The Canadian Shorthorn Report - Spring 2023

The Canadian Shorthorn Report

We Could Not Be More Pleased

Hollywood topped our 2021 sale at $24,000 selling to Major John Gibb and family, Glenisla Shorthorns, in Scotland. After his semen was collected and shipped to Scotland, Hollywood returned here and we negotiated his use here in Canada. We planned to keep him as our main herd sire for several years into the future but now that we have dispersed our cowherd, it doesn’t seem right to have him stay here and eat grass. A bull of this quality should be breeding cows somewhere. We are over the moon after seeing his calves; several sell in the Sun Country Sale along with Hollywood himself. He was used on all of our cows and all of them calved unassisted. His calves are extremely vigorous at birth and have excellent performance. Hollywood is defect free, myostatin free, homozygous polled, IBR negative and 100% in the CSA herd book. He is super sound and very quiet. With his purchase, we will include 70 straws of semen.

HC

An April Hollywood son from a good young HC Cruiser 59C dam.

We still have a good inventory of embryos and semen available for sale.

HC

Another April Hollywood son. Moderate framed, smooth polled, structurally sound.

A maternal brother to HC North of 49 55G, herd sire at Wernacres in Illinois. He is sired by HC Hardcopy 12H who sold in our 2021 sale at $12,500. We rank Kane in the very best few bulls we have ever offered.

We will also be selling 5 excellent Open Heifers in the Sun Country Sale

March 23rd

Horseshoe Creek Farms Ltd.

Weyburn, Saskatchewan

Grant & Chris Alexander, Gerald Alexander 306-861-5504

www.horseshoecreekfarms.com

horseshoecreek@sasktel.net

Facebook: Horseshoe Creek Shorthorns

HC Hollywood 6H

Karaoke 9C

Knockout 18K

HC Citizen Kane 31K

The Canadian SHORTHORN

There Is An Old Saying That Change Is As Good As A Rest

I have oftentimes sat down at my computer to write an editorial for this magazine, with no idea what I should write about. That is not the case, this time. The reason being that this is the last one I will be writing for at least a little while. In some ways it doesn’t seem like it has been over 23 years since we started this magazine. In some other ways it almost seems like it has been three lifetimes ago.

NEW ADDRESS

Effective April 15, 2023

Adrianne Vandersluis

Box 87, Elm Creek, MB R0G 0N0

shorthornreport@gmail.com

Cell: 204-750-2574

When I look back through the 90+ issues we have produced a couple things become apparent to me:

Next Issue

1) We have gotten much better at producing the magazine. When we started, we did almost all the production in the Saskatchewan Livestock Association office in Regina. This meant that I made several trips to and from Regina prior to each issue we produced. I remember several times of starting in the morning and working well into the late evening before I started on my 90 mile drive home I had very little idea of what I was doing but with patience and help from Belinda Wagner and her sister Teresa Sutter, we managed to get it done and mailed. I can still remember them laughing at me for my typing skill of typing with two fingers. (I still type with two fingers but I have gotten at lot faster at it!) I still blame my high school principal who would not allow any boys to take typing, as he said it was something only the girls would ever do! Back when we started the magazine, we did not have email and the internet was in its infancy. For many years now, we have been able to produce it from wherever each of us was located at that time. Back when we started, we used up more than a few trees faxing things back and forth between ourselves. I really can’t remember the last time I even sent a fax to anyone now. Pictures for the ads had to be sent in by mail and then scanned, oftentimes by our printer, and then sent back to the owner.

2) The quality of the cattle in this breed has improved immensely. There were some very good cattle back in 1999, but

there certainly wasn’t as many as there is today. I spent some time looking back through past issues and I saw several bulls and females that would be popular if they were alive today. There were many others that should be left in the past and never used again. I think the depth of quality of Shorthorn cattle has improved immensely over the years. A common complaint I used to hear was that breeders did not know where to find a new herd sire. Today, I feel that there are many bulls of herd sire quality all across the nation. There are lots of bulls being offered in the next few weeks across the country, in sales and on farms by private treaty, that can add improvement in your herd. I feel very strongly that this breed is in the strongest position in my lifetime, to offer the beef industry new economically important genetics. We need to do much more marketing, and this means everyone has to and we need to stop expecting the CSA to market for us.

I must say “thank you” to everyone who has sent us messages saying how much they enjoyed this magazine since I announced that this issue would be our last one. Quite frankly, it has been a bit overwhelming to me. I will admit that there has been times when I wondered why we were spending so much time doing this magazine when it seemed like there was so few that appreciated it. Fortunately these thoughts were few and far between and usually when I had these thoughts, someone would send a short note just saying that they appreciated our efforts, I will always miss the late Philip Butterfield who called me often. If he liked what I had written, he would call and heap an immense amount of praise on me. If he disagreed with what I had written, he would phone me and definitely let me know. When he was done his rant, he would also say that he respected me for my opinion. In many ways, I greatly appreciated him as I always knew what he was thinking and it helped navigate me though many years. So many memories come back when I think of the past 23 years!

Cover Photo courtesy of Katie Songer

Lucky Springs Farm

Rocky Mountain House, AB

Everyone at The Canadian Shorthorn Report wishes to sincerely thank all of it’s advertisers, subscribers and contributors over the years for making this magazine a resource for the Shorthorn Breed.

There are so many people I need to thank for helping make this magazine possible. Firstly, I want to thank Belinda who has worked with me since the beginning. Teresa Sutter did almost all the ad design and set up for a few years, then my wife Chris took over this role when Teresa moved to another job. In more recent years, Ruth Watch helped maintain our mailing list, did the invoicing and also helped with proof reading the magazine. None of what has happened in regards to this magazine would have happened without all their help. They were the driving force that made the Shorthorn Report what I think was a quality magazine that was printed and mailed on time, every time. Quite frankly, my role in producing this magazine was minor compared to what these ladies did.

Secondly, I want to thank all the Shorthorn breeders who helped by advertising in this magazine. It is these people who allowed us to publish this magazine for the past 23 years. Every ad, regardless of its size was important. The amount of advertising determined how many articles and show and sale reports we could place in the magazine. Most of the time, it was Belinda who found articles we could include to fill in the space we had in the magazine.

When I announced that this would be our last issue produced by Belinda, Chris, and myself, I did not know if there would be anyone interested in taking over this magazine. I really hoped someone would come forward because I believe the printed word still is extremely important. I would like to announce that Adrianne Vandersluis from Elm Creek, MB has agreed to become the new editor. You will find an article in this issue that introduces her and her family. I am sure she will make several changes to this magazine and I welcome this. Change is most likely overdue. I would ask one favour from Canadian Shorthorn breeders, and that is, that you support Adrianne in her new venture. I know Adrianne is pretty

excited to take this project on, and I know she will do an outstanding job, providing that she gets the support she needs from Shorthorn members across this entire country.

We live in an entirely new world today than what we lived in when we started in 1999. There are many new and wonderful ways to promote your herd. Websites, internet cattle pages, and Facebook are great technologies and are incredible methods for marketing and promotion. The cattle industry is a very competitive industry, and these newer methods of promotion cannot do everything you need to do. Every method of promotion you can find has importance. There has been many wonderful products developed over the years that have disappeared simply because they were not promoted and marketed properly. Breeding stock are no different. I have no idea how many

Trieber Farms

Beaverlodge, AB Fred: 780.831.1346

Naomi: 780.814.0052

www.trieberfarms.com

times in the past 23 years that I have heard someone say that they really have nothing to advertise or that they really don’t know how to write an ad. I would suggest that everyone who owns a few cows, has something to promote. It has never been easier, as almost all of us carry a phone in our pocket, that is capable of taking a great picture while you are doing a pasture check or doing your daily chores. I would urge everyone to support Adrianne in her new venture and you will be helping yourself while you are helping her.

With every day that passes since I decided that it was time to quit doing this magazine, I am more convinced that this was the right decision for me to make. It is definitely time to move on. I would like to wish everyone who is involved in this great breed of cattle, all the best in the future. I will be rooting for all of you from the sidelines.

Grant

Canadian Shorthorn Association Board of Directors

President

Ray Armbruster Rossburn, MB

Ph: 204-859-2088 Cell: 431-761-4477 shorthornsue@gmail.com

President Elect

CSA N ew S ...

Bob Merkley Aldergrove, BC

Phone 604-607-7733 Cell 778-240-7233 circlemshorthorns@telus.net

Directors

Dan Stephenson Okotoks, AB

Phone 403-938-4112 Cell 587-436-2224 djstephenson1@gmail.com

Richard Moellenbeck

Englefeld, SK

Ph:306-287-3420 Cell: 306-287-7904 bellmfarms@outlook.ca

Martin Mason Drumbo, ON

Phone 519-771-7066 martin.mason@redrosefarm.com

Dennis Cox

Compton, QC

Phone 819-837-2086 Fax 819-820-5080 triplejcox2018@gmail.com

Marvin Peters Springfield, PE Phone 902-315-2939 mipet@yahoo.com

Canadian Shorthorn Association

Shayla Chappell

Office Manager

Email office@canadianshorthorn.com Member & Registry Services

Email registry@canadianshorthorn.com

Phone 306-757-2212

2nd Floor, Canada Centre Building REAL District, Box 3771, Regina, SK S4P 3N8

Office hours - M-F - 8:30 am - 4:30 pm www.canadianshorthorn.com https://csa.digitalbeef.com

As I put pen to paper, it is time to look forward to spring and a host of events to take place in 2023. Spring will be very welcome in our area. The slopes of Riding Mountain where our ranch is located have had a total of 46 inches of snow so far! I am hoping for no late snowstorms like we had last spring. Some melting snow and new calves will be a welcome sight. Furthermore, bulls sales are upon us and the previews look outstanding. There seems to be an excellent selection of cattle that should be fit for purebred breeders at home, for export, and even a continuing gain of a greater share in the commercial herds across Canada. I encourage everyone with sale animals to advertise and promote!

As we at the CSA embark on a new year of promotion and advertising, we are always in need of new promotional material. If any of you folks have good pictures of Shorthorn cattle in shows, pasture, or winter grazing that you would be willing to share with us, it would be greatly appreciated. Contact Shayla at our office if you have anything you would like to submit.

A new initiative that started last fall is the steer feed trial at the Manitoba Bull Test Station. We were able to arrange twentyone steers for the trial. I would like to thank those that supported this firstyear trial to make this a success. Stay tuned to the Manitoba Bull Test Station or Canadian Shorthorn Association Facebook pages for results and pictures as they become available.

In the last Shorthorn Report, the membership was notified of the transitions at the CSA office. We were also given notice that Grant and Chris Alexander would be producing their last Shorthorn Report for this March issue. I have always been in awe of the knowledge and passion Grant and his family have brought to the Shorthorn breed. Their accomplishments could fill many pages. When I first started to research and purchase purebred

By Ray Armbruster

Shorthorn cattle twenty-two years ago, I looked to the Shorthorn Report for information on Shorthorn breeders and their cattle. I remember back then contacting Grant to buy some semen from various bulls he had in stock. I selected straws from various bulls and Grant was so patient throughout. Fast forward to today, the offspring of those semen purchases are considered the foundation of our herd and have become the root of our best genetics. I am very appreciative of Grant’s help and know there were many other breeders whom he has mentored over the years. Horseshoe Creek Farms have been leaders and at the forefront of the many changes in the Shorthorn breed. From importing Irish Shorthorns, developing semen/embryo sales in Canada, and exporting just about anywhere in the world there are Shorthorns, they have done it all! As a result, this has made Shorthorns more viable and competitive in the ever-changing beef production in Canada and across the globe. I have said that Grant is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about the Shorthorn breed. Grant and Chris, you will be missed. We are grateful and thankful for all the dedication you have given. Best wishes to you and them going forward! P.S. I hope you continue to send in stories in the future!

We are very fortunate that the Shorthorn Report will continue with Adrienne Vandersluis. I know Adrienne and her family have a deep passion for Shorthorn cattle and we wish her every success with the continuation of The Shorthorn Report. With that, I encourage every member to continue to support this publication. It is our number one tool to keep our members informed on events, news, advertising, sales, and show results.

This a reminder of the CSA annual meeting in Ottawa, May 25th to 28th. Resolutions must be submitted to the office at least 60 days prior to those dates. I hope members try to attend.

Your Invitation to Attend

The 2023 Canadian Shorthorn Association

Annual General Meeting

Hosted by the Ontario Shorthorn Association

May 26 - 28, 2023

to be held at the Holiday Inn & Suites

101 Kanata Ave, Kanata, Ontario. 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa and the Ottawa International airport. Rooms reserved until April 25th

~Double Queen room - $199.95 1-613-271-3057

Donations of any shape or form to this national event will be gratefully received and recognized.

AGENDA

Friday, May 26 - CSA Board of Directors Meeting

- Car tour to local herds

- Alternate tour

- Evening barbeque

Saturday, May 27 - Informative speakers

- CSA Annual Meeting

- Banquet, Entertainment, Auction

- Alternate tour

Sunday, May 28 - Car tour to local herds

For more information, contact Martin Mason - 519.771.7066

AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS OF THE CANADIAN SHORTHORN ASSOCIATION

1. The By-laws may be amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members who have voted through ballot submission (mail-in ballot and potential option of electronic voting pending final approval from Agriculture Canada).

2. Notice of all proposed amendments shall be given to the Secretary in writing, signed by two members in good standing, at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the annual meeting.

3. The membership will be provided by mail, with all notices of motion received at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting. All notices of motion will be taken to the Annual Meeting for discussion and debate and may be amended there by a simple majority of votes cast.

4. Within 15 days of the annual meeting a ballot, along with the notices of motion, or, amended notices of motion will be sent to the membership. Ballots must be returned to the Canadian Shorthorn Association office no later than 45 days after the Annual Meeting to be counted. The results of any votes will be held in total confidence until all votes are counted and the results of all votes will be released by the Canadian Shorthorn Association President or Board of Directors.

5. In order to receive a ballot in 2023, memberships must be purchased on or before May 27, 2023.

6. Amendments to or the repeal of any by-laws shall become effective upon approval by the Minister of Agriculture (Canada) and registration in the Department of Agriculture (Canada).

7. All Notices to amend the By-laws must be received in this office by Thursday, March 30, 2023.

THE CANADIAN SHORTHORN ASSOCIATION

2nd Floor, Canada Centre Building, REAL District, Box 3771, Regina, SK S4P 3N8

Phone (306) 757-2212 email office@canadianshorthorn.com

Ray Armbruster, President

Shayla Chappell, Secretary

The Annual General Meeting of THE CANADIAN SHORTHORN ASSOCIATION will be held SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2023 at the HOLIDAY INN & SUITES

101 Kanata Avenue, Kanata, ON K2T 1E6 (613)271-3057

Meet Your New Canadian Shorthorn Report Editor...

I don’t think I could introduce myself without including my family. Steve, my husband of 22 years, is my partner in crime. Of our five children, three are Shorthorn enthusiasts. The two middle boys, Brydon and Hannon, have talents and interests in other fields, but when extra hands are needed, they can handle a pitchfork, or run a head gate as good as anyone. The three that our interested in Shorthorns, each have their own herds. Nolan (New View Cattle Company) and Gerrin (G Tee Ranch) have been running their own purebred herds since they bought their first heifers from Hatfield in 2014. Delaney (Rollin’ Dell Ranch), our youngest, bought her first heifer this fall in the Muridale Heritage Sale. We encouraged our kids to put their own name and prefix on their calves, and to make their own management decisions.

Deciding

what semen to buy and perusing sale catalogues has led to many colourful discussions when there are five different opinions being shared.

I grew up on a dairy/ beef farm where we ran traditional Simmental and Fleckvieh cattle. The beef cattle came to the farm when I was 10 and we had wonderful neighbours who encouraged us to join the local 4-H beef club. My love for beef cattle started then. Steve and I started our beef herd approximately 17 years ago. Vanridge Cattle was a mixed commercial herd, and we used Black Angus and Shorthorn bulls. I wasn’t keen on the idea of Shorthorns at first. I was ready to criticize them at every turn, however, once the first calves were born, I was hooked. The calves were vigorous, the bulls were quiet, and the cows were excellent mothers with good dispositions. With five young kids at home, I wanted cattle that were safe to be around, and Shorthorns have been

the right breed for our management style. In 2021, Steve and I had to make a difficult decision to sell over half our herd due to the drought. We sat down and discussed where to go from there. By this time the decision wasn’t whether we’d have Shorthorns or not, it was whether they’d be a purebred

them in person, we take advantage of the live streaming service. We are our kids’ biggest fans and I may occasionally embarrass them with my cheering and fanfare. We have made a lot of new friends while attending cattle shows, either as an exhibitor or a spectator.

or a commercial herd. We had a few purebreds at the time that were offspring from three heifers we had bought from Poplar Park Farms in 2014. We also had started to AI our cows, and the results were exciting and bringing us closer to the type of cow we liked. We kept our bred heifer group, and our best purebred cows, along with Delaney’s 1st 4-H heifer, a 50% shorthorn cow named Rosie. We decided we would purchase one bred heifer from the Muridale Heritage sale in the fall and focus on the purebred herd.

It has never been our goal to be a show herd. When we bring an animal to town, it’s because we like her and want to show our breeding program. It’s not something we would have started on our own, but because our kids loved showing, and were given so much support and encouragement from different breeders over the years, it has become a part of our family’s fabric. We now plan for AgEx in Brandon every fall. Nolan and Gerrin have been to Agribition several times as well as other shows in Western Canada. When we can’t make it to the show to watch

I have always enjoyed reading the Report and looking through the ads. Many times, something would catch our eye in the magazine, and we would look for more information online. It has led to semen purchases, and cattle purchases, as well as the occasional lively discussions on articles written. I believe having a magazine focused on Shorthorn cattle and the people who raise them is important for the breed. It is a great way to stay connected with the people we know, be introduced to new ones, and a consistent way to stay up to date with news and information pertinent to Shorthorns across the country.

As I begin this new venture, I hope to meet many more of you and learn about your breeding programs.

I hope I will be able to serve the Shorthorn community by sharing information that will be helpful and insightful to all.

Feel free to contact me at 204-750-2574 or shorthornreport@gmail.com

Adrianne Vandersluis

We wish you all the best, Adrianne. You’ll do a great job!

COLDSTREAM FARM

Donald B. Jack Flesherton, ON 519-924-1540

Coldstream Shorthorn www.coldstreamfarm.ca

Grand Champion 2 Year Old at the Royal and Reserve Grand Champion at Agribition. Sire of muscle and style with exceptional EPDs. Conventional, Sexed and Exportable semen available.

Class winner at Agribition. Congratulations to Prospect Hill Shorthorns on their purchase.

OPEN HOUSE and PRODUCTION SALE at the farm, October 13 & 14, 2023

Offering daughters of Pendleton 0061, Semen lots, Embryos and some of our 2023 Show String!

2022 Ontario Show Bull of the Year

Champion Junior Bull at the Canadian National Junior Shorthorn Show and Champion Junior Bull at the National Shorthorn Show, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Congratulations to Majestic Shorthorns on their purchase.

WAUKARU PENDLETON 0061

MURIDALE THERMAL ENERGY 15A x WAUKARU RED NAN 6119

COLDSTREAM PENDLETON 7K

WAUKARU PENDLETON 0061 x COLDSTREAM BAYOU GIRL 2B

COLDSTREAM PENDLETON 9K

WAUKARU PENDLETON 0061 x PVF 04Z

Diamond Creek Cattle Co.

We will be offering some exceptional yearling bulls at the Sun Country Shorthorn Sale March 23, 2023

Johnstone Auction Mart, Moose Jaw, SK

1 PM CST

We would like to thank our past bull buyers and also the following for Heifer calf and female buyers from last fall

• Cactus Flats Shorthorns, Gleichen, AB

• Peckover Farms, Lampman, SK

• Golden View Shorthorns, Smoky Lake, AB

• Gar-Lind Shorthorns, North Battleford, SK

• Three Star Shorthorns, Weyburn, SK

* Diamond Willow Ranch, North Battleford, SK Also, thanks to Harlenn Osborn for your help at Agribition.

Box 787, Weyburn, SK S4H 2L1

Facebook: Diamond Creek Cattle Company

Add bulls like this to your program!

Many sons sell!

Cactus Flats Hercules 1H

Diamond Creek Knight 59K

Diamond Creek Kodiak 32K

Austin Knupp

306.861.1618

Diamond Creek Legendary 9K

10 Good Reasons to come to the 16th Annual

Thursday March 23, 2023 1:00 PM CST

Johnstone Auction Mart, Moose Jaw, SK. Sale broadcast live at www.dvauction.com

Sun Country Shorthorn Sale

This year’s sale will have 30 yearling and two year old bulls as well as 5 replacement heifers. The sale catalog will be available online at www.dvauction.com or on any of our websites.

Horseshoe Creek Farms Ltd.

Grant and Chris Alexander Box 580, Weyburn, SK 306-861-5504

horseshoecreek@sasktel.net

www.horseshoecreekfarms.com

Lamontagne Holdings Ltd.

Hector and Jeanine Lamontagne Box 452, Wawota, SK 306-577-8840

hj.lamontagne@sasktel.net

Diamond Creek Cattle Co. Todd and Rylan Knupp Box 787, Weyburn, SK 306-861-9510

rylanknupp@gmail.com

Muridale Shorthorns Muridale Shorthorns

Both heifers are from fault-free cows and exceptional bulls we have used for years. Birdtail bulls also available at the sale on March 25. We have heifers and bulls available at the farm. Inquiries are welcome.

Range to Research: How Ranch Lessons Aid My Research Job

By Morgan Lehmann

At first glance, sitting on the back of a horse watching cattle graze seems a whole world apart from extracting DNA at a pristine lab bench. But my experiences in research and ranching have shown me that both disciplines share common principles.

Growing up as a fourth-generation cattle producer, I was a valued part of our operation and spent mornings, evenings, and weekends working on my family’s ranch. While I wouldn’t change the way I was raised, leaving home to study in the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Agriculture and Bioresources allowed me to discover new and exciting opportunities.

One new opportunity was becoming an undergraduate research assistant in a lab at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). My research supervisor is Dr. Cheryl Waldner, a professor in the college’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. She initially hired me because I was a hard worker and had extensive beef industry experience. As Dr. Waldner explains, “Growing up in an environment where you’re contributing to your family business and are responsible for other living creatures tends to foster good team players with a strong work ethic as well as empathy for others.”

I appreciated Dr. Waldner’s efforts to find that first summer position for me in 2021, and although the environments are vastly different, I appreciate the similarities between ranching and research. These four life lessons were instilled in me on the ranch from a young age, and they apply quite well to my undergraduate research experience over the past two years.

1. Passion fuels perseverance.

During childhood, my dad told me that in any career I would encounter difficult jobs — but I’d have to grit my teeth and do them anyway. At least he always said that before sending me to clean the barn, unwrap bales in -30 C weather, or fix fence. Throughout university, my parents have encouraged me to try different things — to discover and refine what I truly loved.

I wanted to be part of the agriculture industry and involved with livestock, but I hadn’t considered research until I took a

course with a first-year research experience component. This project was also the hardest part of my first year of university, and I shed many tears of frustration. You might think that after struggling through that course, research as a profession would be last on my list. But the challenge inspired me. I had chosen a research question for which the answer was more important to me than the difficulties I encountered searching for that answer.

Working with Dr. Waldner’s research team has been glorious for the most part. I’m surrounded by talented individuals who are working on a project that combines my interests

in animal science and microbiology. And even though some aspects of the work aren’t as enjoyable, these difficult tasks are much easier to accomplish because I love what I do.

2. There’s always room for improvement.

The most expensive logic in ranching is the mindset of “Because we’ve always done it that way.” If this is the only reason behind a decision without exploring other options, you’re missing a chance to improve the efficiency of an operation. On my family’s ranch, we started growing corn for our cows to graze during winter — an alternative to starting a tractor every day in sub-zero weather to feed bales and silage. This decision reduced our input costs and labour requirements.

My family has challenged other ways of doing things on the ranch because we want to enhance our business. Striving to improve best practice and solve problems that threaten animals, humans and their shared environment is what also drives many research programs.

Researchers in Dr. Waldner’s lab are developing a rapid genomic laboratory test to identify any pathogens (diseasecausing agents) and the presence of antimicrobial resistance in calves entering feedlots. This new test has potential to provide background information for group-level, precision antibiotic treatment. Traditional lab tests can take up to a

week of processing time, and although they’re gold standard, the delay makes them impractical for informing decisions in real-life production settings.

3. You need a backup plan.

While completing tasks at home and working with cattle, it’s important to think ahead about what could go wrong. For example, when we’re moving cattle and the herd may end up going in the wrong direction, someone’s role is to oversee bringing them back. Or better yet, we need an alternative route planned with the same final destination.

In our lab, we encounter difficulties with experiments or with lab equipment. Part of my job is to help troubleshoot these areas. Our lab manager always has a next step planned, but she will ask me what I think we should try — the experience helps me to develop critical thinking and scientific reasoning. Although you can’t always predict every roadblock you face, it’s helpful to have alternatives.

4. Collaboration is key.

In life, it’s important to ask questions and learn from the work of other people. Different people have different strengths and bring unique perspectives to the table. Ranching and research both follow the saying, “Many hands make light work.”

In research, collaborating with others holds many benefitsespecially since agriculture is evolving very rapidly to - a lot of new technology, points out Dr. Waldner: “Collaboration is essential as it’s impossible for one person or one team to be experts in all of the emerging opportunities for growth.” As an undergraduate student, the best way to start my

research journey is through networking and collaboration. I’m inspired and challenged by the diverse and talented lab group that I’m part of. To maximize my professional development, I plan to surround myself with people who offer genuine critiques of my projects and encourage my curiosity.

Through my experiences as a producer and researcher, I’ve learned how these areas complement one another and share mutually beneficial principles. When it’s time to choose a career path, I’m grateful to know that I can universally apply many of the strategies behind our work in ranching or in research.■

Morgan Lehmann of Rosthern, Sask., is a fourth-year animal science student in the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources. Morgan joined the Genomic ASSETS team as a summer research student in 2021, working with Drs. Simon Otto and Cheryl Waldner. Morgan continued her work with the Genomic ASSETS team as a summer research student in 2022 and has stayed on as a research assistant in Dr. Waldner’s lab during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years.

Canadian Junior Shorthorn Association Board of Directors

President: Royce Moellenbeck Englefeld, SK royce.moellenbeck@outlook.com

Vice-President: Jessica Davey Saskatoon, SK jessicaadavey@gmail.com

Secretary: Taylor Carlson Elm Creek, MB taylorallyn23@gmail.com

Directors: Samuel Dempsey West Brome, QC samdempsey87@icloud.com

Samantha Lundy Collingwood, ON samilundy2@gmail.com

Evan Patriquin Thorhild, AB doublearrowstockfarm@gmail.com

Brooke Van De Voorde Meeting Creek, AB brooke3vandevoorde@gmail.com

Nolan Vandersluis Elm Creek, MB newviewranch@gmail.com

CJSA Update...

This year our Canadian Junior Shorthorn Leadership Conference took place in Calgary, Alberta February 4 and 5. We welcomed 19 Junior Shorthorn members that were eager to come and learn new skills and industry knowledge. We were super excited to see the increase in members attending from across the country. This year we were also fortunate enough to have four board members from the Canadian Junior Limousin Association join us and take in the experience. This event was once again planned and organized by our junior board and was a great success.

by

Canadian Shorthorn Association

Shayla Chappell, Office Manager

2nd Floor, Canada Centre Building REAL District, Box 3771, Regina, SK S4P 3N8

Phone 306-757-2212

Email juniors@canadianshorthorn.com

Website www.canadianshorthorn.com

Office hours - M-F - 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Saturday, which was our first day, included our Canadian Junior Shorthorn Association (CJSA) board meeting where we discussed plans for our national show this summer in Carman, Manitoba to be held August 10-12. We went over logistics, promotion of the show, fundraising and sponsorship and how to move forward with our planning process. We were fortunate enough to have all our current board members in attendance for an in-person meeting. Later Saturday morning we welcomed members in attendance, had registration and played games to get to know one another better. We had a very busy day which included a workshop from Tracy Gardner, a presentation from Megan McLeod and then we went on to tour the Olds College and Research Centre. We finished off the day with a fun evening of bowling.

Sunday, we had three speakers which included Jessica Radau, Deborah Wilson and Robert Dixon - they shared their knowledge and experiences with us. We also had a resume building workshop led by Laura Ecklund from the Canadian Limousin Association

to help us with future job applications etc. We then talked about our weekend experience and planning for next year as well as what we could do to improve and what the members liked.

Tracy Gardner

Tracy currently lives outside of Olds, Alberta where her family runs Gardner Livestock, a purebred Simmental and Simm-Angus operation. Tracy is very involved in shaping youth in agriculture and is one that you will often see along the show road. Tracy is a pillar in the Summer Synergy youth livestock show in Olds. Her workshop explained how there are many different types of leadership styles and how everyone has an important role in making things happen. Tracy gave us tools and tips on how to work with others and work within a group. She also talked about being a role model and how the younger juniors are always looking up to older members and how we can work to be better role models.

Megan McLeod

Megan was born and raised in the Charolais breed where she went through multiple agricultural programs and groups as well as the Junior Charolais Association. Megan owns and operates her own business with her mother called Cowgirl Creative. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree and graduated with honors in International Marketing in Agriculture. Megan explained and shared how our skills and knowledge through agriculture can be transferred and used in our future jobs and working

Brooke Van De Voorde

lives. She explained the importance of marketing through social media and how having great communication skills are a big asset. Megan also explained how having the knowledge and wanting to advocate for our industry can be so beneficial.

Jessica Radau

Jessica works as the youth leadership coordinator for the Canadian Cattle Association and she supports the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CCYL) program as well as the Canadian Cattle Youth Council. Jessica is a graduate of the CCYL program and she now works with the current CCYL members and helps plan and organize their events, funding, engagement and much more. Jessica explained the programs that the Canadian Cattle Association offers and like the youth program, the mentorship program as well as the opportunities that these programs can lead to. She also shared how she got to where she is today through her experiences and the

program that she went through. Jessica and her husband are fourth generation farmers at Coulee Crest Farms, and they raise purebred Hereford cattle and grow grain crops.

Deborah Wilson

Deborah is the Chief Engagement Officer of TrustBix Inc, she works closely with producers and fellow industry workers who are passionate about Agri-sustainability. Deborah and her husband raise cattle and horses at Bashaw, Alberta. She has a passion for the agriculture industry and believes that validation and improved sustainability are challenges that will be solved by technology. Deborah’s presentation included her career path and how she got to where she is today as well as what her job at TrustBix Inc is like and what the company does. She explained what the new advancements of technology in the agriculture industry look like and what they will eventually look like. Her presentation also included consumer supply and demand and what our roles in the industry as producers entails.

Robert Dixon

Robert grew up participating in the Junior Shorthorn program as well as many other programs, and along with

his family raised Shorthorn cattle under the farm name Dixon Farms. Robert graduated from Lakeland College in Agribusiness and later became program head for Lakeland’s Agricultural business where he worked for six years. He then continued with a career in marketing where he gained his MBA for Executive Management and Leadership. Robert now works for Think Shift and is their Executive VicePresident. Think Shift helps Ag leaders bring traditional brands into the new and upcoming world. Robert’s presentation included how to build your brand and how to market your product and what you can do to make it stand out to your customers and consumers. He explained that creating a positive experience for your customer is so very important as well as how important it is to make a connection with the consumer.

The Canadian Junior Shorthorn Stars Leadership Forum was a great success and provided the members with opportunities and knowledge. We are hope that the members who took part in this year’s Forum enjoyed their time and had a great experience. We hope to see all the members who took part in this event again next year as well as any new juniors interested. The CJSA is very excited for future events like this one and are super appreciative of the support and participation we received.■

Change your attitude with a growth mindset

As the new year entered, my email inbox was flooded with topics around setting goals, making resolutions, or changing practices. Eating healthier and losing that stubborn 10 pounds is often at the top of the list. If your resolution to achieve this goal doesn’t last past February 1st, then you are probably like the majority who end up saying – ‘I tried’.

More seriously, one of my goals for the coming year is to continue to improve myself through my outlook. When we set goals, we believe luck and prayer may help us achieve them. However, researcher Carol Dweck from Stanford University, who has focused her career research on attitude and performance, concluded that attitude is a more accurate predictor of success than intelligence. People’s attitudes are one of two categories; a fixed or growth mindset determined Dweck. What’s the difference, you may ask?

Fixed or Growth Mindset

Individuals with a fixed mindset believe things are how they are and cannot change themselves or the situation. Thus, they avoid challenges, give up easily, and do not value the effort to make a change. As a result, they become easily overwhelmed when they face challenges and lose interest in achievements.

People with a growth mindset seek solutions to problems and believe they can make changes for a better outcome. They embrace challenges, don’t let obstacles get in the way, exert effort to achieve results, and learn from criticism.

Which one sounds like you?

As we enter a new year, there are bound to be setbacks and difficulties we will encounter. How you handle these situations will impact the success you can achieve. For people with a growth mindset, failure is not the outcome; instead, failure is the information we can learn and grow from, leading to new ways to solve a problem.

How can you make changes in your cattle operation or business to develop a growth mindset to help you achieve your 2023 goals?

• Face the challenge head-on – How do you react when you feel like you have hit a wall of resistance? Do you give up or try another option? Many successful people would not have found success if they did not push through when they believed they were in a helpless situation. For example, Walt Disney was fired from his first career because they said he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Had Disney

By B. Lynn Gordon

had a fixed mindset and believed he could not change the situation he would have given up. What about you? Did you try a new practice in your business that did not turn out as you had hoped? Can you bounce back and try other options?

• Follow your passion – You may not believe you have the skill or talent to be a leading seedstock producer, but as the Stanford researcher concluded, intelligence does not predict success. Even without formal training in genetics, animal nutrition, accounting, or business management, if you are passionate about raising cattle, growing crops, or serving in agriculture, let that guide you and fuel your continued spirit. Warren Buffet describes finding your passion and focus with the 5/25 technique. Write down 25 things you care about the most, then cross out the bottom 20. He says that the five that remain are your true passion – everything else is a distraction.

• Overcome paralysis – Are you standing still with your goals because you are over-analyzing them and letting your emotions overtake your mindset? Begin working towards the goals you want to achieve. There may never be that right or perfect time to take the step you wanted, but if you wait and never move forward, you will never know. Taking action will create positive energy and push concern to the back burner.

• Give it your all – Even on challenging days, go the extra mile to do your best to succeed in your achievements. Be willing to push yourself outside the limits you typically have set if you want to reach new heights. If you want to have an on-farm bull sale, what steps must you take to achieve this goal? How can you chip away at building a customer base, improve your genetics, create facilities to host the sale, etc?

• Expect results – I overheard a young cattleman say, “I conducted many trials before I figured out the path to take.” This young man expected results from every attempt, understanding that the results may not be what he hoped for. Still, he was learning, trying, experimenting, and building new knowledge, not to mention building a database to guide the process. Expecting results from each attempt he made gave him the motivation to develop a better, more refined process.

In summary, you can take steps to adjust your attitude to a growth mindset by keeping track of how you respond to situations, staying positive, embracing challenges, and being persistent in the face of setbacks.

TAMARACK SHORTHORNS

Alvin Johnson Box 27

Brownvale, AB T0H 0L0 Ph/Fax 780-618-9044

Coming Events ...

March 5-7 .......... On Target Shorthorn Online Sale, Radville, SK

March 18 Alberta’s Finest Bull and Heifer Sale, Stettler, AB

March 23 Sun Country Shorthorn Sale, Moose Jaw, SK

March 25 Bender and Star P Bull and Heifer Online Sale, Neudorf, SK

March 25 Manitoba Bull Test Station Sale, Douglas, MB

April 1 ................ Western Prime Shorthorn Sale, Westlock, AB

April 6 ................ Who’s Your Daddy Sale, Saskatoon, SK

May 26-19 CSA Annual General Meeting, Kanata, ON

Aug 10-12 Canadian National Junior Shorthorn Show, Carman, MB

October 13,14 Coldstream Farm Open House and Sale, Flesherton, ON

Index of Ads ...

Correction from the January issue. We incorrectly identified the Manitoba Ag-Ex Reserve Grand Champion Female Our apologies.

We would like to sincerely thank Grant Alexander and everyone at the Canadian Shorthorn Report for their years of dedication to the breed and to this publication. ~ Martin & Liz Mason Red Rose Shorthorns

Genomics - Your Competitive Advantage

Producing in the beef industry in 2023 is different than ever before. There is the traditional, romantic aspect of the lifestyle, but decisions are no longer made based solely on tradition. Science and technology usage drives decisions. With the cattle herds contracting and less resources available beef producers are being forced to think about efficiency to the forefront of every decision. This is where genomic testing plays a vital role. Through data and science, we can select genetics that fit our environment and are more efficient than traditions could have ever dreamed. Responsible investing, implementing genomic testing within a seedstock herd is an investment in the future of an operation. It can be viewed as: risk management. Genomic testing immediately increases a prediction’s accuracy. This not only means increased confidence in the bulls a commercial customer buys, but it means bulls and females retained on a seedstock operation are bred and managed for optimum genetic gain. Producers unfortunately do not see the effects of a single year’s breeding decision until three years or more after the decision is made. This slow turnaround makes accurate decision-making of utmost importance and equates to faster genetic gain. As mentioned, genomic testing provides faster capabilities to make accurate decisions on yearling bulls and replacements. Therefore, “new” genetics get turned over at a rapid rate, resulting in an increase in the breed average.

Genomics are also a great marketing tool. The benefits of genomic testing are endless, but to completely reap the benefits it brings to you and your commercial customers, you must market accordingly. Not only is genomic testing a potential market differentiator, it is another service you provide your customers. So, why is it important to market your genomic results? Your customer base is not aware you are going above and beyond unless you market accordingly. They may not be aware of why genomics is important to their future success and what it means for their bottom line. As a seedstock producer it is a key role to implement new technologies to maximize your herds genetics. When you are investing in additional tools, like genomics, to generate elite

genetics in contributes to the marketing to your commercial customers. The foundation of your operation is rooted in reputation and integrity. Marketing and explaining genomics to your customers will help highlight genomics as an investment instead of simply as the “cost of doing business.” The burden you bear as a seedstock producer is more than your own — it is also the weight of all commercial cattlemen who entrust the future of their operation with you when they purchase your genetics. Your customers need you to make breeding decisions with their best interests in mind. To fully capture the genomic investment, we urge you to consider the following:

The information you receive from the genetic evaluation is a direct result of the effort and quality of data reported. The feedback comes in the form of EPDs. Reporting important phenotypic information in complete contemporary groups invests back into your operation, customers and breed association. To capture the full power of genomics, it’s crucial for your operation to continue submitting phenotypes. It is imperative to view genomics as an investment. Submitting DNA samples on your replacement heifers allows for increased accuracy on a yearling animal that would have taken a lifetime to achieve by traditional methods. Genomics provides a window into the future. Seedstock producers can manage buyer risk through genomics. Bulls with genomicenhanced EPDs (GE-EPDs) inherently have predictions with increased accuracy, which equates to increased confidence in the buyer’s decision. If you’re spending time and energy investing in phenotypic collection and reporting along with genomics, it is vital to share with your customers the depth of your commitment to their success. While nostalgia is a powerful feeling, it may be the very thing holding us back from changing and employing rapid genetic progress to better serve the commercial industry. If you’re implementing genomics as a selection and risk management tool in your operation today, your customers will reap the benefits for generations. 

On the ranch, you make decisions using visual appraisal every day. But what about the traits you don’t see? That’s where NEOGEN’s® GGP comes into play. We’ve loaded the most informative markers and filled in the gaps to provide you with the most complete and powerful seedstock selection tool in the industry.

So, you can be sure those lines in the tag are working overtime for you to provide confidence in selection decisions that help bolster your reputation amongst your herd and customers for generations to come.

GGP’s markers have you covered and informed. Leverage GGP today by contacting your breed association or go to genomics.neogen.com/en/ggp-beef

Your herd is covered.

SHADYBROOK HERDSIRES EXCELLENCE for SALE

JSF

TIMES SQUARE 120G ET

A proven sire of consistency for calving ease and uniformity of type, structure, muscle pattern as well as style. Several excellent sons are available and ready to go to work.

SWEETGRASS JUSTIFY 104J

Grand Champion bull at the 2022 CWA. We have a full brother who could follow in his big brother’s hoof prints!

HILL

HAVEN FIRE STORM 28C

Fire Storm is becoming a breed legend for his ability to produce progeny with exciting show ring appeal combined with outstanding breeding quality when their show career is done. We have several exciting sons available, including one ET son out of our powerful donor female; Shadybrook Veronica 92Y.

GILMAN’S GREENS FORK 50K

We will be selling a limited number of semen packages on our exciting new herdsire - 20 units for $2500.

There is an excellent selection of herd bull prospects available here at the farm as noted above as well as a few others, all backed by proven sires and productive breed matrons. Please contact us for more information.

SHADYBROOK VERONICA 92Y