JSJ Livestock Awarded ManSask Purebred Breeder of the Year 2022

Contributed Article

JSJ Livestock is owned and operated by James and Shayla Jasper, with help from their children Ethan, Aidan and Louelle. The farm is located 2 miles north of Hartney, Manitoba.

James and Shayla both came from a commercial cattle background. They were considering investing in purebred Gelbvieh cattle, so a trip was planned to Agribition in November of 2006. After seeing the animals and the warm reception in the Gelbvieh barn the decision was made.

Originally JSJ Gelbvieh, their first Gelbvieh females and herd sire were purchased at the DTJ/SBR dispersal in February of 2007. More females were purchased through production sales and dispersals, before getting the opportunity to purchase the complete herd of purebreds and fullbloods from Camille and Judy Gofflot (Canadian Gelbvieh Hall of Fame inductees). JSJ has remained steady between eighty and one hundred registered purebreds ever since. The farm evolved to include selling mineral, custom feeding and calving cows, custom tubgrinding and Louelle’s goat division. At this point the name changed to the more all encompassing, JSJ Livestock.

JSJ recently went through a transition with James taking a fulltime sales job with Mazergroup in Hartney and both the boys heading to college. They transitioned to fall calving and a year-round grazing program. The commercial herd has been downsized, custom work has stopped and the on farm operations are focused on the purebred herd.

Both Shayla and James have served 6 years on the ManSask Gelbvieh Association. James served on the Canadian Gelbvieh Association board from 2017 to 2022, CGA president in 2022. They organized and brought a Gelbvieh show back to Ag Ex in Brandon in 2013. They also continue to show at Agribition. Some of JSJ’s show highlights are; JSJ Baha 35B winning Grand Champion Gelbvieh at Ag Ex in Brandon MB, and Reserve Grand at Agribition and JSJ Crush 8C, Grand Champion Gelbvieh Bull at AgEx in Brandon.

They have used AI and embryo transfer to move their program forward and select cattle on function and maternal traits. JSJ originally sold bulls off the farm and then were the first in the breed to switch to an online format in 2012. JSJ bulls sell through DLMS Farmgate Auctions the first weekend in March. A select few females sell in the Function and Finesse Sale in October.