| Dairy farmers from across the District of Kent were honoured on Friday, April 5 for their success in the field at the annual Agassiz Dairy Farmers' banquet. (Grace Kennedy/The Observer) |
More than 220 farmers, friends and dignitaries were packed into the Agricultural Hall Friday (April 5) to celebrate the best in Agassiz dairy farming.
The annual Agassiz Dairy Farmers’ banquet honoured some of the top producers in the industry with Dairy Herd Improvement awards for the highest breed class average (BCA) for for milk, fat and protein, the most improved BCA, the highest lifetime milk production and the top dairy cow in its age category.
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The Hoogendoorn family’s Valedoorn Farms Inc. took home top prize in nearly every category, and it’s no wonder: the farm was awarded the most improved herd difference in breed class average, with a whopping 35 per cent increase.
Valedoorn Farms also won prizes for top yearling (Valedoorn Chatter 2695); top two year old (Valedoorn Favre 2611); top four year old (Valedoorn Classman 2332); high herd BCA average for milk, fat and protein (273 points, 295 points and 275 points respectively); high herd combined BCA for farms with 100 or more cows (843 combined points).
The farm’s nearly 13-year-old Valedoorn Colle Throne won an award for the highest lifetime milk production, with an average of 28.4 kilograms per day.
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Although the Hoogendoorn family was well-represented on stage, they weren’t the only farming family to be honoured at the banquet. Martin and Georgia Flukiger’s Suplesse Farm Ltd. won the prize for highest herd combined BCA for farms with less than 100 cows (776 combined points); Martin Dinn and Erin Bell’s Dinn Farms Ltd. were recognized for having the lowest herd somatic cell count (89 on average).
The UBC Dairy Research Centre was also recipient of several awards: the top herd by management score (total score of 901 for their 300 cows) and the top cow that was older than five years (Ubyssey Windbrook Apple).
Finally, Mount Cheam Farm’s Ltd.’s Marcor Majoram Chase was named the top three year old.
The Agassiz Dairy Farmers’ banquet wasn’t just about the awards though — attendees sat down to dinner before, collected a number door prizes including a children’s ride-on tractor and patio umbrellas, and listened to a live comedy act after the awards.
grace.kennedy@ahobserver.com
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