that November 2012 sale (Read more:Genetics by Design – Crosses the $4,000,000 Mark). Lucy had a Sudan daughter sell for over $150,000 in 2012 at the International Intrigue Sale, as well as selling for $77,000 herself in the Genetics by Design Sale. All told, Lilac’s family accounted for approximately 66% of the Genetics By Design Sale’s total! As well, son Lexor had many high selling daughters in the November 2012 sales.

BAXTER LILAC Z VG-88-2YR
Baxter Daughter of Lilac in The Netherlands

Lilac’s Growing Legacy

With the tremendous highs of 2012, came the ultimate heartbreak. In July, Lilac suddenly died. Nevertheless, Lilac and the family around her, are in high demand whether for females or semen from sons. The impact of the Lilac family is spreading through numerous herds in many countries. One such daughter is Baxter Lilac Z VG-88-2yr owned by Soureth Holsteins in The Netherlands. Now other breeders will enjoy the sweet smell of success from 2012 Cow of the Year Nominee Comestar Goldwyn Lilac.

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Edward Young Morwick – Country Roads to Law Office

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Thursday, February 7th, 2013

Edward Young Morwick

Edward Young Morwick, author, cattle breeder and lawyer, was born in 1945 on the Holstein dairy farm of his father, Hugh G. Morwick. Impressions from those childhood days have had a tremendous impact on his journey through life. He recalls, “One of my first memories involves my mother carrying me in her arms down the aisle in front of the cows. She would stop in front of each cow, and I would lean over and pat the cow on the muzzle.” This is a familiar beginning for many country boys but then the picture changes. “My father died when I was six years of age and my mother Jean went back to teaching school.” No doubt there were hard turns ahead, however, Edward’s connection to Holsteins had already been forged. He clarifies the process. “I bought my first Holstein calf in 1953 when I was seven years of age. I have owned Holsteins ever since, except for a period in the late 1960’s to mid-1970 when I was attending university and law school.”

It’s Relative To His Case

From a very early age, Edward was interested in the lineage of both cattle and family. The connections were strong ones. “My maternal grandfather was William Young who bred the Ingleneuk Holsteins at Alberton, Ontario. He had one of the better Holstein farms of the era. He sold a bull to Lady Eaton named Ingleneuk King Hengerveld. Lady Eaton sold one of his daughters to Mrs. Edith Dilworth and she became the fifth dam in the maternal line of Osborndale Ivanhoe.”

Morwick’s uncle, James R. Henderson of Strathaven Farm in Kingston, Ontario made significant contributions to cattle breeding as is noted in Edward’s book, “The Chosen Breed.” Edward expands on the list of achievements of this well-respected cattle Judge and Master Breeder. “Uncle Jim bred Strathaven Top Grade, the sire of Glenvue Nettie Jemima (EX-13*). He also bred Inka Supreme Reflection, who was a Rosafe herd sire. “Nettie Jemima” was dam of Rosafe Magician and Rosafe Citation R. who set records for siring All-American gets of sire. Also, Inka Supreme Reflection is behind both Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief and Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation.” A wonderful resume pointed to with pride. “My Uncle Jim Henderson is one of the few Canadians who bred an animal in Elevation’s pedigree. Also, he bred the sires of dams back in the tenth to twelfth generations of the pedigree of Braedale Goldwyn.”

And The Law Won

With such solid role models, you know there has to be a story to explain Edward’s choice of law as a career. “I ended up becoming a lawyer as follows: I entered University of Guelph in 1968. It was my intention to be a journalist. My ultimate goal was to be a columnist on either the New York Times or Chicago Tribune. In my second year at university, it became apparent that I would win the Gold Medal in English Literature. At that point I received an invitation from Osgoode Hall Law School to enroll there, in spite of the fact that I had not completed my Bachelor of Arts. When I entered Osgoode Hall in the fall of 1970 I was one of four students out of a beginning class of 306 who did not have a bachelor’s degree.

In my first year at law school, I ended up second in a class of 306. That fact, plus my entire academic record at law school, led to my being hired by Fasken & Calvin, a Bay Street law firm in Toronto.”

Weighing the Pros and Cons

The story continues. “I chose a career in law in preference to one that would involve teaching English Literature at the high school or college level because I thought the practice of law would be much less restrictive and would give me an opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people. Also, the practice of law requires a great deal of writing, which satisfied my compulsion to write. However, it was my wish to practise criminal law so I set up my own practise in Hamilton in February of 1975. I started in Hamilton because it was close to my home at Jerseyville, and also was a “hot-bed” of crime, so I knew I would be busy.” One wonders if Mr. Morwick will pen a legal book at some point in the future.

Morwick’s book’s The Chosen Breed and The Holstein History are must reads for those wanting to learn more about just who and how the North American Holstein breed has developed (Digital Painting of Mount Victoria Farms with Hanover Hill Starbuck standing in front)

Penned For Posterity

It took ten years for Edward to write the highly praised book “The Chosen Breed”. He uses very few words when referring to his inspiration. “The reasons I wrote The Chosen Breed and The Holstein History can be summed up in the words recognition, remembrance and gratitude. Further, I love to write and I love the Holstein breed and the people who support it.” A wonderful opening statement which he expands on in the book itself. Those who have read his writing go beyond the author’s reticence. Richard Keene, of Keeneland Farms in Gilbertsville, N.Y. exclaims, ““Wow! What a great history. Certainly an enjoyable must read for the real student of the breed.” Dallas Burton of Berryton, Kansas supports that motion. “Tremendous job. Thank you for taking the time and the remarkable effort in accounting these 125 years of our history.” And Richard McNamara of Stratford sums it up saying “I’m surprised you could produce this book in only ten years with all that it takes to get it done. Really enjoyed the human interest and humour.”

Misty Springs Shottle Satin VG-86-2YR-CAN
former #1 GLPI Cow of the Breed

A Jury of His Peers

“In dealing with the greatest sires in history, you need to focus on eras.” says Edward. Before elaborating, he admits a personal favorite. “One of my personal favorites is Picston Shottle as he sired my cow, Misty Springs Shottle Satin, who was No. 1 genotype cow when the designation was first introduced in 2009.” Having said that, he gives a brief for consideration. “The student should not ask ‘Who was the greater bull, Johanna Rag Apple Pabst or Hanoverhill Starbuck?’ Starbuck obviously sired offspring who were superior to those of J.R.A.P., but fifty years later. The proper way to frame the question would be to ask ‘Was Starbuck as great and as influential a sire in his era as J.R.A.P. was in his?’ And the answer would be a resounding ‘No!’”. Lest the Jury be confused, lawyer Morwick presents his arguments. “In the early period, the great sires were Netherland Prince, Billy Boelyn, Mooie and Conqueror. Come forward three decades to Sir Pietertje Ormsby Mercedes. And after him came Pontiac Korndyke and Hengerveld DeKol. In the 1920’s you had Johanna Rag Apple Pabst, one of the great sires of all-time, some say the greatest; and in the same period was Sir Bess Ormsby Fobes, who left remarkable sons. And then there was Wisconsin Admiral Burke Lad and his descendant, Wis Burke Ideal. Important bulls in the 1950’s were A.B.C. Reflection Sovereign and Osborndale Ivanhoe. In the modern era, the most influential bulls were Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief and Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation. Carlin-M Ivanhoe Bell also cast a broad influence, as did To-Mar Blackstar, Walkway Chief Mark, S-W-D Valiant and O-Bee Manfred Justice. In the recent past, among the best bulls were Regancrest Elton Durham, Picston Shottle and Braedale Goldwyn.” The defense rests.

Raising The Bar

Are there actually role models for authors who are also lawyers? Edward says his were available early on. “In high school years I worked on the farm of my neighbor, Richard Schleissner, and also for Agro Brothers, doing the usual farm work and also helping to take out their show herds. The biggest influences on my life were the dairy farmers who lived in the community where I grew up, among whom I could name Douglas Lovering, Joe Loewith and Lloyd Hunter. I worked for all of them. They taught me the value of hard work. None of them would undertake a job unless perfectly prepared to complete it to the very best of his ability.” This set the foundation which was built upon with Edward’s legal career. “In later years, the biggest influence on my life was Angelo Agro of Agro Bros. Ltd., for whom I acted as attorney for a period in excess of 20 years. He taught me that you could be an honest businessman and still make a lot of money. He was an extremely hard worker, a brilliant strategist and possibly the best judge of human character I ever knew. Mr. Agro had the ability to talk for two or three minutes to a man he’d never met before, and he could pretty well tell you, quite accurately, what kind of man he was.” These are also excellent skills for a lawyer as well. It’s no surprise that his mentor also considered Edward to be exceptional.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

It’s Bovine Legal – Edward Y. Morwick has taken a one-of-a-kind journey from those visits to the barn as a baby. He credits his mother with teaching him a key lesson, “She taught me very early on that a person can accomplish pretty well anything he sets his mind to, if he tries hard enough.” Edward has done that. His legacy – book and bovine – will stand beyond a reasonable doubt!

To find out how you can get a copy of Edward’s latest book “The Holstein History” click here.

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Archive – Page 9

Out of Country Experiences

Where Dairy Passion Meets International Opportunity

Broadening Perspectives

Eliminating Fears and Misconceptions

Expanding Dairy Insights

Travel is the Great Teacher

Lasting Life Lessons from a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

Building International Bridges

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Dairy Sales Are All About People First

Good Business is Built on Trust

As Good as Your Word

Marketing is More About the Stories than the Sales

Today You DON’T Get What You Pay to Advertise For

Where to Go? What to do?

Talk is NOT Cheap

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Growing the I-Cow Possibilities

A “Model” Plan and Sire Stacks

“It’s hard to pick a favourite cow”

Bovines Beyond Borders

Mapping a Bigger Marketplace with UK Records

Genomics and Genetics. Setting our GPS for Future.

“Genomics is a great tool if it is not abused.”

Projecting The Prominence of Polled

Mentors Pave the I-Cow Pathways to Success

Positive publicity. Shared conversations.

Meeting the Marketplace

6 Steps to Success According to Isaac

The Bullvine Bottom Line – “Cheers to I-Cow”

The Lure of the Crowd

Call to Auction

Two’s Company: From Feed Pails to Shows and Sales

Finding Their Calling

From Raising Cows to Raising Hands

From a Ringside Seat

Keeping Pace with Change

THE BULLVINE BOTTOM LINE

“It’s a love of genetics that keeps all of our family in cattle.”

Wormont Dairy: Growing and Moving

“Stay focused on your goal!”

Proud of People and Opportunities

Ready to Face Challenges too!

“The challenge to any president is to do the best job of representing our members and our association.”

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Rainyridge Reflections: Beauty Won Madison. Barbara Won Hearts.

That Everyday Black and White Magic

Rainyridge Has Got Talent

Insights and Highlights from the Bright Lights

The Bull Pen at Rainyridge

Strategic Marketing Initiatives

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Genomics Brings Dramatic Change

Rainyridge Afterglow. What’s Next?

Recommendations from Rainyridge

Bullvine Bottom Line

Boarded Up!

Plank by Plank the Board Platform is Built

Above Board

Silly Board or Bored Silly?

The Bullvine Bottom Line

They’re Sold on Great Temperament

Corkers in the Show Ring? Too Right!

They Target Good Cow Families.

Great People

Great Friendships

Pass it On to the Young People

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MIStaken Identity

<img decoding="async" class="alignright" alt="" src="https://blog.peta.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/IMG_80361-300x200.jpg" width="300" height="200" />MISunderstood

MISlabeled

MISjudged

MISconceptions

MIScommunication

MISSing the Opportunity

The Bullvine Bottom Line

A Holstein Family Man

The Rail McEvoy

MISunderstood