Since starting the Bullvine over a year ago, I have learned to accept that we have become a polarizing entity. While most tell us how much they love what we are doing, there are also those who have put a bounty on our heads.  This means there are   moments when I have wondered if I have been wasting my time.  Living life as a marked man is definitely not boring.  When you’re blazing new ground, there is always the chance that you could be shot down in a blaze of glory.

Sometimes I get some sleep. Other times it seems like you are sleeping on a bed of nails not knowing what is going to happen next.  Now some might say that I am being dramatic and I accept that.  However, I am not sure that they understand the pressure that has come with running The Bullvine.  In starting the Bullvine I have had to open up my soul to the world.  With that comes a completely different experience than most would ever expect.

First comes a rush that many never experience.  We have had days where we have literally reached hundreds of thousands of people around the world and you feel like Superman.  Yet there are other days when you wonder if it was all worth it.  Is it worth people slandering your name?  Questioning your ethics?  Is it worth losing relationships that have meant the most to you?

You see, the Bullvine isn’t your typical dairy magazine where we publish a few nice articles about fluff.  Sure Karen (a.k.a Mom) has done an amazing job profiling some extremely interesting people.  (Read more: Don Schwartz: “Love what you do and do the best you can!” and Christy Nurse: From Show Ring Beauty to World Class Rower)  But if that was all the Bullvine was then we would be like every other publication out there.  Instead we wanted to build a community around the key issues that are facing breeders on a daily basis.  (Read more: Milk Marketing: How “Got Milk Became “Got Lost” and No Cow Is Perfect – Not Even in Pictures)

We wanted to bring about change, and that meant talking about, saying and doing things others wouldn’t.  Have I said or done things that I regret?  ….Sure who hasn’t?  I don’t apologize because not even for one moment have I regretted our bigger purpose.  (Read more: I’m Sorry, But I’ve Had Just About Enough of…)  When pouring your heart and soul into something, you are going to react as much out of emotion as out of logic.  There have been times where many thought that we were going down for the count.  However, what they didn’t realize is we are fighters. If you don’t knock us out, watch out because we are coming back twice as strong and twice as hard.

Then there are the weeks where everything just seems to come together and you know what you’re doing is exactly what is needed and well  worth it.

Take this past week for example.  On Monday we profiled an amazing dairy farm mom, Mary Lou King.  Mary Lou is like most farm wives, her day starts before the sun rises and doesn’t end still after the sun sets and she does it all while raising her children.  (Read more: Dairy Farm Moms are Unstoppable)  This story reached over 20,000 people.

We then had the opportunity to profile Carrie Mess and her remarkable blog, about a city girl who has become one of the biggest advocates for the dairy industry.  (Read more: Dairy Carrie- Diary of a City Kid Gone Country)  Very fitting for National Ag Day, where the Bullvine set a new Facebook dairy record reaching over 200,000 people in a single day.

Then in true Bullvine style, we profiled many of the upcoming sales.  However, unlike the others, instead of promoting who paid us the most money, we did our own detailed homework on all the sales and gave our true opinion.  We did this, because like everyone else, we are also breeders and wanted to make sure we were not missing any great investment opportunities.  (Read more: The Dairy Investors Guide to Spring Sale Madness).  I guess people like what we are saying because we had feedback from sales managers about how much it helped and how they have sold animals because of it.

Following that was the opportunity to profile Dusty Schirm.  A young man, who much like myself, has faced criticism.  But with the help of a great woman, has really become an outstanding member of the dairy industry.  (Read more: Dusty Schirm- From Show Ring to Sales Ring Building a Franchise).  For me personally this meant a lot.  You see when others were running for the hills when we first started the Bullvine, Dusty has been a supporter since day one.  For that the chance to share Dusty’s story was the least we could do.  So yes we have been sharing lots about Dusty’s upcoming Sale on Monday (Read more: The Franchise Kind II), but if we cannot help those who have supported us, then why are we doing this?

The topper to the week was when Jerry Jorgensen of Ri-Val-Re Holsteins came to me wanting to try something outside of the box.  You see we have had the opportunity to get to know Jerry pretty well since starting the Bullvine.  He first hit our radar when he offered to purchase Golden-PP semen for $10,000 a dose (Read more: $10,000 a Dose Polled Semen) and ever since we have been a huge fan of Jerry’s. Being able to tell his story has been great (Read more: Breeding Ri-Val-Re: Where Looking Good in the stall is Just as Important as looking good on paper).  So when he wanted to try something different we jumped on the opportunity.  We assisted Jerry in promoting his upcoming sale by doing an innovative promotion on Facebook.  The Result – In less than 12 hours it was seen by over 50,000 people on the Bullvine’s Facebook page alone.  All at a fraction of the cost of a single ad in any major dairy publication.  Goes to show that the power of Facebook is something that every breeder should look into (Read more: 7 Reasons Why Your Dairy Farm Needs to Be On Facebook)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Since starting the Bullvine we have had one hell of a ride.  We have started a ripple that has grown into a tsunami.  We have gone from a small upstart to the largest daily digital reach in the dairy industry.  Larger than all our other competitors combined. There are so many amazing breeders who made it all worthwhile.  To those few who still may have me in your sights, I say FIRE.  But you had better kill me cause if you miss…..If you don’t finish the job……be ready for me to come back firing twice as hard….twice as fast…..and shooting to kill.  At The Bullvine we are that passionate about what we are doing and love being the dairy industry`s “Most Wanted!”

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I know you have heard the phrase, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game”.  If you haven’t heard it, live a little longer and you will.  What it means is:  “Do not fault the successful participant in a flawed system, instead try to discern and rebuke that aspect of its organization that allows or even encourages the behavior that has provoked your displeasure”.  This definition also holds true for many of the complaints that we hear from our Bullvine readers about various aspects of the dairy industry.

Since we started the Bullvine, just over a year ago, we have always tried to listen to the frustrations of our readers and do what we can to help.  Whether that is explaining different aspects of genomics (Read more: Old School Dairy Breeders – Stop Pissing On Genomics, How Genomics Is Killing The Dairy Cattle Breeding Industry, and Is The Genomic System Really Working) or suggesting ways to increase your genetic sales (Read more: 6 Ways To Invest $50,000 In Dairy Cattle Genetics, Times Have Changed. Why Hasn’t The Way You Market Your Dairy Cattle, and Who Killed The Market For Good Dairy Cattle) or helping to bring clarity to many other issues, we have always tried to help find a solution.  However there are problems where the solution does not lie within what you do on your own farm, but rather the solution needs to come from changes in the industry itself.

While we all love to get on a high horse and gripe and complain about things, Bullvine included, that is not going to change anything.  It’s more important to use that frustration to bring about change.  In looking back over the past year, some major areas that we see that need this are:

• Marketing Ethics
  Several times over the past year we have discussed the lack of ethics in the marketing of dairy cattle.  More specifically photo ethics (Read more: No Cow Is Perfect, Not Even in Pictures, Has Photo Enhancement Gone Too Far, and Dairy Cattle Marketing Ethics – Do they exist?).  To help deal with this the Bullvine has recommended and is going to further take up the charge for a set of ethical guidelines and accreditation process for professional livestock photographers to agree to and sign to, in order to bring credibility back to an industry that has developed much cynicism.
• Sale Ring Prices
  This past year has seen some impressive sale toppers at many of the great sales (Read more: An Insider’s Guide To What Sells At The Big Dairy Cattle Auctions).  With it has also come some skepticism about whether those animals actually sold for those prices and were those animals really worth that amount of money.  It’s for those very reasons that we here at the Bullvine created The Dairy Cattle Investment Calculator. This innovative tool allows you to plug in the numbers for your actual costs and expected revenue to determine exactly what that animal is worth to you.  This number may be different for each person, but by going to this level of detail in understanding your investments, you are ensured that you will minimize your risk and maximize your return.
• Bull Proofs and the Genetic Evaluation System
  There is no question that this is a very pivotal time in the industry.  Genomics has brought about great change and higher reliabilities.  But it has also brought with it some uncertainty.  From things like breeders being able to test their own sires starting next month, to changes in the system, to more accurately account for the genetic merit of young sires in relation to proven sires, there are a lot of aspects to be concerned about.  That is why we have tried to bring clarity to many of these issues.  From understanding what sires are the real deal, to which ones you should avoid (Read more: Fact vs. Fantasy: A realistic approach to sire selection, From Fantasy to Reality – Top Sires To Address Herd Culling Problems, and 7 Sires to Use in Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion), to helping explain complex issues about the system (Read more: Canadian Bull Proofs – You’ve got to prove it to use it, What the Experts Will Tell You About Who is Winning the Genetic Improvement Race, and Preferential Treatment the Bull Proof Killer), The Bullvine has tried to bring some much needed clarity in these very murky waters.  Watch for lots more about this to come as we head into what could either be the greatest time in history or the biggest flop since Fosbury.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The Bullvine lives by the motto  “Lead, follow, or get out of the way” (Read more: Lead, Follow, Or get out of the way!!!).  Since we have started the Bullvine we have gotten out of the way of no one (Read more: The Bullvine – The Party is Over!), followed no one (Read more: I’m Sorry, But I’ve Had Just About Enough of…), and have tried to lead even when it put us under fire (Read more: The Bullvine – Under Fire).  These are values we will never change as we look to tackle tough issues that have breeders concerned about the future.  At the Bullvine we don’t hate the “playas” in the industry, we actually love all members of the industry.  What we are looking to do is help change the game.

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WOW hard to believe that it has been 1 year already since we started The Bullvine.  What started as a desire to write about something that we were passionate about has grown into the largest daily digital readership in the dairy breeding industry.  Reaching over 20,000 breeders a day!

The Past

Along the way we have a shared our clean side that highlights thought provoking articles and tools to help you make your dairy cattle breeding programs more profitable.  However, we also have an edgy side that has not been afraid to talk about those issues the others do not touch.

Over the past year we have published over 280 feature articles (Four times more than any other digital or print dairy publication).  Some of the highlights include:

• 7 SIRES TO USE IN ORDER TO BREED THE NEXT WORLD DAIRY EXPO CHAMPION
  Everyone loves winning.  No one enters a competition to finish last.  Regardless of who you are every purebred dairy breeder dreams of winning supreme champion at World Dairy Expo.  Your dream of walking in the spotlight, on the colored shavings, with everyone applauding you, starts with choosing the right sires. (Read more)
• THE 2012 ROYAL WINTER FAIR HOLSTEIN SHOW – ONE OF THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD!
  From an outsider looking in, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show may appear to be somewhat  boring.  The winners were pretty much the same as, and for all intents and purposes the results whereas per expectation.  Yet in my mind, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show will go down in history as one of the greatest stories ever told. (Read more)
• SELECT SIRES VS. SEMEX – A CONTRAST IN COOPERATIVES
  While many would think that all farmer-owned cooperatives would have the same challenges and the same mandates, there could be no greater contrast than the approaches taken by Select Sires and Semex.  Select Sires is a federation of nine farmer-owned-and-controlled cooperative and Semex is a partnership of three breeder owned cooperatives.  So structurally they are quite similar with perhaps some significant differences in mandates.  However these two artificial insemination companies are headed in very different directions when it comes to approaches to communications and product development. (Read more)
• $10,000 A DOSE POLLED SEMEN
  First it was LIQUID GOLD that caught everyone’s attention when GenerVations released him and his brothers in a limited offering for $750 and $500.  That gave all breeders the chance to have equal access to early release semen, instead of playing favorites with preferred herds or contract mattings.  Now it’s GOLDEN PP, Kulp-Dale Golden PP-Red that is getting everyone’s attention.  When his first five units of semen sold for $50,000, it generated heaps of discussion around the industry. (Read more)
• $750 DOLLAR SEMEN! ARE YOU CRAZY
  When you first read the recent Limited Offering  from GenerVations for Liquid Gold, Fuzion and Gizmo priced at $750 and $500 and $500 respectively, I am sure some breeders will think: “Are the bulls dead? Are these guys crazy?  Are they expecting to get rich?  Who the heck will buy that semen?” (Read more)
• TOP TEN MOST INFLUENTIAL HOLSTEIN BREEDERS OF ALL-TIME
  The great thing about the North American dairy breeding industry is how passionate breeders are about what they do.  This is what makes most dairy farmers get up in the morning to do hard work that many would not.  Over the years there have been many great breeders that have dedicated their lives to advancing the breed.  The following is our top 10 list of the ones who the Bullvine feels have had the biggest impact on the North American Holstein industry. (Read more)
• THE TOP 12 HOLSTEIN GENOMIC YOUNG SIRES TO USE FOR MAXIMUM GAIN
  Confused on what group of genomic young sires to use for your breeding program?  Not sure which sires are the real deals and which ones are just smoke and mirrors (read The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling)?  We decided to take a closer look at the top 100 genomic young sires from around the world to determine just which ones are worth using and which ones you are better forgetting. (Read more)
• WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2012 HOLSTEIN SHOW – A BATTLE FOR THE AGES
  Pre-billed as being one of the greatest shows in history the 2012 World Dairy Expo Holstein Show was one for the record books.  There was the battle of two EX-97 point cows ….the Rejoice vs. Monique battle … and there was the bull stud battle.  (Read more)
• THE 8 GREATEST NORTH AMERICAN SHOW COWS OF ALL-TIME
  Coming off what might have been one of the greatest World Dairy Expo’s of All-Time there seems to be great debate about how some cows stack up in the All-Time rankings.  To help determine how we would rank the greatest North American Holstein show cows of all time, we looked at their head to head match ups as well as overall accomplishments and dominance in their era and developed the following list (Read more)
• THE WINNERS OF THE 2012 BREEDER’S CHOICE AWARDS
  Forget the  Vince Lombardi Trophy award to the Baltimore Ravens for winning the Super Bowl last night, it is now time to hand out the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards.  After the month long vote and announcement this past Monday of the winners of the Tanbark Trail Edition, over 3000 dairy breeders cast almost 8000 votes in a one week period for their favorites in 21 different categories.  Without any further ado, here are the winners. (Read more)
• MILK MARKETING: HOW “GOT MILK?” BECAME “GOT LOST”
  It’s just eight days into a New Year and already I’m thinking about the ‘good ol’ days!”.  Remember when the dairy industry was at the top of the agricultural sustainable list, milk was the “perfect food” and milk moustaches were seen on celebrities and sports stars? Hmmm. Where has all the glory gone? In 2013, the dairy industry is fighting to stay alive, the North American diet, including milk, is under attack as obesity from babes to the elderly is out of control and, when all is said and done, milk is a slipping way down on the favorite beverage list! (Read more)

The Present

Today we are doing so much more.  We now post 5-10 Breeder relevant news items a day in our Dairy News Section.  The Bullvine now has amazing daily content and conversations taking place on our Facebook page.  These dynamic interactions have led to our Facebook page setting a new world record for engagement for a dairy page.

This past week alone saw these posts going viral:

Reached over 166,000 people in its first day and shared 1,500 times in under 24 hours

Reached over 118,000 people in 1 day and liked and shared 2,000 times

Seen by over 100,000 people in 1 day and liked or shared over 1,000 times.

In addition, our T-Shirts are in demand by many dairy enthusiasts.

The Future

When we first set out to launch The Bullvine, I decided that for the 1^st year we would not take any advertisers on our website.  I wanted to first build The Bullvine community and not be influenced or biased by who spent the most money with us.

Now that we are turning two, we are going to start to monetize The Bullvine.  However, we will not be doing so in the traditional way.  Instead of having breeders pay for ineffective ads, we are going to use the Google proven Ad platform model that is based on pay by performance.  As part of Google’s platform we will have no control over whose ads are displayed, and hence will not be influenced by who advertises with us. , We will need to make sure that we keep generating great content that breeders want to read.

We will also be introducing some great new contests and bylines from some of the leading experts and companies in the dairy industry.  This will not only enrich the articles and guides that we have already been  producing but will also provide you the reader with even more opportunities to get free stuff from us here at The Bullvine, including a chance to win a trip to World Dairy Expo.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The first year has been an amazing experience for all of us here at the Bullvine.  We appreciate all the support we have received from breeders from around the world.  The Bullvine community has grown much larger and much faster than we could have ever imagined.  We are even more excited about the great things to come in Year 2.  Once again, thanks to all the breeders who have made The Bullvine the largest and most read digital daily dairy publication. Gandhi once said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!” A pattern we have seen perfectly since starting the Bullvine one year ago.

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I like to believe that I am someone who sees the best in people.  Even if someone might rub me the wrong way at first, I try my hardest to give that person the benefit of the doubt. That being said, if I’m being completely honest, there is one person out there that I’m really at my wits’ end with. I’d even go as far as to say this person sometimes has taken things too far.  That person is….Me!

Look, somebody has to say it: I’m arrogant, I’m abrasive and to top it all off, I’m down right aggravating. Okay, sure, I can be a nice enough guy every now and again, but haven’t you noticed that seconds later I’m back to being a complete jerk who is harshly judgmental about anything anyone does?

Most of all, I never want to hear any more of my pitiful excuses for my behavior. I’m done listening to me trying to explain any of the aggravating things I do seem to do on a daily basis. When it comes right down to it, I’ve been a pain in the butt for as long as I can remember, and I for one just don’t think I’m ever going to change.

Why Do I Do It?

So why do I behave the way I do.  Is it ’cause have a vendetta against people? Nope.  Is it because I am jealous of others?  Nope. Is it because I love to cause trouble?  Well maybe.  But the real reason I do what I do is because someone has to speak up and lead change.  And I am just the person who is narcissistic enough to do so. You see change is not easy.  And leading change is even harder.

In my own defense, I have been bred and raised to be this way.  Maybe it’s genetic. My father’s motto was “Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way” and there is no way that I am going to follow or get out of the way.   Maybe it was how I was raised.  I am from the video game generation where I could play games and pretend that I was an Olympian, Formula 1 driver, rock star or secret agent. Maybe it’s a sign of the times.  You see on Facebook, you can fool yourself into thinking you have hundreds or thousands of “friends.” You can delete unflattering comments (but, I don’t I love them). You can block anyone who disagrees with you or pokes holes in your inflated self-esteem (but I don’t, ’cause I love that too). You can choose to show the world only flattering, sexy or funny photographs of yourself (which I do, after I have airbrushed them of course).

But then again maybe it’s the dairy industry that has made me this way.  No, I have not judged the Royal or Madison.  No, I have not bought or sold a Supreme Champion.  However, what I did get is worth far more than any of these things.  It gave me the confidence to be heard, the ability to know what I am talking about, and the skills to defend my position. These three things have served me extremely well. (Read more – How Dairy Cattle Judging Made Me Rich)

What I do know is I am not alone!  Since starting the Bullvine almost 1 year ago, I have learned that my cry for change is not going unheard.  In fact we now have the most engaged audience in the world.

Learning from the greats!

I would love to say I have modeled myself after some of the greatest leaders of all time.  Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and George Washington were all great leaders.  But I haven’t modeled myself after them unfortunately.  Even my mentor Ken Blanchard is a great leader, but I wouldn’t say I have followed in his exact footsteps.

What I have done is looked at some modern day leaders.  A mixture between the great Don Cherry, Bob McCown and Howard Stern.  Don Cherry is famous hockey broadcaster who is well known for his outspoken manner, flamboyant dress, and staunch Canadian nationalism.  Three things I have been accused of many times.  Bob McCown runs Canada’s most listened to talk show.  My favorite quote of his is one where he is sitting at the Rogers Center (where the Toronto Blue Jays play) and he says “I’ve been told, that there are people out there who don’t like me, so I’d like to invite them all down to the Rogers Centre. Unfortunately, it only holds 50,000.” Something since starting the Bullvine I am well on my way to. And of course Howard Stern, because sometimes I do tend to have a little “shock jock” in what we do.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Gandhi once said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!”  A pattern I have seen perfectly since starting the Bullvine.  When we first started many ignored us.  After a little while they started to laugh at us.  And now more recently they have started to fight us.  Guess that means………

P.S. For those of you who are concerned I AM seeing a psychiatrist.  I married her.

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With 10 months in at The Bullvine and a New Year just beginning,  this is a timely opportunity to revisit our Top 12 Favorite Stories of 2012 and tell you why we loved them so much.

These aren’t necessarily the highest-traffic stories (The Top 10 of 2012 – The most read articles of the year) although in some cases they did attract a lot of attention.  More importantly, they are the stories that best represent what we try to deliver to our Bullvine readers every day:  real stories, features, and analysis about the people, cows, issues and trends that are shaping the dairy industry in North America and around the world.

These are the ones that kept us up at night and got us out of bed in the morning!  We know that when we are engaged, you will be too! Read on for our favorites of 2012!

12. Early to Bed Early to Rise Work Like Mad and Advertise

“These days, dairy producers need to have as much confidence in handling their advertising as they do when handling their high-producing cows.” We like this article for its relevance to modern dairy producers. Just as important as what you feed your dairy cattle, what you feed your customers in terms of information can make or break your bottom line. Social media has overtaken our industry. (Read more – How Social Media is Changing the Holstein World).  What tech gadget did YOU get or give for Christmas? Unlike other advertising trends these ones are here to stay and growing more and more relevant to marketing success.

11. Which Is Your Most Profitable Cow

“Every farmer and every farm has their own individual situation. One type of cow is not the most profitable for everyone. But it is important that every cattle breeder takes the time to decide which, for them personally, is the most profitable cow. And then it’s equally important that they take the next step and breed for that type of cow. Your reality is the source for your profit.”  This is a message that The Bullvine feels is both informative and timely.  With a changing industry, global economics and advancements in genetics and technology finding the profitable cow is crucial to every producer.

10. Don Schwartz: Love What You Do and Do the Best You Can

“This was our favorite story to put together this year”.  That is saying a lot when you consider that The Bullvine provided the opportunity to interview Cristy Nurse (Read more – Cristy Nurse: From Show Ring Beauty to World Class Rower and  Cristy Nurse: Standing Tall) and Bonnie Mohr (Read more – Bonnie Mohr: Science and Art Together Creates a Holstein Love Story) – who are both amazing role models for the industry.  In the case of Don Schwartz it was the unassuming way in which he has dedicated himself to the cows he works with that stood out for us.  His passion shows in the cattle he guides from birth to the show ring — and home again. The 2012 Curtis Clark Award Winner is a fine example, like Cristy and Bonnie, of how far you can go by loving what you do and doing your best every day!

9. The Bullvine – The Party is Over

From the outset The Bullvine has stated our belief that open discussion is the best way for the industry to grow, develop and move forward.” This article reiterates that. One supporter wrote, “If only there were more people in our industries who adopted the same attitude. Don’t shy away from it, reveal it, raise it, discuss it and come out the other side better informed, more empowered, more engaged, and much stronger!”  Will do!

8. Holstein vs. Jersey: Which Breed is More Profitable?

There are many questions that are relevant to today’s dairy industry and this article is one example that we have taken a look at. Profitability is the driving force of a sustainable industry and weaves its way through many of our articles on investing in genomics, robotics and management articles that consider the money-makers and money-wasters in today’s dairy business. Of course, it’s always relevant to keep our minds and eyes open to more than “black and white”.

7. Gone But Not Forgotten.

Seventh place on my top 12 list is occupied by cows who have left a legacy for the dairy industry despite passing on much too soon for those who raised and loved them.  Rainyridge Talent Barbara (Read more: LASTING LEGACY:  A Tribute to Rainyridge Talent Barbara) and Sweet Pepper Black Francesca (Read more:  The Magic of Francesca) are two stories that are the cornerstone for why breeders dedicate their lives to dairy cattle breeding.

6. Talk About Money!

The Bullvine takes seriously its role in providing information to breeders to help them make informed decisions. We enjoy the research and analysis that provides a basis for articles that are relevant and useful. Our investment articles are consistently among the most popular and, for us, bring this article in at number 6 (Read more: Top 6 ways to invest $50000 in Dairy Cattle Genetics).

5. Answering the Tough Questions.

Every day we are faced with new ideas, financial challenges and, on occasion, the impact of Mother Nature on our day to day dairying success.  It isn`t the Bullvine`s style to fly below the radar or to deny the obvious.  Whether it`s providing a needed wakeup call  or asking a tough questions about Genomics, the Show Ring, hot house or high priced cattle or Industry leadership, we bring the issues to the table for discussion and debate.  One of our favorites earns 5^th place – (Read more: $750 Semen Are You Crazy?”)  because it took a different angle on this new approach to dairy cattle semen selling.

4. The Perfect Holstein Cow.

If frequency of discussion was the only measure, this article on envisioning the perfect Holstein cow would be out in front by a country mile.  It is a topic that we never tire of at The Bullvine.  With experience in classification, true-type model designing and day-by-day cattle management, it is the “impossible dream” that eludes our grasp.  That doesn’t mean that we won’t try every scientific, photographic or genetic tool to bring it within our impassioned reach! And we WILL talk and write about it!!

3. The Story Behind the Story.

There are many obvious stories to write about: the winner at the cattle show; the top seller at the Auction; the list of industry Award Winners and so on. However, for the Bullvine, the real excitement comes from learning what goes on “behind barn doors” as we say!  By far one of our favorite articles was the one from this year’s Royal describing the touching events for the Eby family in “The 2012 Royal Winter Fairy Holstein Show – One of the Greatest Stories Ever Told”.  While it rises to the top, we are constantly impressed by the dedication, commitment and expertise of the dairy breeders we meet. Quality Holsteins (Read more: Quality Holsteins – Well Deserved Congratulations) and (Read more: Top 10 most Influential Holstein Breeders of All-Time) are great examples. It is the personal stories they shared with us that make our work a pleasure every day.

2. If it Matters, It Produces Controversy.

We continually ask ourselves, “What really matters to the dairy breeders who read the Bullvine?”  Sometimes the answers take us into areas that may be deemed politically incorrect or even none of our business. Great! Obviously, we receive (and accept) criticism especially when it leads to open and transparent discussion of these issues. When we look at industry leaders, we definitely raise hackles (Read more: Semex – The Rise and Fall of a Semen Empire). Our readers give us feedback: “I for one enjoy the service you provide. While I do not always agree with you, you always make me think” “Unfortunately truth is not always popular and frequently contradicts the institutional consensus.” and, most encouraging, “Your articles and subject are great.  I’m so damned tired of hearing the same old thing from others.” “I read The Bullvine first thing every morning and think about it, while I do chores!” Perfect!

This brings us to #1 on our Editors’ Choice list of favourites.

#1 Now That’s Timely.

Anyone involved in journalism will tell you that the Holy Grail of article writing is timeliness. At the Bullvine we strive to provide news in a way that is relevant to where you are RIGHT NOW!  Sometimes we burn the midnight oil.  Quite often we see the sun rise while we click away on our computers. It is all worth it when it works for YOU!

For these reasons our favorite article of 2012 was (Read more: Who’s Next? World Dairy Expo: Holstein Show Preview).  This choice may surprise many.  While, to some it was controversial, it comes in at number one because it met our top three criteria of timeliness, usefulness and relevance.

As we seated ourselves early on the morning of the Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo, I received a tap on my shoulder. The couple in the seats behind us had noticed our Bullvine logo on our jackets. As we introduced ourselves the gentleman pulled a paper out of his pocket. It was the article previewing World Dairy Expo.  He had printed it off and brought it with him. He updated us throughout the show on our insights.   We were right on and he followed up with comments, when he returned home. This interaction and dialogue happens often whether its auction sales, cattle shows or predictions of rising stars in genomics or the next proof run!

Input from our readers will always be #1 with The Bullvine.

THE BULLVINE BOTTOM LINE

At the end of the day — or at the beginning – we love what we do.  Your passion and enthusiasm for dairy breeding inspires everyone The Bullvine.  We are grateful to Len Vis, the breeder-friend who didn’t hesitate to be the first breeder to interview with us (Read more: “Mapel Wood Farms – Invest in the Best! Forget the Rest!) and are thrilled at the growing network of breeders, experts and enthusiasts who share with us regularly. We will continue to look for our best story ever!  It’s coming soon and will definitely be shared on The Bullvine.

Our first 10 months has certainly been eventful for us here at the Bullvine.  We have seen our readership grow by about 40% month over month to the point where we  now have the 2^nd largest digital readership in the world, and we have by far the largest engaged social readership in the world.  We have ruffled some feathers along the way but we have also brought to light many subjects that the others are just too afraid to talk about.  The following are our top 10 most read articles of 2012.

The Top 10

10. THE 8 GREATEST NORTH AMERICAN SHOW COWS OF ALL-TIME
Coming off what might have been one of the greatest World Dairy Expo’s of All-Time there seems to be great debate about how some cows stack up in the All-Time rankings.  To help determine how we would rank the greatest North American Holstein show cows of all time, we looked at their head to head match ups as well as overall accomplishments and dominance in their era and developed the following list (Read more)

9. $10,000 A DOSE POLLED SEMEN
First it was LIQUID GOLD that caught everyone’s attention when GenerVations released him and his brothers in a limited offering for $750 and $500.  That gave all breeders the chance to have equal access to early release semen, instead of playing favorites with preferred herds or contract mattings.  Now it’s GOLDEN PP, Kulp-Dale Golden PP-Red that is getting everyone’s attention.  When his first five units of semen sold for $50,000, it generated heaps of discussion around the industry. (Read more)

8. WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2012 HOLSTEIN SHOW – A BATTLE FOR THE AGES
Pre-billed as being one of the greatest shows in history the 2012 World Dairy Expo Holstein Show was one for the record books.  There was the battle of two EX-97 point cows ….the Rejoice vs. Monique battle … and there was the bull stud battle. (Read more)

7. THE TOP 12 HOLSTEIN GENOMIC YOUNG SIRES TO USE FOR MAXIMUM GAIN
Confused on what group of genomic young sires to use for your breeding program?  Not sure which sires are the real deals and which ones are just smoke and mirrors (read The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling)?  We decided to take a closer look at the top 100 genomic young sires from around the world to determine just which ones are worth using and which ones you are better forgetting. (Read more)

6.  TOP TEN MOST INFLUENTIAL HOLSTEIN BREEDERS OF ALL-TIME
The great thing about the North American dairy breeding industry is how passionate breeders are about what they do.  This is what makes most dairy farmers get up in the morning to do hard work that many would not.  Over the years there have been many great breeders that have dedicated their lives to advancing the breed.  The following is our top 10 list of the ones who the Bullvine feels have had the biggest impact on the North American Holstein industry. (Read more)

5. $750 DOLLAR SEMEN! ARE YOU CRAZY
When you first read the recent Limited Offering  from GenerVations for Liquid Gold, Fuzion and Gizmo priced at $750 and $500 and $500 respectively, I am sure some breeders will think: “Are the bulls dead? Are these guys crazy?  Are they expecting to get rich?  Who the heck will buy that semen?” (Read more)

4. SEMEX – THE RISE AND FALL OF A SEMEN EMPIRE
I have seen men who once screamed EBI green turn to the dark side.  Men who used to bleed WOBI blue now openly criticize the organization that was the epitome, half a century ago, of everything Dairy in Canada.  The Semex Alliance that once dominated, no longer owns the Canadian marketplace.  There is criticism from within.  How did the organization that once defined the Canadian marketplace lose control of it? (Read more)

3. SELECT SIRES VS. SEMEX – A CONTRAST IN COOPERATIVES
While many would think that all farmer-owned cooperatives would have the same challenges and the same mandates, there could be no greater contrast than the approaches taken by Select Sires and Semex.  Select Sires is a federation of nine farmer-owned-and-controlled cooperative and Semex is a partnership of three breeder owned cooperatives.  So structurally they are quite similar with perhaps some significant differences in mandates.  However these two artificial insemination companies are headed in very different directions when it comes to approaches to communications and product development. (Read more)

2. THE 2012 ROYAL WINTER FAIR HOLSTEIN SHOW – ONE OF THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD!
From an outsider looking in, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show may appear to be somewhat  boring.  The winners were pretty much the same as, and for all intents and purposes the results whereas per expectation.  Yet in my mind, the 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show will go down in history as one of the greatest stories ever told. (Read more)

1. 7 SIRES TO USE IN ORDER TO BREED THE NEXT WORLD DAIRY EXPO CHAMPION
Everyone loves winning.  No one enters a competition to finish last.  Regardless of who you are every purebred dairy breeder dreams of winning supreme champion at World Dairy Expo.  Your dream of walking in the spotlight, on the colored shavings, with everyone applauding you, starts with choosing the right sires. (Read more)

The Next 10

1. SHOW COWS: ALL TYPE AND NO ACTION?
2. HOLSTEIN VS. JERSEY: WHICH BREED IS MORE PROFITABLE?
3. THE BULLVINE – UNDER FIRE
4. LYLEHAVEN LILA Z : WAS SHE REALLY WORTH $1.15 MILLION?
5. HAS PHOTO ENHANCEMENT GONE TOO FAR?
6. HANOVER HILL HOLSTEINS: PETER HEFFERING 1931-2012
7. HOW I USED EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT ANIMAL BREEDING TO CHOOSE MY WIFE
8. THE PERFECT HOLSTEIN COW
9. HOW GENOMICS IS KILLING THE DAIRY CATTLE BREEDING INDUSTRY
10. THE STORY BEHIND HOW TWO FULL SISTERS DOMINATED EXPO QUEBEC

The Bullvine Bottom Line

As evident by our top 10 most read articles, 2012 was certainly a great year.

Last week I suffered a mild heart attack.  I say mild heart attack because, as any good farm boy knows, if it’s not strong enough to knock you on your ass and make you beg for the Lord above, it must just be a mild heart attack.  So I did as any good farm boy would do, I got back to work so that I could focus on something other than the pain.  Now was that the best course of action? Obviously not since I tried to hide it from everyone including my wife and my editors (parents).  Now some would say, ”Why did you wait to go to the hospital?” My response.  “That’s  exactly why I married a doctor!” (Read more – How I used everything I know about animal breeding to choose my wife) and in good order I was feeling much better and was able to continue my introspection and forced bed rest back at home.

Currently I have many irons in the fire including running a company that is responsible for attracting billions of dollars in sales for its clients last year.  That company, Inbound Sales Network, and the Bullvine represent my lifelong dream supported by my wife, three kids, and close family.  However, the events of last week have me taking time for introspection.

The Big Bad Wolf

I put everything I have into the work I do.  The biggest challenge is that there are too many ideas, a lot of wonderful clients and too few hours to fit everything into. This brings me to The Bullvine.  Ten months into this amazing project and I love the tug and pull that being both big bad wolf and watchdog brings to my daily routine.  It is literally where my heart is and keeps the adrenalin pounding!!

This got me thinking about the great baseball slugger Jose Canseco, who likes to call himself “The Big Bad Wolf of Baseball”, as a result of his tell all book on steroid use in baseball.  You see Canseco earned more than $45 million playing professional baseball and yet he isn’t ashamed to admit there’s nothing left and that he plans to file bankruptcy this year because he still owes the IRS $1.1 million.  The founding member of baseball’s 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 1988, even if Canseco jokes it’s 40 woman in 40 nights) is flat broke and out of the game he loves so much.

You see in writing “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big”, Canseco exposed his steroid-using former teammates and for that was effectively kicked out of the game.  But yet, when surrounded by people, he’ll loudly proclaim the 2005 bestseller saved the game: “You f—king ignorant cave-dwellers, how did I ruin baseball?  Baseball is the best game in the world right now because of that goddam book I wrote!”

In thinking about this I see many similarities to the experience I have had since starting the Bullvine.  I have put every ounce of myself into this project.  I worked at educating the breeders and at times have taken unpopular positions on issues that others are even afraid to mention (Read more – Semex – The Rise and Fall of a Semen Empire, $750 Dollar semen! Are you crazy? and Select Sires vs. Semex – A Contrast in Cooperatives).  That is what has me being called the “big bad wolf” of the dairy industry.

Dairy cattle breeders, like baseball fans and well pretty much every other industry out there, need to have transparency and all the information, regardless of how difficult it is to present.  Similar to Canseco, “I would do it all again for the love of the (Holstein) game.”  As a results have weathered the good, bad and the ugly because I believe what we are doing here at the Bullvine is very much needed in the dairy industry.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The nice thing about having a wakeup call is that it clarifies things and identifies priorities. When I was a growing up, I had the pleasure of growing up and working side by side with my grandfather on our family dairy farm.  I watched as he worked hard, loved his work and, when he could no longer do what he loved, he passed away quite suddenly leaving a legacy that inspires his entire family to this day.   That taught me a big life lesson: ”Love what you do and do it every day of your life”.  I love what I do with all my heart – every minute of every day. Health and financial willing I will continue to be the “big bad wolf of the dairy industry” as some like to label me.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

This past week I was asked to speak at a local county annual meeting about how breeders could “leverage the power of the internet to sell their genetics?”  Great topic, but my problem was  I could not lie to them.

As I walked in the room, I saw breeders that I had previous connections with.  I had dated their daughters, been given  my first cattle clipping assignments and had visited with them many times when I was first selling semen. Suddenly it came all rushing in on me  how much the market has changed.  Sure I could teach them how to set up a Facebook page and keep regular updates on their website.  My  problem is that focusing on those topics would not have done much for them.

Why you ask? You see the #1 rule of great marketing is to have a great product that people want. Everything turns on this. Am I saying that these breeders don’t have great cattle?  Actually the exact opposite is true.  In the group was the breeder of the #2 available LPI sire in Canada (FREUREHAVEN NIAGARA  Read more – December 2012 World Wide Holstein Genetic Evaluation Highlights). The fact is, there is no demand for the product that these breeders have to offer.  In the meeting, Ralph Freure commented “ In the past, when a bull like Niagara came out the breeder of such a bull would have their phone ringing off the hook for embryo orders and bull contracts.  These days, other than the A.I. company that sampled him  no one called.”  Why is that?

Well, the answer is, it’s because, these days, unless you have a   2300 TPI or 3000 LPI cow or heifer, no one is interested.  Take our analysis of the recent big sales (Read more – An Insider’s Guide To What Sells At The Big Dairy Cattle Auctions) you will notice that while polled gets some interest and selling a pick from a show cow that is currently winning at the big shows, anything else is just not in demand.

Gone are the days where you could breed a 5+ generation VG or EX cow and expect to get top dollar when selling her or her progeny.  As I listened to the group discuss recent changes to the point system  for the Canadian Master Breeder awards, I found myself thinking two things. First: the passion these people have for dairy cattle is outstanding and second do their breeding goals fit with their management goals? And that is  what I talked about.

The Bullvine Holstein Mature Model Cow

While we all want to breed that next great show cow (Read more – 7 Sires to Use in Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion) and we all have a different definition of what that great cow would look like (Read more – The Perfect Holstein Cow) the big thing is will either of these goals pay the bills anymore?  Or, is it more important to breed  cows that are  most profitable where it counts…..the milk check? (Read more – Fact vs. Fantasy: A Realistic Approach to Sire Selection)

The Bullvine Total Performance 2 Yr Old Cow

During the discussion about the requirements for the Master Breeder Shield one of the comments was that a cow should be 15% above the national average in order to qualify for points.  This more than anything demonstrated for me  how disconnected we have become  from what actually pays the bills.  Are you telling me that production is not a key component in a great breeding program?  Are we saying that having a narrow type focus is all that should be the measure of a great breeder?  WOW!!!   Dairy breeders are business people?  They have bills to pay and kids to feed.  The number one revenue source on the farm is the milk check not the livestock sales.  And trust me that trouble free GP83 2yr old that milks 12,000 kgs (25,200 lbs) pays a lot more bills than the high maintenance VG-87-2yr old that milks 9,000 kgs (18,900 lbs).

We all want to breed that next great 2yr old, but does the dream pay the bills?

The Bullvine Bottom Line

You can argue that genomics has killed the market for `good` pedigreed cattle and that  IVF has  flooded the marketplace. To some extent both are true.  But I would add another aspect for you to consider.  The recent financial stresses in the world have opened many breeders’ eyes to what pays the bills. Breeders are business people first and, as a result, their expenditures and even their breeding goals have  changed.  Have yours?

When I was a kid, my father, who at the time was running type classification and breed improvement for Holstein Canada, had a plaque on the wall that read “Lead, follow, or get out of the way” by Thomas Pain.  That is the philosophy that my father has lived his life by and has instilled in his children, It pretty much sums up everything we are doing her at the Bullvine.

Lead….

There is no question that, when you take a leadership position in anything, you open yourself up to extra scrutiny.  That is why you may have noticed that other dairy magazines get so afraid of offending people that they become paralyzed by politics.

I can understand their concerns.  There is no question that putting your comments and thoughts out there, opens you up to disapproval and lack of support.  Over the course of the last nine months we have been the target of criticism.  Many have said to me, “man you must have one thick skin.”  And yes, here at the Bullvine, we do, either that or we are really bullheaded.  But it’s not because we don’t care.  Rather it is because we feel that there is a real need for such things to be said.  We are willing to take that condemnation, knowing that in the end the industry as a whole is better because people are talking about the key issues that we all face.

In my opinion, in order to lead, you need to tell the truth and build the coalitions required to get communities moving forward.  If no one is leading the discussion about the tough subjects that face the industry, how are we going to progress?

A vacuum cripples the industry.  That is why we create things like the Bullvine Performance Index (Read more – Top BPI Heifers From Around The World) or talk about the management of organizations like Select Sires or Semex (Read more – Select Sires vs. Semex – A Contrast In Cooperatives), because no industry can progress in a vacuum.

Follow….

Fortunately the response we have received from many breeders has been outstanding.  In just nine, months we have developed the second largest digital readership in the world.  The growth rate and the response are far beyond what we could ever have expected.

What started out as one person thinking they had something to say, has developed into a megaphone for breeders around the world.  The number of breeders who tell us that, “Hey that is exactly what I have been saying for years.  Finally someone is speaking up about it”.

I am sure many people think that most of the stuff we talk about comes out of some weird place in my head.  Actually it’s many heads. On any given day I will have 15 to 20 different chats on Facebook with breeders from around the world.  The conversations I have had with these breeders are dynamic and inspire many of our most popular articles.

Get of the way

While those expressions of appreciation for what we do by far outweigh the negative, there have been those who seek to quiet or control us.  They try this, because, in the past, they have been successful in squashing others who expressed their opinions.  What they are now learning is that there is no stopping us.  Threats of legal action, private slander, and public snubbing have no effect.

We are not here to appease the powers that be.  We are here to give those that have not been able to have a voice, an opportunity to speak freely.  The interactive comments and conversations we share with breeders on Facebook and on our own website are exactly why we are not going away.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

There is no question that taking a leadership position has challenges.  It also has it rewards.  The numbers of amazing breeders we have met in the past nine months has been outstanding.  It’s these great breeders and the other followers of our content that drive us every day to do better.  For those who look to quiet us, all we can say is, “…… get out of the way”.

Coming off an amazing week at the Royal that  culminated in one of the greatest moments I have ever seen at a cattle show (Read – The 2012 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show – One of the Greatest Stories Ever Told) the feedback from our readers has been off the charts.  While we get much-appreciated compliments from our readers all the time, the feedback we got face to face during the many events at the Royal was extremely humbling.

One of the comments that seemed to come up more often that I thought it would was “Man I loved your article about X, Y and Z, but I am surprised that more people didn’t comment about it”.  As the person who looks after monitoring the comments on our website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter, this caught me totally by surprise.

To me it seems that I am nonstop replying to comments, or answering people’s questions, so that is why these comments surprised me.  But then I got to thinking and realized the reason why it seems that there are not  many comments…..Facebook. (Check out our Facebook page here)

Yep. It really is that simple.  While we do allow any comments on our site by anyone who doesn’t leave their real name, about 99% of the discussion is happening on Facebook.  Take our recent article about The Perfect Holstein Cow (Read – The Perfect Holstein Cow).   It would appear to have a limited numbers of comments

In reality it could not have been farther from the truth.  The big thing is that breeders are taking to Facebook to share their comments.  Check out the social sharing stats from this article (Right) you will notice that more than 178 people liked this post on Facebook, which is great.  However, of even greater interest is that over 355 people not only liked this article, but also actually shared it on Facebook with their friends. They often add their comments to it and start discussions on their own Facebook walls, where they can have great conversation with their friends and, in this case, about exactly  what the perfect cow looks like.

The reason for this is that instead of wanting to put the comments on our website, many of our readers like to share our articles with their friends, which we greatly appreciate, and then the conversation continues on Facebook instead of on our website.

The big reason why this is dramatically  different from most other dairy magazine websites is the whole perspective on what we are trying to do.  Instead of using Facebook as a teaser to try to drive traffic to our website, so we can put bigger stats in front of our advertisers and drive up our own ad revenue, we actually see it the other way around.  We see our website as a platform to  stimulate conversation wherever breeders want to talk.  Since we are not posting articles to drive ad sales but rather posting our  articles to inspire conversation, we will go wherever  breeders want to talk, and the breeders are talking on Facebook in a big way.   If that means that we spend 90% of our time joining the conversation on Facebook, so be it.

Another great example of this is when we run competitions like The Golden Dam, The 8 Greatest North American Show Cows of All-Time ,  The 12 Greatest North American Colored Breed Show Cattle of All-Time or The Top 10 Most Influential Holstein Breeders of All-Time. The conversation about who ranked where and which animal  should have been on the list that wasn’t happened on Facebook as opposed to our website.  If you really want to see some interesting discussion, check out the ripple effect  when we make mating recommendations like The 7 Sires to Use In Order to Breed the Next World Dairy Expo Champion or The Top 12 Holstein Genomic Young Sires To Use for Maximum Genetic Gain.

Of course nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to the stir that   gets going after we do a “little edgier” article such as Select Sires vs. Semex – A contrast in co-operatives or $750 Dollar Semen! Are you Crazy. The back-and-forth that these articles started on Facebook was insane.  Talk about stirring the hornets’ nest.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The big thing I have learned from managing accounts in many different industries is that the conversation is already happening. It isn’t necessary to  control what is being said  but rather to join it.  Oftentimes  people think that I deliberately provoke  conversation about touchy issues. That couldn’t be further from the truth.  The conversation is already  out there. The real question is, “Are you part of it?”

To learn how to get your farm on Facebook download this free guide.

Does such a thing even exist?  Or is the perfect cow like the Unicorn that only exists in myth and mystery?  For years there has been ongoing debate about what the perfect Holstein cow would look like and what it would take to achieve such an animal.  Here at the Bullvine we wanted to take it from our imagination into reality.  We decided to tackle what the perfect Holstein cow would look like.

In discussions with breeders and while developing our recent article with Bonnie Mohr (Read –  Bonnie Mohr – Science and Art Creates a Holstein Love Story), we started  thinking about which cows in history have had the best Mammary System, Feet & Legs, Rump and Dairy Strength.  In the same way that breed associations have used pictures of some of the greatest cows in history to develop their true type models, so did we.  Moreover, what would that cow look like if you put all the best parts into a single image?

As is typical with most things around here, we decided to put thought into action and see what would happen.  We first went to Facebook to get other opinions on what was the best of all time.  However, finding a level of consensus was almost impossible. Everyone had ideas on what the perfect cow would look like.  With so much variety of opinions, we then turned to the highest classifying cows of all time, those that have scored EX-97, the closest thing to living perfection.  The following is what we can up with for the Bullvine Holstein Mature Model Cow.

The Bullvine Holstein Mature Model Cow

Not satisfied to stop there.  We again got to thinking.  If that is what she looks like at maturity, what does she look like as a two year old?  So we went to some of the VG-89-2YR olds for inspiration and developed the following image of our Bullvine Holstein Model 2yr:

The Bullvine Holstein Model 2yr

This sparked a lot of debate among the Bullvine team.  We all admired the appearance of these cows but wondered how practical they would be in the real world.  We asked ourselves,”How is the perfect conformation cow different from the perfect breeding cow?”

If you look at many of the top total performance cows in the breed and compare them to the top show cows you notice some significant differences.  First off,   the performance or breeding cows tend to be a little thicker throughout and have a rounder turn to them as well a little deeper udder to accommodate for the extra production.  These are some   of the key things the committees that have developed the true type models in the past have tried to represent.  So, similar to the way we developed the Bullvine Model  Mature Cow as well as the Bullvine Model  2 yr. old, we started looking at the parts of some of the greatest total performance cows and developed the following image of the Bullvine Total Performance 2 Yr Old Cow.

The Bullvine Total Performance 2 Yr Old Cow

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Everyone has a different definition of what the perfect cow would look like.  What we have found is that, depending on what your breeding goals are, you have a different image in mind.  The perfect show cow would look different from the perfect classification cow (Less slope from hooks to pins and a little straighter in the feet and legs) and she would also look a little different from the perfect total performance cow (less overall condition, shallower udder and more angular turn to her rib).  While we are sure there will be great discussion about what  the perfect cow actually looks like, what we urge  everyone to think about is, what does your perfect  cow look like and what are you doing to achieve her  in your breeding program.?  As is true with anything, when you have a clear image of what you’re aiming for, it makes it that much easier to achieve.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE THAT IMAGES PRESENTED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE ARTISTS RENDERINGS FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY AND DO NOT IN ANYWAY REFLECT THE ORIGINAL ARTWORK OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER.

You don’t have to be the 3^rd basemen for the New York Yankees to feel  the power of public scrutiny.  Nor do you have to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company to know that, when company performance is down,  your job is on the line.  Yet, in the dairy industry, some leading breeders and exhibitors, as well as executives from some producer service companies (AI, Breeds, Milk Recording, etc.) seem to think they should be immune from any level of public scrutiny.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how this has happened.  If you read any of the dairy breeder publications, you always read about how wonderful everyone one is,  how each bull is amazing, each herd is perfect and each executive is gifted.  Well, that is quite simply not the case.  With the exception of the bulls, we all put our pants on one leg at a time.  We are only human.  We make mistakes. It`s only a problem, when we refuse to acknowledge them (Read – The Bullvine – Under Fire).

Be Prepared to Get Knocked Off That Pedestal

For years we have placed industry people on pedestals: from  breeders and directors to  company and association executives.   People were afraid to challenge those in the leadership spotlight and certainly, not publically.  The problem is by letting them build these “larger than life” personas; we have actually been hurting the industry more than helping it.

We Built This Monster Together

We have allowed our perception of good manners to interfere with common sense.  The dairy publications were afraid that the breeders would stop advertising with them.  That the A.I. Company would cancel their advertising contract, if they hinted that a bull was not perfect.  This is part of the reason we started the Bullvine.  We noticed that there was nowhere for breeders to go to get more facts or other opinions.  That’s why in our coverage of the World Dairy Expo we told it as we saw it (Read – World Dairy Expo 2012 Holstein Show – A Battle for the Ages).  Or when we looked at how two different A.I. cooperatives where operating, we had to test our own resolve (Select Sires vs. Semex – A Contrast in Cooperatives).  It’s not to sell more subscriptions.  Heck we currently aren’t selling anything.  It’s because we believe it helps the industry to tell it like it is and generate meaningful discussion.  In today’s business world accountability, sharing all the facts and the right to speak freely and honesty are a must.  So why not in the dairy industry?

We are all Role Models

I can’t tell you the number of times, I have seen 4-H youth try to emulate one of the “big wig” show people and actually do a far worse job in the ring than if they had just stuck to the basics and worked at making their calf look the best they could instead of trying to be “cool”.

The same is true in copying some of the “big time” breeders.  Your average local breeder sees them doing something, so they think they need to do it as well.  The modeling can occur in the show ring, on classification day, on picture day, on herd recording day, during a speech, in print ads and the list goes on and on.  Some actions hurt the industry much more than they help it.  When it comes to show ethics or hothouse herds, we can see personal gain cause industry pain.  (Read – The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling)

There are some great ones as well

I am not trying to say that all people are bad.  Actually, I would say it is exactly the other way around and that  most of them are really great people. As with anything,  the actions of a few can hurt it for the rest and this happens even though I sincerely believe that the people I have met in the dairy industry are some of the highest quality people in the world.

I am trying to say that, in order for the breed to advance, in order for us to inform and to educate the next generation, we need to make sure that we are all held accountable for our actions.  That is why at the Bullvine, we tell it like it is.  Not because we are wanting to create controversy, but rather because we want to keep moving forward.  We want  to give breeders the facts.   The more we inform, learn,  educate and share, the greater the industry will be.

“Who the $%&* am I?”

When many of these bad apples or self-serving individuals try to get in my face, they tend to say the same thing “Who the $%&* do you think you are?”  Well the answer is I am nobody.  I am just the guy who cares enough, and is thick skinned enough,  to go to the effort to share my thoughts as well as the thoughts of some of the most progressive people in the industry who every day share with me.  Like everyone the Bullvine benefits by hearing diverse opinion.  We are here to start conversation, not control it. Moreover, reading the Bullvine is your choice.

I have had the opportunity to learn from some of the greats.  People like Lowell Lindsay, Bert Stewart, Doug Blair, David Chalack and Albert Cormier.  I have enjoyed picking the brains of some guys that I believe are among the next generation of greats, like Dave Eastman, Barclay Phoenix, the Patenaude`s  at Gillette, the Loewith`s at Summitholm and the Dyment’s at Glen Drummond.  Do I think all these people are perfect? Heck no, no one is.  Do all of them agree 100% with what I have to say?  I sure hope not.  However, the thing I love about all these people is that they are willing to speak their minds.

Lessons Learned Outside of the Dairy Industry

It was in working with Ken Blanchard, one of the greatest people I have ever met in my life, and the bestselling business author of all-time, that I learned that managers and leaders should not focus on the negative.  We need to “catch people doing things right” as well.  That is why the Bullvine tries to share stories, insights and perspectives with its readers (Read more – Marketing Lessons From Glen Drummond Aero Flower, Christ Nurse – Standing Tall and What PETA Does Not Know About Dairy Cattle)

In addition, what I have learned from working with some great corporations outside the dairy industry is that you seek out as many opportunities to learn as you can, and take pieces from here and there and do your best at bringing it together into a clear plan.  That is why at the Bullvine we are always looking for new people to interview or exchange ideas with.  We welcome new perspectives on  the top issues that  other publications  do not  touch.  We want to help breeders develop a plan that will help them achieve their goals.  We want to make people think.  We believe that everyone has a brain, and we respect our readers  enough to challenge their  thought processes. We won`t simply feed you the same old garbage.  We all know garbage in, garbage out.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

So the next time you read something in the Bullvine that is not all fluff and roses, or questions or challenges policies, positions, plans or actions, please remember we are not doing it to cause controversy, but rather because we believe that open discussion is the best way for the industry to grow, develop and move forward.  That`s success!

Recently we here at the Bullvine have come under some fire for some comments that we have made.  The reaction to what we have said, while not unexpected, does cause us some concern and we feel  the need to address it before it goes too far.

What Makes Us Different

By all accounts this year’s World Dairy Expo was one for the ages. The cattle were great and seeing so many people was excellent.  The response from  many breeders was unbelievable.  We were inundated with people coming up to tell  us how much they enjoy  reading the Bullvine.  The consistent message was “I read it every morning.” “I think about it in the barn.” “I just love how you tell it like it is and no bull.”

It was  exactly that aspect that  lead to some of our most interesting conversations at Madison.  While most people loved and appreciated it when we shared  our true opinion, there were also those that did not appreciate our “as we see it” comments and, in fact, felt that we had no right to make such comments.  They also felt the need to try to force their opinion on us.

What  they don’t realize is that the whole reason we started the Bullvine was not to be a billboard or promoter of whoever will pay us the most money, but rather to actually be something different – to be that voice that is willing to tell it like it is.  (Read more about us) Moreover, judging by the amount of support we have received both online and at Madison, that is exactly what everyone looks for in the Bullvine.

We Are Passionate

There is nothing better in life than to earn a living doing what you are passionate about.  We at the Bullvine  are passionate  about the dairy industry.  Whom  do you know that would commit well over $200,000 in time, resources and cash into starting an online forum for dairy breeders to gain insight, and debate all the aspects that make the dairy industry great, with no current cash return at all?

In staying true to our passion and values, I have held off many requests to advertise on our site as we feel that it would break the level of trust that our readers have put in us.   I am searching for ways to generate revenue for the Bullvine that does not affect our credibility as an unbiased source.

Why We Do It?

When I think about why I, with, my mother Karen, and father Murray, run the Bullvine there are three main points.  It’s not to get rich.  It’s not to be some sort of tabloid.  Rather we seek to help inform  the average breeder about the many great opportunities to advance their herds and take their passion for dairy breeding to a  new level.

We are not writing for those  who spend hundreds of thousands of dollars  at the big sales. We are not writing for the A.I. companies that will spend massive dollars with us in advertising. We do it for  average breeders, who buy semen at full price.  The ones who buy some embryos from time to time.  The ones who see all the potential that genomics has but hesitate to take the risk  and buy that high index heifer because first they want to be sure it will work.  Every day we are working to find those bloodlines that make the smart investment (read – Gillette Visions 2012 – Lots to watch for) and the sires that will help breeders  accelerate their breeding programs (Read – The Top 12 Holstein Genomic Young Sires To Use for Maximum Genetic Gain) so that they can be “in the know” like the ones  who spend the big bucks.

Friendships

Over the years we have built many great friendships in the dairy industry and, at times, those very friendships have tested our resolve to our mission (Read – The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling). Sometimes we have to share results from our  analysis that may not be  that great for people that we know, respect and call friends.  It has put our internal resolve to the test.  It’s not easy to go to events like Dairy Expo and see people that we have known for 10, 20, 30 years turn a cold shoulder to us because of what we wrote (read Select Sires vs. Semex – A Contrast in Cooperatives) even though we know that what we said was correct and needed to be said. To see people we would have called friends, snub us for our reporting  is not easy.  It truly tests our commitment to what we have started.  But we can assure you, we remain committed.

Does it make me feel good saying the dairy breeding industry as we know it will be dead in under 5 years (Read – How Genomics is Killing  The Dairy Cattle Breeding Industry)? This is an industry I love that I have grown up in. My parents, siblings and many of my best friends work in the industry and  it may not even exist? No!  That doesn’t feel good.  But I had to step back, put my businessman hat on and say “What is the smart business move for A.I. companies to do?” and then predict from there.  This type of strategy development is something I have been very fortunate to do for companies like, Deloitte, Avaya, and Dlink and  for my main company www.inboundsales.net and find it somewhat easier there  because I am not as emotionally  invested as I am in the dairy industry.  I feel that by saying it, educating breeders and discussing it, maybe, just maybe, we can prevent it from happening.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

When I sit and talk to many of the top seed stock producers who are at the forefront of the industry, they all make the same comments “You know what you’re saying  is not rocket science.” “For the most part, this isn’t anything that we don‘t know.” “It’s great  that you are willing to say it and put proof to it”.  Exactly!  We don’t believe we are saying anything that most of the in-crowd don’t know.  What we are doing is bringing to light what many other breeders already know or suspect.  We also don’t expect everyone to agree with what everything we say.

Why do we do it?  Well that answer is simple.  We do it so that when your average “salt of the earth” breeders take that jump and invest $30,000, $40,000 or even $100,000,  which could be  a significant portion of their  hard earned money, they can do so being confident they are making  an informed  decision, for their farm and their families.  We may save one of them from making a mistake. We may even help more of them make money.  That’s why it’s worth it! That’s why we do it.

Don’t agree with us?  Let us know – we believe that feedback is the only way we can improve.  So please give us your feedback. (Fill out the space below or email us at feedback@thebullvine.com)

This week has been very challenging for me.  Our family unfortunately lost my grandfather to cancer earlier this week and while I was able to go and spend some great quality time with him just before he passed, I had to be out of the country on business mid-week and meant that I have not been able to support my family as I would like to.  On the plus side it has given me time to reflect as I sat on the airplane for 5+ hours and thought about just how amazing the dairy community is.

It’s about the community

The biggest thing that stands out is how the dairy community steps up and helps their own.  This week marks a great event, Friends of Andrea Crowe Fundraiser, being put on by the friends and family of Andrea Crowe in support of her battle with cancer (to read more It’s Time to Pull Together and Support One of Our Own).

The way the dairy community has come to her support and is not something you find every day.  This struck me as I was talking with some business executives and they talked about how a child of a contemporary’s child was in a battle for their life.  These executives who had more than enough means to offer help, just shrugged their shoulders and moved on to the next topic of discussion.  They did not think to ask what they could do to help.  They did not go out and start a fundraiser to help the family.

I am extremely impressed with the work that Angela Masters, Brian Craswell, Amber Craswell, Blair Weeks, Bloyce Thompson, Bruce Wood, Marie-Eve Veronneau and many others that have been putting in so much effort in order to help support Andrea.  Often the best way to show you care is not with words, but with action, and the members of the Eastern Canadian dairy community are doing exactly that.

Did you step up and contribute

When my paternal grandfather past 9 years ago I learned a huge life lesson that I will never forget.  My grandfather achieved many successes in his life.  He had been a Master Breeder, won many awards for his community involvement but the one thing that I learned is that it’s not about what awards you win or how much money you make, it’s about the effect you had on the people around you.  He always worked at helping young farmers and members of the community to progress.  He was never a schoolteacher but it not surprising that many of his daughters did become teachers.  When he passed the number of people that came out to pay tribute to the effect he had on their lives was overwhelming.

This week when my maternal grandfather passed I was reminded, it’s not about how much money, it’s about who will remember you when you are gone.  Which is a lesson I need reminding from time to time, as I seek to grow the companies I run.  Since the death of my first grandfather there has not been a day that I have not thought of him.  The role models that both my grandfather’s were and my father still is, has me striving every day to be a better father to my children, husband to my wife and member of my community.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Life is not about how much money you make, or show winners you breed.  Life is about being a part of your community, and there is no better community in the world than that of the dairy community.  I have put up a sign in my office that says “Who Is Going To Miss You When You Die?” and each day I am going to make sure that I do at least one act that will contribute to my community so that when I pass at least one person will say, that “Andrew Hunt made difference”. Thank you Grandpa Sterling and Grandpa George for showing me what it means to make a difference.

No, I have not judged the Royal or Madison.  No, I have not bought or sold a Supreme Champion.  However, what I have gotten is worth far more, and has helped me become far richer than any of these things could have.  It gave me the confidence to be heard, the ability to know what I am talking about, and the skills to defend my position, and these three things have served me extremely well in my career.

With Ontario Summer Show & Dairy Cattle Evaluation Clinic coming up tomorrow and Friday it has me thinking about how fortunate I was to grow up and have the amazing opportunity to learn at these great events.  I  remember being 11 years old and poking my head around Lowell Lindsey or Orton Eby trying to get a look at the cattle.  I can also remember trying to stand as close as I could to Bert Stewart so that when he would pick someone to give reasons he would pick me.  The skills that I learned there have served me extremely well.  The following are three skills I learned at these evaluation clinics that have set my career on fire.

Public Speaking

There is no question the ability to speak well in public is a great skill to have.  Everyone always ask me why don’t you get nervous before speaking to crowds of five hundred and sometimes one thousand people?  I say, “Why that is easy. Try giving reasons on a class of Jersey 2 yr. olds after Court Carmichael has just given reasons on the class that you placed exactly opposite to his. Of course,  they do look at me kind of funny, but the point is, there has been no better place to learn how to speak in public than at these clinics.  I can tell you I  remember to this day the feeling I had when Orton Eby and Frank Donkers came over and said, good job kid.  I tell you I was on top of the world.  Two men that, to this day, I still think the world of, patting me on the back.  There could be nothing better.

I can never forget  the first time I went to Madison and heard the 4-H members from the US give their reasons.  Man, did they sound sweet and long.  “She is dairy from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail,”  They have some good sayings that seem to roll off their tongues.  Fortunately, for me,  Bert Stewart was there telling me, “Just say what you see and leave all the other BS for them.”  Those experiences showed me that having the ability to articulate what you are saying and putting mental images in your audiences’ head can do wonders for bringing what you have to say to life.  Not only do you learn  to say that she has a “more desirable” set of feet and legs instead of “better”, but, you also gain the ability to clearly articulate what you are thinking.

Evaluation Skills

From having to hire sales people or selling  to some of the biggest tech companies in the country or building demand generation programs for extremely complex products, the ability to evaluate options is a skill everyone should have in their tool box.  Learning at these evaluation clinics the importance of a scorecard or understanding how subtle nuances can make the world of difference to overall conformation or profitability, has helped me understand the need for systems and processes for everything you do.

When I first started judging, I tried to do everything on gut feel.  Sure, I got lucky sometimes, but in order to build repeatable results you need to have systems in place that set you up for success.  That  starts with knowing what   the end result is aiming for  (the true type model) and then understanding what areas are where  the money is made (mammary systems) and what areas are  just for show (size and stature).

Confidence to Defend My Position

Some might say I have enough confidence to fill a sinking ship, others might call it arrogance. Either way, the ability to translate that “arrogance” into “confidence” comes from the lessons I learned during these dairy cattle evaluation clinics.  Knowing your reasons for why you believe one option is better than another one is and having the ability to defend your opinion, even under the most rigorous of scrutiny, is a skill all young people should have.

It’s a skill that will serve you well regardless of the career you choose. This is especially true of you go into a sales career, such as I have.  Knowing the reasons why one option is better than another is one thing, being able to convince others that it is, is even more important.  That skill has served me extremely well.  I have been fortunate to sell products from $1.99 to over 2 million and the one thing that is the same in all these processes is you must have  the ability to defend why your option is the best option for that specific prospect’s needs.  That’s a skill I learned at these clinics.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

From my first trip to the InterCounty 4-H  Judging Competition and winning top placings and still not making the Madison team, to my last trip and winning top reasons things sure did change as  a direct result of what I learned at the dairy cattle evaluation clinics.  However, more importantly, the lessons I learned at these clinics have served me in every facet of my career as I judge, show and sell in the arena of big business.  Rich indeed!

Whenever a new sire tops the list, or a cow wins a big show, everyone sees the prefix on that animal.  However, just because you bred that animal does, that make you the true breeder?  More and more you are seeing top animals that have just one generation bred by the breeder.  Does that make them the true breeder of that animal?

With the amount of top cattle that are being bought and sold, you are seeing more and more pedigrees that have different prefixes in each generation.  While at one time we used to see five, six, or more generations all with the same prefix, now it’s not unusual to see six different prefixes in six different generations.

While I am all for the trade of dairy cattle because it’s what makes the genetics market go around,   should the last breeder on the pedigree get all the credit for breeding that animal?  As we all know you cannot make a great show cow or top index animal in just one generation.  It takes generation after generation with a clear goal in mind and a smart breeding strategy to breed the next great one.  Yet, when we look to give awards, assign master breeder points, etc. we give all the credit to whoever’s name is on the prefix.

While it’s not a slam-dunk to buy a cow and breed the next great one, buying into a well thought out, established cow family can certainly accelerate the process.  We see it more and more as many top herds look to diversify and add new bloodlines into their operations in order to provide the genetics that their particular market demands.  Does that make them a master breeder or a smart businessperson?

In some cases these top herds have had to buy into new cow families because their main cow families are not ranking at the top any more.  This begs the question whether they are really master breeders or a master buyer?  I know it’s a tough question and I would say, of the main top herds today, many of them have generation after generation of their own breeding.

The same debate is true for show cattle.  Look at the cows that are winning at Madison and the Royal.  How many of them are bred and owned?  A large majority of the time, the original breeder sold that animal years ago, and it could be on its fourth or fifth ownership group now.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

While breeding a top show cow or high genomic animal takes a lot of work, I wonder if we give enough credit to the generation after generation it took of smart breeding to achieve that end result.  Are we too quick to simply look at the current prefix on the animal and let the breeding recognition stop there?  Today’s buzz words are “repeatability” and “sustainability” so I ask, “What is the mark of a truly great cattle breeder?”

For more information check out The Bullvine Bull Book or our Genetic Evaluation Resource Center.