CMSS Improver 2020 1 2 CMSS Improver 2020 The Improver 2020 The official breed magazine of the Canadian Milking Shorthorn Society Advertising Index: Table of Contents: Ashtonia Herd 34 CMSS Office and Directors 4 President’s Report 5 AMSS 32 Secretary-Manager Report 6 Fieldcrest 36 Rapport du secrétaire 7 Kolson 9 2019 Class Leaders 10 Lady Grove 33 2019 Production Awards 11 Laralor 33 2019 Excellent Cows 12 Laughlin 25 2017 Very Good Two Year Olds 13 Top Herd Averages 2019 13 Lynmark 37 Rapport du President 14 Oceanbrae 35 Top 20 LPI Sires 16 Prinsville 31 Top 20 Active LPI Cows 17 Richford 2 A Century of Milking Shorthorns 18 Semex 15, 68 Un siècle de Shorthorn Laitier 22 Shorthorn Society UK 67 2019 National Show Report 27 2019 Field Day & AGM 30 ST-Genetics Canada 39 2019 Cow of the Year 38 Country Report: Australia 40 Country Report: USA 42 Country Report: UK 44 Country Report: NZ 47 New Release Young Sires 48 Available Sires 50 Classification x Sire 53 2019 Production Records 54 Member Directory 61 Fee Schedule 64 All Time Champions 66 CMSS Improver 2020 3 Secretary-Manager: Ryan Barrett 6A Barrett Street, Kensington, PEI C0B 1M0 Tel: (902) 439-9386 Email: [email protected] Web: www.milkingshorthorn.ca President: John Eccles, Dromore, ON (Term ends 2022) Tel: (519) 334-3440 | Email: [email protected] Vice-President: Janet Edwards, Cobden, ON (Term ends 2020) Tel: (613) 646-7934 | Email: [email protected] Exec. Member: Don Richardson, St. Marys, ON (Term ends 2021) Tel: (519) 349-2707 | Email: [email protected] Directors: Diane Naylor, Kleefeld, MB (Term ends 2021) Tel: (204) 433-7982 | Email: [email protected] Brenda Cupples, Errington, BC (Term ends 2020) Tel: (250) 586-6157 | Email: [email protected] Irene Vietinghoff, Norwood, ON (Term ends 2021) Tel: (705) 639-1414 | Email: [email protected] Fred Barrett, Miscouche, PE (Term ends 2022) Tel: (902) 436-7881 | Email: [email protected] /milkingshorthorn @CanMShorthorn 4 CMSS Improver 2020 President’s Report by John Eccles, CMSS President Greetings on behalf of your CMSS Board of Directors. I hope this finds you all safe and healthy. The past few years have seen many changes in our Canadian dairy in- dustry. Our government gives away more and more market share while requiring increasing oversight in the way we run our farms. We see our markets eroded by meat and dairy “alternatives.” Expenses go up and income per unit goes down or flattens. Still, the dairy farmer trudges on. Then comes COVID-19, when staying at home isn’t just our way of life, it is a civic duty. When I think of my time thus far as a member of the CMSS, I think of how this breed represents much of how we strive to be ourselves. We want to have longevity and durability. We want to be productive and efficient and we want to be easy to get along with (good tempera- ment). I believe Walter Goudy said it best when he said of his CMSS friends that “good people keep good cows.” I always look forward to at- tending our AGM and Field Day and National Show to meet and get to know or catch up with all of you “good people.” This year our AGM will be held remotely by video conference. Hopefully we will get to connect with many of you then and face to face again in 2021. I believe that this year represents a few milestones for the CMSS. This marks 10 years as a distinct breed association, 20 years with a separate herd book and more than 100 years as a Society! I would like to commend all of you who are improving and promoting the breed through whatever way you can. The CMSS has been a society that regularly punches above its weight class in promotion. Right now, more than ever, the Milking Shorthorn has a place in the dairy herds of Canada. So let’s keep improving and promoting how good it is to own the Red, White and Roan! CMSS Improver 2020 5 Secretary-Manager Report 2020 by Ryan Barrett Working on Milking Shorthorn business from my home office is normal for me, but little did I know that my home office would become my full-time office for seven weeks now (as of May 1st). Most of those reading this message “work from home” every day on the farm, so it’s nothing new for you! Even two months ago, I doubt any of us thought we’d be looking at long-term shut down of businesses and schools, massive challenges to our food supply chains, and severe restrictions to travel, both domestically and internationally. I don’t need to go on about the challenges that our families and our industry face because you see that everyday on the news and on Face- book. What I will share with you is that you are a key link in our nation’s food supply. You are essential. Hopefully science will catch up with the pandemic and we will have treatments and vaccines available soon and that this time will be in the rear-view mirror before long. However, I’m sure that there will be long-term effects of COVID-19 which will trans- form many parts of daily life and the agriculture industry. It’s probably a bit early to predict what all of those changes will look like, but I’m certain that we won’t return to the “status quo”…and in some ways, that might be a good thing. Now that the public has a better recognition of how essential many jobs are (including in food production), hopefully that will be a positive for agriculture. In terms of the running of the Society, we are continuing to make sure that we are meeting the needs of Milking Shorthorn breeders across Canada. I continue to get calls from first time buyers or producers inter- ested in registering crossbred animals. During the “lockdown,” a number of breeders have taken the opportunity to get caught up on registra- tions. Work is progressing on a number of projects, including improving sire availability, genomic testing, and making quality animals available for new breeders. While we won’t be having a Field Day this summer, we will be having an Annual Meeting by videoconference this summer to make sure that members are up-to-date on the Society’s activities. 6 CMSS Improver 2020 At the time that I’m writing this, we’re still awaiting a final decision on whether Lindsay Exhibition will be cancelled, which will also cancel our National Show; however, I’m expecting it to be cancelled for this year. The CMSS and Lindsay Exhibition have already started discussions on what a “virtual show” may look like…stay tuned for more details. On the positive side, average milk production for the breed jumped considerably in 2019. We’ve never had more cows complete 305 day records over 10,000 kgs. Average fat production has also increased significantly in recent years, adding profitability to our breed. We continue to have new members and new first-time buyers coming to the breed. We’ve seen a significant increase in Milking Shorthorns in Quebec. All of these are very positive for the breed and give me room for optimism moving forward. I know that purebred sales have struggled in recent months. An over- supply of dairy cattle in Canada has been made even worse by COVID- 19. However, our breed is built for tough times. Milking Shorthorns are efficient, low-cost milk producers that breed back quickly, have fewer veterinary costs, and last for more lactations. In a world of tighter margins, low-maintenance, cost-efficient cows have an advantage. As always, I am hear to help. Feel free to call or email me if you have questions about CMSS services and programs or just want to talk Short- horns. My best wishes to you and your families at this uncertain time, and I hope that you all have a successful growing season. Rapport du secrétaire 2020 par Ryan Barrett, Secrétaire, SCSL Il est normal pour moi de travailler pour les Shorthorn Laitier depuis mon bureau à domicile, mais je ne savais pas que mon bureau à domicile deviendrait mon bureau à temps plein depuis sept semaines maintenant (en date du 1er mai). La plupart d’entre vous qui lisez ce mes- sage « travaillez à domicile » tous les jours à la ferme, ce n’est donc pas nouveau pour vous! Il y a seulement deux mois, je doute qu’aucun d’entre nous n’ait pensé à la fermeture à long terme d’entreprises et d’écoles, aux défis énormes posés à nos chaînes d’approvisionnement alimentaire et aux sévères restrictions imposées aux déplacements, tant au Canada qu’à l’étranger. CMSS Improver 2020 7 Je n’ai pas besoin de parler des difficultés auxquelles nos familles et notre industrie sont confrontées, car vous le voyez tous les jours aux nouvelles et sur Facebook. Ce que je veux vous dire, c’est que vous êtes un lien clé de l’approvisionnement alimentaire de notre pays. Vous êtes essentiels. J’espère que la science rattrapera la pandémie et que nous aurons bientôt des traitements et des vaccins pour pouvoir mettre tout ceci derrière nous. Mais je suis sûr que la COVID-19 aura des effets à long terme qui vont transformer de nombreux aspects de la vie quotidienne et de l’industrie agricole. Il est probablement un peu tôt pour prédire à quoi tous ces changements vont ressembler, mais je suis certain que nous ne reviendrons pas au « statu quo »..