A local farm has been crowned master breeders at the annual general meeting for the Canadian Brown Swiss and Braunvieh Association on March 16 in Lindsay, Ont.
The Drummond family, owners of Clarendon-based Shady Lanes Swiss Farms, won the distinguished award for their cumulative breeding efforts.
Master breeders are recognized for having the best ratio for breeding cows that have the “complete package” of desirable traits: high production, sought after conformation and a high proficiency in reproduction, health and longevity.
The Drummonds won one of two master breeder awards given out by the Canadian Brown Swiss and Braunvieh Association this year.
This year was the first time that the Canadian Brown Swiss and Braunvieh Association has given out a master breeder award.
But this isn’t the first time the Drummonds have been recognized for their proficiency when it comes to breeding.
They won the premier breeder and exhibitor award three years in a row at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto; Champion Brown Swiss at the Quebec Brown Swiss Spring Show; and they also recently had the top Canadian GLPI cow and bred the number one Canadian Bull.
With this kind of success, it’s safe to say that the Drummonds are passionate about their work.
“We were obviously very excited,” said Shannon Grant-Drummond. “It’s one of those things that hard work over time can pay off.”
Shady Lanes Swiss Farms got its start in 1883 as the Armstrong Family Farm. In the late 1970s, the farm was passed down to Barrie Drummond – Shannon’s father in-law.
Barrie and his wife Diane decided to convert the farm from a Shorthorn beef cattle farm to a cream production one in the early 1980s.
At that point, the herd was made up of grade Jerseys, Holsteins and a few crossbreeds.
Serendipitously, the Drummond’s came upon an opportunity to purchase some Brown Swiss from across the river in Cobden.
The newly-acquired Brown Swiss were registered under the Shady Lane Swiss prefix, starting the Drummonds on what Shannon called their “Brown Swiss adventure.”
By the early 1990s, the Drummonds swapped their cream quota for Quebec milk fluid quota. By 1997, the whole herd was made up of registered Brown Swiss.
It was around this point that Ken Drummond – Shannon’s husband – graduated from MacDonald College and joined the farm as a partner.
The Drummonds operation is the epitome of a family farm.
Shannon and Ken got married in 2007, then welcomed their son Riley into the fold in 2010 and their daughter Keira in 2013, respectively.
The bond between the Drummonds and their Brown Swiss has a long history.
“The Drummond children all showed Brown Swiss calves as their 4H projects,” Shannon said in an email.
During this time, the kids were chosen for both the regional championships and the Scotiabank 4H Championship in Toronto.
They have since shown cattle at exhibitions from Quebec City to Toronto.
In 2002, the Drummonds added to their stable of Brown Swiss when they acquired the Holsteins and quota from a nearby farm.
The family further consolidated in 2011 when they bought the Drummond Homestead Farm from Barrie’s twin brother Brian, when he retired from farming.
The Drummonds currently milk 55 cows and have around 135 head of cattle.
“It was very exciting for us all to go and receive it,” Shannon said.
Not only was it exciting, but with the job being as demanding as it is, it was also something that doesn’t happen often.
“It’s rare for all four of us to leave the farm at the same time because someone has to stay and take care of the cows,” Shannon said. “It was one of the few times in our lives that all four of us left for the day at the same time.”
by Chris Lowrey
