Yet Another Jersey Fan Confirmed!!

Big things were afoot at the famed "State Fair" in Middle Musquodoboit in Halifax County, Nova Scotia this year! During a dairy show which filled all available stalls on the grounds, Reggie Dillman of Musqie Valley Farms made a very special presentation. His father Poppa John Dillman received a brilliant-coloured "got jersey cows?" shirt to add to his wardrobe.  In an August 20th blog posting we quoted Poppa John when he said with a mixture of trepidation, surprise and "deep concern" that: "Those little brown things are taking over the world!!"  Seems John is having quite a job relating to the growth of his family's Jersey herd!

 Reggie Dillman presents his Dad John with a new high fashion garment in the "State Fair's" showring

John models his smart new shirt and receives congratulations from neighbour Helena Cole of Eloc and Colstein Farm.

Ambassadors unaware of their role...

I am just recently off the phone from a conversation with Adrian Haeni at Lone Pine Farms in Didsbury, Alberta. Adrian is "home alone" in his house as Vreni and their four sons are at the Western Canada Classic youth show. This year, Saskatchewan plays host to this popular dairy event for the younger set. Adrian noted that he is aware of at least 10 Jersey calves that will be part of the competitions. The brown calves he is aware of come from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

As we conversed about the WCC program, Adrian noted that some of our very best ambassadors for the Jersey breed are our Jersey youth. He further commented that they don't go out in public thinking of themselves as ambassadors. They simply attend events being the keen, enthusiastic, inquisitive young people they are looking to make friends, grow, learn and tell others what they are do at their home farms.

That got me thinking about some of the other Jersey folks we had heard about in recent weeks. The stories come from the "far East" to the "far West" and points in between. These Jersey supporters are bringing Jerseys out for multi-breed shows, delivering Jersey displays at agricultural fairs and shows, resurrecting Jersey shows or establishing first-time Jersey shows - in short, finding ways to make the breed and the world Jersey much more highly visible. In these cases the Jersey people know they are breed ambassadors. They give of their own time and energy to let their local world know about the breed!

Whether or not you think of yourself as a breed ambassador or even realize that you are, you are.  This association appreciates all those who display professionalism and a positive attitude about dairying and animal husbandry and enthusiasm about the Jersey breed. Who knows what seeds your example and attitudes may sow?

The Surge Begins!!

Record numbers of young Jersey sires have been sampled within Canada in recent years. Eventually this kind of sampling activity yields fruit. And boy oh boy, did the fruits of young sire sampling ever become evident with the August 2009 proof run!!


There are four new faces on the top 20 list for Lifetime Profit Index (LPI) in our breed! Three are bulls proven first in Canada: On Time, Dice and Valedictorian, all from Semex. The other new sire is Iatola who received his first proof in Canada for ABS Global. This is 20% of the top 20 list!

A close review of the proofs on these four bulls defines their abilities to stimulate genetic advancement. Average proofs for the four are:

+632 milk (this is at the 64th percentile)

+54 milk (87th percentile)

+34 protein (75th percentile)

+.34% fat and +.16% protein

Lifetime Profit Index: +1514 (94th percentile!!!)

Conformation: +6 (80th percentile)
Mammary system: +8 (90th percentile)
Feet and legs: +5 (74th percentile)
Dairy Strength: +1 (52nd percentile)
Rump: +3 (64th percentile)
Somatic Cell Score: 2.81 (69th percentile)

These bulls are from an early crop in the surge in young sire sampling. In later years even more young sires were sampled. We now also have the introduction of the tool of genomic testing. This tool will allow us to focus on those young sires who'll have the best chance of being useful proven sires.

Think what kinds of new breed leaders we'd find with more young sires sampled! Sowing seeds reaps a harvest! For the Jersey breed to remain competitive new genetic resources need to be identified on a regular basis. We are now into a whole new era of both sampling expanded numbers of young sires and seeing many new sires revealed with first proofs during proof release days! That has to be good for Jersey progress! Bravo to all those selecting and sampling young Jersey sires! These results are your reward!!

The Jersey Cheese Revolution

The Jersey cow has been known as "The Cheesemakers' cow". Lately the art and practice of making cheese from Jersey milk has been enjoying renewed attention and recognition. We salute those determined and capable souls who have been making high quality Jersey cheeses for years and even decades. Steps have been taken to make their efforts and successes even more high profile.

The World Jersey Cattle Bureau hosted the first World Jersey Cheese Awards on Jersey in May of 2008. The Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society took the lead in delivering this exciting first-time event. Encouraged by the success of this event the first North American Regional Jersey Cheese Awards program was presented in Syracuse, New York in July of 2009. We congratulate and thank the American Jersey Cattle Association for their leadership and finesse in staging the awards. This event also enjoyed a strong successful maiden voyage. In June of 2010 the second World Jersey Cheese Awards will take place, again in Jersey, home of the breed. Other regions under the WJCB umbrella are planning their own regional Jersey cheese awards programs.

These new events amplify and build upon the great work that is being done on Jersey farms and in processing plants/dairies around the globe!

Here in Canada we appreciate the long term work that Jersey cheese producers based in British Columbia have done in refining their craft and building markets. We are aware of some small scale Jersey cheese production in Nova Scotia. Jerseys have also migrated into the herd of an established cheese production company in that province.

Our National Extension Agent Jean-Marc Pellerin has been discovering and reporting upon a growing number of Jersey cheese-making businesses in Quebec. This past weekend Jersey Canada Director Isabelle Roy reported on a plant using Jersey milk in the Bois-Franc region of Quebec. Jean-Marc told us about two 2009 start-up Jersey cheese companies in recent days.

The effort of establishing a cheese production facility and the accompanying marketing and distribution arm is not for everyone. There are however, those who flourish with such challenges. The results of their hard work provides a powerful statement about the added value of Jersey milk in cheese processing! There is ample wind in the sails of the breed with regard to Jersey cheese. This is one more way to highlight the versatility of Jersey milk ane the Jersey breed!

What about water? What about land?

Last week we posted comments on the need for a doubling of global food production over the next four decades. Such growth would be needed to keep up with a constantly growing global population of humanoids. Recently we became engaged in conversations about the pressures surrounding the hunt for both usable land and water to support expanded food production.

It is time for a serious re-think of how we act as a world! Paving over highly productive farm land and delving into and using finite supplies of water is already very much catching up with us! And would you like to add polluting water supplies to the mix?

The need for food will grow. The question is: How are we going to produce it? Where will the fundamental resources needed to produce more food be found? When people say water is already the new oil are they hitting the nail on the head?

Lencrest Jerseys and Jersey Quebec: Updated!

Websites for Ferme Lencrest and Jersey Quebec have been newly updated! Check them out!

It Is All About Strategy!!

We have been stimulated to do more and deeper thinking about the related issues of creating frozen Jersey embryos and marketing of those embryos of late. It has been interesting to discover how many embryos are available for listing on the Canadian Jersey Embryo Program. It is also valuable to learn why embryos are created in the first place and what plans and strategies embryo owners have for using them or marketing them.

Strategic thinking is important so that everyone gains full value from the good work of embryo transfer companies and the superior genetics involved.

We began thinking about the whole topic of making embryos and either using them within-herd or marketing them. A substantial string of questions came to mind. Here are those questions!

DONOR COW SELECTION:

- Is this a truly superior Jersey cow? Why do I want embryos from her? Would others want embryos from her? Would I want multiple progeny from this cow in my herd?
- Will there be a demand for embryos from her?
- What traits and accomplishments make her and her embryos appealing to potential buyers?
- Will I be able to do an effective job of telling others about her value and superior traits and of proving her worth?
- Will I only attempt to create embryos when I have a definite order/sale for them?
- Has the cow been DNA tested prior to flushing?
- Am I willing to work with potential buyers on a Mutually Agreeable Sire (MAS)??

EMBRYO SIRE SELECTION:

- Is this sire popular and well-known and respected?
- Is he a rare sire maybe not overly available?
- Would I want progeny from this sire in my herd?
- What are his strengths? Challenges?
- Why would embryo buyers want to have progeny?
- Is he an appropriate mate for this cow?
- Would I be willing to use a sire I am not using in the herd at present to fill an oder for embryos?

USES FOR EMBRYOS?

- Why am I doing the flush?
- Will I retain all embryos and implant them in my herd or in rented or borrowed recipients?
- Do I have recipients available/ready for fresh or frozen embryos?
- Can I withstand the risk that the cow will be non-responder and yield no viable embryos?
- Within what time frame do I target to implant the embryos?
- Do I project having some embryos to sell? Would I be willing to sell all embryos from the flush?
- Once embryos are actually created what is my target time frame for having them sold?
- Can I arrange for implantation of embryos in a local herd? Do I know the health status of that herd?

MARKETING EMBRYOS:

- Are my embryos export-ready?
- Have I consulted with those marketing embryos to establish an appropriate price or price range?
- Is my pricing realistic?
- Have I advertized the availability of these embryos?
- Have I listed embryos on the Canadian Jersey Embryo Program?
- Have I or my embryo practitioner sent documentation on each flush to Jersey Canada for recordation?
- Do I have a website?
- Do I market my embryos via e-mail? Print brochures?
- Am I selling what the market wants?
- What creative ways can I find to market my embryos?
- Would I agree to volume discounts?
- Am I willing to reduce the price to move the embryos and if so by how much?
- How long have I had these embryos in inventory?
- Would I consider consigning my embryos to a regular public auction or to an on-line embryo auction?
- Are my embryos stored so that they can be easily moved once a sale has been made?

This list is far from all-inclusive despite its length! You would be well-advised to consult with those involved in the industry-marketers and embryo transfer/collection companies to continue planning your strategy. As always those who fail to plan, plan to fail and those who plan carefully but with mid to long term flexibility can reap great harvests of genetic improvement and/or marketing revenue!

Universal winning

As we go about our daily work at Jersey Canada we are increasingly drawn to the topic of embryo transfer. As noted in an earlier blog posting the Canadian Jersey Embryo Program has taken off like a bullet these past ten months. This year Jersey Canada has set a new all time annual record for transfers of embryos. And that in only seven months!

In preparing some material I had reason to review the listing of embryos on our website. I started to think about the opportunities that the list presents. I thought about new Jersey owners wanting to begin on the right foot with quality genetics. I thought about established owners of the breed wanting to add a new cow family and up the calibre of their herd at the same time. I thought of how working from the list would be a great way for dairy producers to launch into their first venture with the Jersey breed.

Implantation of Jersey embryos is a top way to ensure easy calving for animals of larger breeds. You start off with the easy caving and a healthy surrogate mother for the embryo calf. You then have a valuable Jersey calf loaded with superior genetics on the ground. The Jersey breed grows. Those with seed stock to create embryos have a steady market for their product line. Genetic progress happens in gigantic leaps and bounds on a herd basis.

Folks in foreign lands can tap into some of the leading Canadian cow families they have read about and researched. In virtually any country of the world you can own the same genetics as the most famous and proven superior cows of the breed.

Choice is abundant with often close to 500 embryos from 40 or 50 donor dams or more and often by 20 or 30 different sires or more. It is like a mile long salad bar full of so much of what you like!

On June 30th I had occasion to stop at Avonlea Genetics Ltd. near Brighton, Ontario. I was sure I was at the right farm as I've been there "many a time". However as I pulled ever closer to this famous Jersey breeding establishment all I could see were heifers of that other well-known larger breed.

Before long the scenario dawned on me-nobody ever said I get everything in the twinkling of an eye - and then was confirmed by the good folks at Avonlea. The heifers were "black and white on the outside and Jersey brown on the inside" to put it succinctly!

Never before have their been tools to forge ahead with dramatic vigour as there are today! Mouth-watering packages of the best Jersey genetics in the world are right at one's fingertips! You can start in a very good position and roar ahead into an even more excellent one with speed! And the best part is everyone can win from your success!!

The opportunities ahead...decades worth of them

We all receive "a fair volume" of e-mail and have to be skillful about sifting through it all and deciding if we spend anything more than the time it takes to hit delete! I was forced to sit back on my haunches and think "What have I just read??" when I received an e-mail from Murray Hunt of the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency in April of this year. The headline on the message Murray had found and passed along read: "World food production needs to double in next forty years". Mercy, can you ever go a few million directions with that one line!

I discussed this headline and the idea behind it with a number of people. There a those who will quickly say: "Not so, actually world population growth has slowed down from earlier estimates. Already this has been proven to be inaccurate."

Others are quick to ask: "Where are we going to get the water to do so?"

Still others go behind the headline and discover fuller context. The concept was we are going to have untold billions of not only mal-nourished but truly starving people in this world over the next four decades if food production does not increase significantly. The reality of starving people all over this world is already with us and has been for decades.

And then the questions start popping up in your head. Who is going to make this food production happen? Will the vast majority of it come from corporate farms? Factory farms, whatever that means now? Does this mean a lot more use of fertilizers? Yes, where will we find the water? What about the land? Can we reclaim some of the needed land? Will there be a margin in growing that food? Which foods make the most sense? Animal, vegatable??? Have we lost some of the plant or animal speicies that could be valuable?

This headline contains more than food for thought. It relates to a whole generation of young people
who may be awash in opportunity as this growing challenge (pardon the pun!) is addressed. There are two basic messages from a headline like this: Is it true? If yes, how do we get moving on meeting the need? Time to get ready!

Is this possible?

I recently had the privilege of listening to a speaker from the Canadian wing of dairy giant Fonterra. This gent knew how to challenge his audience and to hold their attention. He made one particular comment which made me sit up and take extra-special notice. My pen moved into action almost on its own to jot down his words! And what were those words?

He claimed that there were 3,000 individual, identifiable components in milk.

3,000? Okay we know of the big things like fat, protein, lactose, the minerals and vitamins, but, 3000, really?

Doesn't that make your motor run? Doesn't that fire your imagination about all the novel uses that milk and its component parts can serve?

Doesn't this help to explain why different milks are so good for making certain dairy products? And that's only looking at things from the viewpioint of our conventional thinking about milk?

Another epiphany moment!

Farming on at 95 years young!!

On August 9, 2009 George Brown of Brownlane Farms Ltd, Harvey Station,New Brunswick celebrated his 95th birthday! That means he was born in the summer of 1914! I caught up with George by phone two days later on August 11. He told me that he was still "heavy into the hay" and had done a lot of mowing and raking in a challenging summer for putting up hay. He also told me with his customary modesty that a crew of 70 people had attended a little get-together to mark his 95th birthday.

About the same time I had a cyber-chat with a US Jersey personage who had a birthday the same weekend as George. This person was born 69 years after George so was "only 26"!

George told me a little story that took place three decades ago when he was homing in on 65. A well-meaning minister came to visit the Browns. He remarked on the fact that George was at the age when folks traditionally settled into their retirement years. George's quick retort was: "Retirement.....I do not want to hear that word!!!"

The path that George has chosen for the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth decades of his life is not one everyone would have chosen. Nonetheless the way he has spent the last three decades of his life and the six and a half that preceded them have given him a lot to enjoy. He has much to be thankful for and has had a few million great experiences. He's been blessed with terrific physical and mental health and agility that others have not enjoyed. I hope and trust that when he looks back over life his regrets are few and his smiles are many.

His life is an extraordinary example of remaining engaged and vital and up and about and doing! For those of us many decades younger his determination is a stimulating lesson in living! Perhaps not for everyoen but just right for him! Happy 95th George!

What a wonderful life when one can communicate with a range of keen Jersey people-sometimes more than seven decades apart in age!

Happy 75th Perth-Huron Jersey Club

What a wondrous thing it is when a local Jersey organization reaches its 75th anniversary and is still full of life and vibrancy and doing good things!

This club has held an annual harvest sale for decades, holds regular club meetings throughout the year, has hosted some excellent Provincial annual meeitngs, has been and is home to leading breeders, world famous Jersey herds and individuals who've done so much for the breed not only close to home but nationally as well.

Today, there are many young people working hard on Jersey farms in the Perth-Huron area in South-Western Ontario. Lots of great Jersey cows live in the region. Sales selectors and others seeking good Jerseys delight in touring this area. A regular stream of new faces to the breed are investing in Jersey genetics within the club's boundaries! Production leaders and show champions originate there and often spend their working careers in this fertile two county region.

Jersey Canada salutes all the members of this dynamic club on three-quarters of a century of leadership to and support for the breed. May the next 25 years leading up to your centennial be even more successful! Congratulations on reaching such an impressive milestone! You have accomplished a giant bundle of good things!

Quotable quote

When in my home province of Nova Scotia at the very begnning of August I had occasion to visit with the Dillman family of Musqie Valley Farm. (Now, Musqie must be one of the very few words in the English language where q is not followed by a u but we'll skip the off-topic spelling chat for the moment!)

As we stomped around seeing Holsteins and Jerseys and Ayrshires it became obvious that the senior partner Poppa John Dillman was having some challenges with the increasing "browning" of the family's dairy herd. Finally he proclaimed: " Those little brown things are taking over the world!!" I was ready to pounce! My fast reply was: "And can I quote you on that?" In a split second he responded: "Yes, you can!"

So, Poppa John your words are listened to and they are heard!

You said it. We dare not argue. We shall simply report! :-)

A few powerful words....

Consider this African proverb, if you will.

"The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is today."

What more need be said?

Or.....Buy Canadian!

Hm...I was arriving back in my current hometown of Fergus, Ontario one recent evening and thought: "I'm ready for some healthy food!" So, I parked at a large supermarket and went on the hunt for some fresh food. Right outside the store new green and yellow beans from Ontario were on offer. I bought a bunch. Blueberries from British Columbia? Not exactly next door (or within 100 mile diet parameters!) but they looked great (and proved to be so!) and were on sale. Eggplant? Love it! A little searching to find some local.

As I went through this process it was patently obvious that much of the "fresh" food on offer was far from local and much was from outside Canada! I was musing about the fact that we are in mid-August and not far from the famed fruit-growing region of the Niagara Peninsula. The thought came to mind: "So how about snagging some fresh peaches or plums to finish off this selection of foods chock full of vitamins and minerals and other forms of goodness?" Hm.....we're in high season for local ripe fruit and everything is imported??

I took my bag of purchases and headed for the checkout counter confused and concerned. Once there and dealing with a really pleasant lady there the feeling that I had to say something rose up within me! I knew she was in no way responsible but did ask why in a Canadian supermarket in high season for fruits and veggies it was so hard to find Canadian produce. She noted that the question was out of her area of responsibility but did ask if I wanted to speak to a manager. As a regular follower of the principle that you might as well be "in for a sheep instead of just a lamb" I noted that I would like to speak with a manager. She paged one. In short order the Assistant Manager was present and accounted for. We began our chat. He noted that he had fresh Ontario produce on display right at the front door. I agreed. I then asked about the whole peach and plum thing and the fact that there was so much imported produce in the store. He did suggest that there were baskets of Ontario peaches available. Of course, I came quickly back with the comment that I only wanted one to three of each or less and wasn't touching the imported ones!

We kept it all civil and calm. I did leave with the comment that I was involved with the Canadian agricultural industry. I noted that I was a regular customer. As a conclusion I noted that I'd appreciate seeing more local and more Canadian produce on their shelves especially in seasons when it was so readily available.

It is important to be true to yourself and your beliefs. This is far from earth-shattering stuff. I'm pretty sure I didn't change the world with tihs small offering of comments. However, so much of life is about sowing seeds and there's no better time to sow some than today!

If silence reigns anything can happen. If we speak in enough numbers with a loud enough collective voice things can change!!

Delivery Room Photography

One of the neat things that has happened in the Jersey breed globally of late is the arrival on Jersey Island of calves sired by international sires from outside the Island. After decades and centuries a ban on use of outside semen was over-turned last July. Genetics from the larger Jersey world arrived in Jersey in mid-September and bingo-bongo, calves started arriving in mid-June.

As you can imagine an event like this has completely energized keen dairy cattlle breeders in Jersey. They are so excited to have access to a cornucopia of good genetics from leading Jersey sires! Such is the excitement that photos are popping up on Jersey websites of calves that are just born!

Take for example the Avonteur website of the LeFeuvre family. Their cattle are housed at Trinity Manor Farm managed by Rob Stevenson. Steve LeFuevre and Rob Stevenson own some cattle together under the Imagine Jerseys herd name. At www.avonteur.com you can see material on the Avonteur, Imagine and Trinity Manor herds with many photos and lots of interesting text.

Late last week Suzanne Le Feuvre encouraged me to visit their site to see some of "the very latest crop". Hm? I soon found what she meant. On August 9, 2009 I was looking at photos in the Imagine Jerseys section of the site of Imagine Sambo Christina, a Lester Sambo daughter of a 95% dam. Christina was born July 31, 2009 and was three hours old when first she had her photo taken! Or one could view Imagine Sultan Daisy, born August 5, 2009 and a "few hours old" (still wet) when photoed!
It is great to see such excitement about things Jersey and especially when they originate on that glorious Island where the Jersey breed originated!

The only question is, what next? One of Vicki LeFeuvre's heifers is carrying an ET calf by the famed Sooner Centurion...will we soon be seeing ultrasound photos of said calf?

All great fun but also very inspring for the Jersey breed worldwide! We commend the folks at Trinity Manor, Imagine and Avonteur Jerseys for their passion for the breed adn all things related to the Jersey cow!

Super Choice for Trip to Aussie

Over the recent weekend - how short they seem to be!! - we received news from Reggie Dillman at Musqie Valley Farms in Nova Scotia's Musquodoboit Valley. Reggie informed us that his neighbour Sandy Cole of Colstein and Eloc Farms has been selected for the Semex Alliance/Holstein Canada award trip to Australia. One of the things we like in this business is when dairy people rejoice in the success of others. Even better are the instances where close neighbours respect each other and are more than neighbours but very good friends too! And let me tell you the Dillmans and Coles are close neighbours!

When I visited both farms on August 1 it took me less than five minutes to get from Dillmans to Coles!
If you'd ever like to see reps of numerous dairy breeds without driving any distance at all the Cole and Dillman establishments are good choices - Dillmans have Holsteins, Ayrshires and Jerseys and Coles have Holsteins, Jerseys, Brown Swiss and Milking Shorthorns!

Both sides of Sandy's "extended pedigree" have deep roots in the NS dairy industry and so his passion for our industry is fully understandable-it is basically like he was born to it! Sandy'll be a good rep for Canada as he is very keen about cows and managing them and genetics and does know four different breeds very well. It will also be wonderful for the Aussies to glean information from such "a noted historian" of the Holstein breed! When we were going over the cows at Colstein/Eloc my eyes lit upon a barn card above a Holstein cow claiming that she was none other than the iconic Glenridge Citation Roxy, Queen of the Breed and not too far down the row was Springbank Snow Countess, now well over 100 years old! I think we've found Canada's answer to Mr. Horace Backus! Sandy's rather colourful Dad Dean simply smiled and pointed his ever-present pipe at Sandy and confirmed that he was the card-maker and budding historian! I have let Sandy know via his Uncle David that on my next visit to Eloc I expect to experience the ressurection of both the sainted Brampton Basilua and the unforgettable Duncan Belle!

Not only will the Aussies love Sandy I know from personal experience that he'll love and be capitvated by this amazing and variable land and her terrific people! As I have often said Aussies have to be amongst the toughest people on the face of this earth-in a very good way! So Canada is sending forth one of our finest and friends, family and neighbours are rejoicing! Can we say anything more than "It's all good!"

WE ARE LOVIN' IT ALL!!

July 31st activity stats for Jersey Canada's registry work processing really got our motors running! Once we did some number-crunching with the raw data and put it all in historical perspective we were flying!

After seven months of 2009 we are at our highest membership level since 1967, 42 years ago!! Can you believe it? Well, believe it! And even better is the fact that our membership count in closing in on the golden figure of 1,000!!

Pretty neat when one considers that in 1967 there would have been more than ten times the number of dairy farms in Canada that there are today!

Then, we looked at the related stats on number of new herd names registered! 81 so far in 2009 and adding 11 in the month of July alone! That puts us at 767 registered since January of 2004! Furthermore we'll likely cross over the "800 since January 2004" line before the end of 2009!

We almost fell off of our chair when we looked at the stats for number of embryos transferred this year to date! Over 440 in seven months this year compared to just over 215 in all of 2008! For those who love percentages that's an increase of 104% over all of 2008!

Can you say "On Fire'!!??

Our new Canadian Jersey Embryo Program launched in late October of 2008 in conjunction with The Semex Alliance has moved embryos to nine foreign countries along with some domestic activity and growing doemstic interest! And this in a "down time" for the global economy!

All of this makes us look forward to the remaining five months of 2009 with great anticipation!
There is no telling what the Jersey cow and her dedciated owners can make happen next!