EDITORIAL / ÉDITORIAL
The State of the Canadian Jersey Show World: Present and Future An Interview with Doug Robinson, Chair, Jersey Canada Show Committee - by Jacob Lucs, Jersey Canada Show season is here and halters hang loose. Many producers depend on shows to promote their herds and genetics. With COVID-19 that has all changed. There are very few if any live shows happening. Some judges are travelling barn to barn to view animals. We recently spoke to Doug Robinson from Payneside Farms in Finch, Ontario. Doug is a Jersey Canada board member and Chair of the Jersey Canada Show Committee. We talked to him about the impact the pandemic has had on the show landscape, both his own experience and people he has spoken to. 4-H, a traditional starting point for young people interested in showing cattle, has gone largely virtual, with Zoom meetings replacing in-person mentorship and learning. Regardless,many youth are still keeping their skills up and learning new ones. Doug mentions, “Kids are still walking and clipping, and there have been a few local achievement days here and there. At Payneside we usually train 10 calves in the spring for 4-H kids but not this year.” When it comes to local show and county fairs, Doug observes, “If you ask, the general sentiment is obviously people are disappointed that they can’t exhibit their animals; they plan a year or 2 ahead and want to show off their genetics. It’s also a social outing. I feel sorry for the volunteers that work on the cooking, pies and afghans. However, people are still going full steam ahead so they’ll be ready for next year, staying positive. The majority of the people
understand the situation and hold out hope for the future.” Outside of the farming world, fairs attract people from all walks of life. Arriving from the suburbs and cities, visitors seek out county fairs to experience something they can’t see in their backyards. Doug feels this is an important aspect that is sorely missed with the cancellation of fairs. “It’s good for the people to see cows, and a great promotion for the breed. Why we show cows is to sell the milk!” In the Jersey Canada office, Rachel the registrar has seen much fewer show-related transfers come in this year, indicating lower sales. Producers have adapted though, with cattle commerce going online. “Credit must be given though to people and clubs hold-
42 OCTOBER / OCTOBRE 2020 Canadian Jersey Breeder / Eleveur De Jersey Canadien
ing virtual auctions and online sales” Doug says. ”It is wonderful to see and keeps the wheels turning and people interested.” In talking to fellow farmers about the future, Doug notes “Everyone is looking to next year, hoping the fairs will be back bigger and better than ever.” Payneside themselves have been showing at their local fair, Stormont County, for almost a century, this would’ve been the 99th consecutive year. Next year, assuming everything goes back to “normal”, they will be back in the ring, starting their streak from scratch. Because, as Doug says, “It’s a good way to measure your genetics against other breeders, it’s a good social opportunity, and it’s a good way to market your breed of cow.”
