Cream of the crop
Weeks of preparation goes into the AHP Holstein Show during Old Home Week
Bruce Wood has been milking cows all his life. Coming from three generations of dairy farmers, the owner of East River Farms in Marshfield has spent numerous years preparing for and showing dairy cows during the P.E.I. exhibition, which takes place every year during Old Home Week in Charlottetown. This year was another one for the record books for Wood, who took home the first prize for breeder’s herd, won four classes, and was premier exhibitor of the AHP Holstein Show. “It’s one of the things we strive for,” said Wood about the premier exhibitor award. The award is given to the farmer with the most points following the competition. Points are collected from the placings of the cattle. If a cow wins in a category the farmer will get 20 points while second place may get 18 points. Wood said winning isn’t everything though. “It’s nice when we get awards but it’s more important to us how things are here and that our cows look good and clean and the exhibit looks good and clean,” he said. About 100 Holsteins made their way to the floor of the Eastlink Centre for the AHP Holstein Show, which ran from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fourteen of them were from Wood’s farm. While Wood arrived with 14, he left with 11. “That’s things we like to do too,” said Wood. “Try to market the cows.” Exhibition day is a big day for many dairy farmers, both on and off the Island. It’s six weeks of preparation and a lot of teamwork. While about six others were on the exhibition grounds helping Wood with the cows in the show, many more were back on the farm tending to the other purebred Holsteins not in the show. “There’s 11 cows here but there’s still 80 or 90 at home so it takes a lot of staff at home too,” said Wood. Wood said he takes his cows to other competitions throughout Atlantic Canada but none of them make what they do as farmers visible to the public like the exhibition does. “You’re showcasing your genetics to breeders but you’re not getting a chance to necessarily showcase what we do to the public, so I think it’s very important we have the opportunity to do that,” said Wood. This year’s show ended with a new element to the exhibition. Meet a Dairy Farmer was held after the competition where families could interact with the farmers and dairy cows in the tent outside of the Eastlink Centre. Wood says it’s a huge step in the right direction for the exhibition. “I think we have a goal to keep enhancing meet a dairy farmer,” he said. “Hopefully we can go forward with that and bring more people that are here on the grounds to take a tour of our dairy barn.”