As cattle producers – beef or dairy – it is critical to remember that both our industries have the same end product: beef. This concept that all cattle contribute to beef production has never been more closely aligned than with the current growth in the mating of dairy cows to beef semen.

Coined the “most prolific accolade awarded” by Holstein Canada, the Master Breeder Award is not something to sneeze at.

It seems that the one constant in our dairy farms and farming families is change. Whether it’s the changing roles of family members in an operation or the way technology and new research findings are continually modifying how we care for animals, land and water, keeping up with and managing through these changes requires a commitment to learning in all forms. 

Standing ringside at a competitive cattle show is a type of high that has captivated so many in the registered dairy cattle industry. Watching your time, money and energy parade across the shavings, looking the best she ever has, gets your heart racing analyzing the judge's every move and nervously tapping your toe. 

Buyers continue to see value in dairy-beef animals at sale barns but are becoming more discerning as more crossbreds enter the marketplace.