by Connie Tabbert
Editor
FORESTERS FALLS — Barry Gould had a hard time keeping the smile off his face when he received a phone call around 9 o’clock Tuesday morning. He knew what the phone call was about when he saw who was calling.
The hard work his family has done over the past 15 years paid off when Gouldhaven Farms on the Queens Line was awarded the Master Breeder Shield. The family is Barry and Vera and sons Jason and Scott. Brent is another son, but does not work with the cattle.
“It’s what we strive for,” said Jason. “It’s a goal for anyone interested in breeding cattle.
“It’s like winning a Stanley Cup.”
Scott added, “It’s the top honour in the Holstein industry. It takes a lot of time and hard work.”
While the farm is fifth generation, it’s only the last 15 years that can go towards to the Master Breeder Shield requirements, he said. For this family, there are four cows who have contributed most of the points earned.
Without getting too technical, Jason said through a points system established by Holstein Canada, dairy farms earn points, however extra points must be earned over the years to earn a Master Breeder Shield.
Barry, Jason and Scott have taken the time over the years to learn how to breed the best cows. The learning included school co-op, working, talking to people and through the Internet.
“We’ve learned as we’ve gone along,” Jason said. “We’ve seen them (the cows) develop.”
People come from around the world to purchase the embryos of their Holsteins, Jason noted.
Vera said, “Every year we try to strive to be number one in milking in Renfrew County. It’s not that we are better than anyone else, we just try our best and now we’ve achieved what we’ve been working towards.”
Barry agreed, adding, “It’s something we’ve worked towards all our life for. It’s the high point of breeding cows.
“We’re proud of what we have done.”
For the past two years, Gouldhaven Farms have been in the top 10 in Canada for this award, and when the phone rang Tuesday morning, Barry knew why when he saw it was Holstein Canada calling.
“If we had won it, the call would come in the first few days of January,” Barry said. “I’m excited, I’m proud.”
He noted that in their division with Holstein Canada, Gouldhaven Farms is ranked three out of 1,000.
It has become an annual tradition that Holstein Canada kicks off each new year by announcing the new crop of Master Breeder recipients, a press release from Holstein Canada noted.
This year is no exception. Holstein Canada is pleased to announce the 21 Master Breeders who will be honoured at the 2015 National Holstein Convention in Fredericton, NB this coming April.
Of the 21 breeders who received the exciting news, 11 are first-time recipients of a Master Breeder Shield, while the remaining are previous shield winners with eight breeders receiving their second shield and two receiving an impressive third shield.
Twelve breeders are from Ontario; seven from Québec; and one each from Manitoba and British Columbia. The Master Breeders will be honoured at the prestigious Master Breeder Banquet on Saturday, April 11.
Since its beginning in 1929, the Master Breeder program has become the most coveted Holstein Canada award. Only 965 Master Breeder shields have been awarded in the award’s 85-year existence. These “Master” breeders are recognized for having mastered the art of breeding balanced cattle – high production and outstanding conformation with great reproduction, health and longevity.
These 21 Master Breeders now join the ranks of the most elite breeders across Canada!
It must be noted that in recent years, other area breeders who have received the Master Breeder Shield include Greenlark Farms in Whitewater Region Township; Donden Farm in Admaston Bromley and Bri-Lea Farm in Laurentian Valley.
The 21 Master Breeder Shield winners are:
Albadon, Teeswater, ON; Benner, Steinbach, MB; Deric – Ste. Anne de Prescott, ON; Desnette, Warwick, QC; Drolie, St. Raymond, QC; Glenwin, Singhamton, ON; Heiwa, St. Albert, ON; Karona, Plessisville, QC; Lilbri, Almonte, ON; Maskita, St. Hyacinthe, QC; Milibro, Tingwick, ON; Narwood, St. Thomas, ON; Ricstar, Sty. Hyacinthe, QC; Riskinbrooke, Norwood, ON; Signature, Morrisburg, ON; Silverridge, Springfield, ON; Suntor, Ormstown, QC; telford, Abbotsford, BC; Walnutlawn, Tavistock, ON; Whitnell, Wainfleet, ON.
