The Rural Voice, 2019-03, Page 49
“We kept getting more quota and
more work and we were getting older
... we needed to work less,” said
Debbie.
The couple did not show cattle but
did err on the side of type when
choosing sires.
“Our barn was not set up for huge
cows. We had trouble finding stalls
for the heifers in the last two years,”
said Debbie.
Looking back over their career,
Gary said a highlight was breeding a
fifth-generation, homegrown cow,
that went “excellent”.
“For us, it was always what we
could accomplish with what we had,”
said Debbie.
Though hosting a dispersal can be
expensive, the couple are really glad
they chose that option to sell the herd
in the fall of 2016.
“To have our cattle so well
accepted was really rewarding,” said
Gary. Over 300 people came to the
dispersal and it ended up being a
really fun day for the family.
Once the cows were gone, the
couple decided to raise heifers to
ease the transition in retirement. So
far, it has not been profitable and
they do miss the milk cheque. They
were surprised to realize they also
missed the milk truck coming in
every other day.
“I was amazed at how quiet the
driveway got,” said Gary.
However, the days are easier.
They get more sleep. They still have
a schedule since Gary milks the
calving heifers twice a day, and they
like this. Plus, they got to stay on the
farm they love.
Kevin Klages of Woodbridge
Holsteins is the third
generation farmer to milk
cows. His grandfather originally
milked 30 cows one concession south
of where he and his family now live.
Though not particularly interested
in milking cows while he was in high
school, Kevin admits he was
interested in making money! So he
became a relief milker and for five
years, was exposed to a lot of good
cattle. This gave him a working
appreciation for the kind of cattle he
wanted to have on his own farm one
day.
As usually happens when a son
March 2019 45
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