“Warning: Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13.  Article intended for readers ages 14 and older.  May contain strong violence and strong profanity, and depictions of sexual activity as long as they are within the context of the story.”

Were you one of those guys who wouldn’t shower after gym class because of embarrassment?  Pretty much since birth, most men are engrained  with an infatuation with size.  For many their very manhood is measured by size.  Most men live in constant fear that their manhood is not big enough.  Well I have great news for you Women don’t care.

The same is true for your dairy cattle breeding program.  For years, many dairy breeders put excessive emphasis on size.  Maybe it was because of the show ring and it is the easiest comparison  to judge.  Fortunately, the show ring now places less emphasis on size (although not totally gone).  More importantly, I have had many conversations with forward thinking breeders who are actually starting to put a negative emphasis on size.

Quality over Quantity

Having a bigger organ doesn’t hurt. Having a bigger cow can actually cause you and your cow pain.  Many cows are getting too big for their environments.  Cows are not fitting comfortably into their stalls and this is causing  both free stall and tie stall breeders to have to modify their environments.  The old theory that a bigger cow  produces more milk is actually incorrect.  When looking at the top 10 gTPI sires in the world, we see that their average estimated breeding value for stature is 1.80 and 1580 lbs. of milk.   The top 10 proven production sires average 1.45 for stature and 2757 for lbs. of milk.  Yet the top 10 proven PTAT sires  have an average  stature score of 3.78 and 112 lbs. of milk.  This clearly demonstrates  that bigger is not always better when it comes to milk production.

With that in mind, the Bullvine decided to look at the top overall production sires in the world and put an actual negative weight on size.  We developed the Bullvine Efficiency Index (BEI).  (Read more: 30 Sires that will produce Feed Efficient Cows) The formula is as follows:

• BEI = Production (45%) + Durability (35%) + Health & Fertility (25%)
• Production = 30 Fat Yield + 50 Protein Yield + 10 Fat% + 10 Protein%
• Durability = 17 Herd Life + 42 Mammary System + 25 Feet & Legs  – 8 Body Depth – 8 Stature
• Health & Fertility = 46 Somatic Cell + 23 Daughter Fertility + 23 Udder Depth + 8 Milking Speed

Notes:

1. Milk Yield is not included, as it contributes to more udder strain and added milk haulage or on-farm water removal costs.
2. The negative weightings on Body Depth and Stature reflect that larger cows require extra feed to grow to that size and to maintain that larger size each day compared to cows of more moderate size.
3. Also for the purpose of this article the sires could not be higher than a 5 for combined Stature and Body Depth.

The following is what we found.

Proven Sires:

Genomic Sires:

The Bullvine Bottom Line

In a world of supersize cars, jobs, meals, and just about everything else, it’s hard to stop thinking that bigger is actually better for everything.  Unfortunately, after years of locker-room comparisons, the go-to source of pride or shame seems to put the emphasis on size.  The same has been true in many breeding programs.  It’s time to stop thinking about size and start thinking about efficiency.  As they say, “It’s not the size that matters, it’s how you use it”.

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

Success isn’t sexy.  It’s all about doing the basics the best you can with passion and consistency.  Not one of the uber-successful people I have ever worked with got there without outworking everyone around them.  The old line remains true “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”  The dairy industry is no different from that of any other. Yes there is a lot of work involved in farming, but to be a successful dairy breeder you need to work hard and be persistent.

Too often we see herds that seem to capture all the headlines and own all the super star cattle and think, “Man, life must be easy for them!”  The thing that many don’t realize is that behind all the flash and cash there is a lot of hard work.

Dairy Cattle Breeding Is Not a Popularity Contest

The herds that I have seen that have the greatest consistency from animal to animal, and generation to generation, don’t always use the most popular sires, or only the bulls from the top of the lists.  They take the time to really look for what their breeding program needs and more accurately, exactly what that particular animal needs in order to be improved for the next generation.  Does that mean they have to be great evaluators of cattle?  No.  Sure it helps.  But you can also use tools such as type classification and genomics to assist with this. (Read more:  Dairy Cattle Genomics and Dairy Cattle Breeding Recommendations)  What it really means is that you take the time to figure out what your definition of success is and then work at achieving it.

Sweat the details

Dairy cattle breeding is not rocket science.  While I am not saying it is easy to breed the next great one, what I am saying is that it is as much about hard work as anything else.  The reason you see many of these herds consistently breeding great cattle, is because the take the time to sweat the small stuff.  They take the time to think about each matting and consider just what sire will provide the greatest result.  From how they run their close-up program to every one of their transition programs, uber successful breeders take the time to sweat the details.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Sure we would all love to be rock stars in the dairy industry.  But it isn’t going to happen overnight.  It takes time and effort to achieve success.  There is no doubt in the dairy industry that the harder you work the luckier you get.  There is no instant gratification in the dairy breeding industry, it takes hard work and persistence in order to achieve success.  The sexy part comes at the end of the road not at the beginning.

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

Here is an idea that I am sure will shock many of the people who read The Bullvine.  I don’t care if you like me.  I really don’t.  I actually think it’s better if you don’t like me. That tells me that I am achieving my ultimate goal.  You see.  We didn’t start The Bullvine to become liked by everyone, or to be the most popular people in the dairy industry.  We started The Bullvine to provide some leadership in a time of uncertainty.  Besides being a leader isn’t about being liked.  It’s about doing what’s right.

So many leaders in the dairy industry are afraid of conflict.  They hide from it. They have this deep-seated need to be popular and admired.  They hate ruffling feathers and making waves. In reality they are insecure and not comfortable living in their own skin.  Great leaders are different than that.  They fearlessly make tough calls. They speak the truth as they see it.  They run their own race, making the right decisions and worrying little about public opinion.  They are courage in action.

Since starting The Bullvine we have said and done some things that have been extremely unpopular.  Speaking out against photo manipulation (Read more: Introducing the Dairy Cattle Marketing Code of Conduct and Dairy Cattle Photography – Over exposed), or breeding ethics (Read more: Has Genomics Knocked Out the Hot House Herds and The Hot House Effect On Sire Sampling), didn’t win us many friends in the industry.  We didn’t do it to make friends.  We did it because it was the right thing to do.

It wasn’t easy.  The right thing to do is generally the hardest thing to do.  Sure we could have taken the easy route.  But isn’t that what led us to these issues in the first place.  Cattle photographers doing what is easy instead of what is right?  Sure we can add topline hair and tails back in Photoshop.  But where do you draw the line.  When does that become no longer respecting the craft that you love so much?  I often see photographers these days not making sure that they get the lighting correct.  “We can just touch it up in Photoshop later”.  Being a leader is not about doing what is easy. It’s about doing what is hard, when you know it is the right thing to do.

The same can be said about breeding ethics.  Sure you can cheat the age of a calf or sneak a few extra pounds in on a milk test.  But where is your integrity?  Integrity is what you do when no one is watching. It’s doing the right thing all the time.  Not because it’s the easy thing to do.  Not because it’s the most popular thing to do.  It’s because it’s the right thing to do.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

When you lead from a position of truth, justice and fairness you’ll have your critics.  I once heard this quote and it   rings true for us here at The Bullvine, “Great people build monuments from the stones that their critics throw at them”.  If we listened to all the critics that say what we’re am doing is wrong, we would never bring about change in the industry.  And that is not the reason we started The Bullvine.  We started The Bullvine to lead from the front. We won’t hide behind the lines.

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

There have been many great dairy breeding partnerships in the history of the dairy breed.  On the top of that list many would place Pete Heffering and Ken Trevena (Read more: Hanover Hill Holsteins).  However, one partnership I think many forget about is the one they have with their wife or husband.  On most dairy farms and in every marriage the most important partnership in the world is the one with the spouse.

When was the last time you thought of your wife or husband as your “partner”?  Dictionary.com defines partnership as, “the state or condition of being a partner (Partner: a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; sharer; associate.); participation; association; joint interest.  Most often we think of partnership when we think of business or law.  But the idea of a partnership is also applicable to our marriages.  Today I celebrate my seventh wedding anniversary and it very much has me thinking deeply about how much my wife, Zosia, is the perfect partner for me.

I know a lot of people don’t bother to mark every anniversary and holidays such as Valentine’s day sometimes get bad press with the cynics protesting that if couples are truly in love then this should be reflected in their daily lives rather than requiring a special holiday to remind them to tell each other how much they mean to each other.  But for me, since my wife deals with my BS every other day of the year, the least I can do is express how I feel about her on this special day.

While I try to show my wife how much I appreciate her every day, let’s face it, with the pressures of modern life, it is difficult to maintain the initial flush of romance on an ongoing, long term basis.  After 7 years of being with the same person a much of the mystery is gone, you have fewer “firsts” to look forward to and you will have had to deal with times of difficulty and hardship together as this is a part of life.

In many ways my wife and I could not be more opposite. We kid that if we had met in high school we would have hated each other.  I was the jock who skipped class and loved to party. She was the nerd who even asked the teachers for permission to skip school on national skip day.  However, as we matured (mostly me, Zosia was already pretty mature) we changed and now have become the perfect complement for each other and ready to take on life’s challenges.

Over the past week I have had the amazing opportunity to go back to where we got married and take some time off to spend with my wife.  Awesome.  It re-energized me to take on the world.  But I must admit, as I watch our extremely energetic and defiant kids run around, I sometime tease my wife that she must have falsely advertised her genetics, After all,  I chose her partly due to her ability to corrective mate those faults  out of our children.  That’s the joking part.  (Read more:  How I Used Everything I Know About Animal Breeding to Choose My Wife).  Seriously, I could not be more proud of her and the family that we have started.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

I can tell you all, that without a very supportive and understanding wife, The Bullvine would have never existed.  A fully supportive, loving, trusting wife who will be honest and speak her mind but who will also stand with her husband to the very end frees a man up to do with all his heart that which he desires to achieve.  Zosia does just that for me.  While she may not be a cattle breeding expert, or even from a dairy farm, nevertheless she loves me and supports me in all the weird and wacky things that I do.  For that I can only quote Elvis and say to Zosia, “Love me tender, Love me true, all my dreams fulfilled.  For my darlin’ I love you, And I always will.”

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

I get it!  Change freaks some people out.  Even though “Change” is a broad term it affects our lives in many specific ways.  Our brains expect certain things to stay the same.  The old saying might be right, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!” But we are not talking about dogs, we are talking about the dairy industry and things are changing – rapidly!  As Winston Churchill said “To improve is to change.  To be perfect is to change often.”  In order to excel in the dairy industry, you cannot be afraid of change, but rather must embrace change.

The dairy breeding industry is going through the most tumultuous time in its history.  Between genomics and IVF the industry has been turned on its head, flipped over and slapped on its butt.  As if that wasn’t enough, all of these changes have started a chain reaction of even more changes.  However, as Niebuhr once said “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”   Many breeders would rather fight than switch. .  They are unwilling to accept the fact that even if they refuse to change, the industry around them has changed and is moving on.

Genomics is a game changer

Now I am not saying you have to run out and use all the hottest genomic sires, and start IVF’ing all your top cattle.  What I am saying is that you need to take the time to look at what is going on around you and plan how that is going to affect your dairy breeding program.  This all starts by knowing your goals.  If your goal is to have a Master Breeder herd, or make money selling young stock then yes you best start to embrace these changes.

I know there are many that would tell me that becoming a Master Breeder herd has nothing to do with the use of genomics.  However, I would beg to differ.  You see many are still confused about exactly what genomics is.  Genomics is the technology that allows you to accurately predict what a sire’s (or heifer’s) breeding ability will be (Read more: How much can you trust Genomic Young Sires? and The Truth About Genomics Indexes – Show me they work! ).  IT IS NOT AN INDEX.  It is a TOOL and that is the message that I wish more would understand.  You can use genomics to breed a great show cow. It’s not just for top index animals (Read more: Does Genomics Belong in The Show Ring?).  I think if more people took the time to understand this single difference, they would start to use genomics effectively.  You can use it to do type mattings all the time, and in fact, it can be very good at helping you do it.

IVF is a game breaker

The technology that I really think is changing the game for those who are looking to make money selling genetics is IVF (Read more: IVF: Boom or Bust for the Dairy Industry).  IVF has given breeders the ability to cross their top animals to a greater number of sires and produce many more progeny.  The problem this causes is that now there is an abundance of supply in the marketplace.  With greater supply at the top end and not having an equally greater demand, the prices for all sectors in the marketplace are forced downward.  In the past, when embryo exporters were looking to fill orders, they were held to a threshold of +2500 LPI or +1,900 TPI.  Now since there is so much more supply at the top end, their threshold has risen to +3,200 LPI or +2,500 TPI.  Have a look at our recent analysis of the public auction of live cattle.  You will see that the very top cattle draw the high prices and then the prices drop significantly.  (Read more:  Who Killed the Market for Good Dairy Cattle?)  This produces mixed emotions for me.  The breeder in me that sees the potential to get so many more progeny from different sires from my top animals.  But then there is the business man in me that sees that due to the massive influx of animals from the top few animals, there is less market for the rest.  Recently I have also become concerned that it is making breeders lazy.  They don’t work as hard to decide what sires to cross cows on since the only people who are really making money at this are the companies selling the service, as opposed to the breeders that are using the service.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The key lesson here is that if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.  Instead of being afraid of genomics and fearing the change it’s making, take the time to see how it can actually help you achieve your personal breeding goals.  I am definitely not saying change your breeding goals.  I am saying that you should consider how this new tool can actually help you achieve them.  If you don’t like something, change it.  If you cannot change it, change your attitude.

Not sure what all this hype about genomics is all about?

Want to learn what it is and what it means to your breeding program?

Download this free guide.

Recently we have come under attack for opinions expressed on our different social media platforms.  Some readers have felt that other reader’s opinions should not be expressed.  For us that is completely OPPOSITE to what we believe in.  We believe that everyone should have the right to express their own opinion.  We not only believe in it, we encourage it!

Two Way Conversation

Since starting the Bullvine there is no question we have not been short on stating our own opinions.  We have dealt with issues “too touchy” for the others to even think about covering (Read more: Select Sires vs. Semex – A contrast in cooperatives, Empty Chairs At Empty Tables, Lance Armstrong, Drugs and the Dairy Industry, The Hot House Effect on Sire Sampling, Rumors, Lies, and Other Stuff Salesmen Will Tell You What Happens If Genomics Doesn’t Work and Reality Check – Who Is Really Controlling The Dairy Breeding Industry).   We have also certainly posted who we think are the greatest animals, sires and breeders of all time (Read more: Top 10 Most Influential Holstein Breeders of All-Time, 7 Sires To Use In Order To Breed The Next World Dairy Expo Champion,  and Who’s Next? World Dairy Expo Holstein Show and many other mating recommendations).

The thing that makes The Bullvine different from all the rest is that we have also made this a two-way conversation.  We have run many contests and polls asking the dairy community for their opinion on different issues.  Highlighting this was the 2012 Breeders’ Choice Awards (Read more:  Vote for the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards, The 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards – The Tanbark Trail Edition and The Winners of the 2012 Breeder’s Choice Awards Are).

Then there are the daily conversations that we have on the different social media platforms.  Instead of locking down what is being said, or worrying about the legal ramifications of comments made by breeders, we have actually encouraged dairy breeders to express their opinion.  Our number #1 goal here at The Bullvine is not to control the industry like some other publications try to do.  Our goal is to make breeders think and to get breeders talking.  Yes we want to know your opinion.  Yes we want you to feel you have the right to express it … Even if we don’t agree with it.

Bring It On!

An interesting thing has happened over the past few months.  The Bullvine has gone from the hunter to the hunted.  When we first started The Bullvine we were the hunter.  We were the ones gunning for the bigger publications with the larger readerships.  But now that has all changed.  We are now the ones with the largest daily digital dairy readership and we find ourselves in the cross hairs.  We listen.  We learn.  We share.  Now everybody is shooting for The Bullvine and that’s just the way we like it.

Our very first post on The Bullvine clearly laid out how we were going to be different and how we thought others were missing the boat (Read more: Twice The Bull – Half the S**T).  But we didn’t stop there.  We continued to highlight things we felt relevant along the way.  Including how other dairy magazines are old school (Read more: How Social Media Is Changing the Holstein World) and how our readership is more engaged and larger than the others (Read more:  The Fakebook – Our Secret Is Exposed).  So it’s only fair that when the others start gunning for us that we accept and deal with it.

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.  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.  We surmise that we are starting to take the next step.  (Read more:  I’m Sorry But I’ve Had Just About Enough Of….)

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Who are we to be very opinionated and then not let others express their opinion?  If we tried to control what others say, it would make us hypocrites.  What makes the dairy industry so amazing is that everyone is so passionate about what we do, and we all have our own opinion.  So please share your opinion.  What issues would YOU like to target?  Take aim.  It’s good for all of us.

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick.  Don’t lose faith.  You have to find what you love to do because, whatever you do, your work is going to fill a large part of your life.  Dairy farming is not the most lucrative work.  You have to love it in order to excel at it.  The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the way to do great work is to do what you love.  Dairy farming for many is great work, and that is why so many dairy farmers love what they do.

Dancing Among the Stars

This past week the dairy industry suddenly lost a great member.  Mike Rakes had worked in the A.I. industry for 33 years with World Wide Sires (Read more: Mike Rakes of World Wide Sires Passes). On Monday of this week Mike suffered a massive heart attack and died on the operating table.  Although, during the last 12 years, he battled one kind of cancer after another he never let that slow him down.  Just 3 weeks ago Mike’s daughter Brilynn, who is  legally blind, had been featured on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.  She’s an award-winning classical ballerina and contemporary dancer from Visalia.  She was just accepted at Fordham University in New York City.

It was Mike who has been one of the greatest supporters of Brilynn in overcoming her  challenge. “When I was six, my dad told me I could do that,” she said during an interview with Access Hollywood.  He spoke to each of his four daughters before he went into surgery at Kaweah Delta Medical Center.  “He was joking up until the end,” she said.  “He loved his girls,” she said.  “He wanted to make sure Brilynn went to college.  He was just concerned for everyone else.”

All of us who have had similar health challenges can very much relate to Mike’s situation.  Mike loved what he did and loved his family very much.  His work took him on 19 overseas trips last year alone.  In his interview with the producers of Dancing with the Stars Mike said “I’m a very high output guy.  Small issues or concerns of health never worry me,” he said.  “Doctors shake their heads at me and say keep doing what you’re doing.” “I’m fine, but I am a miracle,” he said.  “I don’t worry about anything.  I defy the odds.” The producers wanted to include some of the above interview in their story about Brilynn being featured on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, but he would have none of that.  It was Brilynn’s time to shine, he said.

Mike loved what he did.  In an interview with his father Jerry, Jerry said “his goal was to feed the world.”  “India used to depend on us for food, but now they produce their own milk because of people like Mike.”

Lessons from Steve Jobs

In his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford Steve Job’s said, “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you will most certainly be right.  Each day you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself if today where the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?  If the answer comes back no with any regularity, something needs to change.  Remembering that we are all going to die at some point, means that you need to live life to the fullest.

All of life’s toughest decisions are that much easier when you remember only what is truly important.  Remembering that you are going to die is the only way to avoid the trap of thinking that you have something to lose.  So follow your heart and these decisions will become much easier.

Job’s went on to say that no one wants to die.  Even people who want to go to heaven, don’t want to die in order to get there.  And yet death is the destination that we all share.  No one has ever escaped it.  And that is the way it should be.  Because death is very likely the very best invention of life.  It’s life’s change agent.  It clears out the old to make room for the new.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Your time is limited.  So don’t waste it living someone else’s life.  If dairy farming is not your dream don’t do it.  But if it is, do so with all the passion in the world.  Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.  Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.  While there are always people who want to tell you what you should do or give you “advice”, remember to listen to your own inner voice.  Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become.  Everything else is secondary.

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

There are those in this industry that would have someone crucified for the littlest mistake.  They seem to never forget the wrongs people have done and yet can’t remember the good things they have done as well.  While I totally understand the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression,” I also think of what Mahatma Gandhi said, “The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

Since starting the Bullvine we have always tried to profile breeders who were “doing it right.”  By that we mean breeders who were trying to do the best they could.  Breeders who were trying new things such as using social media to market their cows, or individuals who have faced great adversity to achieve outstanding success.  More recently some of our selections for whom to profile has come under attack by profiling some individuals with a colored past.  To answer that I come back to being strong enough to forgive.  People do make mistakes and I think they should be punished. But they should be forgiven and given the opportunity for a second chance. There’s nothing as exciting as a comeback – seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance. We are human beings. When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but rather you work at changing the future.

Sex, Religion and Politics – Three of our favorite things

Now it may seem I have gone all religious on you here, which is something the Bullvine may have   stayed clear of in the past.  I do understand those three things they tell you never to write about: Sex, Religion and Politics.  Well since starting the Bullvine we have already talked about Sex and Politics, so why leave religion out of it?

Today marks Good Friday, the religious holiday celebrated by Christians around the world commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  In this holy week, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of our sins.  That is correct. It’s at this time God gave his only Son to forgive or sins.

Now before I offend those who are not Christian,   remember that, most world religions include the teaching of forgiveness.  Buddhism teaches that forgiveness is a practice for removing unhealthy emotions that would otherwise cause harm to our mental well-being.  Judaism teaches that ideally a person who has caused harm, needs to sincerely apologize, then the wronged person is religiously bound to forgive.  However, even without an apology, forgiveness is considered a pious act.  In Islam the word Islam itself is derived from the Semitic word slm meaning “peace” and forgiveness is a prerequisite for genuine peace.  No matter what religion you practice there is no question that forgiveness is a key part.

Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast the First Stone

Over the course of the past year there is no question we here at the Bullvine have tried to push the limits of traditional thinking.  We have tried to bring awareness to issues and conversations that most would not touch with a ten-foot pole.  Several times our tactics have come under fire by some as being to risqué or even stepping over that line.  And I totally understand that.

What I ask for is forgiveness and understanding.  Understanding that our intentions are good even if our execution sometimes lacks.  Moreover, forgive us for those times when we do cross that line.  Because sometimes when you walk that line, it’s hard to know when you have crossed over it.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

The weak never forgive.  Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.  On this Good Friday it could be the perfect time to offer forgiveness to those who have done wrong?

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

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!”

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

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.

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

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.

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

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.

Get original “Bullvine” content sent straight to your email inbox for free.

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)