In praise of and celebrating "Comeback Kids"

Recently the Eastern Ontario publication " Farmers Forum" published an article with the title "Comeback Kid". The article was about Rob and Jody Beggs and family of North Gower in the Ottawa Valley and their decision to re-enter the ranks of milk producers! It has been a few years since the Beggs family have milked Jerseys with the well-known Cranbrook prefix. Now, they are back at it with a young family and great enthusiasm!
We recall a time just over 18 years ago when a then very young Rob was showing a really nice cow named Cranbrook Ray's Lee, Ex in the big leagues at the National Jersey Show at the RAWF. And not just showing her but doing really well in the fast company of veteran showmen!

All industries need renewal! The Beggs family are not the only young people who have returned to milking cows-and indeed Jerseys, in this region within the last six months!
We have been encouraged by the number of new entrants and re-entrants to the dairy industry who have chosen to milk herds of all or a large percent Jersey! The trend seems to be growing!

May all these folks find ways and means of drawing a good living from the industry and making a positive contribution by producing a valuable, high quality product!

Jerseys are unquestionably the "comeback kids" of the global dairy industry and it is great to see keen and able young people like Rob and Jody decide to work with our growing breed!

Pure Inspiration!!!

What wings of joy we were carried upon when we learned of the Gold Medal victory of Alexandre Bilodeau at the Olympics on Sunday! What a true success story for this 22 year old wunderkind!
Perhaps most touching is the joy this victory brought to Frederic, 28 year old brother of the Gold Medalist-the first ever for Canada on home soil as host of the games after three go rounds over almost 34 years!!! Frederic has cerebral palsy and is more than a hero to his younger bro!

I sometimes feel waves of moderate despair wash over me when I read the reactions of fellow Canadians to moments of pure mountain-top delight like this! In the comments sections of CBC and CTV news websites there are those who blow off this spectacular victory with carping about it being a judged rather than timed sport. There are those who wanted to post-mortem and nit-pick the stunning opening ceremonies to pieces. Perhaps I should stop reading these comments! Everyone is entitled to their own take on things and their own opinions. I do feel sorry for some of these folks who carp and make put-downs at times like these. How dark and negative and lonely and long their days must be!
I shall pitch my tent with those who think bigger and brighter and know how to celebrate a glorious moment without dissecting it to bits!

This is a great moment for a young man, his brother and other family members and friends, coaches and fans! Tis a great moment for an entire country too! My response is to cheer: Bravo, Alexandre!

Love that sign at Gencor.....

And the roadside sign in fornt of the Semex partner unit north of Guelph, Ontario on Highway 6 simply reads:

GO CANADA, EH!

We fully concur!!!!

Oh Canada! Go, Canada, GO!!!!!

"The Olympic flame kissed the dark Vancouver sky..." So begins a CBC news report on the spectacular opening of the 20-10 Winter Games on our west coast on Friday evening!

What a moment! What a moment to be Canadian in our "true north, (so) strong and free!

From time to time it is good to be reminded of who you are, where you come from and how much potential that gives your life today, and in the future!

Even before the moment when the snowboarder whipped down a run, vaulted through the Olympic rings and offered a welcome to game, wonder was at work!

In a short video clip prior to the actual ceremony we were reminded that we live in the land "Where anything is possible...because we live in the greatest country on earth!!"

Nationalistic pride and patriotism aside this was a message we all need to hear more than once!

The video clip also reminded us that "We are more than gracious hosts....we are a nation of leaders, heroes and champions!" Too true!

At this point even before things really got heated up I was already thinking that I was turning to mush. The line about Canada being the land where anything is possible resonated with me so deeply. I'll tell you why in a later blog as it relates to my "maternal grand sire" Harry A. Barnard, the orphan boy form England who came to Canada with his brother Frank and ended up owning a farm and raising a fine family. Tears flowed as I thought about my Poppa B and his great life in his adopted land. But for now.....

That electric moment when BC folks rockers Nellie Furtado and Bryan Adams took to the stage and belted out : Bang Your Drum.....the lyrics which include " Bang your drum a little louder so the whole world can hear" fitting in with the drumming and joyful gyrations of the dance that the first Nations reps had been doing all around the stage! Then those important lyrics.... "Dream Big!!! Aim High!!"
How inspirational.
I thought about how these words apply to all of us in Jersey Canada and involved with our growing breed around the world.

And there was so much more...meaningful to me because of my love for the Island nation of Haiti was having our Haitian-born Governor General officiate at the games. Another person adopting Canada as home like my Poppa and soaring!!!!

The Great One Gretzky lighting the flame, assisted by greats Nancy Greene Raine; Catriona Le May Doan; The Man In Motion Rick Hansen and super-talented Steve Nash! WOW!

k.d. lang singing Cohen's Hallelujah! Canuck titans like Barbara Ann Scott; Anne Murray (you knew she was born in Northern Nova Scotia, eh?); Romeo Dallaire; and Terry fox's Mom Betty ushering in the Olympic flame! Have mercy!

And in the midst of it all that moment when Clara Hughes with the widest smile possible had the distinct honour of leading the rock solid, amazing, glory-bound Canadian team in the ring-magic!

This morning I have listened to that awesome West Coast girl Nellie Furtado sing that powerful song of her making, FORCA!

A fitting send-off to Team Canada as they get ready to do what forca means...kick some you know what!

So, yes, OH Canada, GO CANADA, GO!!!!!!! God speed all competitors!!!

Thoughts for the future from John Brand

Below is an excerpt from an email received from John Brand in recent weeks, posing some interesting questions on the future of the Jersey cow in tomorrow's dairy industry....

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Three thinks that make me think...

• We were given a small horse for my kids this year. I feed this horse very mature average hay. She is FAT now. Horse people tell me - you are feeding her WAY TOO GOOD OF HAY! No balanced ration. No grain!!. She basicly lives outside!! What is wrong with my cows? aren't they supposed to be forage digesters?? 
• I regularily change my feeding ( heaven forbid a nutritionist find out!!) to suit my quota requirements. Some cows go down in milk with less grain but there are afew who always go up!!
• I can dry off a thrifty cow and have her lose weight when on my heifer ration of staight hay. Yet I can also dry off an unthrifty cow and have her gain weight on the same hay !!

Some points that maybe give support...

• Young people (20-30's) are now rated as having equal heart health as that of seniors 
• We are seeing an increase in digestive cancers -animal product foods are seen often as the culprit.
• Canada is the largest exporter of flax in the world -which has been hit hard in recent weeks
• We are regularily told we need to use an ovsync program to get our cows pregnant.We are told that we need to feed palm kernal fat (imported from malaysian rain forest) to give our cows enough energy.
• The use of grain as biofuels means that we will need to protect our soils with better crop rotations.
• Nutrtionists tell us that the only way to meet the needs of "todays high producing cow" is to feed a ration of corn silage and straw.
• Decades old research tells us that flax fed cows have healthier and 2x larger follicles. 
• Flax fed cows have milk that is 75:25 good to bad fat.
• Palm kernal fat gives milk that is 25:75 good to bad fat
• Flax gives the cow itself a healthier blood profile and is a natural anti inflammitory for the cow as well.

What might be some of the results?

• The demand for more flax would enhance crop rotation opportunities.
• Milk from cows fed grass and pasture is more heart healthy.
• This milk also has 10x-50x more CLA (the most potent cancer fighter known) than heavily grain fed cows.
• The larger the percentage that forage makes up in the diet , the higher the CLA in the milk ( and meat !!)
• High forage fed cows can have a less acidic body enhancing conception and improving forage digestion by 10%. 
• More demand for forage from cattle farms would improve the sustainability of our soil rotations.
• Cow manure that is deposited in the field has 80 % of the nutrients returned to the soil.
• Cow manure stored in the barn and spread on the field has 80% of the nutrients lost to the environment
• Forages when seeded can last for several years.
• Corn needs to be seeded every year with fertilizer, diesel and pesticides.

The Bottom Line....

• A forage-farmer benefits and the consumer benefits
• if grain fed...the suppliers benefit

Which one do you think will be promoted to us??

We say we sell natures most perfect food...will we let our practices prove it??

Opportunities for genetic diversity, genomics and the Jersey breed??