Co-owners of Lucky Hill Dairy Ltd. Willem and Joanne van der Linde say lucky is more than just a part of the farm’s name, it is an outlook on farm life itself.

What does it take to build a facility fit to house an outstanding herd, recognized for its high-caliber classification around the world? Years of preparation, says Steve Comtois of Victoriaville, Quebec’s Comestar Holstein.

Coined the “most prolific accolade awarded” by Holstein Canada, the Master Breeder Award is not something to sneeze at. Breeders are recognized for consistently producing animals that are the complete package: high-producing, great conformation, healthy and long-lasting.

In 2002, Doug Blair, David Chalack and Glenn Hockley started a conversation at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair that would prove extremely fruitful for themselves and the Holstein breed.

Emma Finch is a 21-year-old student at the University of Guelph studying crop and animal sciences. She, like many Ontario youth, is an accomplished showperson.