You win some... Tu en gagnes...
by / par Jacob Lucs, Jersey Canada
Tracy DaFoe and her daughter Amy, attended this year’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. This year Amy was showing in the Senior Showmanship class and it didn’t go as planned, Amy placed 18 out of 18. Her heifer didn’t cooperate. She had a bad day. But when she showed up to volunteer with her mom at the Jersey Canada booth, she was all smiles. DALOCK FARMS AND THE JERSEY COW
FOR THE DAFOE FAMILY, A LAST PLACE RESULT IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
Jim and Tracy, the experience Amy gets is the important part. They don’t put pressure on her to win, rather. the focus is on improving and learning from each experience. In the wider show community, the DaFoe’s have found just as much positive support. Amy’s favorite 4-H leader, Ontario Jersey breeder Tim Hunt, once told her “You’re not last, that’s an American first,” referring to the US practice of (sometimes) lining the animals up in the opposite order.
DaLock Farms is situated in Havelock, Ontario, milks 50 cows, Holsteins and Jerseys, and is run by Jim and Tracy DaFoe with their children Amy, 17, and Jesse, 24. Their daughter Bethany, 21, works off farm as a nurse. They started with Holsteins, but after purchasing a Lorivale foundation cow, Lorivale Padro Joslin, they have bred up Jerseys totaling 1/3 of their herd. Tracy appreciates that Jerseys are easy for her to get into their tie-stall for milking.
Amy understands there is always an opportunity to learn. As part of a 4-H curriculum, she makes a showbook for each show with photos and the show program. The first thing she does after showing is relay the judges comments, positive or negative, to her parents. They feel this is the most important part of the show. Every judge will have different comments and the DaFoes try to incorporate all the advice they receive into Amy’s preparation. For
“(Tim) has been a huge support and person who Amy really looks up to from her first year in dairy 4-H. Andrew and Jennifer Vandermeulen have also been great support to Amy as well, giving her the opportunity to tie her Jersey heifer in with them at bigger shows like the Royal Winter Fair. So many Jersey breeders have helped Amy along the way, we absolutely love and appreciate the support and friendship from this group.”
That first Lorivale Jersey was bought for Beth to show in 2011 as a 4-H project, and Amy continued the Jersey show tradition, now on her 5th Jersey. She was the Grand Champion at the 2017 Orno, Ontario show, and last year placed 2nd in the Jersey Showmanship Junior class at the Royal. She is no stranger to winning, She has shown in Classic twice.
28 DECEMBER / DÉCEMBRE 2019 Canadian Jersey Breeder / Eleveur De Jersey Canadien
