There are numerous possible sub-titles for this offering like: “Yes Virginia, genetics do make a difference!” or “Two decades later, could it be any greater?” or “Praise song for Jerseys and Jersey owners in dear old Aussie!”.
My first two forays into Jersey circles “down under” had taken place in March of 1988 and January of 1991. Yes, the gap between visit number two and ten golden days in the land of kangaroos and koalas in May of 2009 was far too long! However, those almost two decades allowed ample time for a powerful, definite and riveting transformation of the Jersey cow in this rugged and highly appealing land! Make no mistake - the Aussie Jersey of the late 1980s and early 1990s had a lot going for her - strong and deep cow families, big, deep barrels to pack away lots of forage, distinct outcross bloodlines and great feet and legs for lots of journeys to and from the parlour! And most of all, passionate owners who loved the breed and were skillful dairy cattle breeders and managers.
“Way back then” something called “the change” was going on....use of North American bloodlines was beginning to surge. The astute dairymen of Australia quickly learned how to use these “new” genes to optimal advantage and have never looked back! A very good Jersey population now stands out as a spectacular one - filled to overflowing with breath-taking cows who are commercially appealing and competitive while having enough “spit and polish” to cause swooning in the persons of those who love great cows!
While some transformations may seem revolutionary in nature this one is actually more evolutionary. And why so? Because both the keener than keen young dairymen I met and the seasoned veterans alike are so intent and “focused like a laser” on making the coming generations better than today’s stunning models.
Remember too that this land is rugged and challenging, reflected in the stark counterpoints of flooding in deluge proportions in one region and “dry as dust” droughts in others. We toured the Anderson’s Kingsville farm in Gippsland, ravaged a short three months earlier by a raging inferno of a bush fire and were sobered, saddened and shocked by the cruel damage such a marauding force of nature can inflict in mere minutes.
But, now, on to the cows! In the west, east and north of Victoria plus a small slice of New South Wales around Finlay we were treated to a cow lover’s delight, time and time again, on 25 top notch farms! And we know there are so many more in those states and the others of Aussie that could have been visited. The full impact of the progress of the Australian Jersey during the 1990s and on into this present decade was brought home to me by four specific stops and amplified beautifully by the other 21 stops.
Two herds I had not seen before - Wallacedale in Gippsland and Riverside in the more westerly regions of Victoria. Momma mia, what cows!! What owners! In both cases, rain and wind were part of the visits but I would have “walked bare-footed through a raging snow and ice storm (highly improbable in Australia, I know!)” to have seen these herds and soaked in their radiance and learned about them. These were world class herds, stunning by any measure and so impressive! Then, two herds I had seen before - Bushlea in Gippsland in 1991 and Jugiong in Northern Vic in both ’88 and ’91.
It was truly one of those “pinch me, I must be dreaming” moments as a group of local Jersey dairymen and yours truly and my trusty chauffeur Stu Mackie from Semex had the privilege of examining the legendary Bushlea herd on pasture. Much-needed rain drizzled down as the quiet squire of Bushlea, Keith Kuhne, led us around the paddock, quietly telling us about each cow that caught our fancy - and there were an almost endless stream who did! The love of this master breeder for his cows was quietly evident in his descriptions and observations. The words “Wow!”, “World Class!”, “State of the art!” thundered inside my head as I strove to extract full value out of every precious and blessed second!
Two days later and in a much drier locale in northern Victoria a “similar and yet different” herd walk took place at the Nicholson’s well-respected Jugiong farm. This time, young Brendan Nicholson led Jim Conroy of Semex and I through a pasture holding almost 400 milky registered Jerseys under a sky that simply wouldn’t get cloudy enough to yield needed rain. His uncle Phil accompanied us and let Brendan provide a steady stream of facts and figures about both the cows and how they were managed to perform well in beyond challenging conditions. This herd kissed 7,000 kilograms per cow in 2008 and was comprised of very milky cows with top udders. I had fallen in love with the herd “right off the bat” in 1988 because for that era the cows were milky and dairy and getting the working job done - but, my oh my, now!! So much more milky and yet lots of body and great udders!
North Americans can take pleasure in our supporting role in this Jersey miracle down under! Again and again and again and yet again the name “Astound” came up. This is “the code name” for a lad from the rolling hills of Vermont who is also known as Molly Brook Berretta Fabulous. His dam is the legendary MB Lester Fantastic who must surely be one of the world’s top all time brood cows largely on the basis of Astound and a passel of full sib brothers who have proven to be winners and breed advancers. Interestingly, both in NZ and Aussie, some of the best very Astounds were out of daughters of his legendary maternal grand sire Highland Duncan Lester, another New England native!
Grooving on wonderful cows in every herd visited was the order of the day! The Jersey in Australia today has originated from a very good foundation. The cow has been propelled forward and has sky-rocketed up based on a clever blending of the best of the past-superior cow families with a cosmopolitan mix of international genetics on the sire side. Now, Aussie-born sires are popping up to make further successes! The result is a cow with a magnetic pull that screams ‘feast your eyes on us”! A study of this steady progression at regular intervals over the past two decades would be almost as stunning as arriving back on Aussie soil almost eighteen and a half years later! But not quite the same!
In 2009, we need success stories and tales of modern-day triumphs. We need the energy and invigoration flowing from a “good news” story because “the other kind” is all too abundant! We also need the instruction and education that derives from seeing firsthand how master craftsmen can take up their tools and wield them to create copious numbers of masterpieces. This feat the Australian Jersey dairyman has done with finesse and smarts and agility-part artist, part scientist, part husbandry expert in rapidly shifting scenarios as mother nature and world markets deliver their bracing messages.
To add to the on-farm wonders right in the center of the trip was the truly historic first annual meeting of the newly restructured Jersey Australia! The breed now has a fully unified, chomping at the bit, association that it ready to “get at it” in new ways! Expect things to keep improving and expect Australian Jersey genetics to forge ahead domestically while grabbing a fair share of limelight on the global dairy stage! Real change is possible-start with a solid foundation and use every tool at your disposal! Success will follow!
My first two forays into Jersey circles “down under” had taken place in March of 1988 and January of 1991. Yes, the gap between visit number two and ten golden days in the land of kangaroos and koalas in May of 2009 was far too long! However, those almost two decades allowed ample time for a powerful, definite and riveting transformation of the Jersey cow in this rugged and highly appealing land! Make no mistake - the Aussie Jersey of the late 1980s and early 1990s had a lot going for her - strong and deep cow families, big, deep barrels to pack away lots of forage, distinct outcross bloodlines and great feet and legs for lots of journeys to and from the parlour! And most of all, passionate owners who loved the breed and were skillful dairy cattle breeders and managers.
“Way back then” something called “the change” was going on....use of North American bloodlines was beginning to surge. The astute dairymen of Australia quickly learned how to use these “new” genes to optimal advantage and have never looked back! A very good Jersey population now stands out as a spectacular one - filled to overflowing with breath-taking cows who are commercially appealing and competitive while having enough “spit and polish” to cause swooning in the persons of those who love great cows!
While some transformations may seem revolutionary in nature this one is actually more evolutionary. And why so? Because both the keener than keen young dairymen I met and the seasoned veterans alike are so intent and “focused like a laser” on making the coming generations better than today’s stunning models.
Remember too that this land is rugged and challenging, reflected in the stark counterpoints of flooding in deluge proportions in one region and “dry as dust” droughts in others. We toured the Anderson’s Kingsville farm in Gippsland, ravaged a short three months earlier by a raging inferno of a bush fire and were sobered, saddened and shocked by the cruel damage such a marauding force of nature can inflict in mere minutes.
But, now, on to the cows! In the west, east and north of Victoria plus a small slice of New South Wales around Finlay we were treated to a cow lover’s delight, time and time again, on 25 top notch farms! And we know there are so many more in those states and the others of Aussie that could have been visited. The full impact of the progress of the Australian Jersey during the 1990s and on into this present decade was brought home to me by four specific stops and amplified beautifully by the other 21 stops.
Two herds I had not seen before - Wallacedale in Gippsland and Riverside in the more westerly regions of Victoria. Momma mia, what cows!! What owners! In both cases, rain and wind were part of the visits but I would have “walked bare-footed through a raging snow and ice storm (highly improbable in Australia, I know!)” to have seen these herds and soaked in their radiance and learned about them. These were world class herds, stunning by any measure and so impressive! Then, two herds I had seen before - Bushlea in Gippsland in 1991 and Jugiong in Northern Vic in both ’88 and ’91.
It was truly one of those “pinch me, I must be dreaming” moments as a group of local Jersey dairymen and yours truly and my trusty chauffeur Stu Mackie from Semex had the privilege of examining the legendary Bushlea herd on pasture. Much-needed rain drizzled down as the quiet squire of Bushlea, Keith Kuhne, led us around the paddock, quietly telling us about each cow that caught our fancy - and there were an almost endless stream who did! The love of this master breeder for his cows was quietly evident in his descriptions and observations. The words “Wow!”, “World Class!”, “State of the art!” thundered inside my head as I strove to extract full value out of every precious and blessed second!
Two days later and in a much drier locale in northern Victoria a “similar and yet different” herd walk took place at the Nicholson’s well-respected Jugiong farm. This time, young Brendan Nicholson led Jim Conroy of Semex and I through a pasture holding almost 400 milky registered Jerseys under a sky that simply wouldn’t get cloudy enough to yield needed rain. His uncle Phil accompanied us and let Brendan provide a steady stream of facts and figures about both the cows and how they were managed to perform well in beyond challenging conditions. This herd kissed 7,000 kilograms per cow in 2008 and was comprised of very milky cows with top udders. I had fallen in love with the herd “right off the bat” in 1988 because for that era the cows were milky and dairy and getting the working job done - but, my oh my, now!! So much more milky and yet lots of body and great udders!
North Americans can take pleasure in our supporting role in this Jersey miracle down under! Again and again and again and yet again the name “Astound” came up. This is “the code name” for a lad from the rolling hills of Vermont who is also known as Molly Brook Berretta Fabulous. His dam is the legendary MB Lester Fantastic who must surely be one of the world’s top all time brood cows largely on the basis of Astound and a passel of full sib brothers who have proven to be winners and breed advancers. Interestingly, both in NZ and Aussie, some of the best very Astounds were out of daughters of his legendary maternal grand sire Highland Duncan Lester, another New England native!
Grooving on wonderful cows in every herd visited was the order of the day! The Jersey in Australia today has originated from a very good foundation. The cow has been propelled forward and has sky-rocketed up based on a clever blending of the best of the past-superior cow families with a cosmopolitan mix of international genetics on the sire side. Now, Aussie-born sires are popping up to make further successes! The result is a cow with a magnetic pull that screams ‘feast your eyes on us”! A study of this steady progression at regular intervals over the past two decades would be almost as stunning as arriving back on Aussie soil almost eighteen and a half years later! But not quite the same!
In 2009, we need success stories and tales of modern-day triumphs. We need the energy and invigoration flowing from a “good news” story because “the other kind” is all too abundant! We also need the instruction and education that derives from seeing firsthand how master craftsmen can take up their tools and wield them to create copious numbers of masterpieces. This feat the Australian Jersey dairyman has done with finesse and smarts and agility-part artist, part scientist, part husbandry expert in rapidly shifting scenarios as mother nature and world markets deliver their bracing messages.
To add to the on-farm wonders right in the center of the trip was the truly historic first annual meeting of the newly restructured Jersey Australia! The breed now has a fully unified, chomping at the bit, association that it ready to “get at it” in new ways! Expect things to keep improving and expect Australian Jersey genetics to forge ahead domestically while grabbing a fair share of limelight on the global dairy stage! Real change is possible-start with a solid foundation and use every tool at your disposal! Success will follow!
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