British Columbia 2009 National Holstein Convention

April 1st to April 5th, 2009

Vancouver, British Columbia is a dynamic, multicultural city in such a spectacular setting that many proclaim it to be the most beautiful city in North America. Vancouver is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Coastal Mountains to the north, and the Fraser Valley to the east and enjoys Canada's most temperate climate. The Fraser Valley is home to the majority of the BC dairy population in addition to a blend of agriculture production, such as berries, horticulture, poultry, and vineyards. SATURDAY, MARCH 28th – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1st, 2009 PRE-CONVENTION TOUR Create a lifetime of incredible memories traveling through the unforgettable Canadian Rockies! Begin in Calgary to breathtaking Banff National Park. Visit Master Breeder Herds in the Okanagan, then spend the final night of the tour in the Raspberry Capital of Canada, Abbotsford. Attend The National Sale Preview and Sale before arriving at our Convention Headquarters: Hyatt Regency Hotel. 4 nights: $639.00 per person/dbl share. Visit www.treasure-tours.com or call 1-888-849-8228 for details and to book your seat. TUESDAY, MARCH 31st, 2009 7:00 p.m. - “THE NATIONAL” SALE PREVIEW AND WINE & CHEESE, ABBOTSFORD FAIRGROUNDS Coach transportation between the Hyatt and the Abbotsford Fairgrounds is available for $20/return trip. Coach leaves Hyatt 5:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1st, 2009 11:00 a.m. - “THE NATIONAL” SALE, ABBOTSFORD FAIRGROUNDS Breakfast will be available for purchase until 9:30 a.m., and lunch will be available for purchase on site. Coach transportation between the Hyatt and the Abbotsford Fairgrounds is available for $20/return trip. Coach leaves Hyatt 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. 6:00 p.m. – DINNER HARBOUR CRUISE ABOARD THE PRIDE OF VANCOUVER Departing from the Hyatt Hotel, guests will be transported to the Plaza of Nations Marina where they will board the Pride of Vancouver. Enjoy a delicious buffet dinner while spending 3 hours seeing the sights of Vancouver from a whole new point of view. THURSDAY, APRIL 2nd, 2009 9:00 a.m. – CANADIAN CONVENTION SHOW, ABBOTSFORD FAIRGROUNDS Watch Judge Callum McKinven line up some of the best Holsteins from Canada and the US, in what is sure to be the most prestigious show in the west this year! Lunch will be available for purchase on site. Coach transportation between the Hyatt and the Abbotsford Fairgrounds is available for $20/return trip. Coach leaves Hyatt 7:30 am and 8:00 am. 9:00 a.m. – COACH DEPARTS HOTEL FOR ALTERNATE TOUR TO FORT LANGLEY A tour of Historic Fort Langley, the birthplace of BC, where the Hudson’s Bay Company established a trading post over 150 yrs ago. After the tour, wander through the village of Ft. Langley, discovering the many shops and galleries, or visit the B.C. Farm Machinery and Agriculture Museum. Enjoy lunch at your choice of the many cafes and eateries. A stop at the Fort Wine Co., an award winning winery which uses local cranberries and other fruit to make beautiful wine. The tour will end at the Abbotsford Fairgrounds at approximately 3:30 p.m.. Plan your Ft. Langley visit at www.fortlangley.com. 4:30 p.m. - PACIFIC CELEBRATION, ABBOTSFORD FAIRGROUNDS Enjoy a truly west coast Salmon BBQ, while being entertained by Karen-Lee Batten, 3 Time BC Country Female Vocalist of the Year and Canadian Idol Finalist. Karen-Lee’s debut album includes the single, Hearts on the Run, which is going up the charts and has a video on CMT. She will be releasing her second album in the spring of 2009. Return transportation to the Hyatt Regency Hotel will be available.

FRIDAY, APRIL 3rd, 2009 SOCKEYE TOUR – Coach departs from hotel at 7:45 a.m.

Lavender Farms Ltd. Breeding Lavender Ruby Redrose EX-96-2E, Supreme Champion at World Dairy Expo, put this herd on the map. DR and Angela Vaandrager own and operate this 55 year old family farm with his parents, Gerrit and Jan. The 110 milking cows are housed in a newly constructed (2008) drive-through barn and milked with 2 Lely robots. Current herd classification is 3EX; 38VG; and 52GP cows that average 230-239-235. Rudolph, Storm, Gibson, and Talent have made a great impact on the herd, which has bred 25 Very Good 2 Year Olds, and exported over 300 embryos to 11 countries in the last four years. Notable cow families such as Redrose, Inka, and Bethany are marketed through their website lavenderholsteins.net. T&L Cattle Ltd. Tom and Laury DeGroot manage their Tolamika herd with herdsman John Free. They milk 70 cows (18EX; 64VG; 20GP) on their 140 acre farm. Operating for 10 years, they moved the herd into a brand new facility in 2005. The herd averages 254-236-250, and includes successful daughters of Outside, Champion, Goldwyn, Dundee, Leduc, and Allen. Herd members are exhibited at many shows across the country and include Benner Leduc Jolyn (All-Cdn. 2007), Eastriver Dundee Faith (Res. All-Cdn.), and Haanton Champion Chenille (Grand @ BC Spring Show), along with members of the Beauty, Renita, Alicia, Mystic Suzy, and Cami families. In addition to extensive advertising they now have a herd website, tnlcattle.com. Lunch at Chilliwack Cattle Company The Kooyman family owns Canada's largest dairy herd, with 3500 cows milking at their Chilliwack farm. Take a quick tour of the facilities that include a 72 stall rotary parlour, and view their successful show string, after enjoying a satisfying lunch. Blossom Dairy Ltd. 2007 Master Breeder Herd Blossomdairy is operated by Vic Goertzen and son Brian. Their herd includes 105 cows that average 248-270-247, and exhibit impressive conformation with a classification breakdown of 6EX, 58VG, and 35GP. Dundee, Cousteau, Gibson, Outside, and Sultan have sired many of the successful cows in the herd that features members of the Springfarm Citation Rosetta, Blossomdairy Veedee, and Borderview Enhancer Dee Cee Red cow families. The Goertzens show a few animals at local shows, and have exported embryos to South Korea. SASQUATCH TOUR – Coach departs from hotel at 7:45 a.m.

Robinson Brothers Berry Farm Former dairy farmers, the Robinson family now grows 200 acres of cranberries, and 150 acres of blueberries. Berries are one of the largest agricultural sectors in the Fraser Valley. They process all of their own production and export product around the world. University of British Columbia Dairy Education & Research Centre The Ubyssey herd is owned by the University of BC, and managed by Nelson Dinn. This 290 cow herd is housed in Canada's largest and most modern dairy research facility on 155 hectares of land leased from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Agassiz, and descends from the 'Agassiz' herd, the first Holstein Canada Master Breeder Award recipient. The herd currently includes 20VG, 143GP, and 78G cows that average 238-285-237, with many daughters of Spirte, Igniter, Morty, and a few of Mr Burns. All of the state-of-the-art facilities have been constructed since 2000, including 2 freestall cow barns, a double-12 parlour, a heifer barn, and the Westgen Calf Research Facility. The researchers use individual feed intake equipment (Insentec) and video cameras to monitor all aspects of cow behavior. The Centre is a world leader in dairy cattle welfare, behaviour, and reproduction research, and visitors will have the opportunity to learn about study results. More details are available at www.landfood.ubc.ca/dairy_centre. Lunch at Chilliwack Cattle Company

Summershade Farms Ltd. Bill, Jenny, and son Brad Van Reeuwyk manage their 2004 Master Breeder herd, Summershade, on 270 acres in Matsqui. They constructed a new double 12 herringbone rapid exit parlour with basement in 2004, and have a flush manure system in their freestall barns. They are currently milking 270 cows that average 245-224-243. The herd is fed a complete TMR consisting of alfalfa hay, grass & corn silage, brew, whey, canola, barley, and corn grain. Their most prominent families are the Iris family which includes Ilene Scot 14* (dam of Igniter and Inquirer) and Iceage Marty, and the Hawkhaven Conductor Ellen family. CEDAR TOUR – Coach departs from hotel at 8:00 a.m.

Cedarwal Farms Ltd. A familiar prefix to many in the industry, Cedarwal is a two-time Master Breeder Herd (1994 & 2000). The farm is owned and operated by Tony Vanderwal and his sons Rich (DVM) and Dave and herdspersons cousins Jill and Darren. They currently milk 350 cows (3EX; 98VG; 208GP), and raise 450 heifers on 470 acres. Successful sires used at Cedarwal include Stormatic, Champion, Allen, Talent, and Goldwyn, and their homebred bull Cedarwal Spirte (former #1 Conformation). Notable females they are working with include Gen-I-Beq Champion Bulle, Braedale Champ Unbelievabull, and Cedarwal Icecapade Allen. The Vanderwals have an extensive embryo transfer program, and well developed markets for commercial registered dairy cattle, service age bulls, and embryos marketed through Canadian Pacific Genetic Center. Elmbridge Holsteins The home of Canada's first 97 point cow, Davidsons Raider Bronze EX-97-8E is still in the herd at Elmbridge and continuing to add to her lifetime production of over 140,000kg. Pete and Nicole Tuytel recently moved to a larger farm with a parlour and drive-through barn, and increased their herd from 40 to 110 cows. The herd includes 6EX; 40VG; and 40GP cows with an average BCA of 240-240-240. Cows are fed a complete TMR, and have access to pasture in the summer months. The Tuytels enjoy showing at all levels and are big supporters of local Holstein shows. An exciting achievement in 2008 was Elmbridge FM Loveable Red VG-88 being named Int. Champion at the International R&W Holstein Show in Madison. Lunch at Chilliwack Cattle Company Alpina Dairy Farm Ltd. This Master Breeder Herd (1998) in Abbotsford is a favourite destination of dairymen visiting BC from around the world. Rudy and Trudy Russenberger are currently milking 120 cows (3EX; 50VG; 60GP) in a new freestall barn with a double-10 parallel Westfalia-Surge parlour that was constructed in 2006. The herd's BCAs average 250 across the board, produced from a complete TMR including grass & corn silage, alfalfa hay, and custom grain mash. They've had great success with daughters of Blackstar, Rudolph, September Storm, and Blitz. KOKANEE TOUR – Coach departs from hotel at 8:00 a.m.

Lindrian Holsteins John & Linda Tamis and herdsman Gilles operate Lindrian Holsteins, consistently one of Canada's most productive Holstein herds, and currently ranking 64th on the list of top LPI herds. The 70 milking cows include 1EX, 24VG, and 42GP and are housed in new facilities constructed in 2006, including a double-six parlour. BCAs average 290-260-280 and cows are simply fed grain from a computer feeder, alfalfa hay, round bale grass silage, and corn silage. Lindrian Izabel Inquirer produced 100,000kg in one 6.5 year lactation, and Lindrian Love Jay VG-88 5* is one of the current stars of the herd. Alpina Dairy Farm Ltd. - See farm description above (Cedar Tour) Lunch at Chilliwack Cattle Company Lavender Farms Ltd. - See farm description above (Sockeye Tour)

OLYMPIC TOUR – Coach departs from hotel at 8:00 a.m.

Benco Holsteins This 100% homebred 1998 Master Breeder herd is owned by Ben & Coby Westenenk and son Bernard and his wife Aretha. Their 120 cow herd averages 220 BCA, and features 10EX, 55VG and 43GP, including some cows with 7 generations homebred VG. They farm 120 acres in Chilliwack and have been breeding purebred Holsteins for 40 years. The cows graze in the summer months and are fed grain from a computer feeder, along with corn & grass silage, and imported hay. Notable cow families include Cumbo Citamatt VG 10*, and Lip Citation EX 6*. The Westenenks enjoy exhibiting their Benco herd at many local shows and have won numerous Premier Breeder & Exhibitor Awards, and Breeders Herd classes. Blossom Dairy Ltd. - See farm description above (Sockeye Tour) Lunch at Chilliwack Cattle Company T&L Cattle Ltd. - See farm description above (Sockeye Tour) VANCOUVER CITY TOUR – Coach departs from hotel at 9:00 a.m. A fully bilingual guided tour of Vancouver, including Chinatown, Gastown, Stanley Park, English Bay and Granville Island. We will visit Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver’s oldest tourist attraction, opened in 1889. Enjoy a true coastal rainforest experience. Lunch on your own in one of the several restaurants at the canyon. Check it out at www.capbridge.com. *All tour groups are due to arrive back at the Hyatt Regency Hotel by 4:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. - MASTER BREEDER AWARDS BANQUET – HYATT REGENCY BALLROOM A formal evening to honour the Elite of Canada's Holstein Breeders. A cocktail reception will be held at 6:00 p.m., prior to the banquet. Following dinner and the awards presentations you will have a chance to continue the evening's festivities at a hospitality reception to congratulate the new Master Breeders. SATURDAY, APRIL 4th, 2009 10:00 a.m. - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS – HYATT REGENCY BALLROOM You'll take a trip down memory lane as guest speaker Doug Blair delivers a passionate presentation on the 125 year history of the Holstein Association of Canada. A BC boy at heart, Doug was born and raised at the 3 time Master Breeder herd, Langview Holsteins. A UBC graduate, Doug was employed at BCAI Centre as a sire analyst. In 1968 Doug founded Western Breeders Service in Alberta, which later became Alta Genetics Inc. After retiring as CEO at Alta, Doug became a partner in Rocky Mountain Holsteins of Cochrane, AB. Doug is a noted historian of the Holstein breed and possesses one of the largest libraries of Holstein literature. Doug continues to serve on numerous industry boards and committees. [There will be no break for lunch. A complimentary dairy bar will be provided in the foyer during the AGM.] 7:00 p.m. – 125th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION DINNER – HYATT REGENCY BALLROOM The evening will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by a dinner to finish off the 125th year of the Holstein Association in fine style. Visit and reconnect with acquaintances, breeders, and friends, while you reminisce of fond memories of historic Holstein events and happenings. This casual dress event will feature the Man of a thousand voices, a hundred faces and at least 12 wigs, Gery Schubert. Don’t miss the opportunity to be entertained by one of Canada’s best comedians, actors, and performers. SUNDAY, APRIL 5th – TUESDAY, APRIL 7th, 2009 POST-CONVENTION TOUR Come see the splendor of Vancouver Island! Your morning coach departure from the Hyatt Regency Hotel will have you sail across the Juan de Fuca Strait to Victoria. The day will be filled with beauty and adventure visiting Butchart Gardens and experiencing a true West Coast Whale Watching and Marine-Wildlife tour. Day 2 will give opportunity to visit some Master Breeder herds in the Cowichan Valley via the stunning Malahat drive. Your departure flight to home should depart from Victoria. 2 nights: $529.00 per person/dbl share. Visit www.treasure-tours.com or call 1-888-849-8228 for details and to book your seat.