HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Rural Voice, 1980-01, Page 7international connections or of the high esteem (and prices)
Canadian Holsteins fetch all over the world.
As a British dairy farmer, John Lloyd, who has imported
Holsteins from Canada for his herd, said on CBC, there's
nothing better in the world for converting grass to money."
The Ladinas have been buying and selling cattle imported
from Canada and the U.S. in Italy for seven generations. Two
brothers, Ercole and Marcello and their father, Antolio run the
business, and "really respect the Canadian Holstein," Glen
says.
Vanda and Glen spent nearly a week at the 500 acre: Ladina
farm 20 minutes from Milano in Northern Italy getting four year
old Flettdale Marquis Janet ready for the big Holstein show in
Piacenza. They also showed cattle for Ladina clients, the people
who buy what the family imports.
RECORD PRODUCTION
Marquis, whom the Ladinas had bought from Bob Flood of
Oshawa in 1976 and imported to Italy as a calf has had the sort of
production records as a two and three year old that eight or nine
year olds might make...like 24,000 pounds of milk with 1,000
pounds of butterfat.
The Ladinas wanted someone with experience to show and
hopefully win with her at Piacenza.
The slow pace of the Italian show and the sale which followed
amazed Vanda and Glen. To the surprise of some Italian
exhibitors, Judge Sonny Bartell of Wisconsin hustled and got
things over an hour or so early.
The auction too was slow and quiet with no auctioneer's
chant and no reading of pedigrees...just a quiet "what am I
bid?" and then silence. Then another quiet bid and silence until
the next one. It was a little strange to people used to the hype
and holler that goes on at cattle sales in Canada.
A HUSH
The sale average was perhaps S12,000 and the McNeils say
a hush descended over the crowd when the first bid came on
Marquis, led by Glen. It was considerably higher than average.
Vanda and Glee, meanwhile didn't have a clue since the bid of
course was in lite. "What did he say?" all the English speaking
people quickly asked each other.
A very wealthy Italian bought her.
The Italians who work with Holsteins were very interested in
Glen's grooming and showing techniques and watched every
move the McNeils made with the cattle. While they are excellent
clippers, few Italians have had enough experience to be good
showmen yet, Glen says.
But they're coming. Italy would like eventually to be
self-sufficient in Holstein breeding and Glen says once in awhile
someone would show off an especially good Italian -born cow and
joke "don't you wish you had her in Canada?" and "here's a
future grand champion at the Royal."
Vanda and Glen had little time for sightseeing but from what
they learned farm land in Italy is so valuable that it just never
comes on the market.
Their Holsteins are too valuable to graze so the Ladinas keep
them in dry lots and bring in milk grass which they grow from
February to November and cut five or six times a year. The
Ladinas don't milk but sell their cows before they calve.
One of the Ladina brothers will spent a month or so in Canada
putting together a plane load of Holsteins to sell to Italian
clients. These are assembled at Thamescrest. As well the fancily
imports semen from good bu Its and does embryo transplants.
The McNeils were very impressed with their hosts who treated
them "like family". And they'd probably go back again if they're
asked. This year the last minute call just happened to come at a
time when the corn was all off and Glen's parents could look after
things.
The McNeils milk 30 year round and have a herd of about 70
Cutting green chop, the grass crop the
Ladinas feed their Holsteins.
A barn on the Ladina farm. Notice the
Holsteins painted on the second story.
females.
Some critics of Canadian Holsteins say that with Al, embryo
transplant and huge prices at sales more attention is being paid
to breeding than to milking.
The McNeils don't agree.
Vanda and Glen put a lot of time and trouble into showing
because they enjoy it and it's good promotion for their herd. But
as Vanda says "you can't depend on selling cattle all the time".
The bottom line is still the milk the cows in the McNeil herd
produce. Super milk from Canadian Holsteins, the breed which
is getting an international reputation as Supercow.
THE RURAL VOICE/JANUARY 1980 PG. 5