Essex-Kent Celebrates 40 Years

E S S E X - K E N T BIG IN SPIRIT S mall in Numbers,

At one time in Essex County there were 1280 milk shippers and 11 MARKING ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR IS THE ESSEX-KENT HOLSTEIN CLUB. NESTLED IN ONTARIO’S SOUTHWESTERN CORNER, BOTH COUNTIES HAD THEIR OWN HOLSTEIN CLUBS FOR MANY YEARS, WITH THE ESSEX CLUB ESTABLISHED IN 1923 AND KENT IN 1945. THEY AMALGAMATED IN 1980. M Master Breeder award with his Vera family contributing the bulk of processing plants, while the smaller Kent County had 59 milk shippers the points. “I was the youngest person to ever get Master Breeder at and six processing plants. In the years to come, Windsor’s automotive the time,” recalls the now 86-year-old. Lee’s love of good cows and industry drew many away from milking cows. When the shift from sound cow families made him a source of seedstock for others. He milk cans to bulk tanks came, that caused others to turn to cash sold cattle to 13 foreign countries and had the top seller in the Shore cropping. Today there are just eight dairy producers in each county. Canadian Classic three times. He was a partner with Lowell Lindsay While small, the Essex-Kent Holstein Club is a close-knit, passionate club proud of its legacy and the outstanding breeders, industry leaders, show winners and cow families that originate here. in Linafton Maple Lisa EX, 1968 All-Canadian senior yearling and 1969 Reserve All-Canadian 2-year-old. Lee was instrumental in starting the St. Clair Regional Show in Ridgetown in the mid-1970s that took in Kent, Essex and Essex County’s Romuald J. Pinsonneault & Lambton Counties. Just 5’4” tall, but strong as Sons of Wonderland Holsteins, Stoney Point, a bull and stubborn, Lee says, “I was proud of were the region’s first Master Breeder in 1969. the herd of cows I put together.” When stray “Index” was just becoming a buzzword when the 1 voltage on the farm destroyed his life’s work in Pinsonneaults sold 5-year-old Wonderland Sheik the 1980s, Montgomery became the “Little Man Pam VG 26* for $18,500 in the 1985 National Who Took on Ontario Hydro” and for over four Convention Sale in London to Donnandale decades worked tirelessly on issues related to Farms, Stirling. One of Puget-Sound Sheik’s stray voltage. Growing up near Doverholm, and highest indexing daughters, Pam went on to gaining his early farm training there, was Murray have more than 18 sons in A.I., including the Reissner. Murray went on to have a rewarding popular Donnandale Skychief ET EX-Extra and four Superior Type sons. Pam later sold privately 2 41-year career in the A.I. sector, including an early stint as an A.I. technician in Essex-Kent. to Alta Genetics Inc. and became one of the original donor cows for AGI’s embryo transfer program, with many of her embryos used in their early cloning research. John Trudgen was a teenager in the 1960s when his father Glen bought the first purebreds for their Trudgen Farms Ltd. herd at Blenheim. In 1980, this Kent farm achieved Master Breeder Another respected Essex herd, C.C. “Charlie” status. At the centre of their breeding program Morris & Sons of Morris Acres Holsteins, was the Stenhouse Muir Betty EX 5* family, a line Comber, earned a Master Breeder shield in 1971. which produced Betty’s son, Trudgen Centurion The Morrises were regular exhibitors at the 3 Dominion EX-ST, and a grandson, Trudgen shows. Charlie’s son, Jim, later established his Moch Four GP-ST, who was from Betty’s own Morriafton herd at Comber. daughter, Trudgen Rocket Betsy VG 12*. The Trudgens showed at R. Lee Montgomery, Dover Centre, was 15 when he took over the Doverholm herd from his father John. In 1971, Lee achieved a the St. Clair Regional, London (Western Ontario) Championship Show, Royal Winter Fair and Canadian National Exhibition. At the St. Clair and London shows many enjoyable times took place in the

PHOTOS 1. One of Puget Sound Sheik’s highest indexing daughters, Wonderland Sheik Pam VG 26* was bred by R.J. Pinsonneault & Sons and went on to be the dam of many sons in A.I. including Donnandale Skychief ET EX-Extra, 2. Lee Montgomery of Doverholm Holsteins treasures the many banners, pictures and memorabilia he has in his home, including the Stetson hat that was worn by Bob Shore, noted auctioneer and sales manager, 3. Stenhouse Muir Betty EX 5* headed the most dominant cow family in the Master Breeder herd of Glen and John Trudgen of Trudgen Farms Ltd.

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PHOTOS 1. Ville Glend Radio Jean EX 1* was grand champion at London Championship Show in 1982 and Ontario Spring Show in 1981 and twice Reserve All-Canadian for Tedesco Bros. Holsteins, 2. Frank Tedesco of Tedesco Bros. Holsteins was thrilled to accept the grand champion banner for Millervale Brett Maud EX at the 1980 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, 3. MVF Triple Threat Amanda EX-3E 5*, a Triple Threat daughter from MVF Ned Albina EX 4*, was bred by Malden Valley Farms Ltd. and went on to be nominated for All-Canadian 4-year-old in 1986, 4. Taking first place in the County Herd class at the 1978 Western Ontario Championship Show in London was the herd from Essex-Kent, 5. R. Lee Montgomery of Doverholm Holsteins, now 86

family’s famous “Trudgen Bus”. Trudgen Astro Tara EX-92-USA sold through their 1985 sale and became All-Canadian and AllAmerican 3-year-old in 1988 for Lylehaven in Vermont.

Charles Diemer of Cornacre Holsteins introduced the first Registered Holsteins to his attractive Woodslee farm in 1942. Charlie was one of the first dairy producers in Essex to use artificial insemination when the Essex Cattle Breeding Association was established in 1948 under the guidance of Dr. Norman Shain. Many foundation animals in other local herds originated from Cornacre. A respected leader, Charlie was a pioneer in the “farm co-operative movement” in Ontario. He was awarded a Master Breeder shield in 1988, the Order of Canada in 1985, and was inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2012. Although Charlie lost his left hand in a farming accident, he worked with his son Dan on the farm well into his 90s. Dan was also very involved in the community and was Essex-Kent Club president when the area hosted the International Plowing Match in 1989.

The Cornacre farm was sold in 2013 to Vicky and William Morrison who immigrated to Canada with their family from Northern Ireland in 2007. Today, the Morrisons milk 200 Holsteins in a modern parlour at Bally Bright Farms Ltd. “We truly have been welcomed by the Essex-Kent community and have enjoyed every minute of living here. Our farm has become a hub for meetings as we are as close to the middle as it gets!” says Vicky, who represents Region 9 on the Dairy Farmers of Ontario Board.

Cecil Deslippe grew up on an Essex dairy farm near Amherstburg. In 1960, he and then wife Beth took over the farm and Meadow Bridge herd of her father, Ken Dewhirst, at Woodslee. A year later, the couple took the cows and prefix and moved to Oxford County where Cecil earned three Master Breeder shields and bred many top bulls and cows in his Normac Royal Mistress family.

Martin and Annie Unholzer were raising a family of 11 children on their purebred Holstein dairy farm at Woodslee when Martin died young in 1973. Three of their sons, Tony, Larry and Marty, went on to operate Malden Valley Farms Ltd. together, while another son, Joe, owns Bushy View (prefix Holzer), a two-time Master Breeder herd in Oxford County. As the “southern gateway” into Ontario from the United States, Essex-Kent has always attracted many American Holstein buyers and visitors. Malden Valley, just three minutes off Highway 401, was a popular stop. “I can’t remember the number of times I got up in the morning to find some Americans asleep in their car waiting for us,” chuckles Marty. In 1983, Malden Valley welcomed Canada’s Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Eugene Whelan, and Mikhail Gorbachev, the Agriculture Minister and later President of the Soviet Union, for a visit. Whelan, the colourful, outspoken Essex native, was Canada’s Agriculture Minister from 1972-84 and a tireless supporter of marketing boards and supply management.

One of the best-known cows to carry the Unholzers’ MVF prefix was MVF Triple Threat Amanda EX-3E 5*, the Triple Threat daughter from MVF Ned Albina EX 4*, who sold in dam in 1981 to Cormdale Farms. Malden Valley took All-American Red & White senior yearling and senior 2-year-old honours on Hinzdale Ruben Sherri VG-88 after she was junior champion at World Dairy Expo in 2001 and a class winner there in 2002. Marty was a herdsman at Belhill and Tedesco, and then worked as a clipper at shows, sales and on-farm for many of Canada’s greatest herds in the 1970-80s before returning home. Tony, who died in a farm accident in 2013, was active in many farm organizations and had been Gencor president, secretary and president of the Essex-Kent Holstein Club, and chairman of the Essex Milk Committee. After sustaining three barn fires over the years, the Unholzers dispersed their herd in 2003 after two silos collapsed on the barn and killed many of their best cows.

Frank Tedesco and his family were operating a highly successful Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Windsor when they decided to also buy a farm and establish Tedesco Bros. Holsteins in 1974. In 1993,

Essex-Kent Master Breeders

WONDERLAND SWANDALE DOVERHOLM MORRIS ACRES TRUDGEN CORNACRE TEDESCO R.J. PINSONNEAULT & SONS (ESSEX) THOMAS SWANTON (KENT) R. LEE MONTGOMERY (KENT) C.C. MORRIS & SONS (ESSEX) TRUDGEN FARMS LTD. (KENT) CHARLES A. DIEMER (ESSEX) TEDESCO BROS. HOLSTEINS (ESSEX) 1969 1970 1971 1971 1980 1988 1993

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years old, was the youngest person to ever receive a Master Breeder shield from Holstein Canada when he earned his award in 1971, 6. William, Jane, Scott and Vicky Morrison of Bally Bright Farms Ltd. are among the current enthusiastic members of the Essex-Kent Holstein Club, with Vicky also representing Region 9 on the DFO Board, 7. Malden Valley Farms Ltd., owned by the Unholzer family, bred many outstanding animals and attracted many buyers during its years of operation, 8. The current Essex-Kent Dairy Producers’ Committee during their sponsorship of a Windsor Spitfire’s hockey game. PHOTOS SUBMITTED.

they were named a Master Breeder. Tedesco Bros. won many top rosettes at London Championship Show, Ontario Spring Show and the Royal Winter Fair. In 1980, Millervale Brett Maud EX captured grand champion for them at the Royal. “Winning at the Royal was WOW! It was the joy of my life and a day I will never forget,” says Frank. Maud was reserve grand champion at the Royal in 1979, grand at London three times, and All-Canadian twice. Tedesco Bros. was a partner in two more Royal reserve grand champions, Roycedale Ned Sue EX in 1978 and Georgian Moch Beth EX-95-USA in 1985. Another favourite was Ville Glend Radio Jean EX 1*, a London and Ontario Spring Show grand champion and two-time Reserve AllCanadian. While the herd ended in 1990, Frank, 78, says, “I miss those days and still have many dreams about the cows and farm.”

Ridgetown College of Agricultural Technology (now Ridgetown Campus - University of Guelph) also calls this area home. Ridgetown College has been conducting agricultural and environmental research for over 90 years and providing practical, hands-on education programs for nearly 70 years. They currently offer diploma and certificate programs in agriculture, horticulture, environmental management and veterinary technology to 625 students. Ridgetown’s dairy herd has consistently ranked among the top production herds in Essex-Kent, despite being on a rigorous experimental program. Art Gronewegen, Dairy Sales Manager at Grand Valley Fortifiers, was the Herd Manager/Dairy Research Technician at Ridgetown from 1985-89. Among the cows he bred during his tenure was RCAT Ultra Avenger VG-87. This two-time St. Clair Show grand champion, and 1991 nominee for All-Canadian 5-year-old, was a member of Ridgetown’s nominated All-Canadian Breeder’s Herd in 1991. That same year her daughter, RCAT S C Holly VG-88, was nominated for All-Canadian and All-American junior 2-year-old after placing second at World Dairy Expo. Two men with strong Holstein ties, Adrian Vander Wielen and Dr. Vern Osborne, were Dairy Instructors at Ridgetown, and Don Taylor, Ridgetown Campus Director from 1984-94, was very supportive of the college’s dairy programs.

Brian Haggins of Loralans Holsteins, Ruthven, is in his 30th year as secretary of the Essex-Kent Holstein Club. His parents, Allan and Lorraine Haggins, were secretary/treasurer of the Essex Holstein Club for 12 years. Brian has fond memories of the St. Clair Show where “six different poles in the small ring meant your cow was always either behind, or in front, of a pole,” he laughs. Since the demise of the St. Clair Show, Essex-Kent breeders compete at the Middlesex Show. With few dairy producers to draw from in this area, Brian says, “people have to wear a lot of hats”. As 4-H leaders in 2015, Brian, Roger Wright of Wridair Holsteins and chairman of the Essex-Kent Dairy Producers’ Committee, Rob Reid, current RCAT Herd Superintendent and Essex-Kent Holstein Club president, and Janice (Charlton) Anderson, a Holstein Club director, worked to ensure that both Essex and Kent sent teams to the TD Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic. This marked the first time in 25 years that teams from both counties had gone to the Classic.

Despite its size and the long distances now between members, the Essex-Kent Holstein Club is an enthusiastic club with a family atmosphere. It has great participation at its twilight meetings (+150 people), banquets (200 people), and for its Breeders’ Cup competitions. It is appreciative of the support it has always received from Holstein Ontario Representatives Gord Bell, Paul Meyer, Angela Howard, and Jordan Eastman.

The Essex-Kent Holstein Club may be small, but it is like a family; a family with a rich history and members who care about each other.

Pictured in front of the Ridgetown College of Agricultural Technology sign are, from left: RCAT Patricia Brent EX 1*, RCAT Patty Jetstar VG-85 2*, RCAT Ultra Avenger VG-87 and RCAT Rosie Brent VG-87.