SECRETARY GENERAL'S NEWSLETTER

28th Edition April 2009

Uruguay - Part 2

I visited the board rooms of the ARU, the Association Rural del Uruguay. My host Pepe Bonica-Henderson represents the Hereford Association on the board, and all the different rural enterprises in Uruguay have at least one delegate. I was surprised to find that five or six members of that board are responsible for the accuracy of pedigree registrations and do on farm checks. Cows and calves are separated and calves are released one at the time and checked that they go to the correct mother.
The Hereford board meet every second Monday and I was invited to attend a meeting and update the board with progress on the research the World Hereford Council have under taken on Global Evaluation. The next World Hereford Council meeting will be at the end of April and the matters on the agenda were also fully discussed in both English and Spanish. Most of the estancia owners are in Montevideo every weekend visiting their families. Rural services are almost non-existent in Uruguay so wives are forced to live in the city while the children attend school. The Hereford breeders I met drive three to five hours every Friday to their town houses and return to their farms again on Tuesdays. The Hereford board meetings end with a very social luncheon and all members are invited to ‘drop in’ both to the meetings and the social hour or two over lunch. Most members are in the city anyway so the regular meetings and facilities provide a happy club-like atmosphere. I was very impressed with the camaraderie which exists in the Association.

The Hereford Association own a property at Kiyú which is approximately 100 kilometres from Montevideo. Every year 70 to 90 bulls from more than 40 breeders all around the country are evaluated on this property. The farm is managed by representatives of the Hereford board and they have three permanent staff who take care of the day to day activities. The bulls are given every opportunity to express their growth and steers are purchased to mop up any excess grass or crops. Bulls graze in three mobs and are sorted by age. They are on site for 12 months and are grass or sorghum fed. The bulls selected to be sold are ranked based on an index that considers 1/3 testing performance, 1/3 phenotype, 1/3 EPDs .The record gain for any bull to date is 1.8 kilograms per day while on test. The display pens and selling pavilion are very well maintained and would be the envy of many New Zealand farmers. I enquired about the cost of such a building and was amazed to learn that Wrightsons had forfeited their commission on the bull sale for five years to assist with the payment of the facility. Last year the bulls averaged 745 kilograms on sale day and averaged NZ$7,000.

Next day I travelled to German Morixe’s property near Mercedes. The name of the estancia was “Carablanca” which in English means white face and the Herefords from this farm have the reputation of being the best in Uruguay. I was not able to judge if the bulls were the best in the country but certainly the mob of sale bulls were an extremely even line. I really could not focus on any bull in particular which is supposed to be an indication of good breeding.

My next farm visit was to Jamie Miller’s property and he had recorded 130 mls of rain that night so I hoped that deluge marked the end of the drought. Jamie had quite a diverse enterprise with crops, forestry, a cross breeding program for finishing both steers and heifers and his pure bred Hereford herd. His sorghum crop looked really good considering the unfavourable season.. He hoped it would yield 4 tons to the hectare and expected to get about US$120 per ton. I was very impressed with his property and his steer finishing program.

The Durazno Show was my last official visit and most of the Hereford breeders I had met previously were either competing or were at the ringside. The competition lasted all day and the Hereford display was of a very high standard. I really enjoyed my visit to Uruguay. They are an agricultural country and are rightly proud of their stock. Their research and technical facilities are extremely modern and are well supported. It is a great pity we cannot participate in some reciprocal trade as their genetics have a lot to offer.

Regards to all
Jan

27th Edition April 2009

Uruguay - Part 1

The first day of my visit to Uruguay was very hot. Crowds of people flocked to the Montevideo Rambla (riverside esplanade) to cool off. The Rambla extends from the inner city along the River Plate for 22 kilometres. It is a most attractive esplanade and provides a great environment for jogging, walking, biking, fishing and sun bathing. Some people take their deck chairs right into the shallows of the water. I was amazed to see them drinking their mate and texting on their mobile phones while they were actually sitting in the water. I also walked along La Rambla whenever I was in Montevideo. I loved the atmosphere and thought it was a wonderful asset for the city.

While I was in Uruguay I was very fortunate to have the perfect host. Pepe Bonica-Henderson and his family all spoke very good English and were very hospitable. Pepe and his family had attended “The British School” of Montevideo which aims to give an intensive bilingual education, combining the Uruguayan national curriculum with an English language program. The British school was the first school (and club) in Uruguay to play rugby, and nowadays it gives the national squad a lot of important players. I visited the school and rugby club and was amazed to see pictures of Eric Rush on the wall. Eric actually played for the club during his many visits to Uruguay in the sevens team.

My first farm appointment was to estancia “Yaguari” in central Uruguay near Durazno. Pablo Zerbino and his family were my hosts that day and as we turned into the farm gate I was surprised to see lots of people eagerly awaiting our arrival. Pablo has ten brothers and they, along with their families and neighbours, had come for lunch and to join my farm visit. Some of the young lads wore All Black T-shirts to make me feel at ease. The occasion became a wonderful party which did not end until well into the evening.

The drought was the worst experienced by farmers in this area and some of the cows, especially the first calvers, were showing the effects of the prolonged dry period. Some of the cattle I saw on my way to the farm were really thin and I doubted that some would make it through the winter unless very favourable growing conditions prevailed in the Autumn. We traveled around Yaguari in 4 wheel drive vehicles and after months of dry weather, it rained. Everyone was pleased to see the rain except me as my camera kept fogging up in the steamy conditions. Pablo was preparing the calves for weaning. He had inserted plastic nose flaps which prevent the calves from sucking. The theory being that the calves remain with their mothers until they have weaned themselves and then separation is relatively stress free.

In spite of the weather the staff washed the show cattle and put on a great display for us. We stood under the shelter of the house veranda and the bulls were led past us. The stud has both horned and polled Herefords and I thought there were several really good bulls being prepared for the show. I saw these bulls two weeks later at the Duranzo Show and was not surprised to see them take out many of the major awards.

Next day I visited two Hereford estancias and saw hundreds of Herefords. It did not surprise me to learn that Herefords are more than 60% of the total cattle numbers in Uruguay. My first visit was to the Las Anitas farm which is 2,800 hectares and runs 350 stud cows. They also have 400 horses and breed polo ponies. They were very proud of the fact that one of the Las Anitas bred ponies played in the highest goal tournament in Argentina last year. The Hereford display was well planned and the Alfonso family were very professional in their approach to my visit. First of all I looked at a strong battery of herd sires. It was good to relate the sires to their progeny when I looked at cattle in the paddocks. The show team was washed and groomed and the display was awesome. Every bull had a separate small paddock with a large blue gum tree for shade and was tied to one of the branches.

After each bull was inspected everyone was invited to a lunch in the garden and cool drinks were served as we waited for the meat to cook. Only the embers are used to cook the meat. The shovel is needed to place the hot ashes under the meat and the fire itself burns along side the grill which can be lowered or raised as desired.

After lunch we traveled a short distance to a second cousin, Patrick Cortabarria Rovira’s property. The “Ceferina” cows were showing the effects of a long dry spell. The paddocks had a tinge of green but cattle feed was scarce. The show team and sale bulls were obviously better treated and were in good condition. The show team was tied in a row in the shade and they looked wonderful. Each animal was paraded for us to comment upon and no-one could actually agree as to which was the best animal. The conversation continued as we retired to the house for a cool drink and afternoon tea. The house was built in 1896 and the kitchen was still in its original state. There was no power and the cook managed with the original wood burning stove. The workers quarters and the gaucho’s breakfast room formed a big courtyard at the rear of the house. The gauchos gather for "mate" and a large breakfast of meat at 5am every morning. Villa Ceferina has a most interesting history but like so many of the estancia homesteads, the lady of the house lived in the Montevideo.

Regards to all
Jan

26th Edition April 2009

Part 2 - Travels in Argentina: Herefords celebrate 150 Years

The daytime temperature was only seven degrees when I left Costa and journeyed eastward towards the coast of the Chubut region in Patagonia. Costa is a small village near the Andes and although it was only mid February, autumn was already on its way. Summers are very short and the growing season for the pastoralists in this area is limited to just a few months. Trees really battle the elements and any new plantings need lots of protection for the first few years of their lives. The prevailing winds distort new growth and mature trees are a rare sight and always inclined in the direction of the wind.

I boarded a bus and found my seat was more like a lazy-boy chair than a bus seat so I settled back to enjoy the scenery on my four hour trip to Sarmiento. Once we left the town the landscape became bereft of civilization as I know it in rural areas. I could not believe I could travel so many kilometres without seeing any animals, houses or farm buildings. The land supported vegetation which looked like small scrub like broom which was grey/brown in colour. The road ahead was the only thing that broke up the monotony of the landscape for more than three hours travel.

Lake Musters suddenly came into view and before long the landscape changed completely. Poplar trees were waving in the wind and some green pastures appeared. Sarmiento once supported a thriving dairy industry and it was easy to recognise remnants of that enterprise. I was not able to discover what happened to the dairy farmers and the dairy factory which was once famous for its special cheeses.
I was amazed to find the main street in Sarmiento was not tar sealed or paved in any way. I was told the dust was preferable to the large pot holes which always developed whenever the road was sealed. Footpaths were hazardous to say the least. Some parts were sealed and other sections were paved in very uneven paving stones while lots of areas were just metalled like the road. One had to watch where one walked as the levels changed every few yards. Shops shut their doors against the elements and homeless dogs often slept in the doorways.

My schedules do not usually include city tours or much time for window shopping so my impressions of the town of Sarmiento were of little consequence. I had come to visit Hereford breeders and to view the Hereford cattle. My hosts were the Baltuska family. Aldo did not speak English but his two children Marcus and Nora had both been selected as Rotary exchange students in their younger days so they interpreted for me.
Marcus’s second family was from Tauranga in New Zealand so I easily understood his English.
The drought was the main talking point at all the farms I visited and certainly there was no surplus feed about but fortunately water was not a problem. I asked about irrigation as most of the land was flat and well serviced by canals or rivers. I was surprised to find that Santa Elana was even set up with an irrigation system but they had not used it as it was too expensive to run. I would have liked to investigate this further as it really did not make much sense but it is very difficult to converse when you do not speak the language.

The Hereford bulls at Santa Elana were impressive. I inspected the show team and was surprised to find fifteen bulls of the same age being prepared for the next show. Unlike our shows in New Zealand the bulls are sold at the show and only those not attracting a buyer return home after the competition. This gives showing a real purpose and the competition is different at every show.

A Santa Elana show bull finds some grazing in a wet area...	Nora Baltuska gives her favourite bull a scratch...

The tourist attraction “Monumento Natural Bosque Petrificado” is just a few kilometres from Santa Elana so Marcus and Nora took me to see this petrified forest. Centuries ago volcanic lava covered the area and turned the trees to stone. The region looks like a moonscape. It was an interesting visit and I enjoyed the walk into what I would term a howling gale. The wind is ever present and really makes life very difficult in Patagonia. Volcanoes and the wind became the main topic that day as the Chilean volcano “Chaiten” decided to spew out great quantities of ash and this completely disrupted all air travel in the area. I had to guess which way the wind would take the ash and try to plan flights to suit. The gamble became untenable so on Marcus’s advice I took the 24 hour bus trip back to Buenos Aires.

Tree trunks turn to stone at “Monumento Natural Bosque Petrificado”

Maximo and Maria Ayerza were my hosts in the city. Maximo is a past President and current board member of the Argentinean Hereford Society. He has represented Argentina at several World Hereford Council meetings and was a most helpful liaison officer when the New Zealand Hereford group visited Argentina in the year 2000. Maria teaches English at a nearby school and the entire family speak very good English. Like most rural families in Argentina they have two homes. They live in the city from Monday to Thursday then travel to their estancia on Fridays and drive back to Buenos Aires on Monday morning again. They have six children and they all live at home with their parents even though four of them had completed their university degrees. Augustin, the third son, visited New Zealand when he finished his Agronomy degree and used our home as a base for several months while working at Waikato Stud. It was good to see him again.

Maximo Ayerza, Jan Wills and Juan Bullo at the Hereford Office.

The Argentinean Hereford office is situated in a very up market area in Buenos Aires. It is a very nice building with a most imposing entrance. Beautiful Hereford paintings adorn the walls and the silverware in the trophy cupboard is impressive. I spoke to members of the board and their technical advisors on the progress of the World Hereford Council’s research project for Hereford global evaluation and other matters which will be discussed at the next meeting. I was quite overwhelmed when their General Manager Mr Juan Bullo presented me with a beautiful book commemorating my visit to Argentina. The book had just been released and was printed to celebrate 150 years of Hereford cattle breeding in Argentina.

The 150 years Hereford celebration book.

Buenos Aires is a huge city with a population of over 13 million. It certainly does have some undesirable areas and one must keep a tight grip on valuables in public places. My host and guide, Maria Ayerza, took time to show me some of the landmarks of the city and I found Buenos Aires most attractive. The main street is 9 de Julio which the locals claim it is the widest avenue in the world. I would not argue as it seemed pretty wide to me. There are five lanes of traffic travelling each way along the street. Traffic is divided by an avenue of Chorisia Speciosa trees which were in full bloom when I was there and their lovely pink lily like flowers made a wonderful display. It was an amazing experience for me to travel as a passenger around the “Obelisco". This white 60-meter-high obelisk was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the city. It is the centre of a huge roundabout which traffic weave around without indications or reasons for changing lanes. My driver was not fazed each time we drove around it but I was always amazed when we came through quite unscathed.

The Plaza de Mayo has always been the focal point of political life in Buenos Aires and most of the famous buildings are near this area including the Casa Rosado, or the Pink Palace which is President’s residence.		One of the newest landmarks is a footbridge Puente de la Mujer (woman’s bridge) which spans a dock area .The old brick dock buildings have been converted into up market apartments and restaurants along the water’s edge and all the streets in this district carry the names of famous Argentinean women.

Two hours along a toll paying motorway from Buenos Aires is La Pelada. Thomas Lenon manages this 5,000 hectare estancia which I had previously visited in the year 2000 when they hosted visitors to the 12th World Hereford Conference. The show team selected for the main Argentinean Show, La Palermo, in July was looking well forward in their preparation. I was attracted to a number of progeny by the 3 year old herd sire that was by AS Federal. There were 312 rising two year heifers in one group and they had all been vetted in calf by A.I. sires. The gauchos lined them up for me to inspect and it was a most impressive sight.

3 year old sire by AS Federal

	Next day we drove another two hours in a different direction and visited the Santa Rita estancia. This area has been devastated by drought and although there was a tinge of green, the paddocks were really bare. The river which normally carries a good depth of water was not even running. Everyone was hoping for a favorable autumn.
Drought stricken river at Santa Rita

One of the most famous bulls in Argentina is a bull called Satanas. I saw two clones of this bull and an imposing son all of which were producing good semen for Santa Rita.
	Son of Satanas

The show team for Palermo looked to be well on track to be among the major prize winners in July. At least four or five gauchos were working most days with the team and I could not help smiling to myself when I thought about the preparation our show team had in comparison.
The property is 12,500 hectares and they run 8,000 cattle on approximately 5,000 hectares. At one time the cattle provided 70% of the income. Now cropping has become more important and the income from both is about 50/50. The area cultivated for cropping has increased but the area for cattle grazing has reduced. Better and more modern grasses and management have enabled to stock numbers to remain the same.

The size and scope of the properties in Argentina are awe inspiring. It is difficult for a New Zealander to grasp the type of management required to administer the estancias profitably. The Hereford herds I saw were a credit to the breeders amd all those involved in the industry.

Regards to all
Jan

25th Edition March 2009

I have just completed a tour of Argentina and Uruguay and would like to write about the places I have been and seen. I will begin with the first part of my journey.

Part 1 - The Chubut Area of Patagonia

I travelled to Esquel in the Chubut area of Patagonia by bus from Bariloche. At the beginning of my five hour journey I was surprised how similar the mountains and lakes were to many areas in New Zealand and in particular Queenstown in the South Island. Gradually the scenery changed. Urbanization dwindled away. The trees became smaller or disappeared and only native vegetation seemed to thrive. I was reminded of my school –girl geography lessons when I summarized the Patagonia province by thinking… “the area is very big. The population is very sparse and the farmers produce huge quantities of quality wool which is important for the economy of Argentina.”

In 2007 I met and hosted Maria Gonzalo when she visited New Zealand. She invited me to visit the Esquel area where her family live and farm. She assured me that not only does the land produce great quantities of wool, which I had learnt many years ago, but it also produces a great number of Hereford cattle. My position as Secretary General of the World Hereford Council offers many opportunities to visit Hereford breeders in all the places in the world where pedigree registered Hereford cattle are bred so I accepted Maria’s invitation to visit her region and see the Hereford cattle. No other Secretary General had ever visited the district so my visit was the first for the Chubut Hereford breeders. Pictured: Maria Gonzalo at the entrance of the first estancia we visited.

In many places in the world Hereford cattle must compete for a position in the beef industry but in the Chubut area they dominate and are easily the most popular choice of breed for beef production. Hereford cattle are natives of the county Herefordshire in England. Of course they thrive there and I wondered why the early pioneers to the area would think they would do the same in Patagonia as it is vastly different. The only similarity that I could think of was the cold winters and even those in England would not compare with the harshness of those in Esquel.

I was absolutely delighted with the way in which the Hereford breed had adapted to the environment in Patagonia and in particular to the Chubut area. This summer has been very stressful for most farmers in South America. The drought has been the worst recorded in some areas and yet Hereford cows have still produced a good calf and look well on the limited forage which has been available. A New Zealand farmer would doubt the value of the native pasture, but the stock reflect the value of the pasture and the animals all look well so the forage must be of high protein value. It is respected and carefully maintained by the local farmers.

I visited Rio Pico where the Gonzalo family estancia is situated. The day I arrived they were loading the wool to send to the market. I had never seen so much wool in my life. It was piled high on the trucks, covered and tied down ready for transport. For me it was a wonderful sight. We inspected the pedigree Hereford cattle. The herd sire expressed an ideal carcass and one which would be popular anywhere in the world today and his group of cows were in ideal condition.

Sadly I do not speak Spanish so Maria kindly translated and escorted me on other farm visits in the area. I went to the Trevelin district and visited El Parque where I met Rita and Kenneth Berwyn. Kenneth is the fourth generation to farm the property which was originally purchased by his Grandfather’s Uncle. Hereford cattle were brought to the farm in 1905 and they have been there ever since. The garden surrounding the house is immaculate and most attractive. The estancia has many natural springs so water is plentiful and the garden and lawns are watered regularly from a spring which is on a nearby hill. A brick monument is a dominant feature in the centre of the lawn. It was built and erected to commemorate one hundred years of breeding Hereford cattle by the Berwyn family. We inspected the cattle which were extremely placid in nature and looked very well. It was a pleasure to meet the Berwyns and learn about the early beginnings of Hereford cattle in the area.

Kenneth Berwyn beside the monument commemorating 100 years of Hereford cattle at El Parque estancia.

We travelled onto Rio Frios (which means Gold River) and met Sylvia and Ricardo Llreo. Once again I was impressed with the group of Hereford cows and calves I saw. The calves were well fed and looked in good condition for weaning. The cows were milking well. The bulls being prepared for the shows were very impressive, showing good growth and thickness.

While I was on this property I learnt about the volcano ‘Chaiten’ and the damage it has done to the estancias in this district. Ash was evident everywhere and a few inches thick in places. It looked like icing sugar but was quite heavy and did not dissolve with rain. The long term effect is not known but it certainly was causing some health problems for the animals. Pictured: Gauchos following the road clearly marked by volcanic ash.

Our next visit was to the Tecka Estancia. This is a very big estancia and it was difficult for me to imagine just how big it was and how difficult it would be to administer. It is 175,000 hectares and they run 42,000 ewes and produce 400 tons of wool. There were 2,500 cows and at times there are over 6,000 cattle. They have their own feedlot and finish all their own surplus cattle. Carlos Morale Jo and his young son Fransico gave me a conducted tour of the property and we drove over 100 kilometres within the boundaries looking for cattle. Again those I saw were very good examples of the breed. Roaming the plains was a flightless bird called Nandu which is similar to an ostrich. They are quite common so the locals hardly noticed them but I thought they were worthy of a photograph as we do not have them in New Zealand.

My next visit was to Carlos Otamendia’s property where I saw an impressive embryo program for his sheep and Hereford cattle. I was particularly attracted to a donor cow and was pleased to also pick some of her progeny from the mob. She was a very worthy donor cow and one any breeder would be proud to own. Carlos imports merino genetics from Australia and I inspected his young rams in the woolshed. I was not able to judge or comment on the rams but what I did notice in the shed was twenty fox skins drying ready to be collected for the bounty revenue. Foxes thrive in the area and prey on sheep and often even attack young calves.

Sadly it was time to leave the area. I had been welcomed at all the properties I visited and received wonderful hospitality. I had seen many Herefords grazing contentedly at estancias but I had to continue my journey to Sarmiento and then onto Buenos Aires and Uruguay. I was saddened to leave my friends at Costa but I felt privileged to have been and seen so many good Hereford herds which have adapted well to the environment in the Chubut area. I hope to return one day.

Regards to all
Jan

24th Edition February 2009

We all know the Hereford breed has most desirable attributes and these natural qualities are the factors which have contributed to the breed’s survival and popularity. However the breed’s continual existence and status as the second most popular breed in the world depends on dedicated seed stock producers and breed societies who promote Hereford cattle.
In this newsletter I would like to give you two examples of promotion. The German Hereford Association is a relatively new member to the World Hereford Council and the demand for female stock prompted the Association to organise an ‘in calf’ heifer sale with a difference. In 2008 the Association organised their first federal heifer sale and as the sale was so successful they decided to repeat the activity. Thirty heifers were assembled on Mr Hergen Eickhorst’s farm in Sandhatten near Oldenburg and then de-pastured with the imported sire Romany 1 Classic R5. Heifers calved very easily to the Romany bull last year so it was decided to mate the heifers to the same sire again. The heifers were all given equal opportunity to display their attributes and then after several months the ‘in calf” auction was held. “Karla” bred by Jens Reimers was chosen by the audience as the best heifer and achieved the top price of 1650 Euros.

As part of the occasion the Association also organised a bull show. The judging took place in four categories and twenty entries were paraded in front of the judge, Mr Torsten Kristein. Wrabeno, a son of Wrast, exhibited by Dr Frank Seifert was awarded the Supreme Champion. Our congratulations go to Dr Frank Seifert and all other participants in the event.

The Association also promoted the Hereford breed at the Eurotier Agricultural Show in Hannover. The German Hereford Association and the British Hereford Cattle Society combined their resources to promote the breed with a stand at the show. This was the first time the two societies had shared their common interest to promote the breed at Eurotier. As part of the mutual promotion, Romany 1 Cavalier was exhibited. This bull was bred by J.R.B.Wilson & Sons of Kelso in Scotland and is now owned by Jutta Weigand and Jurgen Schubart in Germany. These two events gave the German Hereford Association a focus for their promotion and is a wonderful example of the commitment and camaraderie which exists in our Hereford breed. Thanks to Carsten Schmidt, the Secretary of the German Hereford Association, who sent me a report of these activities.

My second example of Hereford promotion and commitment by our breeders is a story contributed by Miranda Harding who is the Editor of Sweden’s Hereford journal. Tourists travelling on the World Hereford Conference’s pre-tour through Finland and Sweden will remember our visit to the partially completed Hereford shop which Britta and Lennart Andersson were building on the edge of the Göte canal. This is the article written by Miranda....

The Grand opening of Lennart & Britta’s local butchers shop

The local butchers had been a thing of the past in Sweden due to the fact that most of the meat was being sold in large super stores. That is until the last few years when they have been slowly making a comeback. More and more people are wanting to know where and how the meat they eat has been produced and are requiring meat of better quality.

The Chairman of the Swedish Hereford Association, Lennart Andersson and his wife Britta opened their newly built butchers shop, conference room and catering combination in August 2008. Based just a few minutes drive from their farm in the Linköping area, right along side the famous Göte Canal, just south west of Stockholm, the couple had dreamed about opening their own butchers for years. Britta says that she had eaten Hereford beef in many countries around the world and thought,"our cattle are of similar blood lines as these, why can’t we make food like this at home?" And now the dream has become reality.

The building itself is made in a style traditional of the area, but with modern interior design and eco-friendly power recycling from the refrigeration system. The butchery is designed to meet all of to-days food manufacturing hygiene standards. Apart from selling the organic beef produced at their farm, they also sell locally produced organic lamb and pork. All the animals are slaughtered at a nearby abattoir. The meat is hung for a long tenderizing process on site and is also butchered there too. Some of the meat is made into two different kinds of sausage which Lennart and Britta have done themselves and contains 77% meat. Apart from selling meat in the shop customers can also order boxes of meat containing only Hereford beef or a combination of beef, pork and lamb, all to their own requirements. Locally produced jellies, Swedish hard bread and a few other bits and pieces are also available.
On the second floor of the building is a conference room for booking, and in the summer customers will be able to order meals in an outdoor dining area. The couple also offer courses in cookery and butchering techniques. Hereford cattle are depicted everywhere in the building in the shape of hides, photos and paintings, door signs and even a toilet paper holder!

The Opening

The day began for Lennart and Britta with interviews from the media. That was followed by lunch for around 60 invited guests before the actual opening ceremony began. Lunch consisted of delicious beef rolls, boiled potatoes, salad and gravy. Towards the end of lunch, Ella Nilsson from Swedish Meat information made a speech about the advantages of locally produced meat and informed us that they had sponsored the opening with the participation of a very famous Swedish TV chef, Tina Nordstöm. Tina has also been seen on the British TV channel BBC Food in Scandinavian cooking.

A live band had been playing music since around 11pm and Lennart and Brittas son, Arvid had fetched a three year old breeding bull from a close by field for everyone to see. The bull, Kick-Off av Munka ET was bought at Brynolf Ragnarsons auction as a calf and is sired by Double-U Komplete. He took the whole thing in his stride, looking as calm as if he was still in the field with his ladies!

The county governor, Björn Eriksson began the opening ceremony with a speech in front of the approximately one thousand people who had gathered. Then he presented Tina Nordström. It was Tina’s 35th birthday that day so we all sang Happy Birthday. Tina who was also pregnant in the seventh month, began with a speech and said that her favourite food is traditional home cooking recipes, like the beef rolls we ate at lunch. Tina then continued by cooking a simple meal of marinated rib roast with orange and chilli and a little yogurt. As we were waiting for the meat to cook Tina said, “this is the bit we cut out on the telly!” and laughed. She was a delightful person! When the food was done, she asked some children to come forward and have a taste.

Then the time had come to declare the shop open. Together, Tina and Björn cut the up blown Falu sausage skin in front of the doors to an enormous applause! Roast beef and potato salad was available for all and the queue was long both to the food and to get into the shop! The day was a huge success and I heard afterwards that all the meat in the shop had been sold! All that is left to do is to wish the Andersson family congratulations and good luck! by Miranda Harding

I have often mentioned the comaraderie which exists in the Hereford breed and how quickly the common interest of breeding Herefords seems to initiate friendships which may not have occurred without that common interest. Members of the World Hereford Council have contacts all over the world and members love to visit and discuss general farming issues.

Travellers on the recent post-Hereford conference tour visited Ola Dieset’s property in Norway. We were treated to a moose stew for lunch at the Dieset farm and I remember the huge mounted moose head in their hunting lodge. Helga and Ola Dieset recently visited New Zealand as both of their daughters were exchange students in New Zealand. Ola was taken deer stalking in the Mohaka region but found the New Zealand deer a little more difficult to spot than the moose. Ola took the opportunity to visit some New Zealand farms and see some Hereford friends and cattle. He also called into the World Secretary General’s office to see the present headquarters of the World Hereford Council and was photographed sitting at my desk. It is always a pleasure to re-aquaint oneself with Hereford breeders from around the world.

I hope the doom and gloom which is occupying all the media attention at the moment does not have a long term affect on the Hereford industry. Farmers are usually optimistic, even under adverse condidtions, so I am hoping the cattle they breed will continue to give them pleasure and recompense throughout the 2009 year.

Regards to all
Jan

24th Edition December 2008

The main event for “Herefords” in 2008 has undoubtedly been the 15th World Hereford Conference in Copenhagen. It was extremely gratifying for me to see and meet delegates from every member of our council. I have covered the conference and reports of the pre and post tours in previous newsletters so it is not necessary for me to comment on those again except to say that for the Hereford breeders who did visit Scandinavia in 2008, the memories will be quite special for some time.

One of the most significant changes for the World Hereford Council in the future will be an increase in the number of meetings which will be planned for members. The general consensus of opinion at the recent delegates meeting was that if the World Hereford Council was to be more effective and the breed kept up to date with modern technology and changes within the beef industry then delegates should meet more often. It was decided that the next meeting should be at the time of the Beef Improvement Federation meeting in Sacramento, U.S.A in April 2009 and then probably at the European conference in England in 2010. This should give members more opportunities to discuss current issues.

At this time of year most Hereford Societies/Associations are planning their annual magazines or newsletters. These are a most effective way of promoting the breed and of keeping everyone in touch with what is happening, either locally or internationally, with the Hereford breed. These publications are vital links for our members and I use information from these communications to keep everyone informed via the our website. Many thanks to those who have included me in their newsletter/magazine mailing lists. I hope members find the World Hereford website informative. If anyone has suggestions or contributions they would like to make for the website and/or its content please email me at any time. Feedback would be appreciated.

The current financial uncertainties have not given planning committees where ever they are, the confidence to think big or long term. This is something beef breeders are unfamiliar with. Our breeding programs are always planning ahead and look forward to exciting results from genetic improvements to our breed. We cannot make radical changes overnight so optimism is part of our philosophy and I feel confident that our breed will endure the challenges whatever they are. We know we can depend on the Hereford breed to perform in adverse conditions as the special attributes of the Hereford breed give us the leading edge when profitability and performance really matter.

I would like to continue meeting members whenever the opportunity arises and I am looking forward to 2009. I feel confident that the breed will celebrate something memorable and newsworthy during the year. In the meantime I wish you all a very Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you at Hereford occasions.

Regards to all
Jan

23rd Edition November 2008

Part 5 - Norway - (Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 follow after this newsletter - see below)

We left Denmark at Frederickshavn and travelled across the bay on a Stena Line ferry to Gothenburg. The pink sunset was just magic and the lights of the Gothenburg city added to the lovely scene. There was no time to explore the city but what we saw from our coach window as we departed for Oslo, the city looked very attractive. The first thing I noticed was the quality of the roading system. The highways are several lanes wide and have a perfect service. Lots of tunnels keep corners and hill climbing to a minimum and make travelling in Norway a real pleasure.
Our first farm visit was to be at Nils Valle’s property but Nils had been our guide for the past few days so could not prepare for our visit. His neighbour kindly stepped into the breach and provided a most welcome stopover and lunch.
Unfortunately it rained during our visit and only those who came prepared for wet weather were able to take a walk and see the cattle. It was such a pity as the scene from the house looking down over the fields toward the river was quite picturesque. We all hoped the rain would clear by the time we arrived in Oslo but unfortunately it did not.

Our walk in the park and billy tea at a campfire was cancelled. The alternative arrangement was very comfortable. We were seated in the Bogstad banquet hall where we enjoyed tea, coffee and cake in comfort and sat spellbound as the General Manager gave us a brief run down of the history of Bogstad Park.
In pre historic times the land was cleared and farmed by tenant farmers. In 1536 it was confiscated by the crown and then in 1649 it was sold by the Danish-Norweigian King Fredrik 111 to a local official Morten Lauritzen. Bogstad flourished and by the 19th century it comprised 140,000 acres. The manor was the hub of the estate.
In 1955 the heirs sold their forest and land holdings to the Municipality of Oslo and retained 30 acres of park and other land around the house. Later three sisters donated that house and furnishings to an independent institution, the Bogstad Foundation. It is now a public museum.
We drove to the top of the hill where we saw the ski jump. It looked very high to me and I wondered how anyone could jump into space and hope to land gracefully to live another day.

The next morning it was still raining but we just could not miss a walk in the Vigeland Sculpture Park. I think this park should be the eighth wonder of the world. It is fascinating. The Vigerland Sculpture Park was created by one man - sculptor Gustav Vigerland. The park covers an area of 80 acres and contains 212 sculptures of bronze, granite and wrought iron. The sculptures were completed between 1907 and 1942. There are three main areas, the bridge, the fountain and the monolith plateau. The parapets of the bridge support 58 bronze sculptures, the most famous of which is the Angry Boy.

After crossing the bridge the road leads through the rose garden to the fountain. Twenty groups in bronze rim the basin and they represent the ‘cycle of life’. The dominating feature of the park is Vigeland’s Human Column which is called the monolith. It stands at the highest point of the park and 121 figures have been carved from one piece of granite. This spectacular piece of art is 57 feet tall. 36 different groups of sculptures are placed on the steps around the monolith and they represent people of all ages from early childhood to the very aged.

The next landmark we visited was the Oslo Opera House. We could not enter the building but we could walk on the roof which was made of what appeared to be white marble. The roof sloped off to the sea and it certainly was a most unusual building.

We left Oslo and traveled towards Lillehammer. Our first stop was the test station which is called Staur Farm. Young bulls are selected and tested for growth and feed efficiency at this research centre. The best bulls are available for contributing farmers. The set up was quite impressive and we were to see one of the top bulls from the previous test at the Skjatvet Farm next day. Sverre Bjornstad, leader of the Norwegian dairy industry and Managing Director of Geno, told us about a new and more effective method for artificial insemination. Sverre said that in the past researchers had focused their efforts on expanding the durability of fresh and frozen semen by techniques extending the time from collection until insemination. “Our SpermVital technology adds another dimension to past developments,” he said. “When semen is processed in the collection centres, the sperm cells are immobilized in a natural substance. This process preserves the energy in the semen cells and provides the basis for, in a controlled way, releasing sperm inside the uterus during a defined time interval.” Once inseminated new sperms would be continually activated over a period of three days. This meant less precise timing was required for insemination and better conception rates were achieved. Sverre Bjornstad said they were working on a programme where the semen would be activated over a whole cycle and cows would only need to be inseminated once in a breeding season”. I thought that if they cracked this research then A.I. would be far more appealing.

The open sandwiches which we had for lunch were attractively laid out on a trailer and it was a nice change from a barbecue. It was a very worthwhile stop and I would like to learn a little more about the work they do at that centre.

The next stop was at Jacob Kongsrund’s property. Jacob did not appear to speak English so Nils kindly read the farm details for us. The view from the house looking over the paddocks down to the water was very attractive. All his cows were away grazing in the forestry. Alf Van Heek thanked Jacob on behalf of the group and we went on our way to the next farm which was owned by Thomas Rindal. We did not see many Herefords at the Rindal farm as a majority of his Herefords were away grazing in the forestry. I was fascinated by a calf pen at the front of the wintering barn. The calves run around loose while their mothers are kept in stalls on concrete. The calves can go and sleep in a lovely warm pen of straw which the cows cannot enter. Apparently it only takes a couple of days for the calves to learn to stay in the lovely warm calf pen and just venture out when they feel like a drink of milk.

Thomas’s mother Unni is a well known artist and has done lots of paintings of Herefords which I have seen in other people’s homes. She also illustrates children’s story books and I have one of her well known story books, although it is not written in English, my grandchildren have enjoyed it just the same. I spent time renewing my acquaintance with Unni. In 2006 I purchased a lovely hand painted silk scarf from her collection. Lennart Andersson wore one of her ties at the Swedish banquet and that tie was admired by a number of people.

We left the farm and traveled to Lillehammer. Some of us decided we would thrill seek and race down the Olympic luge track in a bob sled. I have always wondered what it would be like so I decided to do something that I would not normally get an opportunity to do. Apparently one cannot do this activity without getting a clean bill of health. We were asked if anyone had had any brain injuries? Any head injuries? Any neck injuries? Any back injuries? No one owned up to any of those so it was off to the top of the hill to be decked out ready for action. Firstly we had to find a big wide fitted belt which had to be secured firmly to protect one's back. Then the right sized crash helmet which had to also fit very firmly. I had to remove my glasses so vision was limited from then on. After that four of us had to pack ourselves into this really small cart. Olympic competitors do this on the run in one or two seconds but we took at least 10 minutes to wedge ourselves into the small space provided. Finally a push from someone and we were away down the hill. At first it was just neat fun. It was just like a really fast trolley ride. Then it got faster and faster and as we flew up the walls and down again I really did scream. It was very exhilarating but kind of scary as well. I felt we were on the verge of tipping over several times. I was sad when we came to a stop but couldn’t do it again for fear of actually being car sick. I am glad I did it though as it really was a great fun thing to do.

Next morning we left Lillehammer and followed the historic route of Birkebeinervein to Rena. The route we drove was near the area where the cross country ski races take place. The Nordic Classic trail is 54 km. The start is at Tingstadjordet, Rena and finish line is at the Birkebeiner Skistadium, Lillehammer.
All competitors must carry a rucksack weighing at least 3.5 kg throughout the race.

The history of the race is quite fascinating.

There was a civil war in Norway. Faction pitted itself against faction in a fight for the throne. One faction was the Birkebeiners. They were the underdogs, often in such dire need that they had nothing but the bark of the birch trees as footwear. The word birkebeiner, birch-leg, has come to mean a man strong in adversity, never daunted by trials and hardship.
The Birkebeiners had gained ascendancy over great parts of the country, but the rival faction, the Baglers, prevailed in the East of Norway.
After the Birkebeiner chieftain Haakon died on New Years Day in 1204, the Baglers saw a dangerous rival pretender in his son Haakon Haakonsson, who was born in 1204, a few weeks after his father's death. His life was at stake, and the Birkebeiners wanted to bring him to safety in Trondheim. On Christmas Day in 1205 the party came to a small farm at Lillehammer, where they stayed in hiding over Christmas. They found it too risky to follow the route up the Gudbrandsdal valley, so they cut across the mountains to the neighbouring valley in the east, Østerdalen. Due to bad weather and difficult snow conditions the two best skiers, Torstein Skevla and Skjervald Skrukka had to go ahead with the two year old prince.
On this trip they suffered much from the cold, snow and wind. Behind this succinct account of the saga lies a deed of valour and strength with an appeal to skiers of all ages and nations. The 3.5 kilo pack carried by the present day Birkebeiners symbolizes the prince, who later became king Haakon. He made an end of the civil war, and under him Norway had a heyday in the Middle Age. The Birkebeiner expedition made history.

The road took us across a mountain range to Ola Dieset’s Farm. We stopped at the top of the mountain to view some of the very unusual and colourful flora which grows at this altitude. We were to see Ola’s herd of Herefords which were grazing in the forestry. Although they were very close to the roadside the day before, they could not be located when we arrived.

The Dieset Farm was another historic place with the family farming the property for many generations. The kitchen side board which was still in use dated back to the 1600s. I loved one of the houses which had been converted into a hunting lodge. The chairs were carved wood and there was a great big moose head on the wall.

They had dogs which looked like a type of husky and they were kept for moose hunting. The dogs must have been successful hunters as we had moose stew for lunch.

After a very pleasant stop we were on our way again and before long we arrived at Lillesttom where we checked into our hotel before leaving for the Skjatvet Farm.

When we arrived at the farm we donned some plastic covers over our shoes and walked into a group of cows. They were a lovely looking herd and the bull was very impressive. We were told that Hallstein Flesland who manages the property had purchased the bull after he had gained second place at the bull test station. We were all impressed with the neatness of this property and the quality of the Herefords we saw. We had a lovely evening meal in a big marquee and after a vote of thanks to Halstein and Irene and all those who had helped make the post tour of the world Hereford conference so enjoyable we had to say good-bye to our fellow Hereford breeders.

Sadly the tours were over and we all made plans to return to our respective countries with many happy memories of Scandinavia.

Regards to all
Jan

22nd Edition October 2008

Part 4 - Denmark - (Parts 1, 2 & 3 follow after this newsletter - see below)

Before departing Copenhagen and embarking on the post tours through Denmark and Norway we boarded ‘the boats’ and toured the canals. The boats took us through parts of the old city and passed many of the famous sights. It was a beautiful sunny morning and I am glad we did not miss one of Copenhagen’s most famous tourist attractions.

Our first farm visit in Denmark was to the Woodland Hereford stud which is situated in North West Zealand near Vig. Woodland is the oldest Hereford Stud in Denmark. It was established by Grete and Frode Mortensen and a group of landowners including Mr. C.C. Scavenius. Mr Scavenius was well known by many Hereford breeders around the world. He first represented the Nordic Breeders Association for Beef Cattle at the Dublin World Hereford Conference in 1964 and then represented the Scandinavian and Danish Hereford breeders at many more conferences thereafter. The current owners of the Woodland stud, Lena and Anders Mortensen welcomed over 100 guests to their property and served lunch in their beautiful garden. A group of five Hereford females from the Staarup Stud were penned nearby and one heifer by Koanui Daybreak added interest for the New Zealanders.

We also travelled a small distance down the road to view Ann og Bjarne Eichen’s Herefords. These three studs combined to make a very interesting display. Most Hereford breeders from down under commented on the extremely quiet nature of all the cattle. All too soon it was time to board the buses and travel to our next stop which was to the city of Odense.

Odense is a very pretty city and of course is the birth place of Hans Christian Andersen. A walking tour of the city, led by a most knowledgeable guide was a real highlight for the tourists. Churches, statues and finally the Hans Christian Andersen Museum gave us a wonderful insight into Danish history and the life of one of the world’s most famous story tellers. Pictured left: The children’s theatre at Hans Christian Andersen’s Museum.

Our next farm visit was to the Trudsgard Polled Hereford Stud. Our hosts Soren and Annelise Konggaard were encouraged to breed Herefords by their good friend Frode Mortensen and over the years they have extended their small hobby herd to 50 animals, the progeny of which have been exported to many countries. It did not surprise me to learn that their herd was evaluated for exterior conformation and scored very well. I was impressed with their herd sire who was a descendant of Remitall Keynote. Most farms in Denmark are quite flat but Konggaard’s property has one of the few hills found in the area and the view from the top is quite spectacular. Most of the tourists made the effort to conquer it and were rewarded with a wonderful vista of the countryside.

The Herning Show was our next visit and the Danish Hereford breeders had made every effort to display as many Herefords as possible for this event. They certainly succeeded. The stalls in the barn were all beautifully decorated and the rows or red and white cattle made a wonderful spectacle. Pictured left: Slyk 1 Agro owned by Ostergaard Rayan.

The classes were well supported and the judge Mr. John Mc Mordie from Solpoll Herefords in Northern Ireland had plenty of quality exhibits to choose his Champions from. The cow and calf class was particularly strong and I thought it was one of the best classes I had seen for a long time. The Supreme Champion was awarded to the senior bull Slyk 1 Agro owned by Ostergaard Rayan.

Flags from all the World Hereford Council members made a colourful backdrop for the award ceremony and excitement mounted when a horse drawn carriage, carrying Prince Joachim, arrived for the presentation. Mr. Knud Erichsen introduced the Prince to the exhibiters of the Champions and then the Prince presented the beautiful trophy to the Supreme Champion winner Mr. Otergaard Rayan.

The Herning Show is one of the largest Agricultural shows in Europe and there was plenty to see. I was very intrigued by jumping rabbits. The competition ring was like a miniature FEI equestrian ring and the rabbits were guided around the jumping course by leaders. I found the display very amusing as I had never seen anything like it before. That evening a show banquet was held in a marquee on the showgrounds. Everyone enjoyed the food, music and dancing which was a wonderful way to end a great day for Herefords in Denmark and the world.

Next morning we left Herning and journeyed North to the Skibsted Fiord where Knud and Nanny Erichsen greeted us at their historic manor. The Vikings had gathered in their fiord in 1085 and there are still traces of that period found in archaeological excavations on the property. We had learnt a little about King Knud and his eerie grave with mystical powers in Odense so we were not totally surprised when King Knud and his father King Frederick suddenly appeared. It was a wonderful enactment and one we all enjoyed. The setting was just magic. The manor is set among mature trees and gardens which flow down to the water’s edge. The wintering barns have been converted into flats for holiday homes and the Skibsted Herefords graze nearby. A music recital also added to our enjoyment and then after a most relaxing lunch we were on our way North again.

The Blaesbjerg Polled Hereford stud was our next visit. Two world Hereford flags flying at the entrance assured us we were at the right place and we were quickly welcomed by Jette and Evald Jensen. Herefords and farm life were to be a relaxing hobby for the Jensen family who really were fully engaged in carpentry. However that has now changed and as the Hereford population grew more barns were built and more land was purchased. The Blaesbjerg herd has grown to 140 cows and many more young offspring. The sheds house several agricultural implements which are needed to harvest, silage, rape, wheat, barley and corn. The herd was grazing some distance from the barn but after some encouragement from Evald they came to see their visitors. It was a lovely sight. The herd sire was a descendant from an Australian Bowen sire. After a cool drink we were on our way. We had no time to linger as we had a boat to catch.

Regards to all
Jan

21st Edition September 2008

Part 3 - (Parts 1&2 follow after this newsletter - see below)

Delegates for the 15th World Hereford Conference...

It was extremely pleasing to have one hundred percent attendance of all member countries of the World Hereford Council at the conference and delegates meeting at the 15th World Hereford Conference in Copenhagen.
The delegate’s meeting, chaired by Mr Antti Herlin of Finland, was held from early in the morning of the first day until the official opening of the conference in the afternoon of June 30th. Mr Warren Clark from Australia presented the financial report which updated the financial state of the council and the Secretary General’s report reviewed the activities of the Council over the past four years. In the past delegates have met every four years and it was the feeling of the meeting that this was counterproductive to progress for the breed and in the future meetings will be held on an annual basis.

World Hereford Conference

Young Danish flag bearers led delegates into the conference venue to a tune from Danish lure players who were dressed in traditional Viking attire. Delegates from every member country were introduced to the conference participants and after the official opening by Mr Hans Christian Schmidt, the 15th World Hereford conference began. Country Reports were presented by a delegate from every member country. These reports have always been popular presentations at conferences as they update the progress of the Hereford breed in each country.

Sweden’s delegates Mr Lennart Andersson and Mr Jan Nilsson entering the conference venue.

Dr Hans Graser from the Animal Genetic Breeding Unit in Australia presented the first paper, updating the research project on Global Evaluation for the Hereford breed. The World Hereford Council initiated this research in the hope that the best Hereford genetics would be identified and available for member countries.

Sustainable farming with the environment, agricultural policies, Hereford attributes, Hereford Prime and other topics of general interest were covered by International speakers. Guest speakers were from United States, Canada, Uruguay, Germany, The Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Scotland, United Kingdom, Finland, Hungary and Denmark.

Germany’s delegates, Mr Carsten Schmidt and Sebastian Hoppe entering the conference venue.

The papers and country reports are available on this website (under the 14th & 15th Conferences button), and most speakers have indicated that they would be happy to answer any queries our members may have about their presentations. Please contact janwills@xtra.co.nz with any feedback or queries, and your queries will be forwarded to the appropriate source.

Special thanks to Bent Sorensen who has provided the photographs of the conference for this website.

Regards to all
Jan

20th Edition August 2008

Part 2 Sweden (Part 1 - Finland below in previous newsletter)

After a most enjoyable overnight sailing on our Silja line ferry from Finland we docked at Stockholm. We were quickly reunited with our coaches and set off to the Radio Communications Tower where we had breakfast before touring the beautiful Stockholm city.
Our first stop was at the Vasa museum. The entire museum has been devoted to a war ship built in the 1600s.

On Sunday 10th August 1628 the Royal Ship Vasa set sail on her maiden voyage from the capital city. King Gustavus Adolpus had commissioned this vessel to go to war against Poland and then when victorious no doubt he planned to attack other countries. The great gunship carried 64 canons on two decks. However after only a few minutes and a short distance out in the harbour the wind blew and the boat keeled over. Water entered through the gun ports and the vessel quickly sank in 100 feet of water. About 300 lives were lost. In 1961 the vessel was salvaged. It has become a global attraction and is the only preserved vessel from the 1600s of its kind in the world. It is amazing that the ornate carving on the vessel was so well preserved at the bottom of the sea for 334 years.

Our next stop was the Stockholm City Hall where the Nobel prizes are awarded. It is a very nice building sitting on the water's edge and designed to look like a swan on the water from across the bay. The Palace dominates the highest point in the main shopping area and we disembarked from our coaches at this point and spent time browsing around that area. If lost one only needs to follow any street in an up hill direction and one finds oneself back at the palace. The changing of the guard is quite a spectacle and the band plays for about 30 minutes in the square at that time.

We left Stockholm and drove to Linkoping. Unfortunately time did not permit a visit to Lennart Andersson’s property, however we were able to take a short detour to inspect a shop-restaurant he and his wife Britta were building. The shop is situated on the banks of the Göta Canal which is a tourist waterway between the East and West and one of Sweden’s most popular tourist destinations. The canal was recently named Sweden´s construction accomplishment of the millennium. The Canal was hand dug by 58,000 soldiers as labourers and took 22 years to complete. The project began in 1810 and 190 kilometres of canal was completed in 1832. The Göta Canal passes through no less than 58 water locks and reaches a total elevation of 92 metres above sea level. The Andersson’s shop will supply quality Hereford beef to canal travelers and of course it will be on the menu at their restaurant and conference centre. We look forward to hearing more about this venture.
Lennart is the current President of Sweden’s Hereford Society and has given a huge amount of time to the tours and conference organizing committee. Lennart met us on the ferry at Turku and took over the guiding duties from Mikko Leikola who had guided us around Finland. Their personal attention to our welfare and enjoyment of the tours was really appreciated by us all.

We spent the next day at the Vretaskolan Agricultural College where the Swedish Hereford breeders staged a wonderful display of Herefords. A big indoor facility enabled us to view the cattle in comfort and little stalls or shops were set up to give the barn a really nice atmosphere. Ian Harvie from Canada judged the cattle and I thought the cow and calf class was the strongest of all the classes. The Best in Show, Munka Katie SWE 93257, exhibited by Einar Lysell Bårarp came from this group. The cow was sired by Remitall Olympian.

That evening we had a banquet in the barn. It was a lovely meal and everyone was in party mode. We were treated to some traditional Swedish music and the folk dancers wore traditional Swedish costumes. Britta added to the occasion by wearing her grandmother’s Swedish costume which has been carefully preserved. Canadians, Don Richardson and Grant Hirsche, presented Brynolf Ragnarsson, a Swedish importer of semen, with a Canadian Ambassador award in appreciation of all the Canadian genetics he had imported into Sweden over the years.

Left to right: Don, Brynolf, Grant

Next day we drove to Kalmar. It is a delightful city and we had a couple of hours to buy lunch and peruse the shops before setting off to Oland Island.

The Risinge Hereford Stud is on Oland Island which is joined to the mainland by the longest bridge in Sweden. It is 6072 metres long. Our hosts for the afternoon and evening meal were the Danielson family. Inga and Johan Daneilson have attended a number of World Hereford events and are well known to many Hereford breeders around the world. Their sons Olof and Andreas are now running the farm and their own abattoir. They supply the abattoir with their own cattle and in 2007 they slaughtered 1100 head all of which were reared and fed in their barns which they had also built themselves. The visitors from down under found the contrast from finishing cattle in big wide open spaces to the Scandinavian method of what appeared to be very cramped indoor conditions quite hard to comprehend. The cattle were making good weight gains and seemed very contented. Some animals reach the optimum killing weight as early as 11 months of age.

Oland Island is a World Heritage site. It is a very popular tourist destination for summer beach holidays and it hosts the Borgholm castle ruins, the Ottenby bird observatory and the limestone plateau where the Risinge Herefords graze in summer. The Danielson family has farmed on the island for hundreds of years. One of the newer barns was cleaned and decorated for the evening meal. It was a very happy occasion and helped by Johan’s generous servings of schnapps.

Next morning we were guided through the Kalmar Castle. The Kalmar Castle is situated on the harbour and has played a crucial part in Swedish history since its initial construction as a fortified tower in the 12th century. The fortress was improved during the 16th century under the direction of King Gustav Vasa and his sons Eric XIV and John 111 who turned the medieval fortress into a castle fit for a renaissance king. Today it is one of Sweden’s best preserved renaissance castles. The dining room was set out as it would have been in it’s hey day and the amount of food on the table was mind blowing. There was no water as it was not safe to drink so guests had to drink wine.

One of the most significant political events took place at Kalmar Castle in 1397 when the Kalmar Union was formed. Queen Margaret I made a significant difference to the rivalry between neighbouring countries by designing a trade agreement for the Scandinavians. This union was a trading agreement between Sweden, Denmark and Norway and was revolutionary at the time and is still more or less in place hundreds of years later.
We continued our journey South to an area called Blekinge which Lennart said was probably the poorest area for agriculture in Sweden. He said the soil was very thin and unproductive and nearly all the farmers who emigrated to other parts of the world had come from this area. The Oweson family run their Origo Hereford herd in this area. The farm is run by Stefan, his wife Anita and their son Jon. Both Jon and Stefan work 75% of their time off farm. Stefan works in a flooring business while Jon works in a wood mill. Anita works at home with the animals and she must work very calmly as all the animals could be patted or scratched out in the paddock. The line of heifers were impressive. The Owesons also have eight standard bred trotting horses. One well known one was called Origo Giant and had won over 2 million SEK. Anita had baked home-made bread to go with our lunch and that bread was absolutely delicious. I noted lots of people going back for a second piece and I certainly did.

We stayed overnight at a place called Ronneby and next morning our tour of Sweden concluded with a visit to the Kuntstorp property where Fredrik and Tycho Watchtmeister farm a large estate which has been in the family since 1772. The property lies in the South West corner of the province Skane. The buildings at this property are really fascinating and one of the old stone buildings has been converted into an entertaining room. The walls are about 90 centimetres thick and are built with huge uneven stones. The cement in between is painted white which gives a most attractive affect. The building has its own kitchen and facilities and seats approximately 150 people.
Once we were all seated, Tycho gave us a power point presentation, explaining how they make use of the subsidies and what they hope to do in the future. The subsidies paid for grazing cattle are mind blowing for those outside the EU. The area is of great interest for its flora and the goal is to restore many acres to their original state. Herefords are specialists at grazing land so the brothers hire out their Herefords to graze land over the summer which is usually from April to November. They charge 500SEK for a steer or 1000 SEK for a cow with a calf at foot. Their other income comes from forestry growing trees for wreaths and Christmas decorations. After the presentation and lunch we toured the property in our coaches and then departed for Copenhagen.

We traveled over the big bridge/tunnel joining the two countries. This bridge was quite an engineering feat. The Oresund bridge - combines two-track rail and four-lane road bridge across the Oresund strait. The bridge-tunnel is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe. The artificial island Peberholm was created to enable turning a part of the bridge into a 4 kilometer long underwater tunnel that would enable the passage to stay open at one part, allowing oversized ships to pass.

Regards to all
Jan

19th Edition August 2008

The World Hereford Council’s 15th conference is now over and those who participated in the pre and post tours and the conference have a whole host of wonderful memories and photographs. I will never do justice to the events in a summary but I cannot let those events go by without attempting to tell you what a most enjoyable experience it all was.

Part 1 Finland

The pre tour began with a late afternoon visit to the Thorsvik Hereford Stud. Antti and Tina Herlin were our hosts. As with all the properties we visited the history of the farm was really interesting. Antti’s great grandfather purchased Thorsvik in 1912 and farmed the land until 1941. In 1944 unwelcome tenants arrived from the East, as the entire area around the Porkkala Peninsular was leased to the Soviet Union as a naval base after the war. When the Herlin family returned to the area in 1956, all the wooden buildings had been destroyed and snow covered the floors of the main building. Antti’s parents re-established the farm which had produced milk until 1944. The milk at that time was transported across to Helsinki by water in the summertime and across the ice in winter.

Next day we left Helsinki and travelled to the Millola Hereford Stud owned by Mikko Leikola. Mikko is well known to a number of Hereford breeders as he has attended many World Hereford events. He is the past President of the Finnish Hereford Society and the Executive member for Finland on the organising committee for the conference and tours. His tall statue and his distinguishing Hereford vest create a distinctive figure. His Hereford cows were contained behind an electric fence which meant they were easy to view and they were quite unfazed by our visit. After a look through Mikko’s saloon which contains many interesting pieces of memorabilia, it was time to move on to our next visit which was to the Hattula Hereford stud. Rain set in and our programme was altered a little. Erriki Lassila explained that they received extra subsidies for their bulls, which they fatten for their own abattoir, if they are grazed in the North during the summer and the further North the bigger the subsidy. This meant the fattening barns were empty.

Pictured left to right: Mikko, John Morrison (NZ), Johanna Jahkola, Grant Nivisin & Warren Clarke (Australia)

We drove around the farm and viewed the Hattula Herefords from the bus window and then drove on to Petteri Makela’s property where we planned to see the abattoir which Errki and Petteri administer in partnership, processing and marketing their quality Hereford beef.

The Finnish Hereford Society staged a mini show for us at the property and exhibited some very good Herefords. Mr Ian Galloway from Australia judged the show while the spectators sheltered in horse floats or vehicles around the ring. It was quite unpleasant for everyone but being hardy folks the show went on. It was such a shame as the Finnish Hereford breeders had gone to such a lot of trouble to groom and show some very nice cattle. The two yearling classes had excellent entries. The champion cow was particularly nice as was the senior bull. I managed to photograph the Champions from a horse float where I was sheltering. Both champions were owned by the Tanner family. The abattoir visit was cancelled as everyone seemed anxious to get back to the hotel and dry out.

After checking into the hotel we returned to the Lassila property where we had a fabulous dinner. Leena had set out the hospitality barn so nicely. The steak was from their own abattoir and it was just perfect for my palate. Apparently it had been cured for 8 weeks. The sleigh full of all sorts of breads was amazing and a big roaring fire really set the scene. The barn had been added to but the main part was built in the 1800’s. It was a fascinating place and it was a most enjoyable evening.

Our next visit was very special. The theme was cccc - Church, culture, cattle and countdown. On arrival we were asked to walk up the hill to the Koskis Manor and take a seat in the church which is a lovely wooden building, built in 1686. Miriana von Limburg Stirum welcomed us and gave us a brief run down on the history of the farm and buildings. The Koskis Hereford herd is the oldest Hereford herd in Finland and some years ago Miriana was the first delegate to represent Finland and the Scandinavian countries at a World Hereford Conference. The family has owned the Koskis estate since 1822. A huge marquee was set up on the tennis court and a sit down lunch was served. The food was lovely and the huge crystal stands of strawberries added a lovely touch to end of the meal. We were entertained by a soloist who made up songs about every visiting country. Everyone joined in and it was a most enjoyable lunch. We took coffee and cake at the bottom of the hill at the barns. The barns had been completed in 1922. Lovely white bricks and lofts were so impressive. The herd was displayed by the Kosko river which made a lovely scene. Fredrik von Limburg Stirum and his family are all interested in the environment and have created and restored wet lands on their property which was once well known for it's iron works and copper melting. Nowadays forestry and cattle breeding are the main activities of business at Koskis.

The final farm visit in Finland was to Antti Toivonen’s property where the Salmensuu Hereford herd is resides. Antti is the current chairman of the Finnish Hereford Society. Antti, his father Timo and brother Tero run a very diverse operation. Toivonens grow fescue for seed and seem to have a fairly big pastoral operation. They have huge sheds for storage and they have about 180 cows, half of which are pedigree. A 100 year old stone barn has been converted to a farm shop. They sell their own beef from the shop which opens every Friday. We received such generous hospitality but struggled to do it justice as we had had such a huge lunch just a short time before arriving at the Toivonen’s property.

We were only a very short drive to Turku where we boarded the ferry for our overnight trip to Sweden. Our group was given top priority at the bow of the boat for the evening meal in the dining room. The views from the windows were just magic but watching the the Archippelagos from the decks required some determination as the wind was extremely chilly. The trip to Sweden was a lovely experience.

To be continued: Part 2 - Sweden

Regards to all
Jan

18th Edition May 2008

2008 is the year of the 15th World Hereford Conference and for the first time in the World Hereford Council’s history, the Scandinavians will host Hereford breeders from around the globe. Pre and post tours will offer visitors the opportunity to assess Hereford genetics, farming methods and generally rekindle friendships and acquaintances. The camaraderie which exists within the Hereford breed will be evident and the program which has been provided by the hosts should ensure that all attendees have a most enjoyable visit.
The conference proper will be held over two days in Copenhagen and the quality of the speakers will guarantee a most informative and worthwhile conference. In 2004 the Council decided to embark upon a research project which has involved ten of the member countries. At the 2000 conference in Argentina the Council invited Bob Freer from Australia to do a feasibility study for a system of Global Evaluation for the Hereford breed. In 2004 Bob Freer reported his findings to the Council and ten countries then agreed to submit data for analysis. The Australian Genetic Breeding Unit has been researching data over the past four years and the leader of that unit Dr Hans Graser will be reporting his findings to the conference. As the Hereford breed is the first breed to attempt to provide global evaluation for performance recording and breeding, this presentation will be of great significance for Hereford breeders and other breeds of performance recorded cattle.

The other topics of interest will be Sustainable Farming with Environmental Demands and World Trade. Both topics will have speakers from different continents which will give a balanced point of view. Environmental issues within the Australasian continent will be presented by John Aspinall from New Zealand and his concerns are likely to be very different from those in Europe.

Profile……. John Aspinall is a 56 year old third generation high country farmer married to Sue and with three adult children. After completing an honours degree in Agricultural Science John and Sue bought into the family farm in 1977. On their 10,040ha high country property they farm 5000 Romdale sheep, 1150 Hereford and Hereford Cross cattle, 130 Red deer and 20 beehives. Being next to a National Park, the property is visited by up to 80,000 visitors annually and hosts two school lodges. A number of commercial tourism ventures operate on and over the property.

Following involvement in Young Farmers organisation, John filled various roles in Federated Farmers at local and regional level culminating in three years as chair of the High Country Committee of Federated Farmers, then six years on the National Board of Federated Farmers with responsibility for resource management and environmental issues. He had 8 years as a Government appointee to a Regional Conservation Board and currently chairs the Hieracium Control Trust (formed in 1993 to introduce biological controls for the weed Hieracium) and is a trustee of the Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust. He is currently a Government appointee to the Walking Access Advisory Board and to the Biosecurity Ministerial Advisory Board. The Aspinalls’ won the Otago Balance Farm Environment Award in 2006 and a special Award for Leadership in Sustainability. In 2004 they had won a special High Country Award. In 2003 John gained an award from their District Council for Contribution to Environment and Heritage. He has previously won a National Wool Classing Award. John has presented a number of papers on environment, sustainability and public recreation. His other interests include tramping, fishing and sport. I am sure his presentation will be most interesting.

I attended the Dixie land Hereford tour. I mentioned that I planned this visit in my last newsletter. The tour was centered in Nashville Tennessee and concluded with a dinner and concert to raise funds for the American Hereford Youth Foundation. It was a pity more Hereford breeders could not take the opportunity to join the tour as it was a very enjoyable experience.

These are my notes from that tour. ….

We started out from Nashville at 7.30am on Wednesday 21st May and drove down the interstate highway No 40 for 3 hours and finally turned off to a place called Atwood where the Four L ranch is situated. Tom and Gail Lane were our hosts and are the owners of Four L. They had re-located their stud as their previous property had become too valuable to farm beef. One advantage of shifting an established stud is that you can plan yards and pens as you want them rather than making do with what was there before and Tom Lane had set up the races and display pens very well.

We were given the task of judging three pens of cattle and I did not agree with the judge as he placed an extremely wild animal first in the heifer class which caused everyone to discuss the merits of wild cattle versus a quality animal. Jack Ward was the compere and the judge. Jack is an excellent speaker and I am sure a competent judge but as usual not everyone could agree with all his placings. The winner of the judging contest was Sarah Stream and she received a very nice trophy for her efforts.

The herd sire was “Rambo” the well known bull from Grant Hirsche’s stud. The property had high ground and low ground. One of the employees, Eric Morrow, took me for a tour over the low ground. I was impressed by the very good strong grass but could see it would be very wet in the winter. The clover was big and strong. There were a lot of snakes in the low ground. One called a water moccasin was particularly aggressive. I did not meet any of those but was told it was best to give them a wide berth!

The next stop was at Triple L ranch owned by Wallace and Anne Lee and their five children. I was impressed by their two herd sires. One called Farley at 12 years old and the other one called LLL Affirmative 56N.Triple L had some very nice females. Once again I did not score 100% in the judging of the 4 bulls. Hard to decide which fault should be given the most demerit points point.

Day 2

We drove South East for about another 3 hours and arrived at the property of Dr Burns. My judging skills had not improved overnight. I kept getting 3rd and 2nd the wrong way around. The display pens were well laid out but it was disappointing not to see the main herd of cows. Our next visit was to Leonards poll Herefords which is owned by Sherman and Peggy Leonard and their two married daughters.This was a marvelous display and the electric fence pens were laid out perfectly in preparation for their female sale which was to be the next day. I did not find the herd sires.

Day 3

We drove for many miles in Georgia through narrow roads all flanked by trees. It was sort of like driving through a tunnel. Suddenly it all opened up and there was a magnificent farm called the JWR ranch belonging to the Rakestraw family. Once again the property had a most wonderful sale barn and selling complex. I liked the herd sire which had two strains of Remitall Keynote. I thought their line of bull calves were really good.

Our next visit was a little different. The Debter family had arranged four commercial bull buyers to tell everyone why they would buy four bulls from the line. The reasons were varied and would rather surprise some stud breeders. Some took note of EPDs and others did not bother as they figured the Debters would have weeded out the non performers. Some wanted muscle and others just wanted walkers and others just wanted the biggest. One fellow said anyone can pick the best bull but I know it is a waste of time picking him as I cannot afford him so I start at the bottom pen and sort through those. Quite a good theory if buying to a budget.
We had a lovely lunch and then went on to Fort Payne.

The Tennessee Music Company farm had a celebration sale and concert to raise funds for the Hereford Youth Foundation of America HYFA. Well, nothing was spared and over 500 people really enjoyed the spectacular occasion. First impression was…. why was the place swarming with police? The owner of the Hereford stud is a famous pop star called Randy Owen. Randy and his company donated the venue, dinner and entertainment to raise money for the Hereford Youth. It was a wonderful evening and approximately $200,000 was raised for the Youth Association.

Next morning we were back to the same venue for the sale and then it was back to Nashville where the tour concluded.
One of the sponsors of the tour Dixie land was Gallaghers. They are great supporters of the Hereford breed and their Chairman and Chief executive Mr Bill Gallagher is one of our speakers at the conference.

Here is a short profile on Bill Gallagher.

Bill Gallagher is the CEO of Gallagher Group Ltd and employs 612 people, mainly in the Waikato region. The seed for the organisation was sown back in the thirties when Joe the horse would scratch its rear end on the old Essex. Bill’s father attached a magneto to a wound-up rubber band triggering a device which would electrify the car each time it rocked - in two days the problem was solved.

Bill joined the family company in 1972 and the company turnover doubled every year between 1972 and 1976. Putting money into research and development and consumer education made the difference - in the US alone there were at one time, 140 other manufacturers. They began their own price (lowering) spiral and the first expenditures they cut were those two elements. Only two of these manufacturers still exist. Bill developed a significant distribution network - he favours the coach approach for international distributors. The company takes minority share-holdings, back-seat driving the local enterprise where needed. That way, the distributor is more committed to looking after what is essentially their own capital. Minor partnerships engendered secure distributorships with a high degree of trust. Currently the focus is a four year foray into the US with security fencing and access control, a relatively new but important advent in the company’s growth strategy. The company has now reached a turnover of US$100 million and continues to grow its exports despite a very challenging environment.

The next newsletter will be published in August and it will contain a report on the conference.

Regards to all
Jan

17th Edition April 2008

The weather is usually the opening topic of most conversations in the farming industry. The reason is simple. It dictates farmer’s lives and their livelihoods. Hereford breeders down under are now hoping the winter will hold off until some warm rains bring late autumn growth while those in the northern regions are eagerly awaiting the warmth of summer. The drought in some areas of New Zealand and Australia is extremely serious and will have repercussions for a number of years in the future. Adversity brings out the best in us or so they say and I have heard some very encouraging stories of how Herefords have held on well in the harsh conditions. It just would be better if we did not have to prove it all the time.

Hereford tours are a great way to catch up with fellow breeders and friends. The New Zealand Hereford Association has just held their National tour in the Waikato area which is probably one of the most intensive grassland farming regions in New Zealand. Those on tour however were saddened to see some farms under real dro