-
Awaiting the final grade…
…in just a few weeks. For the first time our bull sire battery will be joined by Thistle Hill Essington…a pure traditional English Devon bull. Essington will have to wait though for the first group of calves to finish…that will be this year’s AI group and the first by our grandson Church. Essington will have to wait though for the first group of calves to finish…that will be this year’s AI group and the first by our grandson Church. That and the fact it should introduce a new English bloodline to our herd has us all a bit tense. Back to Essington: he’s out of the Essington Park herd which…
-
Fox guarding the hen house…
…that’s how the self-proclaimed Lunatic Farmer Joel Salatin describes the latest advisory committee to the USDA’s meat and poultry inspection division. Salatin joins Greg Gunthorp in pointing out that the watch dogs include solely Big Ag and its academia sycophants but leaves out any representation from the “little guys”. In fact, the big processors include two from a Brazilian giant that has been scandal-plagued in recent years. Joel writes the following to his Congressman and suggests we all do. https://www.thelunaticfarmer.com/blog/8/20/2020/open-letter-to-your-congressman David
-
The Rotokawa renewal…
…takes a big jump with the purchase of about 100 straws of the top bulls ever produced by Ken McDowall. They’re all here…688, 667, 982 and all the others in a purchase Church just concluded with veteran breeder Don Minto in Rhode Island. Don was in the group that first imported Rotokawa heifers and his Watson farm was a showplace for the Devon breed. When he and Heather decided to downsize, we jumped at the chance to purchase his collection. It included not only the Rotokawa greats but probably the most famous English bull of all: Potheridge President and his son President’s Favorite. To have this much firepower at our…
-
End of an era…
…with the auction of the Goldings herd in Cornwall, England. Ivan Rowe, our partner in securing the fine English genetics, passed away last fall and this past weekend his incredible animals were auctioned. Back in 2010, Ivan gave us the pick of his herd…to breed and flush. The cow I selected was Norah 21 and Ivan smiled when I made my choice. He had already pulled her pedigree out from his herd book and it was laying there alone on the dining room table when we went inside. Norah comes from a long line of champions…more than 40 when we stopped counting. Her background includes sires from both the historic…
-
It’s a dog’s life…
..at Thistle Hill farm. The term may not have originated here but…
-
Standing by…
A full English bull by Ashott Barton Millennium Falcon out of Goldings Norah. An imported embryo calved and raised at Thistle Hill. Really excited to see how this young three-year old boy does this fall. TDA 35 is a full younger brother to Highwayman, and has been producing amazing calves at one of our partner farms for the past two years. Here’s to hoping the trend continues! Church Humphreys