Saskvalley Stock Farm; Rosthern, SK

Bell M Farms; Englefeld, SK

Muridale Shorthorns; Swift Current, SK

Sale Consultant: LBC

37 Shorthorn Bulls avg. $3,855

40 Total Lots: Gross- $161,450, avg. $4,036

*** Interesting Fact: 12 Solid Red Bulls avg. $4,245… 11 Roan Bulls avg. $4,613!!!

(Listed in Catalog Order)

20W-                     4000                       Deerhorn Farms; Barnesville, MN

269W-                   7200                      Jennifer Oram

94W-                     3000                       N/A

113W (SV) -        5750                      Gordon Turner Farms; Blackie, AB

114W-                   4300                       Double Star Stock Farm; Lacombe, AB

190W-                   3500                       Galbreath Farms; Enderlin, ND

152W-                   2500                       N/A

324W-                   OUT

397W-                   OUT

1W-                        3100                       N/A

3W-                        3400                       N/A

4W-                        2000                       N/A

254W-                   5100                       N/A

250M Donor       7000                       Cyclone Trace; Clarion, IA

12J/250M ET       1650 x 4                Cyclone Trace; Clarion, IA

83N Flush            5200                       Cyclone Trace; Clarion, IA

41X-                       2500                       N/A

87X-                       2000                       N/A

90X-                       1900                       N/A       

97X-                       3500                       N/A       

144W-                   3700                       N/A

14X-                       2400                       N/A

16X-                       5400                       Les Doig

22X-                       4500                       Bar 33 Ranch

27X-                       OUT

43X-                       3700                       Lauler Shorthorns, ND

52X-                       2300                       N/A

106X-                     2400                       N/A

113W-                   4000                       Garnet Surben

51X-                       OUT

59X-                       1800                       N/A

5X-                         OUT

15X-                       3250                       Les Doig

24X-                       N/A                        N/A

49W-                     2250                       George Stewart

50W-                     3500                       Williamson

25W-                     4600                       Tim Abernathy

62W-                     OUT

86W-                     5600                       Monroe Lehne & Saskvalley

95W-                     5100                       Gordon Turner Farms; Blackie, AB

105W-                   4750                       N/A

23W-                     7600                       Saskvalley

41W-                     7700                       Lyle Bignell

68W-                     5000                       Gordon Turner Farms; Blackie, AB

2W-                        2700                       Gar-Lind Shorthorns; North Battleford, SK

21W-                     4750                       N/A

After several conversations with Gordon Crawford, of Crawfdown Farms, I was able to arrange a three day visit to Glencoe, ON in late July. I was excited to make this trip and had no question about the quality I was about to encounter after spending quite a bit of time over the past couple years studying their program via their well managed website.
When I first arrived, I was greeted by Gordon and we sat down and discussed some of what we would see over the next couple days. We also discussed why Shorthorns have been at Crawfdown for so long. Gordon explained why they have used Shorthorn cattle for generations. They have tried other breeds, including Limousin, however the return to 100% Shorthorn was important do to as they appreciated the balanced quality and docility.
Shortly after we landed on the porch, twin sons, Reed & Dr. Rex Crawford, DVM returned from a day at the local county fair. After receiving a quick update on the show results and a sale of some Crawford genetics, the four of us headed to the barn to take a gander at a very outstanding set of calves that will be featured in this fall’s Great Shorthorn Revival and Ontario Shorthorn Association’s Orangeville Sale. These calves, sired by Little Cedar Aviator, were an outstanding set that excelled in length of spine, and chiseled front ends. I was also impressed with the center portion of their barrel, and depth off rib; which one can certainly contribute to the AI sire and their incredibly capacious dams. Over the last few years, I have learned that Crawfdown cattle have been very well accepted into US Shorthorn breeding programs, and rightfully so. Between these future junior projects and the 5 year old cow they are selling in Michigan in late September, the Crawfdown program is going to continue to hold their image as a source for undeniable quality for many well-read investors.
I don’t care for clichés. And you have ever spent much time around me I hope you have realized this. I am easily annoyed with cliché marketing angles, especially when people follow trends with no other excuse except to do it, “because everyone else is doing it.” One of those overly exaggerated angles is the promotion of cow families. Now before you start to laugh and declare LBC as bogus, understand that I think cow families are extremely important if the animal representing a certain lineage is worth promoting both phenotypically and genotypically. But just having a “Jane Doe” for the sake of owning one, then flushing her because of a name on the bottom side of the pedigree, well, that’s where I get pretty bothered. Sometimes these animals are really not worth putting back into the herd, but folks will feed’em up, and put them in a sale because, “everybody needs a Jane Doe” in their herd…… Blah. With this in mind, the use of cow families at Crawfdown Farms is unique when put into comparison with other eastern North American programs. Why? – Because they use them as a tool in their breeding protocols. I am not saying that some cow families excel in certain traits for size, milk, or even body type when compared to other tribes in the herd(because they all have it), but that the Crawfdown cows are as consistent in type and kind as any herd you’ll visit in the Eastern Time Zone. Sure, there are a lot of popular cow families that deliver single traits better than others, but as a whole it’s a real stable set. Some you need for rocket front ends, or impeccable muscle shape, or even curve bending Weaning and Yearling stats; but what about the potency to balance all traits on particular sires used and reproduce the dependable quality that has been seen for generations? The Miss Lea’s, the Jane’s and the Silver Rose’s, etc, haven’t eaten grass in Glencoe for decades because of single trait selection or customer demand for trendy lineages, they are there because they get the job done- every job they’re expected to perform for not only Gordon and family, but the typical, intelligent beef producer.
I find an undeniable power in the cow families. No matter the sire side, the cows were consistent generation after generation. There were certainly marks left in the herd by bulls that have been used, however, the maternal standards have never been sacrificed and have always carried through.

It was a true pleasure to spend a few days sorting and analyzing the decades of hard work and breeding success at Crawfdown Farms. I am pleased that although it’s located in “the land of the Giant Maple Leaf,” they’re really only a half days drive or so from a majority of herds located in what I call the “Shorthorn Belt.” I hope more breeders take advantage of herd tour with Gordon and the guys. I know I’ll be headed back.

Last week’s news flash saying that the HSUS would be off the Ohio Ballots in November was an exciting day for me and thousands of other animal producers.  However, when I got the phone call and jumped off the tractor to get to the house to watch Ted Stickland’s live press conference, I found my self writing down more questions than expected.  Later, I called my good friend, Andy Vance at ABN Radio.  (If you dont know by now, Andy is the most popular voice in Ohio agricuture and is a true Agri-intellect.)  We read the news conference the same way.  And like always, he is just better at putting it in print.  Thanks, Andy, for allowing me to share your “Angle.”

—

“The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his.” – General George S. Patton, Jr.

Many of us made the mistake of thinking we were going to war, proudly carrying the battle standard for farm families, consumer rights, truth, justice, and the American way. Staring back across the mud and the blood were a group of idealists one Ohio farm leader popularly referred to as “radical anti-meat terrorists.”

The problem is we weren’t really fighting terrorists; we were fighting a sophisticated regime of well-funded mercenaries intent on destroying us from within. We thought we were fighting for General Patton across Western Europe, when really we were fighting the Cold War. The good guys blinked, and last week Ohio farm leaders brokered a compromise with the Humane Society of the United States.

General George Patton is one of my favorite historical figures. The greatest wartime General in modern history, Patton was as famous for his efficiency in defeating Nazis as for his inability to navigate politics. Patton’s writings are particularly applicable to the feelings of many Ohio farmers following the “Ohio Compromise” between farm groups and animal rights activists.

“America loves a winner, and will not tolerate a loser,” Patton said of the fighting American. That spirit may explain the disappointment and outrage expressed by many farmers following the Ohio Compromise. The Animal Agriculture Alliance stated flatly: “Ohio’s agricultural leadership succumbed to pressures from a national animal rights group that has effectively undermined the authority of the newly-established (Livestock Care) Board.”

While I agree with the Alliance position that “HSUS is an extremist animal rights group that does not deserve a seat at the discussion table on issues of farm animal welfare,” I also appreciate the position from which Ohio’s commodity executives agreed to HSUS’ demands. Patton counseled “a good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later,” suggesting the Compromise, while not the most popular decision in Ohio agriculture history, may indeed be in the long term best interests of Ohio. Governor Strickland agreed, noting, “Instead of expending tens of millions of dollars and unproductive energy fighting an acrimonious campaign through the fall, both sides will continue investing in our agricultural base and taking care of animals.”

However, Ohio’s farm groups spent two years warning voters against the evils of HSUS. In fact, as of this writing, the Ohioans for Livestock Care campaign website still cautions “A group of Washington D.C. lobbyists, lawyers and activists want to keep our Livestock Care Standards Board from doing its job with a petition drive to override the Board’s authority.” What changed?

Three things likely convinced Ohio’s commodity and Farm Bureau executives to play “let’s make a deal” with Wayne Pacelle. First, the compass of any political campaign is good polling. For the coalition of farm groups to deal, the numbers must have suggested we were fighting an uphill battle. Remember the “undercover video” released a few weeks ago from the Conklin dairy farm? Still think its release was a coincidence?

Secondly, the dollars and cents weren’t making sense. “Ballot initiatives are expensive,” Farm Bureau’s Jack Fisher said when asked why his group agreed to compromise.

HSUS employed the Cold War strategy of spending its enemy into submission. Vowing to spend at least $10 million of its $200 million war chest to pass its ballot measure, HSUS effectively demonstrated their ability to buy the election.

Sources tell me the Ohioans for Livestock Care steering committee was extremely nervous about raising the funds necessary to win.

Perhaps most importantly, Gov. Ted Strickland needed this issue to go away. Strickland was instrumental in creating the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board and received high praise from the farm community for his stance against HSUS.

In February the governor told Farm Bureau members “If we want to eat, and if we want access to affordable and inexpensive food, it is important for the agricultural community not to be hamstrung and to have their hands tied behind their back by those who do not fully appreciate the value of what happens on our farms.”

So why would Strickland suddenly become the key broker of a compromise with HSUS? Ask pollster Scott Rasmussen: “(Our) latest survey of the governor’s race finds Republican John Kasich with a 47 percent to 40 percent lead over Strickland – for the second month in a row.” Strickland won Ohio with 60 percent of the vote in 2006.

As The Columbus Dispatch reports, Ohio’s rural counties are critical to winning the state. In the 2004 Presidential election John Kerry easily won the urban areas, but George W. Bush “more than made up the difference in the suburban and rural counties.” President Bush carried 72 of 88 counties, and while “Kerry was racking up big margins in the big six urban counties…Bush more than matched that performance by winning 57 percent of the total votes in the other 82 counties, which accounted for 57.5 percent of the Ohio vote.”

Rural voters would have turned out in force to defeat HSUS’ proposed ballot initiative. Based on the historical data and Rasmussen numbers, high rural turnout could have been bad news for Strickland. Announcing the compromise, HSUS’ Pacelle was quite clear that the governor made the first move in negotiating this deal. It seems plausible that the governor is much happier knowing he’s taken a major rural get out the vote effort off the table, while freeing up $20 million of radio and television commercial inventory at the same time.

We won’t know the true effects of the Ohio Compromise for months, probably years. I remain concerned that HSUS will redouble its efforts to force Ohioans into a radical vegan lifestyle, yet I have hope that the Livestock Care Standards Board will do the job it was created to do. As Farm Bureau’s Fisher noted about the compromise, “One of animal agriculture’s most vocal critics has agreed that the Livestock Care Standards Board is the proper authority to handle difficult questions about farm animal care.” We may have to swallow the bitter pill of compromise for now, but we might stand at ease knowing the ball is in the board’s hands now.

FARMING IS NOT A GAME

In this issue of your Hoosier Farmer you are going to learn about the very popular internet game called Farmville.  It has captured the hearts and attention of millions all across America.  For some it is almost an addiction.  I get Facebook postings from friends about their Farmville, successes, needs and calamities time stamped at all hours of the day and night.  I must admit that I have never played, and have only seen bits and pieces, but it is intriguing to me how many people want to reunite with their rural roots and feel like they are a part of the agricultural community.

I am thrilled that so many are getting at least some exposure to rude concepts about life on the farm and I guess I should be glad that this many folks have an interest in their food and fiber system at the farm level. I also know there is a creative need to make the game exotic to first attract players and then to keep them playing.  From the little exposure I have had to the game, it is long on fantasy and short on reality.  I understand it probably needs to be that way to keep players so engaged.  Hopefully those playing know cows and pigs don’t give birth in only a few days or weeks and that growing multiple crops on the same acres in a short period of time only happens on the computer screen and not on a real farm.  But we continually hear from children and adults that think chocolate milk comes from brown cows and brown eggs must come from brown chickens.  Farmville may give us in Farm Bureau another generation or two to educate about the true story of modern production agriculture.

 I know I love farming as much as anybody, and actually have said many times publicly: “I LOVE BEING A FARMER.”   But my wife Joyce will tell you there are a few days each spring and fall that when we have a machinery breakdown, or we have two weeks of continuous rain, for me to say those words would be a pretty big stretch.  So for me and my fellow Hoosier farmers playing the real farm game is a challenge and hard work.  I don’t know how long players would continue to play if they had to put down hundreds of thousands of dollars each spring to get to hit the start button.  I don’t know how many would play if they knew their financial success would be determined by a timely rain in July for their corn or a shower in August for their soybeans.  How many Farmville players would pay the entry fee if they knew their nine month wait to harvest a wheat crop could be wiped out in the final days by a hail storm.  Do you think that many of these game players would get up in the middle of the night from their warm cozy beds to check on their animals to see if they needed help birthing their young?  Would they dedicate themselves time wise and financially to being a “Champion of Animal Care”?  This means seeing that the health and nutrition needs of their livestock exceed all expectations and that they are well taken care of in expensive, but climate controlled sheltered animal care facilities.  Would these game players spend many of their hard earned dollars to protect the environment and dedicating themselves to leaving their farms a better place than when the started farming? 

I hope you take a look at the computer game called Farmville.  From what I hear and see it looks and sounds like it is a lot of fun.  But, I do hope that every one that plays will understand that real world farming has many challenges: weather, government regulation, markets, insects, labor, disease and financing just to name a few.  I don’t know if there is a computer big enough to simulate all of the variables, no — make that variables on variables in today’s modern agriculture.  But I do know that consumers all around the world all benefit everyday because farmers all across Indiana and this country wake up every morning, are willing to take a risk, love working with mother nature with God’s eternal blessing but knowing full well that ‘FARMING IS NOT A GAME.”

Don Villwock

President

Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance

A week ago today I had the opportunity to leave making hay and heat watching to spend the afternoon in Martinsville, home of one of the finest, yet quietest, Shorthorn herds in Indiana, Shady Maple Farms.  The Ennis family has compiled one of the truly progressive Shorthorn herds in the Midwest.  And the means of doing that has been pretty simple; they just do it their way.

When I first arrived I was quickly greeted by Chad and his wife, Heather, and their 2 young daughters.  Right away we all jumped into the trucks and headed down the road to look at the replacement females and their bred heifer consignments for this year’s Form To Function sale.  The cattle that they will be consigning with their partners at Galbreath Farms of Enderlin, ND will make any cattleman’s mouth water.  The purebreds (along with an absolute freak of a ShorthornPlus) will headline the 2010 F2F in Greens Fork on Sept 3^rd.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit this homestead, you’ll quickly realize that there is no big talk’n or sales pitch’n that goes on.  They show you what they have and let you make up your mind. 

Back to the cattle-

The acquisition of their main herd sire, JSF Jazz 34S, from Jungels Shorthorn Farm may have been the wisest investment of all the purchases that they have made in the past 5 years.  Although their donor cows are some awesome individuals, the influence of 34S is going to more far reaching than just Martinsville.  As folks continue to gather their ideas of what the Jake’s Proud Jazz 266L cattle are and the impact that they will have on our breed, I think that Jazz 34S is different enough from his popular sire that he will blaze his own trail.  This 5.5 framed, dark red bull, is as extended through his spine and front end as you’ll find in any Shorthorn male, while at the same time he keeps the masculinity and body that has become greatly needed in eastern cattle for the past few generations.  More impressive is his ability to put real performance (on the scales or EPD, your choice ) into their highly outcross cows.  Of course as these females enter production, we’ll know the rest of his story.  But at this point, all signs are pointing to success.

The good nature of the Ennis boys is one that makes every visit enjoyable.  They’re proud but not boastful.  They’re real but not harsh- A lot like the cattle.  I have worked with few herds that look at the breed and their own herd the way these guys do.  I should get into detail on their philosophies, but that’s for another day… and hopefully a day that you’ll decide to visit SMF.

Although Shorthorns have been part of the farm for nearly 50 years, the new generation of SMF, lead by Chad and Adam, is about to enter the next level.  It is nice to see a young family that takes such a fresh approach to the Shorthorn business, and I love that they do it in a way that allows them to sleep at night with the decisions they have made.  They aren’t selecting for popularity or a quick home run.  They aren’t staying politically correct or trying to set new trends.  They’re just doing it their way.  And it works.

Average     $3,072

Gross     $76,850

Highlights-

Lot 15-      $9,000     O-Dale Shorthorns, IA

Lot 50-     $4,000     Bell M Farms, Sask

Lot 29-     $3,900     ITS Farm, Sask

Lot 38-     $3,500     Curt Johnson, Sask

Lot 39-     $3,000     Fieser’s Polled Shorthorns, KS

Presented by Alta Cedar Shorthorns

April 11, 2010.

Auctioneer: Dale Stith; Harvest, Alabama

Sale Consultant: Luke Bowman Consulting; Greens Fork, IN

By Luke Bowman-

After weeks of much anticipation from breeders all over North America, Alta Cedar Shorthorns and guest consignors once again held a first class event in Acme, AB.  Peter & Christine Boake along with friends from Baehr Acres, Creekside Shorthorns, Eagles View Shorthorns and Southholm Angus did an outstanding job developing bulls and select females to demand top prices from all across Canada, the USA and even Australia. 

$24,700- Top Selling Lot- Lot 39.  This lot featured Alta Cedar Silver Gem 2W; a broody made, long spined, perfectly constructed, January 2009 daughter of Alta Cedar Samurai 46T, and a flush on her dam, Alta Cedar Silver Gem 10R.   2W took top honors as high selling animal, demanding $20,000 and selling to Kilkee Cattle Company of Australia who has been on a global search for the next great outcross genetics to lead their growing donor program.  Lot 39a, the flush on the moderate framed Silver gem 10R, an incredibly deep daughter of Alta Cedar Lad 13N that has done an outstanding job in her short career at raising top seller for Peter & Christine,  sold to Dr. Don St. Ledger of Albion IL for $4700.

$9,750- Top Selling Bull- Lot 13.  Alta Cedar Storm Front 147 super attractive, heavy muscled and wide constructed May 2009 son of Alta Cedar Prairie Storm 47R and another Lad 13N daughter from the Lillian cow family sold to Sullivan Farms of Dunlap, IA.  This bull calf will certainly be a feature in the growing battery of outcross Shorthorn bulls that the folks in Dunlap are compiling.

$7,500- Lot 11.  Alta Cedar Commotion 120W was another long bodied son of Prairie Storm 47R and by another popular Silver Gem donor.  This outstanding solid red, April 2009 bull calf went to Mr. George D. Brown of Glenrothes Shorthorns in Beaverton, Ontario. 

$6,900- Lot 20.  Creekside Amp 23W was a stout made, wide topped, big bodied, red neck roan son of Alta Cedar Signature 14S and sold to Warner Ranch of Riverton, WY.

$5,500- Lot 1. After the large amounts of attention this 2008 son of Saskvalley Primo 40P received at both the 2010 National Western and in the pens on sale day, Alta Cedar Diablo 98U was purchased by Studer Shorthorns of Creston, IA.  Dale chose this bull for his calving ease record, structural correctness and the incredible maternal side of this pedigree coming from the admired Go Go cow family.

$15,300- Lot 50.  200 units of semen sold the great Saskvalley Primo 40P who has really made quite a mark on the Alta Cedar program.  This volume of semen sold in package of 10 and went to a variety of North American breeders, including Cyclone Trace Cattle Company of Clarion, IA, who purchased 11 of the 20 packages.

Sale Gross: $129,625.00

20 bulls averaged $3425.00

14 heifers averaged $3200.00

2 flushes averaged $3650.00

Semen averaged $62/unit

LOT                Buyer                                      Purchase Price

1                      Studer Shorthorns, IA                        5500

4                      Linda & Betty Rew                2400

5                      R&A Vanek, MT                    1800

6                      Warner Ranch, WY                2400

8                      Dumont Ranch                        2350

10                    Coulee Grove Farms               3000

11                    Mr. George Brown, ON          7500

13                    Sullivan Farms                        9750

15                    Tom White                              3200

20                    Dillon Lamontagne                 4100

23                    Warner Ranch, WY                6900

25                    Muridale Shorthorns               1600

27                    Arda Farms                             2900

28                    Wolf Ranches                         2700

29                    Gerred Wauters                       1950

30                    Gerrad Wauters                       1700

32                    Loma Lanes                            3000

33                    Wolf Ranches                         2000

36                    Gerrad  Wauters                      1550

38                    Gibson Cattle Co                    2500

39                    Kilkee Cattle Co, Australia     20,000

39a                  Dr. Don St. Ledger                 4700

40                    Coulee Grove Farms               2200

41                    Casey Bishop & Jarrett Davis 4200

42                    Blaire Williamson                    1700

43                    Ashley Shannon                      3900

44                    Melanie Barkley                      1850

45                    Coulee Grove Farms               1800

46                    R&A Vanek, MT                    1500

47                    Reum Bros, IL                                    2600

48a                  Leahy Stock Farm                   1500

48b                  Jim Murray                              1450

48c                  Baehr Acres                            1450

49a                  Wolf Ranches                         950

49b                  Wolf Ranches                         950

49c                  Dillon Lamontagne                 1350

50                    Matlock Stock Farms              90(x10)

50                    Leahy Stock Farm                   100(x10)

50                    Doug Perkins                          75(x10)

50                    Nicholas Martin                      85(x10)

50                    Blair Williamson                     90(x10)

50                    Cyclone Trace, IA                   90(x110)

50                    Lewis Dixon                           100(x10)

51                    Chabot Cattle Co                    20(x20)

51                    Coulee Grove Farms               20(x10)

52                    Coulee Grove Farms               25(x10)

52                    Wranda Holsteins                   35(x5)

52                    Chabot Cattle Co                    35(x10)

52                    Dennis Shantz                         35(x20)

52                    Blue Ridge Shorthorns           25(x20)

52                    Chris Walwin                          30(x20)

52                    Mike Dunphy, IL                    40(x5)

52                    Zane Martin                            35(x10)

My trip was only 5 days long and I was only able to walk the pens of just a few Shorthorn herds, but it was refreshing to visit with families that have raised the red, white and roans for several decades.

To say that things are busy at Bell M Farms, home of the Moellenbeck family, well, that would just simply be an understatement.  The sons of Arnold Moellenbeck keep a very busy schedule;   running 200+ Shorthorn & Shorthorn cross cows and a several thousand acre grain operation.  The bulls there are developed on a grain screenings and straw diet.  I was very impressed on how their animals performed on such a cost effective ration.  The Moellenbecks know that the commercial cattleman wants his bulls to work, and that’s what they do- get them in working condition.  With the massive grain farming operation and other ventures pursued by the sons and their families, the cattle need to be able to take care of themselves.  Their purebreds are run right along side of the commercial cows.  They are culled just as hard too. 

All this activity is located near the small town of Engelfeld in northern plains of Saskatchewan.

I enjoyed my time with son Richard and his family discussing the issues that face the Canadian cattlemen.  The last few years haven’t been the most desirable in their part of the world, but the strong survive and the future generations of Moellenbecks have much to look forward to with their heritage of a strong work ethic, close family ties, and a solid passion for the Canadian agriculture industry.

The next stop on my trip was my 2^nd visit to Saskvalley Stock Farm, home of the Wes Lehmann family.  Sons Carl and Murray spent quite a bit of time showing me the 2 year old sale bulls and their mothers.  Our discussions over marketing philosophies, program identity, and their idea of the model Shorthorn animal were very encouraging.  Understanding the bottom line of this family operation and their herd is never a gray area.  They raise the cattle that they like, which in turn are cattle that are profitable for their customers.  There is no difference in the bulls that they use to sell cattle and the bulls that they use in their own herd.  Bulls have to be masculine.  Females have to be fertile and productive.  I truly enjoyed discussing breed character and then actually seeing it in the cattle!  There is no time nor any  reason to make things overly fancy; that’s for the people that have something to prove.  It is simply a working ranch with cattle that get the job done.  The Shorthorns just have to make sense for the Lehmann family.  And from the growing interest in the Saskvalley program, it seems that American breeders are starting see things the same way.

American Shorthorn breeders could learn a lot from firms like Bell M and Saskvalley.  These two families, simply put, believe in supplying better Shorthorn bulls to the beef industry.  Period.  If purebred cattlemen decide to invest in their program, these stockmen are happy to share.  But the bottom line is supplying better bulls to the beef sector that has been plagued by the overuse of Continental cattle which have taken the maternal traits out of North American cow herds.  In my mind, the American Shorthorn industry needs more leaders thinking in this fashion. 

Here are the results from their sale, on April 1, 2010…

7^th Annual, “Who’s Your Daddy” Shorthorn Bull Sale

Saskvalley Shorthorns & Bell M Farms

Thursday, April  1, 2010

2 year old bulls…..17 head…..Avg $3,447

Yearling bulls…..7 head….. Avg $2,007

24 Shorthorn bulls total…..Avg $3,027

84U                                        $3000                    Gordon Turner Farms, AB

213U, ½ interest               $4,600                   Mervyn Keleman, SK

377U                                      $4800                    Hawkview Charolais, AB

449U                                      $4500                    Hawkview Charolais, AB

27U                                        $5250                    Alta Cedar Shorthorns, AB

28U, ½ interest                 $3000                    Monroe Lehne, AB

194U                                      $1800                    Les Doig, SK

329U                                      $3100                    Jerry Nowek, AB

513U                                      $3100                    Les Doig, SK

535U                                      $2800                    Bell M Farms, SK

57U                                        $4100                    Gordon Turner Farms, AB

89U                                        $1800                    Les Doig, SK

216U                                      $4500                    Alf & Les Clegget

335U                                      $3500                    Leveldale Farms, IL

281U                                      $2500                    Gordon Turner Farms, AB

400U                                      $1950                    Lonnie Lehmann, SK

5W                                         $2500                    Terry Wood, MB

11W                                       $1900                    Bertoia Land & Cattle, SK

12W                                       $1900                    Dwight Teal, SK

28W                                       $2200                   Aloys Vogel, SK

138W                                     $1800                   Ken Lieghton, AB

92W                                       $1750                   Bertoia Land & Cattle, SK

140W                                     $2500                    Terry Wood, MB

112W                                     $1750                     Norman Russell, SK

100W                                     $2000                   Garry Salsibury, SK

I would like to thank Andy and his crew for their continued unskewed view of America.  Media that is logical and not entertaining is interesting enough for me.

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Americans love to eat. I love to eat, and chances are, so do you. We love food so much, in fact, that our collective waistline is expanding to near-catastrophic proportions. Regardless of your opinion of the mainstream press’ breathless reporting on the obesity “epidemic” plaguing this country, the simple fact of the matter is that Americans are increasingly overweight and/or obese to the point of illness. Fortunately, the power to change is within each of us; unfortunately, there are some who are more than willing to “help” us along, by force if necessary. Like tobacco a decade ago, we’re on the verge of a war on food.

The evolution of tobacco from a quaint habit of the American Indians to subject of modern scorn is long and winding. From Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man to a glut of anti-smoking public service announcements, the use of tobacco has occupied both extremes of social acceptability in the span of little more than fifty years. Through a concerted effort to both demonize the tobacco companies and stigmatize the actual act of smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco, the Federal government and various non-government organizations completely redefined the public perception of this once ubiquitous habit. That process began with the simple determination that smoking is bad for your health, and ergo, bad for society as a whole.

Similarly today, the federal government and various think-tanks, commentators, and academics tell us that the expansion of our collective midsection is bad for our health, and ergo bad for society as a whole. The facts and figures, unlike other crises of the day (global warming, for example), are fairly well unassailable. Over the last 30 years, the proportion of Americans who are overweight skyrocketed. The reasons why are varied and each contribute to the overall problem in different ways, but the end result is clear: Americans are packing on the pounds, and it’s slowly killing us.

Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler explains this situation in-depth in his book “The End of Overeating.” Dr. Kessler, a self-described pediatrician by trade, spent several years studying the changes in our lifestyle, as well as the evolution of food processing and marketing over the last half-century. Coupled with an understanding of the neurology of addiction and our internal reward system, he clearly explains how we arrived at the present state of affairs.

Unlike other books tackling the “obesity epidemic,” Kessler’s tome doesn’t level the blame at the farmer for producing foods laden with calories. This isn’t a Michael Pollan rant about the evils of “Big Food,” although Kessler does use that phrase to describe the industry, and he does explain processors’ and marketers’ complicity in enabling our own natural tendencies. In the end, however, Kessler explains that, like alcoholics progressing through an AA program, the responsibility for ending our addiction to over-consuming foods that are higher in sugar, salt, and fat content lies with each individual.

For farmers and agribusiness professionals, this is an important book. It’s easy to dismiss radicals like Pollan, or to scoff at propaganda like “Food, Inc.” or “King Corn.” Kessler’s work, on the other hand, is an accurate and relatively objective dissection of the relationship between humans and food. The implications of his book are serious, particularly as he outlines steps needed to curtail the unhealthy changes happening in our culture.

Like “Big Tobacco” before, “Big Food” is in the crosshairs. As an industry, it’s important that we understand the problem, and understand our role in its solution. Taking proactive steps to help “end overeating” is vital for both consumers, and food producers. It’s critically important to take ownership and control of the situation ourselves, before the government and its own radical enablers offer to do the job for us.

Last week my family and I had the opportunity to listen to agri-intellectual Michael Pollan’s presentation of “Connecting the Dots: Nutritionism, Health and Ag Policy” at Earlham College in Richmond.

I strongly support his message about eating right.  His lessons about smaller portions, balanced diet and consuming more “whole” foods are taught in high school Family and Consumer Science departments around Indiana.  His advice about eating together as a family and restoring the cultural aspects of our food has been needed for nearly an entire generation now. 

Although I found Mr. Pollan’s lecture to be informative and sometimes humorous, he lost me and others in the Hoosier audience when he dismissed modern agriculture as the solution to the growing problem of food security and global hunger. As for his claim that a smaller, organic polyculture is the only way to solve to these looming health and nutrition issues, well, that is where our experiences and opinions differ.    

First and foremost, labor is an issue.  In today’s efficient production system 2 percent of the population feeds the other 98 percent.  If we turn the clock back and return to an organic polyculture (no herbicides or pesticides and limited use of fossil fuel) as Mr. Pollan suggests, it would require as many as 50 to 60 percent of the population to generate our food supply.  Are the people who attended the lecture really willing to put in that kind of vigorous weed-pulling, compost-spreading style of work 24/7, 365 days a year? Sure, some of the young college students don’t mind working with their hands on the Earlham farm for a semester or two, but what about physically working enough hours to feed the 1.02 billion hungry people that the United Nations identified last year?

Second, I understand and certainly appreciate the idea of organics, as I do other consumer choices.  And even though study after study shows that there is no nutritional difference between conventionally grown and organically grown food, I believe there is benefit to fresh local produce, meat and eggs.  But let the market mandate where and how much organic food is grown and sold, not the media and politicians. 

Mr. Pollan, many of the folks who buy your books feast on a diet that consists of more dollars than sense.  You say that perhaps we should pay more for our food – that we as Americans shouldn’t be proud that we spend less of our disposable income on food than any other developed nation; only 10 percent on average, compared to 15, 25 and even 40 percent in other countries. 

I disagree.  As a local farmer who helps to feed our state and nation, I am proud that I can put affordable food on the table for the millions of Americans who are struggling to hold down a job (or two), pay the mortgage and put healthy food on the family dinner table.  Food is about choice, and our agricultural policy should expand our choices, not limit them.

I would like to thank Earlham College for bringing noteworthy authors and speakers to its campus, and for allowing the general public to participate in their lecture series. We can only make balanced and realistic policy decisions if both sides of the debate on important issues are considered.