Moving fast has been known to take a lot of energy. But, moving fast and being around mentally agile people who have a zest for life can also be very enriching and actually renew energy levels! Late last week Dean Sayles, Jersey Canada President, Phyllis Harrington of our staff and I made a truly flying trip to Quebec.
In the 28 hours we were in this spectacular province we kicked things off with a supper meeting with Stephane Deslauriers. Stephane, is an employee of Holstein Quebec. Jersey Quebec has, since June 2009, been purchasing administrative services from Holstein Quebec. Stephane is "point man" for provision of these services to Jersey Quebec. We talked a good deal about the aims and goals and processes of the two Jersey and one Holstein associations. We enjoyed our time at supper so much that we were almost late for an evening meeting with Stephane Marceau, President of Jersey Quebec and Isabelle Roy and Marcel Choiniere, Quebec-resident directors of Jersey Canada!
We then spent four highly energizing hours meeting with this super-keen group of people in the board room of Holstein Quebec. Despite that fact that Thursday had almost become Friday by the time we left the Holstein Quebec offices we were awake and alert and pumped as we dispersed.
The beauty of this meeting was that it was never about "us" and "them" but always about "we" and how we keep the influence of the Jersey breed in Canada's dairy industry growing. Jersey organizations exist not for their own benefit but to bolster and support and improve and promote the Jersey cow! Idea after idea about either how we can do what we do better or how we branch out into new arenas of action flowed from everyone around the table. We have created a report of action points identified or topics meriting further discussion and it has already been circulated to meeting participants and the entire Jersey Canada Board.
Regular meetings between Jersey Canada and the four regional Jersey associations that work in Canada are part of our 2008 to 2010 Strategic Plan "Jersey Rising". This meeting fully proved the value of open and honest communication with the over-riding presence of only one agenda item-"How do we do a better job for the Jersey breed in Canada?"
And by the way these meetings are also great fun because we have so many brilliant Jersey people across Canada who are alive and alert and desire to see the Jersey breed prosper!
While it was a challenge to get to sleep in the early hours of Friday we somehow managed as more "good stuff" awaited us on Friday. We got going early and travelled into the "scenic rolling, verdant hills (and mountains)" of Quebec's spectacular Eastern Townships. Our temporary destination was the Guay family's Hillover Farm near Coaticook. There, 57 head of good Jerseys were being primed for the 10th Edition of Jersey Quebec's Elite Sale.
And what a sale! On a picture-perfect late summer's day a good crowd gathered for a very peppy Jersey sale. We only stayed for about a third of the sale before bogeying back to Montreal to catch a flight to Toronto. However, the overall sale was a roaring success by all measures. The 57 head averaged right at $2600 with four head over $5000 and five over $4500. 30 milking age females exceeded $3100 for average selling price. A nice group of over a dozen bred heifers averaged over $2700. Prices were appropriate and fair for quality on offer. Prices also reflected a need for milk in Quebec this autumn.
I set with a very busy Jean-Marc Pellerin, our National Extension Agent, for a while. Most every time a cow sold I had to ask J/M who the buyer was as their faces were unfamiliar to me. Virtually every time J/M's response was: "New people to the breed". From time to time he noted that the buyer of a lot was someone who had established a foundation Jersey herd in recent years and had now decided to build on that base with a select purchase or two.
Jersey Quebec did so well at staging and hosting this sale! Heading into another full weekend one was rather than exhausted, elated, energized and ready for more! In this world we must grab hold of positive energy wherever we find it!
In the 28 hours we were in this spectacular province we kicked things off with a supper meeting with Stephane Deslauriers. Stephane, is an employee of Holstein Quebec. Jersey Quebec has, since June 2009, been purchasing administrative services from Holstein Quebec. Stephane is "point man" for provision of these services to Jersey Quebec. We talked a good deal about the aims and goals and processes of the two Jersey and one Holstein associations. We enjoyed our time at supper so much that we were almost late for an evening meeting with Stephane Marceau, President of Jersey Quebec and Isabelle Roy and Marcel Choiniere, Quebec-resident directors of Jersey Canada!
We then spent four highly energizing hours meeting with this super-keen group of people in the board room of Holstein Quebec. Despite that fact that Thursday had almost become Friday by the time we left the Holstein Quebec offices we were awake and alert and pumped as we dispersed.
The beauty of this meeting was that it was never about "us" and "them" but always about "we" and how we keep the influence of the Jersey breed in Canada's dairy industry growing. Jersey organizations exist not for their own benefit but to bolster and support and improve and promote the Jersey cow! Idea after idea about either how we can do what we do better or how we branch out into new arenas of action flowed from everyone around the table. We have created a report of action points identified or topics meriting further discussion and it has already been circulated to meeting participants and the entire Jersey Canada Board.
Regular meetings between Jersey Canada and the four regional Jersey associations that work in Canada are part of our 2008 to 2010 Strategic Plan "Jersey Rising". This meeting fully proved the value of open and honest communication with the over-riding presence of only one agenda item-"How do we do a better job for the Jersey breed in Canada?"
And by the way these meetings are also great fun because we have so many brilliant Jersey people across Canada who are alive and alert and desire to see the Jersey breed prosper!
While it was a challenge to get to sleep in the early hours of Friday we somehow managed as more "good stuff" awaited us on Friday. We got going early and travelled into the "scenic rolling, verdant hills (and mountains)" of Quebec's spectacular Eastern Townships. Our temporary destination was the Guay family's Hillover Farm near Coaticook. There, 57 head of good Jerseys were being primed for the 10th Edition of Jersey Quebec's Elite Sale.
And what a sale! On a picture-perfect late summer's day a good crowd gathered for a very peppy Jersey sale. We only stayed for about a third of the sale before bogeying back to Montreal to catch a flight to Toronto. However, the overall sale was a roaring success by all measures. The 57 head averaged right at $2600 with four head over $5000 and five over $4500. 30 milking age females exceeded $3100 for average selling price. A nice group of over a dozen bred heifers averaged over $2700. Prices were appropriate and fair for quality on offer. Prices also reflected a need for milk in Quebec this autumn.
I set with a very busy Jean-Marc Pellerin, our National Extension Agent, for a while. Most every time a cow sold I had to ask J/M who the buyer was as their faces were unfamiliar to me. Virtually every time J/M's response was: "New people to the breed". From time to time he noted that the buyer of a lot was someone who had established a foundation Jersey herd in recent years and had now decided to build on that base with a select purchase or two.
Jersey Quebec did so well at staging and hosting this sale! Heading into another full weekend one was rather than exhausted, elated, energized and ready for more! In this world we must grab hold of positive energy wherever we find it!
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