Half of the story .... Part One

This is my first crack at doing a blog, so we will see how it goes. -Ben

Vaughn Brancel

Brancel Farms, now the home of Next Generation Genetics, has been in existence since 1865. Tod and Sondra, the current owners, are the 6th generation of Brancels to farm the land near Endeavor, WI. The farm started out with a little of everything as far as livestock, but eventually became a dairy farm with some pigs. The hogs were referred to as the mortgage burners. My uncle, Fred Brancel, brought some of the first registered Holsteins onto the farm after graduating college. He left for the mission field in the late 40’s as an agricultural missionary. Shortly there after, my father, Vaughn returned from Farm and Industry Short Course at the UW Madison to join my Uncle Earl on the farm. They farmed together until 1965 when my uncle decided to leave the farm. He joined what was then a new Co-op called Wisconsin Dairies.

My father and mother farmed alone until 1972 when I came home from college and farmed with them in a working relationship. In 1975, my father and mother left the farm and my wife, Gail and I took over Brancel Farms. I was involved in 4-H growing up and showed dairy cattle at the local and state fair. My father had maintained the registration papers on the offspring of those original animals my uncle had purchased and added one every once in awhile. Thus my interest in high quality dairy cattle was instilled in me at an early age. I enjoyed the show ring and the people you meet while competing. My family had one of the top producing herds in our county for many years starting with my grandfather.

When Gail and I were farming on our own, we developed a friendship with Wally and Arlene Lindskoog of Arlinda Farms in California. Wally instilled in me the wisdom to have balanced cows that had strength/dairy plus body/udder and a structural conformation that produced lots of milk over a number of lactations. We ended up with a rolling herd average just short of 24,000# in the 1980’s. Eventually we went back to showing some at district and state black and white shows and even World Dairy Expo. We had the good fortune to have Grand Champion once in a while, which was pretty good considering we were not breeding for the show ring.

Tod, Gail and Ben

By the time Tod was five or six, he was taking an interest in showing our registered Holsteins and did well on the local level. As he grew older, along his friend Tommy Lyon from Westfield, his desire to compete at a higher level was building. One day he asked if he could breed some cows for the purpose of showing.  I said he could have one cow. He bred that cow the way he wanted and she calved with a beautiful heifer calf that grew like gang busters. Then one morning, there she lay dead at three months of age. He bred that cow back the same way and again a great heifer but this time it lived and he showed her several times, either winning or standing near the top each time. Now this cow he bred to the bull of his choice and her daughter he showed at the State Black and White Show, World Dairy Expo, at the NAILE in Louisville, and Harrisburg and she was selected as the All American Junior Two Year Old. Now that’s a feat, I, his father could never have reached. So now you have the brief version of the early start of one half of the Tod and Sondra of Next Generation Genetics. Next blog, I will share more as I remember it...

I wish I knew more ....in HD.

I married a man whose first love was a Holstein cow. Mine was not. I love them now but I admittedly made fun of the dairy kids growing up. And when I say "made fun" I mean they knew it and they jabbed right back with comments like, why was I walking so fast and why was I carrying a stick! They walked backwards. And walked slowly. And what was up with the white pants? To this day I have yet to wear white ANYTHING and not have it tarnished let alone wear white when dealing with the bovine "elements".

I will also admit though I found them beautiful creatures before I loved my husband too. I may have even had a little jealousy for their majesty; especially the big girls. Jealous because they could clip most of their hair off and not have to spend hours training it to go a particular way. Jealous because they seemed to never display a three-ring circus when they were shown (we have all seen a class or two like this at a county fair beef show).

When we started dating, it was pretty obvious, although his family didn't milk cows any longer, these girls and the friends he made along the way were still a big part of his life. And still are today (he works with some of the best cows in the business on a daily basis). Some of our best friends are dairy families and my jealousy has been replaced over the years by admiration; for the cows and their owners. Admiring them for their 24/7 commitment. Their persistent desire to make the next generation better than the last. For their obvious love of these bovine beauties and not because they have to but because they want to. And those cows. . . aahh. I have said many times, I love my (beef) cows but there are few things in agriculture more beautiful to me than a Holstein cow.

We still have a few donors that come and go at home.  We have been known to have a heifer or several hanging around and we have even calved a few in. Throughout these years, I have truly grown to love them. For all those reasons I admire them (and their owners), but also because Tod does too.

In 2012, our daughter showed for the first time in the 10 and under class at the district Holstein show and it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. To see her work at something that brought such joy to Tod's life was ... Wonderful! 

So the emotional end of things I clearly have down . . . what I wish I knew more about though was evaluating them. Separating the cream from the crop; pun intended. I mean, I can tell you a good one from a bad one.  What (or who) I'm not as good as is Tod. Seriously, the guy as got an eye and knows what he is looking for. 

We have some friendly competitions from time to time and the current competition is the Hoards Dairyman (HD) judging contest. He was reluctant at first; probably having mercy on me.  It would be like me playing Scrabble with my 4 year old, I imagine!  He did finally agree though and we are writing down our placings on a post-it note taped to the inside of a cupboard door as the issues of the publication arrive in the mail.  Here is a link to last year's contest if you want to check it out.

So wish me luck...I will probably need it.  I don't think we are ever too old to learn so I'm going to try and add some knowledge to however little dairy judging skill I have. Some is more than none, right!? 

Final recap of Denver

I had a lot of things on my agenda that I wanted to accomplish when I was in Denver for the stock show and the cattle were on the top of my list.  I got to walk through the barns to view the cattle up close and personal as well and seeing them in the show ring and in the yards. I was interested in seeing what kind of calves looked the best and what bulls we might want to consider using at home.
I also spent some time connecting with people from different farms and ranches while I was out there. I probably did more of that than I usually would. I had to channel my father in law for the task.   He very comfortably visits with perfect strangers all the time and I thought, if there is one thing that us cattle people like to do, it is talk about our cows so this should be easy! It allowed me to meet people I might not have otherwise had the chance to and stepping outside the box paid off for me this time!
I met a fellow blogger ( I guess I can technically say "fellow".  I do have what, 5 posts or something??!!) and cow girl while I was out there which was fun. Take a look at the Crystal Cattle  blog for fun if you want!  She is recently married and grew up showing cattle.  Her and her husband raise Herefords in Iowa.  It's a fun read for anyone, but especially for the ladies.  Besides the cows, she's into boots, fashion and turquoise too!  
I also stopped by my husband's employer to say hi and enjoyed meeting some of the people working with him. It was a really proud moment to hear how much they love him and appreciate what he has been doing.  He willing stayed home and ran the daddy daycare for our kids while I spent the 5 days with some girlfriends!  What a guy, right?!?!  Reason #1001 why I love him!
I also made it a point to stop by some of the show strings that I have admired and tell them there is someone out there admiring what they are doing.  I think a lot of times we don't share our gratitude for others enough and I'm trying to do that more.  Remember when I talked about Jan Ward showing that bull and hugging her husband??  I saw Jan Ward in the Hereford Hospitality area in the Yards, which by the way, was great!  I told her what I told you all in that blog post.  Her husband Ned, has MS and although she was thrilled with the win, she wished that it could have been him showing Hometown, not her.  We both stood there with tears in our eyes (man, these cattle make me cry a lot) as I told her how much I admired what they were doing with their program and the partnership she has with her husband and daughter.  I'm not for certain but I got the feeling that she doesn't hear that every day.  And not because she isn't worthy of the compliment but sometimes we have a hard time conveying those thoughts.  I think it was only about 10 AM or so when I ran into her and I can honestly say that by 10 AM, my day was complete!
The trade show sucked a few bucks out of me as I picked up a few things for the kids and my main squeeze.  I also fulfilled my mission impossible to find ANOTHER pair of boots! All I will say is mission accomplished!  My aunt has been wanting to gift me a turquoise ring for a milestone birthday and I have been on a tireless search for the right ring for the better part of almost two years.  Denver did not disappoint and I found one I absolutely LOVE!  Thanks again, Auntie Rube!
My entourage and I also did a little bit of site-seeing as we checked out nearby Golden, CO and did a little exploring in the Denver nightlife. There is the distinct possibility we may have been close to having too much fun!  My travel companions were awesome!  Seriously, the best.  We ate well.  We laughed A LOT and celebrated life!  

                                     

Overall, it was an amazing trip filled with great cattle and great friends! I'm already looking forward to next time!

Now THATS a Carload!

More than a century ago, farmers and ranchers from all over the country came with their cattle to the Denver Union Stockyards on train cars to market their genetics to Western cattlemen.  And when I say they came "with" their cattle, I mean that literally.  Many if not all of the ranchers would ride with their cattle in the train cars to care for them and because likely, there was no other cost effective way to arrive with them at the same time.  As I even think about the history of those carloads, I get a lump in my throat when I think about how important that ride was to them.  How for many of them, their lives and families depended on them arriving and striking a deal.  Carloads of many years passed were not only of bulls used for breeding in the herds of western ranchers but of fat steers that were ready for slaughter and headed for someones dinner plate. 
The carloads of modern day are a little different.  Today's carloads are bulls only.  The ten best bulls from last year's calf crop from any one ranch/farm.  They come in a cattle trailer now, not in by railcar.  And they are officially judged by a panel of 3 judges now, not prospective buyers (although these bulls are still bought and sold privately here outside of the carload show).  Today, they are awarded a trophy and the bragging rights that go along with it.  In my opinion, just being able to put together ten uniform bulls from your own herd to make out the entry form for the show is impressive let alone all the work that goes into preparing for that show day.  They are still displayed in the same wooden pens the bulls of years passed where displayed in; where ranchers and people like myself came to admire and to buy.  They are cleaner, I'm sure (the bulls that arrived decades ago likely did not go through the daily grooming those big boys experience today).  And although the carloads of today are in part exhibition and in part tradition, they still, create the same sense of pride among those involved in bringing those beautiful bulls to the yards.

Denver Day 1

The Hereford bulls showed today on the hill.  What a show!  There were over 150 bulls entered. The show started at 8:00 am and the final selection of Champion Horned Hereford Bull and Champion Polled Hereford Bull occurred about 2:00 pm with NO lunch break and with the exception of one bathroom break, I watched the whole thing! The show did not disappoint as suspected. The bulls looked great! You can agree or disagree with the judge today but regardless, as Hereford people, we have to be proud of the animals we saw in that show today. A couple things stick out for me...the son of one of our cows showed today. He won his class and although he didn't go further, it was still an exciting moment for me. Another moment that also is a stand out for me is watching one of the women in the industry show their bull to a win. The Wards from Wyoming have been in the cattle business for generations and along the way have had great success in their program. Arguably, some of the most influential and widely popular bulls in the breed have come from their program. Today Jan Ward showed a bull named Hometown, to Grand Champion Polled Hereford Bull honors. She is always very calm when she shows, which I can appreciate. Anyone who has shown at any level can attest that those two or three trips around the ring can be a nerve racking journey. You can tell she really cares for those bulls and the time and effort they have clearly invested shows as the bulls are well presented and very comfortable in the spotlight. As the judge made his way to Jan to shake her hand and congratulate her, I felt my heart start to pound with excitement.

And in those moments following her selection, she pats her haltered companion gently as a sign of approval and together, make their way to the edge of the showring to meet her life's companion, husband Ned, and they share a joyous embrace even with a gate between them. And that moment, when there isn't anyone else in the arena but the two of them. That is why is it was the highlight of my day. In my opinion, it is what the show is all about. Win or lose, you are doing it together. And sharing that glorious moment with someone who is your partner in life AND in business is a beautiful thing. Had I been a better photographer, I would have thought to catch the moment with my camera and not with just my own eyes! It made me think about my own relationship with my partner in life and in business and how great it feels to share a win with him. Reminders of my own life's blessings come in many forms and today, it was on the edge of a showring in Denver.
Tomorrow brings the Angus female show and the Hereford carload bulls as my top priorities. Hoping to get through the barns to visit with some folks and track down some fellow Wisconsinites in the Yards. Until tomorrow....

Job Opening: Bovine Lactation Consultant

Last night we got a new calf at home. The mother was a first calf heifer (a cow that is having her first baby) and we watched impatiently for the baby's arrival. Generally, when a calf is born, the mother goes to work cleaning the calf up and within a half hour or so the baby is making its first attempts at standing and then nursing from the mama cow.
Now, excuse me for a moment while I clear the air on a common question I get from my friends who aren't as familiar with the whole cow/calf relationship and how that differs from the beef to the dairy worlds. We have beef cattle and the babies stay with their mothers from birth until several months of age. Initially, the calf will nurse the cow exclusively and gradually will begin to eat and drink the same diet as their mother (grass, grain, dry hay, water, etc.) What I described comes as a surprise sometimes to people as the first few months of a beef calf's life is sometimes confused with that of a dairy calf. For further clarification, a dairy calf is born to its mother and usually the cow is allowed to clean the calf off but within several minutes, usually as it begins to stand, it is removed from the mother and fed a milk replacer from a bottle. The cow goes on to produce milk that makes the dairy products we consume and the calf makes its home with other calves of a similar age. For some of you reading, you may think that whole process on the dairy side of things is cruel or sad for the baby to not stay with the mother. I will be the first to admit, having grown up with beef cattle, not dairy and being the mother of two children, my maternal side aches at the thought of the baby not having his or her "cow mama" for those first months of life. I have actually been known to shed a tear or two at the thought. Sad, but true. However, for the dairy calves and cows, this is a must. A dairy cow has been bred for generations to produce milk. Just the same, a beef cow has been bred for generations to be muscular and produce...beef! The birth of a calf allows all cows, both dairy and beef, to produce milk and if the dairy calves continued to nurse the dairy cows, there wouldn't be milk for us to drink in the stores. Or yogurt. Or ice cream. Or sour cream. Or butter. Or CHEESE! God forbid! All my favorite things! I can assure you, having witnessed this process first had and being the softy for the calves that I am, that the dairy calves nor the dairy cows are phased much at all in the whole process. It really hurts my feelings more than anything else.
Back to my original story...Last night the cow that calved had a cute little bull (boy) calf. For never having a baby before, she got right to work licking the baby to clean and dry his hair and encourage him to sit with his head up and then begin to stand. Because of the temperatures last night (upper teens), we paid careful attention to the developing relationship to make sure the little bugger got on his feet and got those first, very critical, drops of milk to give him energy, develop his immune system and warm him up from the inside out. Kind of like a good glass of wine will do! :) We decided to intervene and help the little guy get started nursing so we could all go to bed and not worry too much.
My husband drew the straw last night and I stayed in the warm house and watched on the TV as he guided the calf to his momma's udder and he began to nurse. We all breathe a sigh of relief knowing he is off to the best possible start. Sometimes, the calves are not as smart as this guy though and there can be an instance every now and then, that you have to help a calf figure out where to get his or her's breakfast, lunch and dinner. This requires patience on the part of everyone involved. The calf, the cow and the human! This is usually where I come in. Surprisingly, I have patience when it comes to this task but my darling husband, not so much...I happen to really enjoy it, actually.
I love seeing those babies figure it out. Down right dumb sometimes, to begin with at least, and then the milk starts flowing and you can see their little eyes light up as they get the taste of this liquid gold. They can literally drink until they are so full their little tongues stick out of their mouth. By the time the tongue sticks out of their mouth, they have given those milk mustache ads a run for their money with white foam sometimes dripping from the corners of their mouths.
Although we don't like to have to intervene and help the babies and momma cows figure this process out, it is a vital part of their lives. About once a year we have a slow learner that needs our help and attention and I usually jump at the opportunity. I don't hope for the opportunity to help but do enjoy the close encounter that situation provides and the joy of helping that new life get off to a good start. I'm not looking for anything full time but if someone needs a Bovine Lactation Consultant, I'm standing by!

Vacation Anticipation

Next week I am heading to Denver for a little vacation. Some wonder why Denver in the winter...Do you ski? Haven't in years. Then why a trip to cold weather and not to sandy beaches and palm trees?? Well first of all, Denver actually has decent weather. Like forecasted temps higher than Wisconsin is currently with day time highs in the 40s and 50s. Balmy, right?! Did you know you can golf year round there? No, I don't golf either but I like to throw that fun fact out there when I get the "Denver??  Really??" response.
Denver in January to me means a 16 day show with a 107 year long tradition called the National Western Stock Show. With over half a million people attending annually, the 100 acre trade show, pro rodeo and 15,000 head of livestock that come from around the country, provide entertainment for everyone. The National Western is the Super Bowl of cattle shows and as a lover and producer of cattle, it is the ultimate goal for most of us who show cattle; to exhibit there or even better to win there.  For my dairy friends, Denver is the "Madison" of the beef show world.
For those of you reading who don't really get our love for our cows, let alone the reason why someone would choose to take a vacation to see them, I would like the opportunity to try and liken it to something you can possibly relate to.  Do you like to hunt?  Or boat?  Or fish?  Or shop?  Or do you find yourself not wanting to miss a single (insert favorite sports team) game?  It is kind of like that.  It is a passion that we have for something that, in our case, has been a part of our lives from birth.  Our parents loved cattle and so did their parents and their parents before them and . . . you get the picture.  We love the sights, the sounds, the people we can connect and reconnect with and yes, even the smells of a show.  It is in our blood and THAT is the reason why vacationing to a cool climate to see cows sounds like the PERFECT vacation.
I plan to blog every day from Denver with updates on the show. You can also get some play by play updates on Facebook by liking our page. I hope, with the help of my words and some pictures, I can show both the fellow cow lovers and the skeptics a few of the reasons why a cattle show makes us anticipate a vacation.
Look out Denver! Here we come!

The start of something new...

A new year always can make us feel that we have a clean slate; the opportunity to try something different, broaden horizons, take chances. Maybe it is the new wall calendar that makes me feel that way?? Some make resolutions to be healthier, spend less, do more and after many months (okay, like a couple years) of having a stagnant website, we fired up the creativity, got with the 21st century and made the resolution to make our website (and this new blog) a thing of frequent change.
Our hopes are to provide updates to our family, friends and followers on what is happening around the farm and in our lives through words and pictures (I do like to snap some here and there). I am hoping to have some guest contributors from time to time that will also give a little different perspective on things as well. I'm excited already!
My husband will likely keep it more serious and share some news of his veterinary profession and how that relates to us; more specifically the ET (embryo transfer) and IVF ( in-vitro fertilization) world. What is happening there, how we implement it in our program and some things for you to consider as you think about how it may fit into your program. My father in law has been warned that he WILL be contributing as well which I think he is secretly looking forward to. When I told him I wanted to do a blog on the website, I saw that little twinkle in his eye. I told him to getting working on his first post so you will have to check back and see if he completed his homework. He will have some great insight and perspective. I may even work on my mother in law to post something. She is our number one lawn mower, baby sitter, lunch maker, supper maker, breakfast maker, peace maker...I could go on but for sure all of our number one wife, Mom and Grammie.
The first new babies have already hit the ground here at Next Generation Genetics and we are praying for a successful and healthy year of calving without incident. We have mommas here, young and old, that have us excited for the future of our herd and our breeds. But what we find the most exciting is our next generation of cattlemen (and women) that are young and excited about showing and farming. We find excitement and joy in dreaming about how these new babies we anticipate so much could be the start of something new for our next generation too.
Although it seems simple now, we hope it grows into something of entertainment and excitement for anyone who finds it and loves God, family, life on the farm and cattle as much as we do.
Stay tuned . . .

Welcome

Welcome to the Next Generation Genetics Blog.