SECRETARY GENERAL'S NEWSLETTER
40th Edition: December 2011
As the 2011 year is drawing to a close it is time to think ahead to the 16th World Hereford Conference. The Canadian Hereford breeders have spent a great deal of time preparing an interesting program for visiting Hereford breeders travelling to Calgary in 2012. Some countries have selected their junior representative from competitions created specifically for the conference junior competition. This has created interest in the contest, the conference and our breed. I feel confident that the juniors lucky enough to be selected will have a wonderful experience in Canada and hopefully will remain committed to the breed for many years. I am looking forward to meeting the next generation of Hereford breeders at the conference and plan to profile as many contestants as possible on this web site.
The first entry is from Sweden and this is her profile.
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My name is Lowa Göransdotter and I am from Sweden. Cows in general and Herefords in particular are my passion. My parents’ first registered Hereford calves were born the same year as I was, in 1991. The herd has grown and developed and so have I. At aged eleven I started to show cattle at shows and often with good results. When I was 16 I went to an agriculture school for three years and learned about farm animals, crops and machinery but also studied natural science. After my graduation I wanted to see more of the world and I went to New Zeeland and had a great experience, thanks to some connections with lovely Hereford breeders. I got to visit several farms during my four monts stay and I think it was a very good way to experience New Zeeland with its friendly people and astonishing scenery! Now I am working on a dairy farm and also on my parents’ farm. I have done an AI course this autumn and hope to know soon if I have got any cows pregnant yet. I am planning to go to university in a year or two. I have not made up my mind yet but it might be veterinary studies or civil engineering or law... |
The New Zealand contestant is William Gibson.
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My name is Will Gibson. I am 18 years of age and live on a farm in Middlemarch in the South Island. I have just finished secondary school at John McGlashan College where I was Head Boarder and a Prefect. My parents have a Santa Gertrudis cattle stud and run merino sheep. I have my own Hereford stud and a coloured merino sheep flock. All the wool is contracted to Jane Henry Merino. I have been involved with Herefords since 2009 which is when I started my own stud. A large number of farmers in my area use Herefords in their farming operations and as there was a lack of Hereford stud breeders in my area, I reasoned that there should be a market for Hereford bulls. I have joint favourites when it comes to cattle and rate both the Hereford and Santa’s the same. I enjoy showing cattle especially my own cattle and really enjoy judging. Last year I went to Australia to compete in the merino junior judging finals and next year I am going for Meat and Wool’s “sheep and wool” judging. Next year I am going to Lincoln University to do a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture with Ag management. I hope to grow both my farming interests so they will be able to support me on their own. |
The conference itself will have a number of speakers with topics relating to Hereford genetics. I also plan to profile the speakers on this web site.
Brian Wickham will be one of the first speakers at the conference and he will familiarise the audience with the performance program used by many European Hereford breeders.
Brian Wickham is the chief executive of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation Society Limited (trading as ICBF) a position he has held since 1998. He led the development of ICBF from its inception. ICBF operates Ireland’s cattle breeding database, conducts genetic evaluations for all breeds (dairy and beef) and traits. It provides cattle breeding information services to a number of service providers (Milk Recording, Herd Books, Artificial Insemination Field Services & Bull Studs), to farmers and the wider community via its website (www.icbf.com). ICBF provide a large amount of data for research and participates with partners throughout the world in a wide range of cattle breeding research. Brian gained his PhD from Cornell University under the direction of Prof CR Henderson in 1975. For the first twenty two years of his career Brian worked in New Zealand for LIC and its predecessors in a number of scientific, technical and managerial roles. He represented LIC internationally and chaired the Interbull Steering Committee for its first thirteen years of operation. |
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Another confirmed speaker will be Dr. G. Kee Jim. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) in 1983 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He is a founding partner of Feedlot Health Management Services Ltd. (FHMS), and the 2008 recipient of the American Association of Bovine Practitioner’s Practitioner of the Year award. Dr. Jim is also a past recipient of the American Association of Bovine Practitioner’s Beef Award for Excellence in Veterinary Preventative Medicine, the Schering-Plough Animal Health Veterinary Award from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and the Canadian Animal Health Institute Leadership Award. Dr. Jim is currently the CEO and Managing Director of Feedlot Health Management Services Ltd. Kee Jim’s companies, G.K Jim Farms and affiliated companies Cattlinc Inc, Silverado Cattle Inc., Taweel Cattle Company Ltd., Korova Feeders Ltd., are major players in the Canadian cattle industry through ownership of cows, back grounding cattle and feedlot cattle. In addition, Kee has served on the board of directors of several beef industry groups including the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Livestock Identification Services Ltd, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency and Canada Beef Export Federation. Recently, he has served as Board Chair of the Canada Beef Export Federation and Vice Chairman of the Alberta Cattle Feeder’s Association. Currently, he serves on the board of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency. |
It is now time for me to wish you all a happy and safe festive season. I am looking forward to 2012 with great anticipation.
Regards
Jan
39th Edition: November 2011
Brazil
The agricultural show in Porto Alegre in Brazil attracts approximately 600,000 visitors a year. The main business is farm machinery, animal products and horse events however there are many other attractions for both rural and urban dwellers. The Brazilian export, investment and promotion agency- APEX in conjunction with the Brazilian Hereford and Braford Association, invite ten international guests to attend the ‘Expointer’ event each year and I was lucky enough to be one of those invited guests.
Conditions for the Hereford Show were not ideal. Heavy rain had turned the ring into a quagmire and I admired the determination of the exhibitors who presented their cattle very well in spite of the mud.
The judge was Enrique Bonino from Uruguay and he chose Nova Aurora Anjo da Guarda TE 1920 (a son of La Grand Reload) as the Supreme Champion Polled Hereford. Judge Bonino showed a definite preference for the style of the Reload progeny as his female champion and rustic champions were also by La Grand Reload.
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The Expointer is the social event of the year and the hospitality at the member’s club rooms is quite amazing. It is certainly a place to catch up with old friends and make new acquaintances. Columbian visitors, Edgar Cifuentes and Giovany Galindo, who were representing an Artificial Insemination company purchased a new sire for their country from Fernando and John Cavalcanti . At the conclusion of the auction there seemed to be a lot to celebrate. Pictured at the celebration were Edgar Cifuetes, Fernando Cavalcanti (vendor) Giovany Galindo (purchaser) and in front was the President of the Brazilian Hereford and Braford Association, Fernando Lopa, his wife Thias and myself. |
Prior to the Expointer the Brazilian Hereford and Braford Association arranged a number of ranch visits for me. Fortunately I was often accompanied by an English speaking guide Guilherme Dias, and Guilherme was very helpful and knowledgeable on the different farming methods and the history of the properties. The gauchos, always wearing their traditional dress and herding the cattle on horse back gave me plenty of opportunity for photography. It was wonderful to see Herefords and Brafords in such big numbers. The native pastures are not at their best in the winter so the comparison between the cultivated paddocks and grazing land that is not suitable for growing rice or new varieties of grass is very noticeable. Ticks are a problem for Herefords in some areas so a DNA marker for tick resistance in cattle will have a big influence on Hereford genetics when that happens. In the meantime Herefords are performing well in comparison with other breeds on the Embrapa research station. Hereford cattle have proved to be more efficient converters of feed and then once killed their meat averaged 4.7 on the sheer test while the Brafords averaged 7. This is a considerable advantage in favour of Herefords for diners preferring more tender meat.
| I was very impressed with the Santa Maria estancia. A nasty thunder storm with spectacular lightning agitated me a little but the cattle were unperturbed so we were able to view some big mobs of Herefords grazing on some superb clover and rye grasses. The Santa Maria herd of approximately 2400 head had a number of particularly good females and one cow with a young calf at foot caught my eye. I thought she was rather special and she posed nicely for me. |  |
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The bulls are always of interest at all the properties I visit and I saw many good bulls while visiting Hereford breeders in Brazil. We all like different styles of bulls for different reasons but I saw a bull at Reculuta that epitomised the type that excites me. The bull was by the well known sire Patriot and his dam was a cow by the Reculuta thirteen year old sire Pure Gold. He was a truly lovely bull. |
| The Reculuta stud master Ricardo Furtado does not intend to rest on his laurels as I noted with interest that he purchased the Grand Champion at the Prado in Montevideo in Uruguay. The Brazilian Hereford Association has now rejoined the World Hereford Council and I am sure this will be an advantage for neighbouring beef producers as the exchange of desirable genetics is vital for the progress and well being of the Herefords world–wide. |  |
Sweden
There is lots of good news in Miranda Lysell'‘s annual report on the Hereford activities in Sweden. A new record price was paid for a Hereford bull PP Galtås Baron at the performance testing station’s sale earlier in the year. Galtås Baron had a daily gain average of 2025gr. His conformation was VG85 and TMI 19. The previous record price was 77,000SEK (₤7.700) and the packed gallery applauded and cheered when the bidding finally stopped at 105,000SEK (approx. ₤10,500).
The bull is by a homebred son of K-cow Nacho Man and his dam is by Harvie Jackpot. The breeders of the new record priced bull are Göran Johansson and Helena Jonson. The proud new owner is Nils-Åke Johannesson. The thirteen bulls sold for an average of 45.231SEK (aprox £4,523) an increase of 7.731SEK (£773). A great result for the Hereford breed in Sweden.
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The second National Show took place in October and the judge was Mariana von Limburg-Stirum from Finland. Supreme and Grand Champion Female was 1678 Munka Jackie ET (pictured) and the Grand Champion Bull Bårarps Kasablanka. Both animals were exhibited by Einar & Miranda Lysell. |
There were 18 entries in the Swedish National all breeds beef showmanship class. The judge Alwyn Armour from Northern Ireland was to place only three and all three were leading Hereford cattle.
The winner was Annika Harding showing Munka Jackie ET. Second place was Lowa Göransdotter showing 834 GPH Lynette and third was Miranda Lysell, showing Munka Lady ET.
Annika Harding is a total newcomer. She began showing dairy cattle only this year together with twin sister Davina, in England for the Moet Herd at Reasheath collage of agriculture in Cheshire. It was a great thrill to be so successful at the first attempt at the showmanship competition.
The highest placed Swedish youth under the age of 20 was Lowa Göransdotter and she has now earned the honour of representing Sweden at the World Hereford Conference in Canada 2012. Lowa won a prize of 5.000SEK (approx £500) sponsored by the Swedish Hereford Association and this will go towards the cost of the airfare to Canada in 2012.
New Zealand
| The Hereford breed excelled at the New Zealand Royal Show, taking all the major honours in the interbreed classes. It was a great thrill for the exhibitors when they were awarded the prestigious Founders Cup which consists of six animals selected by the breed judge and exhibited as a team. The major award the Meat and Wool Cup (All breeds Champion) was also won by the Hereford Supreme Champion Awhea Immense (pictured) exhibited by Stephen Morgan of the Joshstar Stud. |  |
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John Aspinall It is with sadness that I report the recent passing of one of New Zealand’s well-known high country farmers. Until his illness John was involved in many farming organizations and was a volunteer for the search and rescue team at his mountainous property. The Aspinall’s Mount Aspiring property is a most interesting farming enterprise but it also attracted photographers, trampers, mountain climbers, artists and campers. Over 50,000 people visited the property every year. Attendees at the 15th World Hereford conference in Copenhagen will remember John Aspinall who presented a most interesting paper on Sustainable Farming and Environmental Demands. |
World Champion Bull
PJ Budler has notified most countries that he is compiling a DVD featuring Champion Herefords around the world. This is intended to be a demonstration for promotional purposes and then if successful it is hoped that a competition with all champions from around the world will have the opportunity to become a world champion. The idea is obviously in its infancy but it is hoped that it will be an opportunity to expose the best Hereford genetics that we have to offer. Email me if you need more information.
Regards to all
Jan
38th Edition: September 2011
Australia Dubbo and Wodonga
It has often been said that show bulls do not perform the way they should but if that was the case there would not be so many bulls returning to Dubbo and Wodonga with familiar names in their pedigrees.
The exhibition and presentation of Hereford bulls at both Dubbo and Wodonga is first class with a keen interest in the show judging at both events. This year however the sale ring created all the excitement. Both sales reported healthy increases in sale averages. 226 registered buyers pushed the Wodonga sale average up 14% on last year’s sale and then the 24 months old bull Glendan Park Everest E126 offered by the Trovatello family’s Glendan Park Herefords from Kyneton, Victoria created a new record price of $70,000. The McEacherns’ Ardno Stud at Wingeel, Victoria, and the Holt’s Tondara Herefords from Urana, NSW, combined resources to place the successful bid for the Cootharaba Magnum son. We look forward to his progeny returning to the sale in a few years time.
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| Glendan Park Everest (Lot 106) with Lucy & Kate McEachern, Tom and Sophie Holt and Tom Jnr, Alvio Trovatello, Clive McWilliam, agent Ron Rutledge and Clive McEachern. |
There were no spare seats in the selling arena at Dubbo and agents said the sale’s success was yet another strong indication of the Hereford resurgence. 113 bulls sold to average $7205, up 9% on the previous year’s average. A 21 months old Poll Hereford bull from Tasmania, Valma Prestige E60, topped the sale at $46,000. The Valma bull offered by Keith and Andrew McLauchlan from Whitemore, Tasmania failed to impress the panel of three judges enough for them to award him a broad ribbon however he caught the attention of well known show ring competitors Steve and Ben Crowley from the Tycolah stud at Barraba in NSW and they were the successful purchasers of the son of Valma Napoleon 11 who was also exhibited and sold at Dubbo.
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| Valma Pestige E60 vendors, Andrew and Lou Maclachlan, with purchasers, Steve and Ben Crowley and handler Andrew Green | Valma Prestige E60 |
A pleasing feature of the Dubbo sale was the support of commercial producers who procured 93 bulls for less than $10,000 each. The South Australian company of Williams Cattle Co from the arid zone in the Oodnadatta Track region are regular buyers at Dubbo and they purchased 23 bulls to service their huge whiteface herds. Their attendance was great support for the sale and the Hereford breed.
Kazakhstan Visit
I was invited to speak at the 2nd Livestock Forum in Astana Kazakhstan. I knew very little about the country so I armed myself with a few facts about the Kazaks which I acquired from googling on the internet and set off on the long flight to their capital Astana.
I had been asked to speak specifically on the advantages of being a member of the World Hereford Council and the requirements for compliance to that membership.
Kazakhstan is a landlocked republic south of Russia, West of China and Northeast of the Caspian Sea. Native Kazaks are a mixture of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century and became a Soviet republic in 1936.
On 16th December, 1991 Kazakhstan adopted the Constitutional Law on the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The economy has been radically transformed to a market economy and the country has enjoyed significant economic growth since 2000. This is partly due to its large oil, gas, and mineral reserves although Kazakhstan is also an important producer and exporter of high-quality wheat.
I walked to the Shatyr Khan which is not only the highest tent on Earth, but also the highest structure in the capital city. It is a huge shopping complex with restaurants, cinemas, and even an artificial beach and a swimming pool. I was very impressed by the general layout of the city and the innovative designs of the buildings. |
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The gardens along the left bank with Shatyr Khan in the background |
The government of Kazakhstan has another ambitious plan. They aim to double beef cattle numbers by establishing herds of 1000 to 3000 cows on a number of qualifying farms and part of that plan is to import 70,000 purebred cattle. In his opening speech at the Forum, the Minister of Agriculture stated that Kazakhstan had a large scale objective which was to strengthen their export capacity of cattle meat and become one of the leading world exporters of meat. He said “To achieve this aim, cattle breeding reproduction centers are currently being established, breeding stock purchased and modern growing facilities are being constructed.”
Hereford and Angus cattle will be crossed with Kazakh cattle of which there are three main breeds. Kazakh Red which is the native beef animal, Kazakh White Head which is a new breed developed in 1953 by crossing Hereford with local cattle and another new breed Auliekolskaya which was developed in 1993 based on Charolais.
Today 85% of the cattle in Kazakhstan are in herds of one, two or three animals and they are being farmed in the traditional way. The land is not fenced and pastures would not sustain intense grazing.
Getting the villagers to cooperate and breed their cattle to Hereford and Angus and then sell the offspring to big farms will be a challenge.
My only rural experience in Kazakhstan was a visit to a fair which was a short distance from the city. The best way to describe the fair is to say that it was like our local sale day combined with a farmers market.
There were all sorts of animals for sale. Sheep, cattle, camels, pigs and horses were all penned ready for auction. I also noted some displays of imported cattle with promotional placards but unfortunately for me they were all written in Russian. The hospitality tents were absolutely beautiful.
They were shaped like the traditional yurts and the walls were felted wool. Inside the tapestry designs were really attractive and the tables were laden with fruit, chocolate and nuts.
I was offered one of their special treats which is fermented mare’s milk. To say it is an acquired taste understates the flavour. I managed the horse meat quite easily. It is a little salty but otherwise quite edible however the mare’s milk was quite a different matter. I will never acquire a taste for that.
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One of the Yurts at the fair |
Inside the Yurt with my interpreter Konstantin |
The purpose of my visit was to help Kazakhstan establish a Hereford Association with the ultimate aim of joining the World Hereford Council.
Kazakhstan plans to import big numbers of registered Hereford cattle for their beef enterprise and the official title for their Hereford Association is “Association of Beef Breed Hereford”. Kazakhstan plan to apply for membership in 2012 at the World Conference in Canada.
Next newsletter will be about my visit to Brazil.
Regards
Jan
37th Edition: June 2011
Herefords Reign Supreme at the South African Royal Show.
The South African Hereford Nationals are held every three years and always in conjunction with a Royal Show. This year Natal hosted the event during the first week of June and 900 beef cattle including 150 Herefords from every state in South Africa converged on the show grounds at Pietermaritzburg to compete for the Gold Cup which is awarded to the Supreme Champion beef animal of the show.
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Professor Cliff Lamb from the University of Florida selected Locheim Primestock WDW 08 41 as the Supreme Hereford Champion and next day the All Breeds judges were asked to select a Champion of Champions from the best examples of all the beef breeds at the show. Needless to say the Hereford supporters were very excited when the judges announced their selection. The three year old Hereford champion exhibited by Philip de Waal was awarded the most coveted Gold Cup and could then claim to be the best beef animal at the 2011 Royal Show. |
William and son Philip de Waal from Moorreesburg in the Western Cape Province had travelled their team of Herefords 1700 kilometres to the show and were delighted to win several other major awards that evening.
| Their bull, 22 month old bull Locheim WDW Nibbs 09 50 was awarded the Fase C and Breedplan Bull of the Year sash. This competition is calculated on 70% performance and 30% visual appeal. The outstanding sire was later sold to Arbor Herefords stud master, Mr Pat Eustace from Himeville in Natal. |  |
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The de Waal’s third major award in the All Breeds classes came in the Super Cow class. This competition combines both visual appearance and performance. Locheim WDW Nibbs 04-80 is the dam of the Super Bull of the Year so her performance was never in doubt. Her success is a great achievement for the Locheim Hereford Stud. |
The South African Hereford breeders can be justly proud of the number of quality Herefords which were paraded before Judge Lamb.
Many breeders had travelled great distances to participate in a truly National event. The classes were keenly contested and although the Western Cape breeders dominated the major awards, the Bonhaven and Vicedale studs were often near the top in their classes. Philip de Waal was the Premier exhibitor at the show but the P P Mong Trust was a very close second with only 5 points separating the two Western Cape breeders.
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Judges in action. Left, assistant judge George Nefdt and right, Cliff Lamb. |
| The Grand Champion Female was exhibited by the P P Mong Trust. Judge Lamb commented that she had depth, length and capacity. "All the qualities that he was looking for in a female" he said. This outstanding cow is no new comer to the show ring as she had previously won the same award three years previously at the Vryburg Nationals.The judge at that time was New Zealander Bruce Robertson from the Duncraigen Stud in Southland. |
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Reserve Grand Champion Male: Bonhaven Walk the Line 07 120 exhibited by PJ Budler |
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The KZN (Natal) Hereford Club is very fortunate to have wonderful club rooms situated in a prime spot at the show grounds and this was definitely put to good use during the week of the show. |
Club Chairman, George Nefdt and Secretary Anne Louwrens with their team of volunteers offered visitors and Hereford members hospitality and refreshments every day. Club members rotated kitchen and bar duties making the club rooms the place to meet and greet Hereford friends. This created a very friendly atmosphere and everyone agreed that the 2011 National Hereford event certainly was a huge success for the Hereford breed and its breeders.
Regards to all
Jan
36th Edition: May 2011
While the Northern hemisphere countries are thawing out and welcoming signs of spring, the Southern hemisphere is appreciating cooler temperatures and making plans for purchasing new herd sires at forthcoming bull sales.
NZ Herd Tour
In March more than 100 Hereford enthusiasts enjoyed New Zealand Hereford Association’s three day annual herd tour in the North island’s Wairarapa and Central Districts.
Herefords clearly demonstrated just how easily they can adapt to all sorts of topography. This area has a huge variety of challenges for farmers. Land and pastures were showing the effects of a devastating drought in the Southern area but the Herefords were still hanging on well.
The variety of farming conditions has lead to diverse genetic selection. The Hereford breed is fortunate to be able to quickly adjust to market forces. This was clearly demonstrated when we visited a challenging hill country property where beef bulls are still required to service the hill country beef herds while in the lower valleys the genetics were definitely favouring lower birth weight bulls to mate with dairy cows for the production of dairy beef.
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To add variety to our mode of travel the tour organisers arranged a steam train ride to their most Northern Hereford stud. The novel experience was added to when the train was hijacked by bandits. They entered the carriages carrying guns and demanded money. Most of us were reluctant to comply until we discovered that the loot was to be donated to the Christchurch earthquake fund. Photo: NZ Farmers Weekly |
Field Day
NZ Herefords Herd of Excellence field day was held in April and attracted about 250 farmers despite the elements testing even the hardiest of souls with the temperature reaching just 5 degrees. Gray and Robyn Pannett of Limehills Hereford Stud, located near Roxburgh, hosted the day which also included an extensive tour of the property. Beef & Lamb NZ and the Central South Island Farmers Council co-sponsored the day which included a number of high class speakers including successful Hereford cattle farmer Richard Ogilvie from south Australia.
The Poll Hereford team was only half a point from winning the prestigious Stan Hill Trophy at the Easter Sydney Royal Show. In a field of entries from 13 breeds, the Poll Hereford team scored 255 points to come an agonising second behind the Shorthorn team with 255.5. The three steers were placed in schools as part of Herefords Australia’s program to provide steers to schools where they are prepared and exhibited at Sydney Royal. Project organiser Allan Green was elated at the success saying planning was already in place to generate more Hereford steers for schools in 2012.
| From left a steer (86.5 points as a carcase) bred by Lisa Harris, Beau River, Orange, NSW, prepared and exhibited by Orange Anglican Grammar School and two steers prepared and exhibited by St Josephs High School, Aberdeen, NSW. The centre steer (83.5 pts) was bred by Allan Green, Ivy Bank, Walcha, NSW, and on the right a steer (85 pts) bred by Kay Payne, Elite, Gundy, NSW. |  |
Thanks to Hereford Australia’s web site for this article and for more details of the Sydney Royal go to www.herefordsaustralia.com.au
Junior Members
I am very pleased to report that there has been a good response to the Junior International competition which is planned to be part of the 2012 World Conference. Some countries are now organizing selection competitions which will keep Herefords in the limelight and stimulate interest in our breed with the younger generation.
New Zealand is a popular destination for agricultural students from all parts of the world. I asked one student why this should be and was told it was as far away from home as you can get! New Zealand Hereford breeders have hosted a number of students from Sweden lately and these students have used contacts made during the last world conference tour to Sweden. I am sure there will be many more contacts made for all our member countries during the next conference. I asked Lowa Gorandsdotter from Sweden to put a few of her thoughts on paper and here are some of her experiences.
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I sent my application to a rural exchange program called RENZ, Rural Exchange New Zealand, and got a placement on a sheep and beef farm in Culverden on the South Island. I arrived in early summer, leaving cold snowy conditions from Sweden far behind. I spent January in Roxburgh packing apricots and cherries. I met a lot of people from different countries there and had a great time but the work almost bored me to death. Luckily for me, the 15th world Hereford tour was in Scandinavia 2008, and some hospitable Kiwis gave my mother their addresses and invited us to visit them whenever we came to New Zealand. I asked my mother to send them an e-mail and after that I was living in a dream. |
While still working at the orchard I stayed one weekend with Geof and Joyce Brown at Lochaburn. It was a good change and I discovered that driving with farmers makes the surroundings more interesting and they are the very best guides. I finished working at the orchard at the end of January and went to Queenstown where I did the Nevis Bungy (134m). That was scary but awesome!
After that I was cared for by Hereford people. They sent me from farm to farm and I think it was a great way of experience New Zealand. I learned a lot and meet wonderful people. My first stop-over was with the Morrison family at Ardo farm. I really liked their place and they helped me a lot with my further travels. They took me to Otapawa where I caught up with two other Swedish girls so I got an opportunity to talk about home and we agreed to meet again in Sweden and talk about New Zealand.
For the full story click here.
World Hereford Conference Chairman
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The arrangements for 2012 are ticking along well. The Chairman of the 2012 World Hereford Conference will be Dr. Jay Cross – DVM, PhD Dr. Jay Cross and his wife Lucy, own and operate Bar Pipe Hereford Ranch of Okotoks, Alberta. The Cross family have been breeding Herefords since 1953. Some of our senior members will remember visiting Bar Pipe Farms in 1976 when Canada hosted the 7th World Hereford Conference. |
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Jay’s father, grandfather and great grandfather are all past Presidents of the Calgary Stampede. Jay’s great grandfather, A.E. Cross, was one of the original founders of the world famous Calgary Stampede in 1912.
Dr. Cross is currently the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education for Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. He is an expert in animal reproduction and molecular genetics particularly in the areas of embryo implantation, placentation and pregnancy outcome. He was a founding Director of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Child & Maternal Health, a multi-disciplinary institute focused on biomedical, clinical and social aspects of child health, and initiated the Training Program in Genetics, Child Development & Health at the Clara Christie Centre for Genomics & Modeling of Human Disease. He is a Scientist of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Major awards include a Premier’s Research Excellence Award of Ontario in 1999, Investigator of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in 2001, Research Scientist of the Year Award from the Association of Professors of Obstetrics & Gynecology in 2005, and Pioneer Award from the Frontiers in Reproduction Program at the Marine Biology Laboratory, USA in 2009.
The Cross lab is studying the molecular mechanisms by which stem cells of the early embryo are driven to form organs during development using molecular biology, biochemical and genetic approaches with transgenic and mutant mice. The research specifically focuses on the development of the placenta and the heart. They are the earliest organs to form during gestation, and defects in those organs are associated with common causes of pregnancy complications, as well as fetal and prenatal deaths in humans and animals.
Membership
Brazil has now rejoined the World Hereford Council and their web site is linked to this web site for quick reference. They have a very active Braford and Hereford Society and membership to the council is welcomed by our members especially by their near neighbours Uruguay and Argentina.
Brazil have sent both Spanish and English translations of some of their forthcoming activities which I am sure will be of interest to our members so I have included them in this newsletter......
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Brazilian Hereford and Braford genetic represented at Agroexpo to be held in Colombia in July
Brazilian Hereford and Braford genetic will be represented at Agroexpo Bogotá, an important exhibit in the South American husbandry industry taking place from July 13 to 23, 2011, in Bogotá, Colombia. This year, the Brazilian Hereford and Braford Association (Associação Brasileira de Hereford e Braford - ABHB) along with the Brazilian Hereford & Braford (BHB) Project, a collaboration between the Association and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Agência Brasileira de Promoção de Exportações e Investimentos - Apex-Brasil), will be taking part in renowned international exhibits in an effort to increasingly disseminate the genetically consistent qualities of the Hereford and Braford breeds raised in Brazil.
At Agroexpo Bogotá breeders and visitors at large will find a booth at their disposal so they can learn details of the grazing system adopted in Brazil, especially in Rio Grande do Sul, the southern state where the Hereford breed was first raised in the country. Also in attendance, business leaders connected to the Brazilian Hereford & Braford project, aimed at exporting the breeds’ genes, in addition to ABHB directors and representatives. Still in July, the ABHB will be taking part in another highly regarded international animal husbandry exhibit to be held in Paraguay, Expo 2011.
The ABHB 2011 international schedule
Next, the ABHB is attending two major exhibits in the husbandry industry set to take place in South America in August and September. In southern Brazil, the association will be at Expointer, scheduled between August 27 and September 4 in Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul. In Bolivia, Hereford and Braford breeders will be attending the Expocruz – the International Santa Cruz Fair taking place in the capital Santa Cruz de la Sierra between September 16 and 25. This year’s program also includes business visits to Russia, much like the tours taken of the country in 2010. The program will also be intense in the first half of 2011 with their attendance, in Brazil, at the International Fair of the Meat Production Chain (Feicorte - Feira Internacional da Cadeia Produtiva da Carne) in São Paulo (SP) between June 13 and 17.
Brazilian Hereford and Braford Association
The ABHB was founded in 1958. Among all the genetic improvement and certified beef programs the association carries out, the social responsibility work is does also stands out. Hence, the ABHB makes it possible to introduce social projects meant to support the national herd’s improvement through programs that donate breeding animals and semen to small farmers.
Find further information on the ABHB at www.hereford.com.br
The Brazilian Hereford & Braford Project
The Brazilian Hereford & Braford project seeks to boost the sales of cattle genes, inputs (like forage seeds, veterinary products and mineral supplements), logistics and services, and brings together a select group of major Brazilian companies. Fernando Lopa, the ABHB president, explains how important the project is for the growth of the meat production chain in Brazil and the world: “We believe that through the BHB project we will be giving the world the chance to learn about the quality of Brazilian genetics and products, and that will help all of us achieve sustainable, socially fair and environmentally correct results”, highlighted Lopa.
The Brazilian Hereford & Braford website provides the full list of companies taking part in this project carried out in collaboration with the federal government. On the website, you will also find videos about the breeds available in four languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish and Russian). The BHB website is www.bhb.org.br
Further information for the press:
Luciana Bueno Escritório de Comunicação
Luciana Bueno - MTb/RS 8508 - luciana.bueno@bhb.org.br – (55) 51 9181 7734
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Genéticas Hereford y Braford de Brasil van a estar representadas en la Agroexpo que será realizada en Julio, en Colombia
Las genéticas Hereford y Braford de Brasil van a estar representadas en la Agroexpo Bogotá, importante exposición del sector ganadero de Sudamérica que será realizada del 13 al 23 de julio de 2011 en Bogotá, Colombia. Este año, la Asociación Brasileña de Hereford y Braford (ABHB) junto al Proyecto Brazilian Hereford & Braford (BHB), colaboradora de la Asociación y de la Agencia Brasileña de Promoción de Exportación e Inversiones (Apex-Brasil), estará participando en reconocidas exposiciones internacionales con el objetivo de promocionar, cada vez más, las características de consistencia genética de las razas Hereford y Braford producidas en Brasil.
Durante la Agroexpo Bogotá, los productores y el púbico en general encontrarán un stand con detalles del sistema de producción a pastoreo que se adopta en Brasil, especialmente en Rio Grande do Sul, estado del sur del país, que es la cuna de la raza Hereford. También se harán presentes directivos y representantes de la ABHB, además de empresarios del Brazilian Hereford & Braford, proyecto que tiene por objetivo la exportación de genética de las razas. También en julio, la Asociación Brasileña de Hereford y Braford participará en otra importante exposición internacional de ganadería, que será realizada en Asunción de Paraguay, la Expo 2011.
Calendario Internacional de la ABHB, 2011
A seguir, la ABHB estará presente en dos importantes exposiciones del sector ganadero que ocurrirán en Sudamérica en agosto y septiembre. En el sur de Brasil, se realizará la Expointer, entre el 27 de agosto y el 04 de septiembre, en la ciudad de Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul. Por su vez, en Bolivia, los productores de Hereford y Braford participarán en la Expocruz - Feria Internacional de Santa Cruz, que se realiza en la ciudad de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, entre el 16 y el 25 de septiembre. En la programación del año también se prevén visitas comerciales a Rusia, dándole continuidad al recorrido iniciado en 2010 por ese país. La intensa programación también tiene prevista para el primer semestre de 2011 la realización, en Brasil, de la Feicorte (Feria Internacional de la Cadena Productora de la Carne), que será realizada del 13 al 17 de junio en la ciudad de São Paulo, SP.
Asociación Brasileña de Hereford y Braford
La ABHB fue fundada en 1958. Entre todos los programas de mejora genética y de carne certificada en los que actúa, merece destaque el trabajo de Responsabilidad Social que desarrolla. Así, la ABHB permite la introducción de proyectos sociales de apoyo a la mejora del rebaño nacional por medio de programas de donación de reproductores y semen para los pequeños productores.
Vea más informaciones sobre la ABHB en la página web www.hereford.com.br
Proyecto Brazilian Hereford & Braford
El Proyecto Brazilian Hereford & Braford busca fomentar la comercialización de la genética bovina, insumos (como semillas forrajeras, productos veterinarios y suplementos minerales), logística y servicios, además de reunir un seleccionado grupo de importantes empresas brasileñas. El presidente de la ABHB, Fernando Lopa, justifica la importancia del proyecto para el crecimiento de la cadena productora de la carne, en Brasil y en el mundo. “Confiamos que por medio del BHB le daremos al mercado la oportunidad de conocer la calidad de la genética y de los productos brasileños contribuyendo, de esa forma, para la obtención eficiente de resultados de una forma sostenible, socialmente justa y ambientalmente correcta", afirmó Lopa.
En el sitio web del Brazilian Hereford & Braford es posible encontrar el listado completo de las empresas participantes que colaboran en este proyecto, que, además, tiene el apoyo del gobierno nacional. En ese espacio también se encuentran disponibles algunos videos sobre las razas en cuatro idiomas (Portugués, Inglés, Español y Ruso). El sitio del BHB es www.bhb.org.br
Más Informaciones para la Prensa:
Luciana Bueno, Oficina de Comunicación
Luciana Bueno - MTb/RS 8508 - luciana.bueno@bhb.org.br – (55) 51 9181 7734
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The month of May will be a busy month for those down under.
It begins in Australia with the 46th National Hereford Show & Sale at Wodonga Exhibition Centre, Wodonga VIC.on the 12th of May.
It is followed by the Beef Expo in New Zealand on May 16th and 17th at Feilding.
The South African Hereford National Championships will begin on May 30th in Pietermaritzburg.
50th Annual Dubbo National Poll Hereford Show & Sale at Dubbo Showgrounds on 7th June at Dubbo NSW.
I hope to cover those events in my next newsletter.
Until then my best wishes to all
Jan
35th Edition: February 2011
The Hereford breed has enjoyed a number of notable successes in 2010.
Most of the world Hereford members have reported increases in membership and registrations which is a most encouraging trend for the breed. It is always good to hear or read about Hereford successes or innovative promotional ideas. I really value good news as such snippets are the basis for newsletters on this website. Please continue to forward me your “good news” so I can keep the whiteface momentum moving forward.
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Undoubtedly the main Hereford event for the 2010 year was the European Conference in Scotland and England. Visitors were privileged to witness two outstanding displays of Herefords at the Highland and Shropshire shows. As I reported in a previous newsletter, it was pleasing for Hereford supporters to learn that the Supreme Champion Hereford Romany 1 Captain was also awarded the Royal Highland Inter- breed Championship. ‘Captain’ is owned and exhibited by A.E. Nesbitt Farms Ltd. Herefords were to the fore again at the Shropshire Show when a strong team took the Inter-breed Team of Five Championship. This was a great achievement for the Hereford Breed and the exhibitors. |
It is with great sadness that I report the sudden death of one the United Kingdom’s greatest promoters of the breed. Denis Jones died suddenly on his farm doing what he enjoyed most. He and his wife Doris travelled to many Hereford events around the world and he had a wide circle of International friends. He enjoyed people, loved to compete in the show ring and was passionate about Herefords.
In 2010 Canada celebrated 150 years of Hereford breeding and in November they topped off a good year by winning Agribition’s most prestigious award - the Supreme Champion of all beef breeds with Big Gully 611 Bounty 517U exhibited by the Leachman family. Another wonderful achievement for the Hereford breed. Gordon Stephenson and various sub committees of the Canadian Hereford Association are now busy planning the 2012 conference. The Junior committee plan to stage a truly International event and hopefully every member country will send a young Hereford breeder to compete in the various planned activities. |
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I spent a day at the Ontario Junior Hereford Association’s annual Beef-A-Rama event where a number of parents and children had spent the weekend competing in Hereford related activities. I was most impressed by the professional presentation of the Hereford cattle shown by the Canadian Juniors on show day. However the other activities such as preparing a dinner to a theme, public speaking and team games added a lot of fellowship to the bonanza based competition.
Junior Shows play a major role in the Hereford programs in Canada and along with the 4 H clubs the focus is on fun, friends, and learning cool new skills. Herefords are the ideal show cattle should boys and girls between 8 and 21 years choose to learn how to care for animals. The focus for some Hereford studs is breeding heifers which suit the junior programs. The 4 H clubs (health, hands. heart and head) have been helping develop well-rounded, responsible and independent Canadian youth since 1913. Members engage in technical skill development, exciting projects and other fun club activities like creating crafts, building a website, producing a play, building a small engine, or learning all about animals. Members have the opportunity to travel in Canada and beyond on exchanges, participate in cutting-edge provincial and national conferences, and apply for more than $25,000 in available national scholarships.
The organisers hope that every World Hereford Council member country will send a junior representative (under 21 years) to compete in the competitions being planned.
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The Lasby children from Grosvenor Farm at the Beef-A-Rama |
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Agromek in Herning, Denmark, is the largest agricultural exhibition in the North of Europe and takes place in the beginning of December. The 2010 show was a success story for the Bårarp herd and Swedish Herefords. Bårarps Kinky was sold as a weanling to Carsten Seiring in Denmark and Miranda Harding (the breeder of Kinky) was invited to attend the show and present Kinky at Agromek. Miranda happily agreed to the suggestion. The Judge was Gerald Blandford from England. He placed Kinky first in his class and later put him forward to stand Champion Bull Calf. The same title was won by Bårarps Johnny last year. |
| Johnny was at the show again this year and is now 22 months old. He won his class, went on to become Junior Champion Bull, Grand Champion Bull and even Supreme Champion Hereford! He was shown by Matilde Bonde, one of the co.owners. Miranda topped off a truly memorable day by winning the senior .showmanship class. A great achievement for Miranda, the Bararps Herefords and Swedish Herefords in Denmark. |  |
2011 is now underway and the countries in the Southern hemisphere will be looking forward some major Hereford activities. South Africa will stage their National show beginning May 30th. The Nationals are only held every three years so anyone interested in seeing a great Hereford spectacle should plan to visit. The full program is on this website can be viewed under future events.
Regards to all
Jan
35th Edition: October 2010 - Whiteface Wave
The Hereford Breed has continued to hold its own during a most difficult economic period in spite of tremendous pressure from Angus promotion. The American Hereford Association is our largest registry and we tend to look to their example for ‘trends’ in our industry.
It is very pleasing to report that during the American Hereford Association’s last fiscal year the average price paid for Hereford females and bulls actually increased. This is exciting considering the state of the economy and their decreasing national cow herd size. The breed also experienced increases in registrations and transfers.
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In Uruguay more than 65% of the national herd is Hereford and their famous Kiyú bulls testing center is the popular venue to purchase herd bulls. The bulls are run in mobs that are sorted for age and grazed on pasture for several months. They are then evaluated for weight, daily gain, conformation, and EPDs. Other measures such as pigmentation, temperament and reproductive aptitude are also taken into consideration. Every year 70 to 90 bulls from more than 40 breeders all around the country are evaluated and finally the bulls are ranked and sold based on an index that considers 1/3 testing performance, 1/3 phenotype, 1/3 EPDs. The Kiyú 2010 sale was held in September and Cipa Cebollatí Tarzan 5937 (pictured) topped the sale at USD 10.500. A local AI Center was the successful purchaser. The average price of the sale was 31% higher than prices at the 2009 sale and the top price was 81% higher. All good news for Hereford breeders in Uruguay. |
| In New Zealand the whiteface wave is very evident. The dominant breed at four day old calf sales is definitely Hereford. Sales of Hereford /Friesian cross calves, particularly in the North Island sale yards, have been very strong all season. Professional calf rearers are paying premiums for whiteface calves and this bi-product from the dairy industry is becoming a major consideration for dairy farmers. At a recent sale where over 400 calves were auctioned, only 30 head were not sired by Hereford. In another 18 months time these calves will make a very valuable contribution to the beef industry which has been struggling to maintain numbers as the beef herds have had to make way for other agricultural industries such as forestry, dairy and horticulture. |  |
The whiteface advantage in heterosis programs and branded beef initiatives will be the main emphasis on farm visits and business sessions at the 2012 World Conference which will be held in Calgary. For visitors travelling on a pre-tour to the conference one of the highlights is likely to be the visit to Canada’s largest ranch –Douglas Lake Ranch which is situated approximately 200 miles east of Vancouver.
The Douglas Lake ranch is probably Canada’s number one beef producer. With a land mass of more than half a million acres and a herd of approximately 4,500 Hereford cows and 2,500 Black Baldie cows, I am sure there will be plenty to see. The Douglas Lake ranch also supports 300 horses, 450 bulls, and produces in the range of about 6,600 calves per annum. The operation is predominantly a yearling operation although some 2,000 calves are generally sold on an annual basis. Calves are weaned in November, with about 4,500 yearlings put on grass the following spring to be sold as yearlings in the fall. Each year about 1,500 yearling heifers are retained as replacements for the cow herd.
During the summer cattle subsist very well on native pastures (predominantly bluegrass and wheat grass) but in the winter snow covers all pastures and every animal has to be fed.
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The headquarters sit on the shores of Lake Douglas and are visible for miles. All the buildings are painted white with red roofs. The ranch services the needs of its employees, providing a ranch owned general store (pictured) a church and school. I am sure the 2012 Hereford tour group will really enjoy this visit and feel very privileged to visit the Douglas Lake Ranch. |
I plan to profile other places that the conference committee are planning to visit in my future newsletters. In the meantime I hope the whiteface wave is showing itself in your area.
Regards to all
Jan
34th Edition: June -July 2010 - European Conference
Renewing friendships made at previous conferences is a very important part of the World Hereford programs and the European conference was one such occasion. Hereford breeders from twelve different countries met in Edinburgh for the 13th European conference and visited the Royal Highland Show on the first day of the tour. Both Scottish and English Hereford breeders supported the show with a good number of quality entries which made the classes very interesting. The judge for the day was Jens Michael Jensen from Denmark.
The spectators around the ring included a number of world renowned judges and they along with many photographers were clambering for the best vantage point to view the judge’s selections. However Mr. Jensen preferred to place his winners at the bottom end of the ring with both leaders and cattle facing away from the large crowd which made viewing the actual prize winners very difficult.
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The stewards on the other hand involved the audience by inviting a representative from every country attending the conference to present ribbons at the conclusion of the classes. This was a very nice gesture by the stewards and kept the spectators engrossed in the show. Jens chose Romany 1 Captain as his Supreme Hereford Champion and next day this bull was also awarded the Royal Highland Inter- breed Championship. ‘Captain’ is owned and exhibited by A.E. Nesbitt Farms Ltd, North Standen Estate, Hungerford, Berkshire and is the stock bull for the Nesbitt herd. Captain is by Crickley 1 Figurehead, a former Hereford Sire of the Year and out of Romany 1 Julia. He was purchased from J.R.B Wilson & Sons, after standing Junior Inter-breed Champion at the Royal Highland Show three years ago. |
That evening visitors enjoyed a typical Scottish meal which included cock-a-leekie soup and haggis. They were then entertained by piper Alister Currie, highland dancers and soloist Fiona Sloan.
Next morning the farm visit to Cowbog, situated at the bottom of an alluvial valley in the Scottish Borders near Kelso enabled Hereford enthusiasts to inspect the Romany herd in their home environment. The display was well laid out and clearly labeled which made viewing very easy and interesting. The herd was much admired and the hospitality was first class.
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The buses stopped at the border and a lone piper played as the tour group admired the view back to Scotland and then onward to England. At one time the Kemp farm was just a heap of coal slurry and dangerous ponds where children loved to play. Top quality pasture now provides the Hereford and Hereford cross cattle with ideal summer conditions and they made a most attractive scene. No-one was looking forward to the long drive to Telford but the English country-side was truly magnificent. The clear blue sky, green pastures, bright colourful flowers and majestic trees made the drive most memorable. England was at its best. |
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Next morning delegates were given a brief update and review of the World Hereford Council and then Chairman Nigel Metson opened the conference proceedings. The theme of the conference was “Building the Hereford Brand” and keynote speaker Marcia Dutra de Barcellos from Brazil endorsed the existing branded programs but added that there was no room for complacency. “Hereford breeders must adapt to changing market demands” she said “and while the demand for quality beef is immense, there is still a lot of room for growth.” |
The second speaker was Robin Irvine from County Armagh. Robin is the current Chairman of the UK’s Hereford Cattle Society and he said the Society’s own innovative ‘Superior Carcase Sire Scheme’ was a step in this direction. The scheme is aimed at commercial and pedigree breeders and represents the first step in a complex food chain. Cash incentives are being offered by the Society to use sires which could deliver improved quality to each link in this chain. The offer is open to the progeny of designated high performance sires with good Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for Retail Beef Yield (RBY), Eye Muscle Area (EMA) and Terminal Sire Index (TSI). Launched earlier this year, the scheme offers producers of pure, or cross-bred Hereford calves £5 per calf, with a maximum payment of £500.
“This is an investment by our Society and is intended to highlight the real potential of high performance Hereford-sired progeny,” said Mr Irvine. “We are pleased that, at three of the four Hereford Society events held this spring, ‘Superior Carcase Sires’ have taken the top prices and have also been judged Champions or Class Winners.”
Other speakers included Duncan Sinclair from Waitrose, Andrew Hobson from Eldersfield Herefords in Gloucesterhire and Rémi Fourrier from France.
These gentlemen formed a panel and answered questions from the floor. The meeting was most informative and as always the country reports were well received.
| The Shropshire County Show was the next visit for the tour party and the Hereford display was quite outstanding. Although the temperature was up around 30 degrees for the entire afternoon, most Hereford enthusiasts remained ring-side to watch the judging. Over 100 Herefords were on show and some of the classes were a real challenge for Judge Steve Edwards. Overall winner (pictured) was Leos Pride 1 Ellis owned and bred by D&B Ellis, of Wigan in Lancashire. |  |
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Pictured above: The line up in large classes of young heifers. |
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The following day a strong Hereford team took the Inter-breed Team of Five Championship. This was a great achievement for the Hereford Breed and the exhibitors.
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The next herd visit for the tour party was in Herefordshire where the Haven herd is domiciled. The Lewis family has been breeding Herefords for over 100 years and Edward Lewis reported that the sixth generation of the Lewis family is now showing and rearing Hereford cattle for Haven Herefords. A farm tour on trailers gave everyone the opportunity to see how the cattle complimented the mixed farming enterprise. Local cider provided by Weston's cider was most refreshing after the farm tour. |
| The coaches made their way through Herefordshire to Temple Court where Gerald and Rosemary Blanford live and farm their large and most impressive Poll Hereford Bosa herd. The group boarded trailers and were given a great view of the farm and the cattle grazing under the apple cider orchards. At the conclusion of the farm tour, Clive Davies and myself were asked to judge and place four bulls and four cows that were penned or tied in the barn. Everyone was invited to judge the cattle and prizes were awarded to those with placings closest to those of the official judges. In first place was Mrs Gunbritt Dahlqvist from Sweden, second was Australian Lynn Vearing and in third place from Germany was Ms Thurid Mechler. |
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That evening the tour concluded with a gala dinner and entertainment by the band “Abba Forever”.
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The Bosa herd |
Regards to all
Jan
34th Edition: June -July 2010
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Part 1: Australasia
New Zealand - Herefords are the Champion breed both on pasture and plate
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Mike Van de Hoeven, Hereford Prime processor and winner of the Best Branded Steak Retail with Supreme Champion Hereford and All Breeds Grand Champion bull Leelands Digital. |
The Hereford Supreme Champion bull was also the All Breeds Grand Champion bull at the New Zealand Meat and Wool Beef Expo in May. Leelands Digital, an unled bull was awarded the prestigious prize by international guest judges Marion and John Tilson from Scotland. They selected the Hereford because of his scale and length.
Marion Tilson commented "Beef is our end product and length weighs. We selected the Hereford as our Grand Champion because the bull had a lot of frame and stood on good legs."
Digital was an unled bull and was sold for $9,000 to the Kokonga Hereford Stud which is based in the South Auckland region. The Kokonga Hereford Stud is also the home of the 2009 Expo Hereford Champion.
| Leelands Digital was bred by Charlie and Margaret Lee who have supported the Beef Expo for 41 years. They dispersed their stud last year and have now semi-retired. Winning the most prestigious trophy of all was a most fitting reward for the contribution they have made to the Hereford breed and for the years of participation at the National Show and Sales. |  |
Hereford supporters had further reasons to celebrate at the Steak of Origin dinner that evening when Hereford Prime won the branded product award in the Best Branded Steak Retail class. The processor Mike Van de Hoeven was delighted with the award and Hereford Prime can proudly boast that it has been a finalist every year since the inception of the competition in the best Retail Steak class. Mike had further cause to celebrate as he was also placed second in the crossbred class with a Hereford X Wagyu sirloin which incidentally was bred from a Leelands heifer. A wonderful achievement and great for the Hereford breed.
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Australia
The 49th National Poll Hereford Hereford Show and Sale was held recently at Dubbo. Over 100 bulls were presented for judging to Mr Ian Durkin of Coolati, New South Wales.
| The Junior Champion, Grathlyn Dakota D34 was exhibited by SM Raynor & Co. Dakato was 21 months of age and weighed in at 895kgs with an EMA of 128mm. He was sold for $9,000 to Lynwood Pastoral. |  |
| The Reserve Champion in the Intermediate section was Tycolah Hawke Eye and he weighed 980kgs with an EMA of 134mm. He went on to become the top seller of the day at $25,000 and was purchased by Brett and Jim Sundell of Gunns Gulley. Pictured with Hawke Eye and Steve Crowley are the purchasers Jim and Brett Sundell. |
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The Senior Champion was awarded to 26 month Allendale Washington D57. This bull is by the New Zealand sire Okawa Commodore. He weighed 990kgs and his EMA was 130mm. He went on to be awarded the Supreme Champion of the day and was later purchased for $15,000 by the Fry Family of Tasmania for their Jamena Poll Hereford Stud. |
| Also pictured is Washington with the sponsor and the judge Ian Durkin and Alistair Day. |  |
I will cover the European Conference at the end of this month.
Regards to all
Jan
33rd Edition May 2010
The next big event for World Hereford Council members is the European Hereford Conference which will begin in Scotland at the Highland Royal Show. The tour party will travel down to Shropshire and Herefordshire. This is a great opportunity for Hereford breeders to catch up with fellow breeders and view cattle in the U.K. I will be attending this event so my next newsletter will have a full coverage of the shows and the tour.
I am hoping volcanic ash does not interrupt travel plans for the conference. It will be so disappointing if it decides to blow ash into our paths and upsets travel arrangements.
The weather and its consequences is always a topic for farmers and this year we seem to have even more to talk about than usual. The weather has been extreme in some places with unusually large snow falls, floods and droughts. I am beginning to wonder what is normal or average in weather patterns. For central Australia, the late summer and early autumn was eventful, starting with rain, and leading to floods, plants, and finally insects. Between the end of February and early March, unusually heavy rain fell across Australia’s dry interior. Parts of central Australia received more rain in 11 days than they usually do in a year, and some places recorded rainfall totals more than double the total rainfall for all of 2009. The extreme rain brought floods, but it also turned the desert green. The green landscape provided ample habitat for locusts, and by the end of March, several bands of young locusts had infested New South Wales, northern South Australia, and southwest Queensland. With ample habitat, the insects thrived. The locusts destroyed thousands of hectares of crops and pasture. A real problem for farmers in those areas.
On a different subject I am pleased to report that more and more emphasis is being placed on efficiency in cattle breeding and finishing. This is good news for Hereford breeders as it has been proven that Herefords are feed efficient. The American Hereford Association recently reported a record demand for Hereford bulls this year. Many breeders said that it was the best they had seen in over forty years. A recent market share survey indicated that although Angus bull demand will continue to dominate they have virtually flattened out their demand curve while Hereford seems to be the only breed gaining ground. When asked what breed of bulls farmers planned to purchase in the next three years, 24% of producers with 50 cows or more said Hereford (nearly 1 in 4). Five years ago that number was 15.5%. To add to this Hereford breeders in New Zealand were pleased that a major meat company that had previously offered premiums for Angus cattle announced that the premium would apply to Hereford and Hereford crosses if crossed with any British breed.
In September last year I printed data in the newsletter on the effect and advantages of heterosis which was provided by AHA and I have been delighted that a number of our breed societies used the data for promotional purposes. It is hard to judge the effect of promotion but I know that we would probably lose ground without it. Thankfully we have some dedicated breeders who enjoy showing cattle and promote our breed very well.
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| The Sydney Royal Show is a major promotion for Hereford breeders and the Supreme Champion Poll Hereford was Tycolah Humdinger exhibited by S.R & T.A Crowley of Barraba in New South Wales. | The Grand Champion Hereford was Tondara Blue Blood C141 was exhibited by Tondara Hereford Stud at Urana New South Wales. |
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| The secretary of the German Hereford Association, Carsten Schmidt, forwarded show results from the Schwarz-Rot-Gold Robust second championship held in January at the Green week in Berlin. At this event 6 beef-breeds take a part. Germany had 33 Hereford entries in 9 classes. From these classes 3 federal champions were chosen. The federal-champions were: Bulls: Fenton from the farm Elbaue Wiegand; Second-placed bull was Wister P from the farm Agrar GmbH Biesen Cows: Marvel Elbaue from the farm Elbaue Wiegand; Second placed cow was: Anemone P from the farm Agrar GmbH Biesen Heifers: Inghua from the farm of Hans-Jürgen Niemeyer; Second placed: Denize Bojskov from the farm of Hergen Eickhorst |
In my next newsletter I will cover the New Zealand beef Expo, the Australian Poll Hereford Show and Sale at Dubbo, my visits to the European Conference and any other good Hereford news.
Regards to all
Jan
32nd Edition March 2010
Promoting our Hereford breed is such an important function for our breed societies. It is always good to hear or read about innovative ideas and the Hereford presence at the Australia Day celebrations was one such great idea.
Hereford Prime and Herefords Australia Ltd decided to join the festivities with a Hereford presence at Hyde Park in Sydney. The story and pictures below were part of the coverage given to the event by “The Land” publication.
Despite the sweltering heat, more than 150,000 people strolled through Hyde Park on Australia Day to watch the Hereford Prime cooking demonstrations, to meet Hereford Prime’s Hank the Hereford Bull and to enjoy a Hereford Prime meal.
The Hereford Prime cooking demonstrations were a fantastic success, with large crowds gathered to watch chefs from leading restaurants showcase their tricks of the trade with Hereford Prime beef. The demonstrations generated great interest in our brand.
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The “How heavy is Hank the Hereford Bull?” competition proved to be a great success with nearly a thousand entries received – and with answers ranging from 1 kilo to 400,000 kilograms. With Hank weighing a modest 857kg, the two winners were Andrew Johnston from Killara NSW (854kg) and Anneliese Galea from Glenmore Park NSW (853kg). Pictured: Herefords Australia Chairman Hilary O’Leary, Hank, and Dan Morice from Hereford Prime. |
Hank, who is owned by Hereford Prime, was the perfect superstar as he remained unfazed by the photos, constant comments on his weight and the fact that small children were trying to get him to eat straw from their hands all day long. |
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The Herefords Great Aussie BBQ had fantastic media exposure – including securing pre-Australia Day coverage on all national TV news stations partly due to Hank’s presence and Patrick O’Leary’s whip cracking and bull handling skills.
The New Zealand Hereford Association instigated a Herd of Excellence competition to promote successful farmers farming registered Herefords herds. The concept was established to recognize a Hereford breeder who has integrated his farming activities with a high standard of Hereford breeding objectives that contribute to a productive and profitable enterprise. In May 2009 the Ardo Farming Company were awarded the Herd of Excellence and a field day on the property was held in February. A huge convoy of farmers in their four wheel drive vehicles inspected the property and enjoyed a range of speakers at various points of interest during the drive. Journalists covering the field day for a number of Agricultural publications were impressed by the focus the Morrison family have on marketing their Herefords and the emphasis they place on their performance records. The day concluded with a Hereford Prime barbeque expertly cooked by restaurateur, Raymond van Rijk. Before the meal Raymond entertained everyone with some wonderful tips on cooking meat successfully on barbeques. His goal for New Zealanders is “to have everyone confident about barbequing, and not a sausage in sight.”
From AHA News….Herefords Top San Antonio All-Breed Bull Sale
Nine breeds were represented at the San Antonio All-Breeds Bull and Commercial Heifer Sale. Of the 47 head, Herefords were the top seven grading bulls and the top sellers. GH Rambo 279R was the sire of two most successful sellers.
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Fourteen Hereford bulls sold for an average of $3,850, compared with an overall average of $2,928, making Hereford the high-selling breed in the bull sale. The top seller and the fourth highest grading bull, C&M Rambo 8019, sired by GH Rambo 279R, consigned by C&M Herefords, Nara Visa, N.M., sold for $9,000 to Diamond S Cattle Co., Fort Worth. The second high seller and highest grading bull in the sale was also sired by GH Rambo 279R and also purchased by Diamond S. B&C L1 Rambo 28021 was consigned by B&C Cattle Co., Miami, Texas, and sold for $7,000 |
Also from AHA E News is the exciting sale on March 1st of Boyd Worldwide 9050 ET, a Feb. 22, 2009 born son of SHF Rib Eye M326 R117. The Worldwide Group purchased a ¾-interest in the bull for $85,000 at the Boyd Beef Cattle Bull Sale, Mays Lick, Ky.
The AHA's Hereford E News also announced a most generous donation by a Hereford family and the story is well worth reading. Read the full story on Missouri State’s Web site (scroll down and click on "All Headlines").
Journagan Family Donates Ranch to Missouri State University
Missouri State University announced on Feb. 12 that the Journagan family donated its 3,300-acre ranch with equipment and facilities, including about 1,000 head of cattle. The ranch is located just 10 miles south of the Mountain Grove, Mo., campus. The second largest single private gift in the 104-year history of Missouri State University – in excess of $7 million – will provide almost unlimited opportunities to expand and transform the university’s William H. Darr School of Agriculture, according to Missouri State officials.
The first part of the gift was completed in December with the transfer of 243 registered Hereford cows. And with this transfer, Missouri State now has the largest Hereford herd in the country that is associated with a university.
I look forward to hearing more good Hereford news from around the world. One of the main 2010 events for Hereford breeders will be the European Hereford Conference in the United Kingdom and I am looking forward to seeing many World Hereford members at that time.
Kindest regards to all
Jan
31st Edition December 2009
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At the 2008 World Hereford Conference I was asked to design a logo and this has now been completed. As you see I have adapted the logo from the Hereford flag which the Dutch Hereford Society designed when they hosted the European Conference. Flags are available from the Dutch Hereford Society and if anyone would like a copy of the logo I will happily send an electronic copy to members. |
2009 is now drawing to a close and it is time to think about what the Hereford breed has achieved during the year. Over the past few weeks Herefords have been in the news in different countries and although I have placed some of the stories under the Success Stories tab, I think the most recent ones are worth mentioning again.
Producing Hereford beef is our ultimate aim and Hereford branded products are becoming more and more common in our member countries. The big win in Germany by Hereford beef from Ireland was a wonderful achievement and a great piece of publicity for the Hereford breed. Steaks from eight major beef producing countries were tasted by an expert panel of judges for a food magazine. The judges evaluated flavour, tenderness and texture, as well as visual appearance and the Irish rib eye steak was chosen as the clear winner. Full story is under the Success Stories tab.
Also under the Success Stories tab is the story which made the front page of a Provincial newspaper in New Zealand. A traditional beef sausage won a silver medal at this year's Great New Zealand Sausage Competition and the sausage was made from Hereford beef by Hereford Prime NZ Ltd’s processor Magill Meats. Another great achievement for our breed.
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The New Zealand Royal Show was held recently and the Meat and Wool Cup (which is the most prestigious event for beef breeders) was won by a three year old Hereford bull. Nine different breeds competed for this award and Lake Station’s B 107 won by a wide margin, 50 points ahead of his nearest rival. A very nice South Devon cow was second and an Angus bull was placed third. The three year old Hereford sire exhibited by Ingrid and Malcolm McConochie and daughter Rebecca was not a new comer to the show ring. It was very pleasing to see him return to the Royal Show and win the Meat and Wool Cup, having won the Champion Yearling Hereford title two years ago. |
Our congratulations and best wishes for their Herefords in the future go to the Danish Hereford Society. The Danish Hereford Society recently celebrated their 40th Anniversary and many of our more mature Hereford breeders will remember Mr C C Scavenius who was the first breeder to import Herefords into Denmark and represented Denmark and the Nordic breeders at many world conferences and events. I hope the party to celebrate the Anniversary at the National Beef cattle Show went well.
Another important event in Denmark is the Climate Conference which is being held in Copenhagen this week. Global warming and climate change is one of those topics that is very controversial and I do not wish to promote my views on this matter but I am hoping that common sense will prevail. Many Hereford breeders farm properties which have been in their families for generations. They wouldn’t have made it this far if they had not been concerned about their land, livestock and the affects of climate change. In Copenhagen last year, the World Hereford Council focused their conference on sustainable farming with environmental changes and the papers presented are still available on this web site.
The world wants quality food produced in an ideal environment. Food must be fully traceable and produced without a carbon foot print. The problem is that no-one wants to pay the price needed to achieve that aim. Perhaps the Climate Conference will solve the problem for us.
Now for 2010. The European Conference which will be held in Scotland and England next June will obviously be one of the highlights for Hereford breeders but I am sure there will be lots of other exciting Hereford events during the year. Check Future Events tab for details of the European Conference.
Anyone visiting Australia in January 2010 should put a ring around January 26th which is Australia Day. Hereford Prime along with Herefords Australia Ltd have combined and become a major sponsor on Australia day in Hyde Park Sydney.
A Great Aussie Hereford barbeque will be a feature and a Gourmet Kitchen with some of Hereford Prime’s Executive Chefs will be there.
Also meet The Graziers, Hank the Hereford Prime Bull, two Hereford heifers and others. Australia Day celebrations will be a very big day in Sydney with lots of publicity, TV coverage and journalists in attendance. Hereford cattle and Hereford Prime Products will get lots of attention at this event and the Hereford Prime directors hope you will all feel free to join the Hereford family on the 26th January 2010 in Hyde Park and experience one of their delicious steak sandwiches !!!!
I wish all Hereford breeders a very Merry Christmas and of course a really happy and prosperous New Year.
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Regards to all, Jan |
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30th Edition September 2009
It is spring-time in New Zealand and a time when a big number of Hereford bulls are sold into the dairy industry to produce dairy beef. Hereford Friesian cross calves have been making record prices in the feeder calf sales and are certainly the preferred breed for calf rearers. Beef cow herds have been pushed further and further back onto land which cannot be diversified into other ventures and this has put the sale of Hereford bulls for beef production and premium beef enterprises under pressure.
The Hereford breed is very fortunate to have a diverse range of genetics and Hereford bulls are very suited to crossing with Friesian dairy cows. They are the number one breed for this purpose in New Zealand. Semen sales for Hereford in the dairy industry are more than 90% of the total beef sales but this does not mean that we can sit back and count our blessings. The Angus promotion has been really strong this spring and the counter punches are being felt. They have come out with premiums for blacks and an Angus contract to supply the big M has really set everyone talking Angus.
A number of our member countries have invested money in research which has proven the value of the Hereford breed in a variety of beef programmes. This month I am re-printing an editorial written by the American Hereford Association’s vice president, Craig Huffhines which is very relevant and has expressed an opinion that many will relate to and applaud.
Guest Editorial…..
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For several years now, I have talked about the nonsensical demands placed on black hide color within the U.S. cattle industry. For years the U.S. beef sector has promoted and almost institutionalized the breeding of the national cow herd to an Angus or black hided base. Hence, at least a dozen other breeds of cattle have followed suit in the chase of a more marketable animal since hide color has been more or less the deciding factor in sorting cattle into perceived quality groups. A couple of years back, I had a discussion regarding breed improvement programs with a breed executive of one of the “turned black” breeds. We were talking about the top few reasons cows were being disposed of from our respective registered cow herds. In the Hereford breed, cows were culled because they were old, they were open or they were tailing off on their production cycle, among others. For the other breed, the No. 1 factor for cows being culled was because of color. The breed was systematically eliminating genetics that many breeders had spent a lifetime developing because the cows were not black. Now that, to me, is throwing the baby out with the bath water, but it has become common practice within our industry. |
Today the economic cycle of the U.S. beef industry is dramatically changing along with other industries struggling to make ends meet in a difficult recessionary economy. All of us are facing growing demands on input costs. The current government administration is, of all things, contemplating an added tax on beef producers because of the natural biological emissions cattle produce.
The term “cap and trade” is certainly an appropriate title to a tax that will absolutely cap profitability and kill trade. The green movement, as irrational as it might seem sometimes, is not going away. The feedlot industry is struggling not only to make money but simply to limit their losses during this down turn, and the American consumer is looking for a high-quality beef product purchased at a bargain. I outline these trends simply because the American Hereford Association (AHA) Board, as well as Hereford breeders, understands that we must make our cattle better in order to compete; and we have! While working on things that improve the quality of our seed stock, we have also invested a great deal in research that has quantified what the Hereford breed can do for the cow-calf sector, the feedlot sector and the food industry to help during trying times.
The Harris Ranch project along with the Circle A project documented the real world heterosis advantages that the Hereford breed brings to the table when crossed with Angus and Angus-cross cows. This heterosis/hybrid vigor effect directly affects long-term profitability of a cow-calf operation more dramatically than what most producers realize. Cash flow, herd size, retained fertility and longevity are major drivers of cow calf profitability. They are difficult to measure, and they are rarely tracked at the commercial level, but agriculture economist Vern Pierce, from the University of Missouri, states that they are of great benefit to cattlemen over the long haul.
Pierce analyzed the data from the Circle A research project in which 10 Hereford bulls were compared to two top Angus bulls, all bred to more than 600 commercial Angus cows. One of the Angus bulls was the top bull in the breed for registrations in 2008. Economically relevant traits from birth to carcass were measured on every calf, and the replacement females from the project were followed through to their first pregnancy. Pierce reported that the baldie program would return $514 dollars per cow over 10 years or more than $50 per head annually due top production advantages when compared to straight Angus commercial cows.
Circle A research result highlights:
• Data predicts Hereford-sired females will have a $51 annual advantage in profitability.
• Hereford-sired calves were within 3 lb. of the Angus calves at birth. The Angus bulls used
were in the top 30% of the breed for birth weight EPD.
• The Hereford-sired calves were 11.9-lb. heavier at weaning than the Angus-sired calves.
• Hereford-sired calves had a carcass weight advantage of 13 lb. compared to the Angus-sired calves.
• While feed efficiency was nearly identical when compared to the progeny of Circle A’s two top feed efficiency bulls, the Hereford sired calves outgained the Angus sired calves by .15 lb. per day.
• The Hereford-sired females had a 7% advantage in pregnancy rate compared to the Angus-sired females.
• The baldie females brought $110 more than their straight black counterparts in Circle A’s
production sale.
Depending on the year and depending on the input costs, the Harris Ranch and Circle A studies have both proven that Hereford hybrid vigor generated from the crossing of the two most popular maternal breeds in America added $50 to $80 per head on an annual basis.
To make up this advantage, 500-lb. straight Angus calves would have to bring between $10 to $16 per hundredweight more than the baldie calves at the market.
The reality is that many times producers see baldie calves bring more than the straight blacks when sold.
Baldie calves will qualify for every branded beef program in America. The message is clear, and we will continue to educate our commercial base of these advantages. If producers continue to avoid the Hereford breed because of the few red-hided calves they might produce, then I might just have to borrow a line from one of my favorite blue-collar comedians, Bill Engvall, when he says,“Here’s your sign.”
The continued practice of avoiding profitable genetic selection decisions because of hide color is just as ludicrous as charging a tax for cow flatulence.
Craig Huffhines
As a result of the outcome of the three year Harris Ranch project, Mark and John Lacey have began to use Hereford bulls on a full-time basis to develop baldie replacement females for their mature cow herd. During the last two years, the Laceys have bred nearly all of their straight Angus replacement heifers to highly proven AI sires with great success. Reports from the ranch suggest that the calves are easy calving and vigorous with a high survival rate.
The Whiteface issues are available for download at www.Hereford.org. These newsletters make excellent reading material for sale catalogues or Hereford press releases or journals. To request printed copies or if you would like high-resolution files for high-quality printing, please contact Angie Stump Denton at adenton@hereford.org.
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The Dutch Hereford Society recently held their Hereford Show at Dalfsen and invited a German judge to asses their cattle. The day concluded with a most enjoyable social occasion and a barbecue featuring Hereford steak of course. The Dutch Hereford Society has reprinted a number of the big red flags featuring both horned and polled heads in two globes. This flag has been seen and admired at a number of Hereford properties around the world and is sometimes seen flying from the balcony of the Secretary General’s office. A limited number of these flags will be available from Hans Zuurhout. Purchase inquiries should be directed to hanszuurhout@planet.nl |
A real success story comes from South Africa. A Hereford bull has been sold at auction for four times the old record price. The full story is under the Success Stories tab.
Regards to all,
Jan
29th Edition July 2009
Herefords First to go Global
Hereford breeders from all around the world have embarked on an ambitious project to enable the direct comparison of Hereford genetics around the globe. The next superior Hereford sire in New Zealand may come from as far away as Sweden, Canada, Uruguay or South Africa. Likewise, American Hereford breeders may soon be using top sires bred on the faraway shores of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Argentina or Australia. These are the findings of recently completed research conducted at the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia.
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The research began in 2004 and was conducted on behalf of the World Hereford Council. The research has now been completed and scientist David Johnson presented a power point analysis of AGBU’s findings to the World Hereford Council’s Executive meeting held recently in Sacramento U.S.A. |
| David Johnson, Australia and Stacy Sanders United States, during a break at the recent W.H.C. Executive meeting |
A total of 10 countries participated in this exciting study. These countries recognized the potential for joining forces to establish a global evaluation that would allow the direct comparison of their Hereford genetics world wide, thus increasing the genetically described gene pool and the potential for greater rates of genetic progress resulting from improved global trading of Hereford genetics.
A cross-reference file was developed to allow genetic linkages across countries to be quantified and then performance and pedigree data from the 10 countries for each trait was examined. In total the project examined 11 traits and each trait was considered separately. A massive 3.4 million weaning weight records and 7.4 million animals and pedigree records were studied. Each trait was considered separately with each country’s data included as a separate, but correlated, trait. For example all animals received 10 weaning weight EPD/EBVs and estimated correlations across countries.
A key feature of this study was the use of actual performance data from each of the countries. The data and resultant breeding values were able to remain in the units used by each country (e.g. kg vs. lbs) and EBVs and EPDs.
Trial results showed clear benefits of a global Hereford evaluation but the advantages differed across countries and the traits. The study also highlighted that, while the advantages were potentially large from a global evaluation, it would not replace the need for each country to continue to performance record. However, opportunities will exist for those countries with high levels of recording to increase their prospects to export superior Hereford genetics.
The Hereford breed has prepared the way for other breeds to go global. Overall the project was extremely successful and the number of countries participating made the project very powerful and relevant.
Genetics Observed in Foreign Countries
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Bruce Robertson from the Duncraigen Hereford stud in New Zealand was invited to judge the National Show in South Africa in 2008. Bruce was very impressed with the Herefords he saw at the show and at farms he visited. He described South Africa as the sleeping giants of the Hereford world. He said “I was most impressed by the cattle. They have good frame size with easy doing ability. Breeders have paid great attention to structural soundness, notably feet, sheaths and testicles which are quite outstanding.” |
| Philip de Waal and Bruce Robertson at Beef Expo New Zealand |
In May 2009 Philip de Waal from the Locheim Hereford stud in South Africa was invited to co-judge at the New Zealand Beef Expo. Philip took the opportunity to also examine New Zealand Herefords and compare genetics between the two countries. Reciprocal judging appointments provide ideal opportunities for Hereford breeders to travel to foreign countries and evaluate their genetics with those of other Hereford breeders.
A Genetic link of a different kind
| New Zealand Hereford breeders Kevin and Jane McDonald recently travelled to Denmark to attend their son Jeffrey’s marriage to Danish veterinarian Miss Nicola Gareissen The wedding took place in Nysted on the Island of Lolland in Denmark. The newly-weds will return to Reporoa in New Zealand where Jeffrey is farming and Nicola is a veterinarian for Vetplus. Kevin and Jane bred the New Zealand sire Kairuru Ricardo and exported semen to Denmark. They were pleased to include a visit to Lingaard Herefords to view some of Ricardo’s progeny while visiting Denmark. |  |
Hereford Breeders are Top Ranchers/Farmers
Outstanding seed stock producers, Bob and Becky Harrell and their family from near Baker City in Oregan U.S.A and John & Ros Morrison and their family from Marton in New Zealand have been recognized for their expertise in Hereford breeding and farming.
The Harrell family was awarded the BIF Seed Stock Producer of the year in Sacramento in April 2009 while at almost the same time the Morrison family was awarded the Herd of Excellence for Hereford breeders in New Zealand. I was fortunate to be present at both awards and although these two enterprises are different in many ways I recognized similarities in their goals and very strong marketing programs.
Harrell Hereford Ranch
A marketing program that is exciting, successful and sounds like fun.
In 1870, ancestors of the Harrell family traveled the Oregon Trail, settling near Baker City, Oregan. Three generations later in 1970, Bob and Edna Harrell established the Harrell Hereford Ranch along the foothills in eastern Oregon’s Baker Valley. The ranch is family owned-and-operated with Bob Harrell Jr., his wife Becky and their daughter Lexie, sharing the duties with his mother Edna Harrell. Bob’s sister and brother-in-law Beth and Wannie Mackenzie, are also involved as partners in the Harrell-Mackenzie Quarter Horse operation. |
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“To be nominated by the American Hereford Association for this award was a great honor in itself, but to actually be recognized at this level is more than our family could have ever imagined,” says Bob Harrell Jr. “To be voted one of the top seed stock producers in this country by the most prestigious body of performance-minded producers in the world is a feeling that will probably never be matched again in our lifetime,” he adds.
The operation has grown to six ranches, consisting of 300 registered Hereford cows, 400 black baldy commercial cows, an 800-head feedlot for back grounding cattle and 45 Quarter Horse broodmares. The cattle run on 8,000 acres of high-desert, native range and 3,000 irrigated tillable acres on which alfalfa and meadow hay, corn silage, earlage and small grains are raised.
The Harrell herd has been performance testing since its inception in 1970, and for nearly four decades the goal has been to produce performance cattle that work under a variety of management systems and branded beef programs.
Harrell Hereford Ranch has an intensive marketing program that is based around an annual production sale. The Harrell’s celebrated their 30th anniversary sale in 2009, offering more than 100 bulls, 30 heifers and 20 Quarter Horses to buyers from 11 states and Canada.
For the past three years they have entered into a joint marketing agreement with their friends and neighbours, Thomas Angus Ranch. Through this association they have grouped their spring sales back to back to offer a large selection of bulls from two breeds in one location at the same time. They have come to mutual agreement that if a producer needs both Hereford and Angus bulls, Harrell Hereford Ranch would like to become their Hereford bull supplier with the Thomas’ as their Angus bull supplier.
The night between our sales, they also host a ‘Cowboy Gathering’ which is a social event for customers and friends. They offer live music, a baron of beef and a great deal of fellowship.
This partnership has lead to more efficient advertising for both operations as they are now able to combine ads and advertise in more publications, reaching more breeders who desire heterosis and use both Hereford and Angus genetics.
Ardo Farms and the Morrison Family
The Hereford Herd of Excellence with an innovative marketing strategy.
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The Morrison family farm of 980ha is near Marton and Hunterville in the Rangitikei district (including leased land). A further 350ha has recently been acquired under a new partnership with cousin Graham Morrison. It means the original Morrison farm, from 1862, is now farmed as one by descendants of the original family members. |
The property currently carries 500 registered Hereford cows run alongside 2700 ewes and up to 5000 lambs. The livestock are managed in large mobs under an intensive grazing regime. In order to balance pasture production with animal demands, the Herefords and the sheep both compete against and complement each other.
The breeding objective is ‘to breed quiet Poll Hereford cattle that are born easy, grow fast, and can quickly finish to optimum specifications on our meat schedules’. The family sees it as their role in the industry to supply clients (dairy or beef farmers), with bulls that are easy to handle, provide a stress free calving, and the resulting calves command a premium.
This family farming operation has clear marketing goals. Last year the Morrison’s along with Wanganui Hereford breeders Michael and Cath Cranstone launched the Ezicalve brand. Shrimpton Hills in Otago in the South Island have since been added as partners. The Ezicalve branded bulls have low birth weights and are in the top 10% for dairy index. Last September the partnership sold over 300 bulls and the 24 Ezicalve branded bulls commanded a $500 premium over the other bulls sold.
The Morrisons and their Ezicalve partners have identified the need for Hereford bulls which have the ability to produce progeny which calve easily and grow quickly. Estimated breeding values quickly identify the genetics that are required to fulfill that need and senior partner John Morrison said “this gave us the incentive to start driving the cattle genetically in a more appropriate direction.”
As beef cow numbers dwindled in New Zealand many Hereford breeders found their markets diminishing and looked for a new direction. Dairy-beef is an obvious option but special genetics are required to fill that gap and ensure the dairy farmer is rewarded for that added venture.
I would like to congratulate both the Harrells and the Morrisons for their marketing innovations which I am sure would have impressed judges in respective competitions.
Regards to all
Jan
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.
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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.
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In 2005 three young lads from Uruguay visited New Zealand and attended Beef Expo. They worked in New Zealand for some time and were also hosted by some Hereford breeders as they travelled around our country. I met up with brothers Juan and Ignacio Arrispode and their friend and brother in law Ignacio Pereira in Paysandu. The Pereira’s Santa Ines farm was the first Merino Stud farm in Uruguay and then was the first Polled Hereford stud. The drought had taken its toll on some of the aged cows with the eldest calves at foot. The cows looked really thin but their calves were still getting plenty of milk and looked quite sappy. The autumn calvers had been given some priority and were all looking quite well. |
Juan and Ignacio drove me on to a town called Tucarembo where we spent time watching the annual gaucho festival. 3,000 horses compete in traditional gaucho competitions. The festivities are held over three days but after a few hours there, we had to travel on to our next visit which was to Kike Larrachea’s property. Kike and Patricia are frequent visitors to New Zealand as they buy most of their rams from New Zealand Romney breeders. They run 2,400 romney ewes and have 2,000 Hereford cows. |
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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.
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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. |  |
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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. |  |
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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 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.
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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.
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A Santa Elana show bull finds some grazing in a wet area... |
Nora Baltuska gives her favourite bull a scratch... |
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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. |
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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.
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| 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 |
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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.”
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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. |  |
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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. |
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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! |
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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.
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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! 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. |
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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
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |  |
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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)
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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. |
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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.
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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. |  |
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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.
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| 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. |  |
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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. |  |
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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...
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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
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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Profile……. 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.
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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. 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. |
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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.
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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
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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.
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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. |
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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 drought pressure.
The scenery will be quite different on my next Hereford tour. I plan to attend the American Hereford Association’s National Hereford Tour which will be centered in Nashville on May 20-24. A fun-filled week in Dixie is planned including the opportunity to see some of the breed’s leading genetics and experience Southern hospitality and country music. I am looking forward to that experience and to meeting more Hereford breeders. I also noticed that “Gallaghers” will be a major sponsor of that tour. Those attending the World Hereford Conference will have an opportunity to meet the Chief Executive of the Gallagher group, Mr Bill Gallagher as he has agreed to speak on the topic of world trade at our conference. I intend to profile Bill Gallagher in the next newsletter.
Some of our more mature breeders will remember Neville Kirk who passed away in March. Neville was well known throughout the Hereford world but 20 years of retirement and the passing of so many of those of his era will have seriously reduced his recognition among today's breeders. Geoff Taylor, Herefords Australia’s commercial development and industry liason officer, was able to deliver a most fitting eulogy on behalf of many Hereford friends at Neville’s funeral in March.
Obituary – Neville Kirk BEM Neville Kirk, long serving General Manager (retired) of the Australian Hereford Society passed away on March 4 following a lengthy illness. He was 80 years of age. |
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Mr Soren Hansson , the President of the Danish Hereford Society, intends to send monthly newsletters to those interested in the World Hereford conference and tours. The March newsletter is printed below and if you wish to be placed on the email list to receive these newsletters please contact Soren at sha@hereford.dk
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March Newsletter from Denmark |
The conference will include six two hourly sessions. Each session will contain country reports and speakers covering different themes.
One session will be titled DNA- A Competitor or a Partner and the two speakers for this session will be Jonathon Beever from USA and John McEwan from New Zealand.
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John McEwan John McEwan is a senior scientist who works for AgResearch’s Animal Genomics group based in New Zealand. During the past 30 years he has concentrated on the genetics and genomics of carcass quality and disease resistance. He works with cattle, sheep, and deer. John developed the first deer genetic evaluations in New Zealand with Dr Peter Amer and the current NZ sheep genetic evaluation system (SIL) with Dr Sheryl-Anne Newman. John’s background in quantitative genetics research, industry delivery of breeding values, commercial DNA performance marker development, and creation of the SNP resources for whole genome selection give him a broad perspective of the utility of DNA markers and their place in beef cattle genetic improvement. |
One session will be devoted to Hereford Attributes.
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Sebastian Hoppe Sebastian Hoppe from Germany will cover “Environmental effects on Temperamental traits of some breeds of cattle.” Sebastian Hoppe was born in 1980. He grew up in Eastern Westphalia with a close association to agriculture. After completing his master degree in agricultural sciences with focus on animal production, he started work as a research assistant at the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen. Within the SFB 299 “Land use options for peripheral regions”, supported by the German Research Foundation, several experiments are conducted to evaluate temperament of beef cattle.Sebastian’s main topics within this research project are the maternal protective behaviour of suckler cows after parturition and its relation to production traits of their calves. In addition he investigates genetic and environmental effects on temperamental traits of German Angus, Charolais, Simmental, Hereford and Limousin beef cattle calves. Based on these experiments Sebastian will prepare his PhD thesis which he will complete in the course of this year. Secondary also owns a small registered Hereford herd with about 20 cows and is also a member of the executive board of the German Hereford Association. |
Latest news re The World Hereford Show
World Hereford Show Party
Right after the conference in Copenhagen the post conference tour begins in Denmark. On Friday July 4 you’ll attend The World Hereford Show.
After a hopefully spectacular show The World Hereford Show Party commences at 7pm in a big party tent at the show grounds. The party is over at 1am the following morning. There will be a big buffet, music and dance for everybody – conference participants, other overseas visitors, members of the Danish Hereford Society and invited guests. We hope for 400 people at the party.
Judge at the World Hereford Show
John McMordie from Northern Ireland will judging The World Hereford Show. John McMordie owns and runs the well-known Solpoll herd and he is a most acknowledged judge and breeder in Great Britain.
New Trophy for the Supreme Champion
At the World Hereford Show a new challenge cup, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s Honorable Trophy, will be presented to the owner of the Supreme Champion. The trophy will be presented by no other than His Royal Highness. Also, Prince Joachim is the protector of the 15th WHC Conference.
Right after the grand finale all exhibitors, national and international guests – and His Royal Highness Prince Joachim – will meet at the Hereford barns. We’ll all congratulate the winners and a toast will be proposed (champagne) to honor the winners and their fine animals. It is a tradition that the champagne is sponsored by last year’s winners.
Five heifers in a silent sale
On Friday, July 4 the organizers of the World Hereford Show have prepared a silent sale. Five open or bred Hereford heifers of the highest possible quality will be sold in a silent sale. Anyone interested can place her/his bids from 8am in the morning. Overseas visitors can bid as well; but we recommend you to check with your country’s import regulations.
To sharpen everybody’s appetite the five maximum bids will be announced at 7 pm at the beginning of the World Hereford Show Party and again at 8 pm. Then you have another hour to negotiate with your wallet (and wife) and make your final bid on a Hereford Star. At 9 pm the new owners of the five Herefords will be announced. – The Hereford Stars will shine all night and make five happy Hereford breeders even happier.
Two Hereford heifers in a lottery
The silent sale will not be your only opportunity to become the owner of a Danish Hereford. The organizers have planned two lotteries. The prize of each lottery will be another top quality Hereford heifer. For each lottery there will be 500 tickets and each ticket will be DDK 100 or approx 14 Euros or approx 20 US dollars.
The winners will be drawn right after the silent sale winners have been announced. Dear Hereford enthusiast! This is an awesome winning opportunity!
Sale and lottery heifers on WHC web site
From mid May each sale and lottery heifer will be marketed at www.worldhereford.com – including picture, pedigree, and a specification.
Bilingual Danish Hereford Journal
In June 2008 we will publish a voluminous edition of the Herefordbladet – the Danish Hereford Journal. This special edition is published in English and Danish.
For more information see: www.worldhereford.com
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Regards to all
Jan
16th Edition March 2008
2008 is going to be a very exciting year for Hereford breeders. The 15th World Hereford conference will be held in Copenhagen in June/July and members of the World Hereford Council will meet to discuss the latest technology in beef breeding and exchange marketing ideas. Four countries, Finland, Sweden Denmark and Norway have combined their resources to host the conference and visitors will be treated to pre and post tours which will complement the conference. A range of specialized speakers from all parts of the world have been invited to address the conference which promises to be both informative and enjoyable. The conference will be divided into six two hourly sessions, each with a different theme.
Antti Herlin |
The World Hereford Council is extremely privileged to have Mr Antti Herlin from Finland to be the chairman for the conference and the delegates meeting. Mr Herlin is a very experienced Chairman and is currently Chairman of the Board of the KONE corporation. He previously served as the CEO of Kone from 1996-2006. Kone is one of the world’s leading elevator and escalator companies. It provides customers with industry-leading elevators, escalators and innovative solutions for maintenance and provides maintenance services for automatic building doors. Mr Herlin also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK). Antti is the owner of Thorsvik Herefords and is a second generation hereford breeder. Thorsvik cattle have successfully competed at various shows since 1975 and have been awarded 15 national Hereford and Angus championships in Finland. Thorsvik animals have been exported to several European countries and Antti has judged at many shows in Europe. Antti was a Finnish delegate at World Hereford Council meetings in Spain, South Africa, USA and in Argentina. Antti and his wife Tiina have four children and the Herlin family will be the first hosts of the pre tour which begins in Helsinki on June 22nd. |
The President of the Danish Hereford Society, Mr Soren Hansson, plans to circulate monthly newsletters publishing conference and tour updates for all those who are interested . If you did not receive the February newsletter and would like to receive the newsletters please notify Soren at this address sha@hereford.dk
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February Newsletter from Denmark |
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The first speaker in the opening session will be Dr Hans Graser from the Animal Genetics Breeding Unit in Armidale Australia. Hans grew up in Southern Germany in a semi rural community. After graduating with a Doctor degree from the University of Hohenhein (outside Stuttgart) Hans received a two year scholarship from the German Research Foundation to spend his post doctoral time in Australia at the Animal Genetics Breeding Unit. Upon completion of his post doctorate he returned for a short period to the University of Hohenheim before joining the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in 1984 as a livestock scientist stationed at AGBU. In 1992 he was appointed the technical director of AGBU and was responsible for the different research projects for the pig and beef industries, in particular those programs that delivered improved genetic evaluation systems. The World Hereford Council commissioned AGBU to undertake a feasibility study and research the possibility of a multi country evaluation which allows for genetic correlation between countries. Dr Hans Graser will present his findings on this study. |
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Valtra tractors stand out from the competition not only in terms of performance and features, but also due to the fact that each tractor is custom built to meet the requirements of the customer. Valtra´s operations are highly focused on individual customer requirements. The close and continuous interaction with tractor users has allowed the company to develop products and services to suit the four contrasting seasons of northern climates, as well as to the heat of the tropics. The extreme climate conditions combined with heavy use have made Valtras reliable and durable, but at the same time safe and ergonomic. A performance and functional advantages of Valtra tractors are based on active product development and technical innovations. By listening to and understanding customer’s requirements and how he wishes to use the tractor, the finished product will be the most efficient and appropriate tractor for the job. Valtra à la Carte offers up to half a million unique combinations of performance characteristics and equipment to create an individual tractor for individual owners. The roots of Valtra tractors are in Scandinavia representing the culmination of two traditions: Finland´s Valmet and Sweden´s Volvo BM. The roots of both Valtra and Volvo go back to Eskilstuna Mekaniska Werksad, founded 1832 by Theodor Munktell in Sweden. A hundred years later in 1932 Munktells merged with ship engine manufacturer Bolinders to form Bolinder-Munktell (BM). Munktell built the first agricultural tractor in Scandinavia in 1913. In 1950 Volvo acquired Bolinder-Munktell. Meanwhile, tractor production was also being developed in Finland. In 1951, the State Metal Works (Valmet) began manufacturing Valmet tractors. In 1960 Valmet expanded tractor production to South America, establishing a tractor plant in Brazil. In 1979 Valmet acquired the tractor operations of Volvo BM, thus combining the two largest and most advanced Nordic tractor manufacturers. Thanks to the combined model line-up, Valmet became the overwhelming market leader in the Nordic region in the 1980s. By 2001 Valmet had been manufacturing tractors in Finland for 50 years. At the same time, the company and brand were renamed Valtra. Today Valtra is a rapidly growing and international company. Valtra is one of the four key brands of the American AGCO Corporation, which is the third biggest manufacturer of agricultural machines in the world. Major investments have been made at the factory in Finland in recent years, including a new, modern R & D Centre that was inaugurated last year. Over 80 percent of the tractors manufactured in Finland are exported and sold in more than 70 countries worldwide. Valtra is the most popular tractor brand in the Nordic markets and second most popular tractor brand in South America. Valtra is also the fourth biggest tractor manufacturer in the Western world. Success builds on success, which is currently reflected in a very healthy order book. |
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| Valtra Facts: • Valtra is the most popular tractor brand in the Nordic countries, the second most popular tractor brand in South America, and the fourth biggest tractor manufacturer in the Western world. • Established in 1951 in Finland. Valtra´s tractor plants are located in Suolahti, Finland and in Mogi das Cruzes in Brazil. Valtra tractors are also manufactured under licence in Turkey and India. • The factories in Finland and Brazil created a combined turnover of around 900 MEUR and employed 2100 persons in 2007. • Last year a total of 10,767 tractors were built in Finland and 10,990 tractors in Brazil. • Valtra is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation. • For more information see: www.valtra.com |
Booking agency Hansen Conference & Event
Charlotte Bäckström
When you walk around in Copenhagen you can now see smiling faces, people are going out more and later.
It is because, soon it will be spring in the Northern countries. This we have noticed in our booking system for the World Hereford Conference. If you want to have the possibility to book your favourite hotel it is time now......first come first served.
For more information see: www.worldhereford.com
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Regards to all
Jan
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