Midwest Regional Milking Shorthorn Show

New England Milking Shorthorn Show August 5, 2020 | Judge: Joe Nash, New York

On August 5th in Greenfield, MA we had the first-ever New England Milking Shorthorn Show judged by Joe Nash from Kentucky.

The event was held in conjunction with the Massachusetts Jersey Cattle Club. We had participation from breeders all over New England! Every state was represented.

The juniors were able to participate in showmanship and Jason Bagley was the overall showman. Junior champion of the junior show went to Jacob Fisher with his fall calf Mountain View IC Fired Up.

Reserve Junior open went to Jacob Fisher with his winter calf Heavenly Badgers Sweet Victory.

Junior champion of the open show went to Jacob Fisher with his fall calf, Reserve Junior Champion went to Dan Bagley with his spring yearling Honor Roll Ocean Breeze.

Senior and Grand Champion of the junior show went to Jacob Fisher with his junior two year old Heavenly Mega Cutiepie ET and reserve went to Jacob Fisher as well with his milking yearling Hard Core Lottery Scratch.

Senior and Grand Champion of the open show went to Ridale Genetics with their four year old Ridale Sumthin Special EXP ET and reserve went to Jacob Fisher with his Junior two Heavenly Mega Cutiepie ET. Premier breeder of the show was Morning Dew Farm and premier exhibitor was Jacob Fisher.

The show was only possible thanks to our wonderful sponsors: Bagley Bog Farm, Green Acres Milking Shorthorns, SWAG Milking Shorthorns, Hartfield Shorthorns, North Side Farm, and Out of The Ashes Farm.

Grand & Senior Champion Open Show

Ridale Sumthin Special, 1st 4-Year-Old,

Ridale Genetics & TJ Wingert

Reserve Grand & Senior Champion

Heavenly Mega Cutiepie ET Jacob Fisher (1st Junior 2- Year-Old)

Grand & Senior Champion Junior Show

Heavenly Mega Cutiepie ET Jacob Fisher (1st Junior 2-Year-Old)

Reserve Grand & Senior Champion Junior Show

Hard Core Lottery Scratch Jacob Fisher (1st Summer Junior 2-Year-Old)

Junior Champion Open Show

Mountain View IC Fired Up Jacob Fisher (1st Fall Calf)

Reserve Junior Champion Open Show

Honor Roll Ocean Breeze Dan Bagley

Junior Champion Junior Show

Mountain View IC Fired Up Jacob Fisher (1st Fall Calf)

Reserve Junior Champion Junior Show

Heavenly Badgers Sweet Victory Jacob

Fisher (1st Winter Calf)

Spring Calf

1. Ridale Special Day EXP, Ridale Genetics 2. Green Acres Ash Twirl, Wyatt Chambers

Winter Calf

1. Heavenly Badgers Sweet Victory,

Jacob Fisher 2. Cates TC Kloe Kardashian, Jacob Fisher

Fall Calf

1. Mountain View IC Fired Up, Jacob Fisher 2. Bagley Bogs Blaze Bucci, Jason Bagley

Summer Yearling

1. Iroquois Acres Jubilee Ashlynn Foster 2. Swag Twister Mischief Exp Wyatt Chambers

Spring Yearling

1. Honor Roll Ocean Breeze, Dan Bagley 2. Cold Springs Lot Parti Time, Wyatt

Chambers

Winter Yearling

1. Mountain View LB Denali Jacob Fisher 2. Glen-mar Soldier Must Have Leigha Noto

Fall Yearling

1. Garys Al Vivian Dakota Phelon 2. Garys RU Serious Ben Bemis

Summer Junior 2-Year-Old

1. Hard Core Lottery Scratch, Jacob Fisher

Junior 2-Year-Old

1. Heavenly Mega Cutiepie ET, Jacob Fisher 2. Morning Dew Spring, Morning Dew Farm

Senior 2-Year-Old

1. Echo Farm Patriot Riff, Kaylin Noto

Senor 3-Year-Old

1. Elmhurst Farms Lido Kiara, Leigna Noto

4 Year-Old

1. Ridale Sumthin Special EXP ET, Ridale

Genetics & TJ Wingert 2. Morning Dew Late, Morning Dew Farm

5 Year-Old

1. Echo Farm Petri, Dakota Phelon 2. Morning Dew Stepaside, Morning Dew

Farm

Aged Cow

1. Morning Dew Lucious, Morning Dew Farm

Dam Daughter

1. Ridale Genetics 2. Morning Dew Farm

Produce of Dam

1. Morning Dew Farm 2. Dakota Phelon

Best 3 Bred and Owned

1. Morning Dew Farm 2. Jacob Fisher

Ayrshire Juniors Dream Big & Take A Chance

“Dream Big & Take A Chance” was the slogan for this year’s National Ayrshire Youth Calf Raffle. What a dream it was! With lots of effort put forward by the National Ayrshire Youth Committee, more tickets were sold this year than ever. Tickets sales were fast and furious in the week leading up to the big event. Several state Ayrshire clubs purchased blocks of tickets with the idea of using the calf as Thanks to Tim and Katie Busch for a benefit for their own states. their donation of “Dollie”. The drawing was held live on Facebook on July 4th, and the winning ticket was purchased by the Wisconsin Junior Ayrshire Breeders’ Association.

Upon winning the calf, the Wisconsin Jr. ABA announced a grant program for their junior members to apply for the opportunity to own “Dollie”. The contest announcement stated their hope was that the recipient will remain involved in both the breed and junior associations as well as strengthen and nurture their passion for the Ayrshire cow.

“Congratulations to Ainsley Noble of Lancaster, WI for being selected as the recipient of the WAJA Calf Giveaway,” stated McKen-

zie Ullmer in the winner’s announcement. “We were truly impressed by Ainsley’s knowledge and experience within the dairy industry as well as her eagerness to introduce an Ayrshire to her family’s farm. We are confident in her ability to develop her new calf, Dollie, and excited to see all that she accomplishes with this special opportunity. We know Dollie is in good hands!”

Thank you to Tim and Katie Busch of Cecil, WI for their generous donation of this outstanding spring calf. Her pedigree certainly inspired much of the ticket sales! Grand-View Remsburg Dollie is sired by Palmyra Power Remsburg. His dam is the EX-94 2E Palmyra Berkely P Ruth-ET, who is a 3x Unanimous All-American and 2x World Dairy Expo champion with records to 32,000M. The maternal granddam is the world-reknown GrandView BBBK Dreamer, EX-94 5E. She was a 2x All-American nominee, had records to 26,000M and is an 8th gener- Ainsley Noble was the lucky winner ation Excellent. of the raffle calf.

continued from page 7 lizes all three of the above mentioned. I have sold to first-time Ayrshire buyers and I like to follow-up with those buyers after the sale. I try to do this to find out if the animal has been bred and to whom, if they have calved and what they had, or to answer any questions the buyer may have. If it is a first time Ayrshire buyer I like to ask them if they have any questions about becoming a member of the Association or any other services the Association offers. On private sales I also offer to send in the transfer of the animal myself to the Ayrshire office to help maintain that animal in the registry. I have sold animals or embryos directly, through public sale and through online sales. My main goal is to educate buyers to the Ayrshire breed and to offer a product that will be desired and sought after.

Grand-View Ayrshires: Our marketing goals through our farm Facebook page is to make people aware of our genetics and to sell animals directly to buyers.

Henkeseen Holsteins & Milking

Shorthorns: A combination of all three. For one it is important to support the breed by advertising. The added bonus is making people aware of your genetics and selling a few along the way. In Milking Shorthorns I feel it is important to be able to market your genetics so you have opportunities to bring new genetics into the herd.

Mapleton Valley Farms, LLC: Our main marketing goal is to sell high-quality Milking Shorthorns to a variety of buyers. We've consigned animals of all ages to the Wisconsin State Sale, many of which have sold to young breeders just starting out in the breed. We've also consigned animals through our national sale as well as online. When the bull pens are full, we also advertise in local farm papers, and many of those bulls have been used to add components to offspring through cross-breeding.

Of all your marketing tactics, which one has been the most valuable?

Bear-Ayr Farm: Facebook has been, as it can be done immediately from anywhere. It has an amazing reach, can be updated several times, and I can tag numerous people which then shows the post on their Facebook page. I also like that I can involve my young daughters as they can take numerous pictures with my cell phone and I can post them. I can also respond immediately to potential buyer’s questions. With my cell phone I can do Facebook post anywhere and anytime.

Grand-View Ayrshires: I have had great success marketing with our Facebook page. It’s great being able to flush a cow for embryos and post them for sale in the morning and have them sold by the end the day.

Henkeseen Holsteins & Milking

Shorthorns: Facebook, simply because it is quick, easy and instant. You can do multiple posts and updates as you sell genetics or have new ones available.

Mapleton Valley Farms, LLC: We have always been about creating full pedigrees. Cows need to look good (proven by classification and show winnings) and milk (we are on DHIA) and last (not just one milk production record). We consign and privately sell animals that have a combination of those three things. A history of marketing these types of animals as well as using social media to promote these genetics has helped to keep sales consistent.

What advice to do you have for farms looking to ramp up their marketing tactics either in traditional media or online?

Bear-Ayr Farm: Don’t be afraid to put animals, embryos, or your accomplishments on Facebook or in ads in The Angle. Take good pictures, this may mean taking lots of pictures on your cell phone to find the right ones. Get all different angles of your animals and also videos of them on the move. Make sure your animals are clean and in a clean environment when taking the photos and videos. Always use a picture on your posts on Facebook. Pictures draw attention and readers to a post. Consign your best to sales. This may seem like common sense; however, it is VERY important. The first animal I ever consigned to a public sale was Bear-Ayr Burdette Ray EX-94 2E before her four-year-old year. She went on to calve after the Iowa Spring Sale and be named Reserve Grand Champion of World Dairy Expo that year and the next along with other accolades. Lastly, keep your ad concise, whether online, on Facebook, or in print media. Hit the key points, don’t get wordy, like this answer just did, or people won’t read the entire thing.

Grand-View Ayrshires: Set up a Facebook page for your farm. It is easy, and it is free. Post something on a regular basis either for marketing or just general cow pictures or other things going on, on the farm to keep people engaged.

Henkeseen Holsteins & Milking

Shorthorns: Get good quality pictures of your animals. It doesn’t have to be a professional photo. Make sure the animals are clean and in a well bedded area and get them in their natural habitat.

Mapleton Valley Farms, LLC: Advertise what you have - either in print or online. Take pictures (either barn shots or get professional pictures taken) and share them. Keep thinking about how to improve that next generation of cattle through matings. Seek out those looking for cattle near you and respond quickly and take the time to find out what people are looking for and answer questions.

How does being a member of a breed organization support your marketing goals?

Bear-Ayr Farm: Being a member of the U.S. Ayrshire Breeders’ Association has aided me in several areas of marketing. It has allowed me to have a greater return on investment. I have a lower rate for registering my animals, lower rate on transfers and several other items than a non-member. By registering my animals they are more valuable in certain market areas. Being a member has allowed me to meet so many other members and thus network. My membership fee is a MUST in my operation!

Grand-View Ayrshires: Being a member of the ABA is another available tool for marketing with ABA-run sales, their media sites, and print marketing.

Henkeseen Holsteins & Milking

Shorthorns: By being a member, if the National Office gets calls about someone looking for genetics in your area, if you are a member they can direct them to your farm. Also outside people can look up our membership list and then contact your herd.

Mapleton Valley Farms, LLC: The most valuable program to us offered through AMSS is the EXPRESS program. At a yearly per-cow rate, registrations, milk recording, and classification are bundled together. It combines the things that are so important to us at creating that complete pedigree and benefits the breed. The AMSS website has a free classified page, on which we have sold several animals. From Katie Agnew: I am in charge of the AMSS semen tanks. Members can put in semen at a very reasonable rate, and we are currently at over 30 available bulls. Since most studs are moving away from carrying a variety of Milking Shorthorn semen, the society tanks get more semen out there much quicker. The list of semen is updated frequently, and both shippers are out for delivery almost weekly. I get several inquiries a week on semen, and the quicker I can get back to people answering questions, the more semen goes out. It does take time to keep it organized and put posts out on social media about available bulls (including pictures) as well as talking to people on the phone, but it is appreciated (by both the buyer and seller) and often leads to sales and future sales.