Norman Nabholz has long been a keen observer and quick-witted narrator for the global dairy industry.
He has now turned his attention to putting the words to paper in a popular group of self-published books, which the industry has embraced. He is now on the second print run of his third read, “Bonnie goes to the Fair”, and he has started researching his fourth publication, “Ringside Notes”.
Norm said they have been bowled over by the popularity of “Millionaires in the Cornfield”, “The Queens Caretakers”, and now “Bonnie Goes to the Fair.” Bonnie’s story follows a calf’s journey through the 4-H process.
The second section includes helpful hints from several of the best in the business. Nathan Thomas (Triple T Holsteins) talks about feeding, Terri Packard (Kueffner Holsteins and Jerseys) shares her knowledge about breaking heifers to show, the Harbaugh family (Bella-Ridge) talk about washing, and Shirley Spencer advises on keeping whites, white. Jennifer Hill speaks about her packing list for a show.
Norman wants the industry to keep the trailblazers of the industry alive for the next generation.
“Ringside Notes is about the great sales and interesting cows from the past,” Norman said.
“It will be about this business we’re in, the characters from the rich people to the eccentric – we’ve got them all. I like writing about the past, because I think the past is interesting.”
He said he loves the research the most.
“There was a Milking Shorthorn back in the early 1970s that showed at a lot of shows. And, they would show their cattle in the dairy in the morning at these fairs, and then as beef in the afternoon. They had one heifer that was shown 56 times (in beef and dairy) and she was never beat in either division,” Norm smiled.
“I find that interesting. I remember the basics of that cow, because we showed at a lot of shows that they did, and we became friends. These guys that owned that cow – one ended up being an orthopedic surgeon – and the other a very high-priced corporate lawyer. But they were showing cattle, and I thought it was pretty cool.”
Then he followed the crumbs to a cow that had a sliding door moment.
“There was a cow found at the University of Illinois as a two-year-old, and she went from no score to EX-95 the first time she was scored.
“There is another story about a Jersey in the early 1960s. She calved with twins three times on the truck going to the National Show – from Texas to the All-American. Even worse, one of the times she calved they were milking her on the truck and she got her tail caught in the milking pump and she cut it off…up high.
“They got to the show and went to the stock yards and found a Jersey tail and sewed it on. Looking at the photo – that is 65 to 70 years old – you cannot tell. It’s unreal.
“They are just some of the stories like that that I think people will be interested in.”
Norman said he was movitated because he worried the industry might forget the legacies that made today possible.
“I’m not an athlete, and I’m really not into doing physical stuff, and I wanted to write about the cattle.
“So, I wanted to do this and make sure those stories remain.”
“Bonnie goes to the Fair” is available from the Bovine Boutique in the exhibition hall.
