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Summer 2010 normandEnews
Have a field day with Normande values
Thursday August 19 – 11 am to 3 pm
Mark and Jeannette Fellows
Warwick, Massachusetts
The 2010 Normande Field Day is heading east. After a couple of editions in the Midwest/Wisconsin, there are now enough herds and interest in the Northeast to move it to that region. The hosts will be Jeannette and Mark Fellows of Warwick, Massachusetts. Their 300-acre operation is a perfect illustration of the qualities of the Normande breed: adaptation to grazing and sustainability, along with added value, especially cheese quality. The Fellowses, who have been farming for more than 25 years and started breeding Normande in 1997, graze about 30 cows. They give no grain, do seasonal calving, and outdoor wintering. They started breeding Normande in 1997, and today each cow is at least 50% Normande. Mark and Jeannette use all the milk raw, selling some directly, since on-farm sales are legal in Massachusetts. However, the bulk is turned into great aged cheeses. More information about their farmstead cheeses can be found on their website: www.chasehillfarm.com. Address: 74 Chase Hill Road, Warwick, MA 01378 (90 miles W of Boston, 20 miles SE of Brattleboro, VT). Phone: 978-544-6327
July 2010 proofs are here
 There are three proofs per year in France, and the summer one is the major one, when most of the new bulls come in for the first time. To see the brand new proofs, check out the Normande Genetics catalog page and click on "download current Proofs and Price list". You’ll find the proofs presented under our usual format, i.e. as a PDF form you can print out. Beneath this link, another link will take you to the bulls’individual proof sheets, featuring their pictures and their daughters’pictures. Those sheets are still being updated, but we expect fully accurate numbers in a few days.
Many new bulls make their entry into our lineup: Most notable are Viveco, a well rounded component/type bull, but Vitriol, Uperise (the number one bull of the breed today), UTC, Unog and Ulozon need some close attention. Comments on each bull will be posted on the website. As for our more senior bulls, please note the rise of Royal Holl's milk proof, which in turn propels him at a much higher rank in the full listing. With 763 daughters in milk, he now stand at 761 lbs of milk, while preserving his remarkably high components (.27P and .32F) as well as his exceptional type and calving ease. The other main confirmation is Redondo, who seems to be never bothered by additional daughters: he still hovers at 2814 lbs while keeping his great type. Those interested in well confirmed medium size bulls will check Hollydays, Idris and Messager, all sure values. The more adventurous ones will look at newcomers UTC, Ucany, Viveco, Uperise, Ulozon and Unog, as well as Tricorne, Tetrapak and SaintYorre.
Visit the Catalog page to see and download the new July 2010 proofs
If you have any questions about the proofs or you would like to make a purchase, please call Normande Genetics at 866-823-7212 or send an email to info@normandegenetics.com.
—Jerome Chateau, President, Normande Genetics |
Contact
info@normandegenetics.com
www.normandegenetics.com
 Chase Hill Farm aging cheese
Sustainability and added value
On a more personal note, this year, after having attended various grazing conferences and other trade shows in Vermont, Ohio, Indiana, California and Wisconsin, I experienced heartwarming reminders of the interest many of you have in our genetics. The gatherings also provided opportunities to observe how well positioned the Normande breed is when it comes to low input systems. As we say in all of our communications, the breed shows exemplary sustainable qualities (grass adaptability, fertility, longevity, fitness), along with remarkable added value assets, such as milk that’s rich in components, cheese yield and quality, beef quality and also branding power. Chase Hill Farm, this year’s site for the Normande Field Day in Warwick, Massachusettes, is the perfect illustration of the breed’s qualities. I hope many of you can join us.
—Jerome Chateau, President, Normande Genetics
Sexed semen and genomic bulls
Another novelty for this summer edition: Sexed semen is now available in the United States. Uvray is the only bull that we are offering. In addition, two new genomics bulls will be available. Chouchen and Caramba make their first entry into this country.
Normande on the net
For more background and detailed information, please check our website. We’re gradually updating it with all the most current statistics about the Normande breed and its unique qualities. So if you haven’t visited the site recently, please check it out normandegenetics.com.
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