From the Gate Post
By Bruce Holmquist General Manager, Canadian Simmental Association
T
CSA Board And Committee Meetings Update
he 2017 fall calf run is well underway and with it there are many producers who are walking around with very big smiles because of the prices they have received for their calves. Good quality Simmental calves are topping the market in all regions of the country, and are not only out selling calves of other breeds per pound, but are also heavier and putting even more dollars into the seller’s pocket. It’s a great time to be enjoying the advantages of Simmental genetics! The 2017 calf market was just one of the many topics discussed during the recent Canadian Simmental Association committee and board of directors meetings that were held during the third week of October. These meetings also included the Friends of Canadian Simmental Association board meeting that dealt primarily with the 2017 FCSF scholarships and a recap of the 2017 Foundation auction as planning begins for the 2018 event. The October CSA meeting are always a busy and productive time as we review the progress made since our March meetings, and also a time to introduce any new board members who are newly elected to the Board of Directors. We welcomed Frank Robblee to his first set of CSA meetings as a CSA director and know that he will be a solid addition to the discussions and decision making process. Some of the highlights of the two days of CSA meetings were: - Simmental ads and the new CSA Commercial brochure were reviewed. There are many positive comments being passed on to us on the Simmental Making Red, Black and White Better ads. - The Award of Excellence show recognition program was reviewed and the issue of unregistered Simmental cattle being allowed to show in some of the major shows is a great concern and was discussed. - Updates on Simmental 50th Anniversary events in some of the Provinces held earlier were provided. They were well attended and a great opportunity to bring Simmental breeders past and present together to celebrate the successes of Simmental in Canada. - The Breeder directory that was part of the Summer Simmental Country is popular and extra copies of the directory will be available at the fall shows. - New CSA promotional items are well received and will also be available at the fall shows. - A Simmental CCIA tag update was provided and approximately
5000 Simmental RFID tag buttons have been purchased. It is felt that this number will increase as people become more aware of their availability. - Simplifying the reporting and identification of homozygous polled and homozygous black Simmental cattle was a lengthy discussion and we are working at ways to implement this in our system. - CSA’s paperless registration option will be simplified by members wanting to opt out of receiving paper certificates. - Correspondence was received from a few members who requested that the CSA board revisit the requirement of parentage verifying A.I sires. After thorough discussion, the Breed Improvement committee and Board of Directors unanimously supported leaving that requirement in place. Look for BIC Chair, Garth Rancier’s article on this that can be found in this issue of Simmental Country. - Upgrading with non-Simmental sires was also on the agenda. While the committee and board recognizes that there are differences in the upgrading process from a registered or recorded Simmental female compared to a registered or recorded Simmental male, it was felt that non-Simmental sires should be held to the same standards as a registered Simmental bull. The CSA board has decided not to make a by-law change to allow non-registered bulls in the upgrading process. - Results from a test evaluation run using the new BOLT software program were provided, and further assessment is going to be done with input provided back to International Genetic Solutions (American Simmental Association). - The 50th Anniversary events at AgEx, the Royal Winter Fair, FarmFair and Agribition were discussed, and we are hopeful that the attendance at those events will match the enthusiasm of the events that were held in the summer and early fall. - Planning is well underway for the 2018 Canadian Simmental Convention and National YCSA show in Olds, Alberta. If you have any questions on the items discussed at the October meetings,or any others that come to mind, we encourage you to contact one of your CSA directors or myself for further information. All the best with your upcoming November and December sales. I would like to personally wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and all the best in 2018.
6 DecCountry.indd 6
11/15/2017 1:55:00 PM