CHARTERED TO REGISTER AND PROMOTE BLONDE D’AQUITAINE CATTLE
Contact the ABAA at [email protected] or visit www.blondecattle.org
VOLUME 16, ISSUE 1
BLONDE BULLETIN
JANUARY 2017
Newsletter Editor: Carrie Ann Tomko, 330-338-9115
Email her at: [email protected]
Inside this edition
of the Blonde
Bulletin…
 Photo gallery from
the 2016 Annual
Meeting.
 Read the Director’s
meeting notes.
 Learn about
membership
happenings.
 Read an editorial
note from Carrie
Tomko on “ONE
COLD NIGHT…”
 And more…!!
Butc
ABAA members pictured L to R: Ed Moss, John Cremeans, Doug Diebold,
Butch Jarvis, and Winston Short gathered at Swan Meadow Farm in Ohio.
Blonde Herd Gathers for Annual Meeting in Ohio
The 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Blonde d’Aquitaine Association had an impactful turnout comprised of
membership and more, all parties interested in sharing time discussing Blonde cattle.
• Membership. More than two dozen Blonde cattlemen and women made the journey to Ohio’s Swan Meadow Farm
for the annual fall weekend. The membership gathered for fellowship in the hosting hotel lobby, followed by a
formal Friday evening dinner at The Galaxy Restaurant. The official meeting, held on Saturday morning, spouted a
theme of “Soil to Steaks,” featured two guest speakers. Gary Horrisberger of Holmes Labs spoke on soil health,
while Eric Besselman of Heinen’s Grocery Store spoke on marketing “craft” beef.
• And More. The farm tour and picnic that followed the official meeting was hosted by Ken Boersma and Carrie
Tomko at Swan Meadow Farm, where over 65 individuals enjoyed grass-fed burgers and sunshine. The open house
event was attended by the ABAA membership, as well as meat managers from Heinen’s Grocery and dozens of
other individuals from across Ohio who wanted education on the Blonde breed, prompted by an article in Ohio
Farmer, titled “Raising Blondes with Muscle.”
The strong attendance was a hope of hosts Ken and Carrie, who wanted to inspire interest in the Blonde breed. “We
are the best kept secret in the cattle business,” stated Carrie, sharing her passion for the breed’s features of high dressing
percentages and outstanding feed efficiency rates, as well as docile personas and ease in calving.
Photo Gallery from the 2016 Annual Meeting
Figure 1 Ken Boersma drives the hayless hayride.
Figure 2 John Cremeans and Doug Diebold talk cattle.
Figure 3 Carrie Tomko welcomes members to Ohio.
Figure 4 A collection of Blonde cattle memorabilia.
Figure 5 ABAA's Brad Miller and speaker Eric Besselman.
Figure 6 Ed Moss with speaker Gary Horrisberger.
More Photos…from the 2016 Annual Meeting
Figure 7 Lynn Jarvis demonstrates her apron.
Figure 8 Gathering in the 1893 barn for lunch.
In memory of…two members from the American
Blonde d’Aquitaine Association
ABAA members Bill McCoy and Shirley Bilton passed away in 2016.
• Long-time member Bill McCoy from Stigler, Oklahoma, passed away on
September 19. Keep his wife Virginia McCoy in your thoughts.
• Shirley Bilton, a pioneer in the Blonde d’Aquitaine cattle breed, resided in
Alberta, Canada. He passed away on June 27 at the age of 94. His life
partner Myrna Flesch, long-time president of the Canadian Blonde
Association, continues with West Winds Blondes.
Director’s Meeting Notes
Summary of Director’s
Meeting
The ABAA Board of Directors met during the
Annual Meeting, gathering in person on
September 30 and October 1, 2016. The following
is a summary of several of their decisions. The
following Directors were present: Brad Miller, Ken
Boersma, Cliff Easley, Butch Jarvis, Ed Moss, Jay
Opoien, Doug Diebold, and Bill Crabtree. Clayton
Bryant was not present. Also attending were
Registrar Kathy Richburg and Carrie Tomko,
newsletter editor.
Minutes of the July 19, 2016 meeting were
approved. The Treasurer’s report showed a
balance of $24,737. Cliff Easley, the Treasurer,
announced that he will be stepping down. A
replacement will be sought for this position, as
well as secretary. Butch Jarvis will volunteer at
this time to accept the duties temporarily as
secretary until next election. Cliff will serve as
temporary treasurer.
The Board reviewed the policy giving half price
fees to those who register/transfer 5 or more
percentage cattle or half blood cattle. The Board
decided to extend the policy until January 31,
2017. The rates will go back to the normal fees
beginning February 1, 2017. In addition, the Board
made the decision to keep the Registration Chart
as stated in the bylaws.
The directors will host their next meeting via
teleconference on January 17, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.
CST.
Blonde cattle from the Annual Meeting in Ohio (photo below)…
2017 Directors
President – Brad Miller
Vice President – Butch Jarvis
Secretary(volunteer) – Butch Jarvis
Treasurer(temporary) – Cliff Easley
Director – Bill Crabtree
Director – Doug Diebold
Director – Jay Opoien
Director – Ken Boersma
Director – Mac Murdock
Jarvis family scores victories at
Tennessee Cattle Association Meeting
Active members of the ABAA, Butch and
Lynn Jarvis attended the Tennessee Cattle Association
and proved to be strong players in the competition
of contests. Lynn Jarvis won in the ladies category for
accurately predicting the weights of cattle, as well as
accurately judging hay samples. Lynn’s daughter
Katie LaForest took second place in the children’s
division.
Congratulations to both gals for their efforts in being
strong contestants in the cattleman…err,
that’s cattle-women competitions!
First place
winner!!
Carrie’s Cattle Commentary…
…A Feature Article, entitled “ONE COLD NIGHT…”
One cold night, I learned three lessons of a lifetime from a poignant farm experience. Not growing up on a farm, I discovered that
there is more to the farm lifestyle than tractors and crops and livestock. I learned the following lessons:
• There are no guarantees.
•
And that there is new life, yet lost life, sadly.
•
But, there is purpose in tragedy.
That cold night began with exhaustion before it even got started. It was a Friday, after a long wintery work week, where the battle was won
against the weather, but had taken its toll on energy levels. The beef cattle herd of 60 was tucked and fed neatly in the barn, buffeted from the
wind. Yet, there was still one more errand to run in town. So, the pickup truck was fired up. It knew the way to get to the store and back.
Returning to the farm along the snow-covered gravel driveway, the Friday evening sky was dark, enticing an early bedtime. But as anyone in
farming knows, you do not go to bed until you check the barn one last time.
Climbing out of the pickup truck, the wind was wicked, but the barn was still. The darkness was eliminated when the barn lights illuminated
the herd. Among the cattle herd, there was a surprise: A new-born calf greeted me at the gate. He was a stout and strong bull calf baby, still
dripping wet from his entrance into this world.
But his momma cow was not fairing quite so well. She was an older cow, under consideration for culling. Her pregnancy was a shock, as was
her postpartum condition. She lay on a dry section of bedding, unable to assist her baby. The birth had not gone right. A large section of her
uterus protruded from her.
New to cattle birthing, I stared only seconds at the array of flesh and blood, then googled away on the internet, as the bull calf was dried in a
clean towel. It only took moments to learn that the cow had prolapsed her uterus.
This was serious.
In an instant, the notion of an early bedtime blew away with the night’s cold wind. My fatigue washed away, replaced by fear and frenzy
inspired by adrenaline. The cow was losing blood; the baby bull calf needed nourishment.
Despite the late Friday hour, the vet was summoned in order to attempt to return the uterus to the inside of the cow’s body. He worked from
behind her, as I stood to the side, being asked to put my hand inside her, applying pressure to her bloodied body parts. It looked as if the vet
was trying to put an inflatable raft back into a box way too small to accommodate the size.
New to farming, I watched and participated in horror. The entire cattle herd of 60 also watched from across the aisle as the vet worked the
uterus back into the momma cow. The cattle were quiet witnesses to this irregularity in the barn, very attentive…but also on high alert. They
too sensed the seriousness of the cow’s condition.
After a seemingly long period of time, the vet’s patience paid off, as he accomplished his task and stitched the cow together. Upon his exit
from the barn, he stated that he did his best, but the cow had lost a lot of blood. “There were no guarantees,” he stated.
His parting words would become the first of three farm lessons to be learned on that one cold night, for it was not too long, and the cow gave
her last breath. She had in fact lost too much blood to recuperate. Her large body lay still in the aisle with the herd looking on, wide eyes
gazing from the bovine.
The deceased cow’s body needed to be moved out the barn door. But, the herd sire bull was not about to let that happen without his input.
In his pen, the bull moved toward the corpse in an amazing instinctual moment. He presented himself at the gate to his pen and beckoned to
be let out. The bull needed to acknowledge the cow’s death. My instinct accommodated him without hesitation.
With stoic steps, the herd sire bull walked out of his pen and across the aisle to the cow’s body. As he took each step, all the eyes of the cattle
in the barn were on him. The bull circled the cow’s body three times, and then paused to let out a memorable sound of sorrow. It was a
bellow of sadness—not a moo, but a deep bellow of loss—announcing the passing away of the cow to the rest of the herd.
After his viewing of the body, the bull walked directly back into his pen. He had made his announcement and would now mourn from a
distance.
That one cold night, it was the first time I had witnessed death on the farm. The second life lesson was presented…the sadness of death
indeed. But, another life lesson was around the corner.
See, this new-born calf was motherless, the victim of this tragedy. Despite heavy sadness, there was little time to mourn her passing. The
baby bull calf needed nourishment. Unbeknown at this time, that orphaned calf, who entered the world on that one cold night, would bring
warmth…and purpose to life. Life lesson three.
Due to the cow’s loss, human intervention would be required to meet the needs of the calf. Oh, but the joy it would bring.
From a devastating death on that one cold night, the connection and caring
for the calf became a blessing. The bull calf’s life brought purpose. On days
going forward, getting out of bed on a cold winter’s morning was no longer a
chore. It was a pleasure to greet the orphaned bull, eager for his warm bottle.
He needed nourishment…and attention…something that only his mother could
give, but human intervention was a fine substitution for all parties involved.
Therefore, the tragedy on that one cold night had ultimately brought triumph.
And, as stated, this farming experience taught life lessons. First, there were no
guarantees, no guarantees that the momma cow would survive, but also no
guarantees that the orphaned calf would bring joy. Secondly, there was new life,
and yes, still sadness in death.
But, most importantly, a third life lesson was taught and it is this: There is a plan…
purpose in life can be found in tragedy.
---Carrie Tomko, editor of the Blonde Bulletin
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Blonde Cattle Ad Goes National
Led by Butch Jarvis, the ABAA began its first national advertising campaign in several years. The
magazine, “Progressive Cattleman,” was used as the platform for this national ad.
Several members of the ABAA participated in the committee to select content and verbage for the ad.
Members included Butch Jarvis, Lynn Jarvis, Brad Miller, Jay Opoien, and Carrie Tomko.
The American Blonde d’Aquitaine Association is not responsible for any claims made in an advertisement appearing in this newsletter.