Spruce View Charolais wins Breeder of the Year Award

Spruce View Charolais wins Breeder of the Year Award

Alberta Charolais Association

December 12, 2019 was a very special and memorable night for the Lakustas’ of Spruce View Charolais from Andrew. They were presented with the prestigious purebred Charolais Breeder of the Year award voted on by the Alberta Charolais Association (ACA) membership. The awards night was held in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the ACA held in Red Deer.

Spruce View Charolais was established by Lorne’s father Syl in 1984, and the family operation took off from there. Spruce View Charolais are located south of Andrew and is operated by Lorne and Effie Lakusta, with their son Lyle, and daughter Larissa MacIsaac and husband Matt. You will probably remember the Lakusta name as they were long time members of the North Central Alta Charolais Breeders group, consigning bulls and females to the annual sales at Nilsson Bros Clyde. In order to share their genetic program, the Lakustas’ have tried to consign top females into various fall female sales as well as selling packages off farm. Spruce View Charolais have marketed their genetics across Canada, into the USA, Mexico as well as China. This has allowed them to meet so many great cattle people in the Charolais industry.

Pictured from left to right: Lyle Lakusta(son),Larissa MacIsaac (daughter) Effie and Lorne Lakusta, Bob Burla (Alta Charolais Asssoc director), Stephen Cholak (Alberta Charolais Association president).

Since the Lakustas’ start calving in April, they only market two-year-old bulls, making them one of the largest two-year-old bull marketers offering 50-55 bulls annually. They feel that their customers prefer the extra aged bulls since they can cover more cows and stand up much better. As well as solely marketing two-year-old bulls, the Lakustas’ raise the largest offering of Red Factor Charolais bulls in Northern Alberta from three different sire groups.