Whilst it was a wild and wooly day weather-wise in Quebec on Friday the Select Celebration Sale was a very bright spot in the winter weather! In total 38 head of Jerseys sold for an average of just over $2825-my unofficial figures. Leading the way were 26 milking cows who averaged $3215, led by a $13,500 top price for Select-Scott Sultan Maggie, a daughter of JIL Little Minnie who sold to Bruce Rendon in Michigan. The other 25 cows averaged $2804. 8 bred heifers averaged just under $2100 and four open heifers averaged $1775.
"The story behind the story" is where things get even more interesting. There was a good crowd on hand considering the weather. Marie-Claire and Jean-Marc concur that there were at least four new buyers. One of them is a member of a very well-regarded Holstein family in Quebec. In another instance we met a daughter of a former Jersey breeder from the Bas St-Laurent region. In 1987 the family had a barn fire and when her father Daniel Gagnon rebuilt he set up a Holstein herd because of prevailing milk pricing and quota policies at the time. This young woman farms with her husband and they had a couple of Jerseys before Friday and at least three more afterward. Her brother is at the home farm with their father and he now has at least four or five Jerseys in the home herd again. Quite something to see people come back into the breed after such a long time away!
Jean-Marc noted that over the past two weeks he has signed up six new members for Jersey Canada. One day he made three farm stops and signed up three new members! Thus, we are now safely over the 910 members needed to be at our highest total since 1968!
Jersey Quebec recently hosted a barn meeting and Jersey information day at which about 25 people new or newer to the breed appeared in a total crowd of about 40! While at the sale we were approached by someone who has a few Jerseys about a membership and catch up on a few transfers and registrations. Jean-Marc also made contact with two people he had heard of but had not been able to contact or track down when they appeared at the sale!
While it is a stretch to imagine that growth in Jersey numbers can still be happening at such a rapid clip, it is happening! There is more ground to be covered!
"The story behind the story" is where things get even more interesting. There was a good crowd on hand considering the weather. Marie-Claire and Jean-Marc concur that there were at least four new buyers. One of them is a member of a very well-regarded Holstein family in Quebec. In another instance we met a daughter of a former Jersey breeder from the Bas St-Laurent region. In 1987 the family had a barn fire and when her father Daniel Gagnon rebuilt he set up a Holstein herd because of prevailing milk pricing and quota policies at the time. This young woman farms with her husband and they had a couple of Jerseys before Friday and at least three more afterward. Her brother is at the home farm with their father and he now has at least four or five Jerseys in the home herd again. Quite something to see people come back into the breed after such a long time away!
Jean-Marc noted that over the past two weeks he has signed up six new members for Jersey Canada. One day he made three farm stops and signed up three new members! Thus, we are now safely over the 910 members needed to be at our highest total since 1968!
Jersey Quebec recently hosted a barn meeting and Jersey information day at which about 25 people new or newer to the breed appeared in a total crowd of about 40! While at the sale we were approached by someone who has a few Jerseys about a membership and catch up on a few transfers and registrations. Jean-Marc also made contact with two people he had heard of but had not been able to contact or track down when they appeared at the sale!
While it is a stretch to imagine that growth in Jersey numbers can still be happening at such a rapid clip, it is happening! There is more ground to be covered!
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