WG ISSUE NO. 2 // OCTOBER 2019
AN INSIGHT
GREAT CATTLE, GREAT PEOPLE, GOOD TIMES
WELCOME TO WATTLE GROVE
Welcome to the second edition of WG. An annual magazine to showcase and provide insight into Wattle Grove Speckle Park.
Wattle Grove Speckle Park was established in 2008 at "Wattle Grove" Oberon NSW. It is a family owned and operated Speckle Park Stud. Our mission statement is Great Cattle, Great People, Good Times. We believe in honesty, integrity, creativity and fun. We thrive on partnerships whether with our kids, cattle or clients. The easiest way for us to run our business is for everyone to be happy and enjoying what they do. We do what we can to make sure every person and every animal that is part of our business or deals with us is looked after and thrives. This being the second issue of WG, I have to admit it has had it's challenges. Issue one was purely for me. Created by a decision to find more creativity in the busy-ness of running a cattle stud. I love writing and what better way to explore writing than creating your own glossy mag. When it came time to back it up with a second issue I found it had strings attached. My expectations had changed and all of a sudden there were a lot more voices in the creative process. Voices that were very much my own. The inner critic had a field day; "What if it isn't as good as the first one?" Do people really want to read about the things you write about?" "Isn't this all just a bit wanky?" All very empowering thoughts...I know. And so here I am pushing through the insecurities and putting pen to paper. I do hope you like it and if you don't well I can live with it. Cheers
PS: This magazine is more about the stories of Wattle Grove rather than cattle, genetics and pedigrees. For more info on our sales, cattle and program please gives us a call or head to our website www.wattlegrovespecklepark.com.au
WHY WATTLE GROVE?
Knowledge and longevity Passion and generosity
Knowledge and Longevity Being one of the oldest and still growing Speckle Park studs in Australia with over 20 trips to Canada (where Speckle Park originate) and 1000's of kms travelled we pride ourselves on our deep knowledge of the breed. This knowledge is not based on the current EBV's or a passing fad. This is knowledge born of ten years of breeding and of witnessing first hand generations after generations of cattle perform or not. The type of knowledge that identifies Codiak Monument GNK 107D as a great calf on his mum and then sees him get bigger and better every year until now as a three year old being one of the best bulls in Canada. Knowing that he is not a fluke because we know his mum Codiak Unique 8R is one of the all-time great Speckle Park cows and his dad Codiak Oscar GNK 8S breeds great bulls. To purchase GNK 42Y as a young heifer and have her prove why, over and over again with every son and daughter she breeds. To handpick and purchase the great CRD 38W as a baby and know that she will breed champions just like her mum has. To return year after year and see what works, what doesn't and have the humility to admit when we get it wrong and celebrate when we get it right.
Generosity Knowledge like that doesn't come easy and it doesn't come cheap but like anything it is better shared. We are generous with our knowledge, knowing that for Speckle Park to be truly successful in the worldwide beef cattle industry we must all succeed in breeding better, more consistent and efficient cattle. To take it even further...to compete with the other proteins in our industry we must work together to improve and make consistent, our end users experience. Branded beef is just step in that direction and I believe Speckle Park beef is the eating experience customers have been looking for.
Passion "Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion." George Hegel Passion is what gets us out of bed every morning to feed, water, check and manage. Passion keeps us focused when the markets are tough and it hasn't rained enough. Passion is what makes us mourn the loss of the great cows taken too soon and to weep with joy each year as the new babies arrive. Passion is what keeps our marriage together despite the worst days in the cattle yards and the stresses of sale time. Passion lifts our children to new heights they never thought existed and love gives them somewhere safe to fall. Passion drives us to be better and to do better. We know that the Speckle Park world is growing and becoming more competitive. We see the improvement in the cattle overall and the recognition the breed now receives. We congratulate our fellow breeders knowing we all have the same goal; To make Speckle Park a recognised leader in the worldwide Beef industry. We see the need to create a point of difference and the pressure to remain competitive. Knowledge and longevity gives us our solid foundation and passion gives us the wings to fly, to create and to engage. We are excited about the future of Speckle Park and our role in it. We look forward to helping others along the way.
PARTNERS CATTLE AND CLIENTS
When your cattle become family and your clients become friends.
The word partnership has been a real buzz word for me over the past year. It all started when I was mid-flush program with some of our gorgeous donor cows. They were on their third day of needles and I was feeling their pain. As with all treatments involving hormones, emotions are heightened and every cow was responding in her own individual way. From outright fury to total resignation and let's get this over with. What occurred to me is that the cows and I were in this together and a partnership had been created. Now I hear you saying "You are exploiting these cows, they do not have a choice in being donors or not." and that is true but as a donor they get the good paddock, they get extra hay, they are treated with love, and a respect verging on reverence. They are our partners in securing the future of our business and we love them for it. I like to think that our cattle know they are going to be looked after to the absolute best of our ability. They are our family and our livelihood and we all play a part in the business we are in. It is not dissimilar with the relationship between us and our clients. Again there is a feeling of real partnership. Of creating those win-win situations and having a great time while doing it. We go to great lengths to match our cattle to our clients. Taking the time to find out about their program, what they look for in cattle and what they like to see in their paddock. Clients become friends. I think it helps that we have our sale on farm every year. We invite people into our home, we feed them, we give them a good time (or so we are told) and we send them home with something. Whether it be a bull, heifer, cow and calf, belt buckle, hat, meatpack or a hangover. No-one leaves empty handed. The friends we have made are for life. The amazing role models we have for our kids are humbling. The connections and conversations are spine-tingling and all because of our partnership with Speckle Park Cattle. They are special and they create special.
BALANCING SALES AND SANITY
The highs and lows of sale time.
As I am typing this we are in the throes of full on sale prep. Life becomes singularly focused. Henry has to keep reminding me hourly that his birthday is four days after the sale and I have to keep telling him that I will remember but for now life has only one focus and that is the SALE! The preparations start in earnest about 6 months before. Cattle selection and making sure everything is registered, DNA tested and fits the strict criteria of the type of animal we want to sell. As time moves on we go through the stages of preparing cattle, sale videos and photos, data collection, scanning and weighing, breedplan data, cataloguing, advertising and social media. Having a sale at home adds a whole other level as you look at the house with fresh eyes and see all those little, big jobs that need doing. You know the ones that you learn to live with until you know that hundreds of people are going to rock up to your place and expect perfection. Well perhaps not perfection but at least some evidence that their hosts care. There are always so many questions in the preparation. How many cattle do we sell? What size catalogue do we have? What information do we include? How many catalogues do we print? Does anyone actually read them? How many people do we cater for? Will anyone turn up? Do we have time to paint the house? Stretched is the word that comes to mind. Not only physically but emotionally as the persistent questions with no right answers wears you down. The roller coaster of emotions. From elation at the completion of the catalogue, to "holy *&#^" I haven't even started on the envelopes yet. From the joy of finishing the filming of sale videos to "oh no" now I have to edit them. And yet despite all the stress and insanity we keep doing it and on some level I am sure we love it :-)
BLOSSOMING KIDS AND CATTLE
When the kids start leaving home and you have to say goodbye.
In the last issue I wrote about the pain and pleasure of balancing kids and cattle. When you are smack bang in the middle of child rearing you think it will never end and on the bad days you wish for them to just grow up already. Well in the twelve months since my last magazine one of the team has grown up, left school and left home and another has headed off for a five month exchange in Canada. Quite lucky we have so many kids really or the house would start to feel empty. In all seriousness it is hard. Hard saying goodbye and watching them fly off into the big world. Hoping that you have given them all the tools they will need to survive and thrive and yet knowing that you never could because some stuff they just have to learn for themselves. They were so much readier than me. Ready to get out and make their mark. And once I got over the immediate grief of separation I realised how awesome it is to have kids that ARE ready to go live their lives! They are bold and brave, not all the time but enough. They are self-sufficient and they know how to give something a good crack. As long as they come back at some stage I think I will be ok. As for blossoming cattle I just have to make a mention of Wattle Grove Wally. He was an abandoned twin that we hand raised in 2017. I have always said that one day I would have a poddy calf that was good enough for the show team. Well Wally made that dream a reality. The little bull that could, did! Sometime I think he might be there for his temperament rather than his show winning attributes...the calming goat if you will. But he has turned some heads and will be a great addition to someones breeding program when he moves from show bull to sale bull this year. I am a proud Mum, still a little teary but definitely proud.
VALE: WATTLE GROVE STARDUST E2
A tough day on the farm
photo of e2
Losing E2 to a snakebite earlier this year was definitively one of the saddest days we have had on the farm. Although not a cuddly cow she definitely knew how good she was and let you know where you stood in her pecking order. She was the alpha cow in our herd and we loved her. She leaves a legacy of sons and daughters and a special place in our hearts.
GREAT CATTLE GREAT PEOPLE GOOD TIMES
The Sales and the Shows
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