The Rural Voice, 1995-10, Page 62People
Schmidts own two new champions
Bruce Schmidt: herd
programmed for excellence
Bruce and Grace Schmidt and family
have two new All -Time Canadian Jersey
production champions in their barn. The
Walton -area couple (featured in our July
1993 issue because of their production
gains through breeding and nutrition,
including feeding wet distillers grain)
found out that conscientious and long-term
used of National (Sire Proving) Programme
Jersey test sires paid off royally. The two
Jersey winners are the result of "test"
matings to National Programme young
sampling sires and both of their dams were
the result of test matings to National
Programme Young Sires, Jersey Canada
says.
The older member of the championship
duo is Brace Historic Alisha GP83%, a
daughter of Rexlea Historic who was a
National Programme sire housed at CIAQ. Calving for the second time at 2-
10 Alisha yielded 7545 kgs. Milk, 484 kgs. Fat, 6.4 per cent, 306 kgs.
Protein, 41 per cent for BCAs of (268 317 286). Alisha's butterfat yield of
484 kgs. ties the existing butterfat record for the senior two year old class set
in late 1994.
Brace Exel Brandy is the other new Canadian production champion for
the family. Freshening at 1-10 Excel Brandy pumped 8491 kgs. Milk, 422
kgs. Fat, 307 kgs. Protein, 3.6 per cent for BCAs of (354 330 337). Brandy's
fat yield of 422 kgs. is 12 kgs. ahead of the previous standard for the class
set in 1993 by a herdmate at the Schmidt farm. The herdmate was also the
result of a test mating to a test mating daughter.
When these young cows completed their lactations, the Brace herd had
average BCAs in the (230 225 230) range and was the seventh herd for
production in Canada in 1994 with almost 6900 kgs. Milk, 355 kgs. Fat and
over 260 kgs. Protein.0
Poet, writer, inspired by rural life
You won't find his work on the
best selling list or even in the most
popular magazines in the country but
Harry Schroeder of Centralia
continues to write stories and poems
about the rural life he sees around
him.
Schroeder, 60, says he hasn't even
tried to have his work published
lately but "Mostly I write for my own
pleasure and if I think it's good I'll
send it in to the paper." He has had
lots of encouragement from those
who have read his work.
Schroeder carries a pen and book
around with him on his farm.
"Sometimes plowing a field I have to
stop (and write)."
He is inspired by everyday things
around him, like an old barn door, a
favourite oak tree, an ancient piece of
farm machinery, his father sitting on
a hay stack. "It's like taking
pictures," he says. "It's more or less
a reflection on my life."
He's had his poem Stone Pickin'
published in five local newspapers,
another poem won him a free dinner
at a restaurant through a contest in
Focus Newsmagazine.
Since starting his hobby as a
teenager he has been mostly self-
taught. He took a few writing courses
in London but "If you've got to
study it to get the message out of it, it
isn't any good to me." As well as
poems he has written song lyrics and
a musical play, The Puzzle, about a
woman dominated by her mother.0
4 -Hers in the money
at Silver Dollar
competition
4-H representatives from Bruce,
Grey and Dufferin counties were
among the winners among compet-
itiors at the United Breeders Inc.
Silver Dollar Competition held in
Markham in August.
Dean Ribey of Paisley was a big
winner. He tied for Reserve Beef
Grand Champion with Neil Post of
Orton in Dufferin. Grand Champion
was Scott Cornish of Peterborough
County. Ribey also won the quiz
division while Cornish won the essay
division. Post won top novice
honours. Runner up in the novice
category was Sarah Hasson of Arris
in Wellington County.
Heather Robertson of Markdale
won Honourable Mention.
In the dairy division the Champ-
ion was Steven Fraser of Brampton.
Wanda Braiden of Shelburne just
missed the Reserve Grand
Championship prize by four points
out of 1,000.
Intercounty trophies for county
group achievement went to Grey
County for the beef division and
Dufferin for dairy.0
Andrea French wins
Western Fair bursary
Perth County's Andrea French
was named the Western Fair's 4-H
Achiever of the Year for the fair's
September run.
As part of the award, French wins
a $1,000 bursary. The award is
sponsored by Western Fair Assoc-
iation and the 4-H associations in
Elgin, Essex, Huron, Kent, Lambton,
Oxford and Perth.
French is the daughter of dairy
farmers Earl and Barbara French.
In addition to 4-H commitments and
working on the farm, she is an active
member of her church, school choir,
band and track and field team as well
as maintaining a 91 per cent average
in grades 11 and 12.
At the fair she represented all 4-H
members, taking part in awards
presentations and official functions.0