WOMEN IN HOLSTEINS
can be given to make or break the progress of a business is humbling and a responsibility I take very seriously, though the biggest kick is a pen full of bright eyed quality heifers – that puts a smile on your face! Jane - Rearing calves (maybe its maternal instinct!), I have always felt the most rewarding part of this job is seeing an animal you have reared, picked out and shown being successful. When Alderbarrow Samuel Carla was crowned All Britain Champion calf, I was very proud to have played my part. Having said that, I enjoy showing whatever the outcome and I hope this comes through in my work. Karen - I feel as though my job is a dream come true! It’s an honour to be the fi rst female editor of a magazine that has been in business for 107 years, and to carry on such a prestigious task is something I don’t take lightly. Absolutely the most rewarding part of my job is people. Dairy producers are not only resilient, but optimistic, creative and hard working. They inspire me to do a better job. It’s always been said that dairy farming gets in your blood, and that’s so true. But even more, the people associated with the dairy industry are my biggest critics and my best friends, and I wouldn’t trade any of them! They make the long days, the hours of travelling and the challenges of putting together an issue each month worth it. Many of us on the Holstein World team have grown up on farms, and we joke that our jobs at the World are ‘our farm’. We sometimes work seven days a week and rarely have a 9 to 5 workday. If we can’t be directly involved in production agriculture, than we’re doing the next best thing and helping those that are milking cows promote and expand their business beyond the bulk tank. Sheila - Working with my clients! I’ve known many people throughout the industry over the past 32 years and have met some fantastic people along the way and made a lot of friends. Working with farmers is something special and they appreciate what you are trying to create. The cattle have to be looking right in order to get that great photo, everyone is working hard for the same goal and teamwork is the key to a great photo. I get a huge buzz when we get that perfect image and the positive reaction of my clients makes all the effort worthwhile.
What do you fi nd the most
frustrating aspect of your job?
Dawn - When the pressure’s on and desperation strikes, it’s the lack of integrity from some advisors to ‘get the order’ at all costs that causes me the most frustration. Jane - The lack of opportunities for those of us who want to farm in our own right. This is the job I have always done and wanted to do and I fi nd it very frustrating that there are few opportunities for or encouragement to young farmers. Karen - Not being able to fi nd good coffee when travelling! No, seriously, the most frustrating part of my job right now is that we have so many challenges facing U.S. breeders – the constantly fl uctuating price of milk, the confusion over new genomic numbers for females, the struggles to keep foreign markets open and lucrative. These are all major concerns that weigh on producers
24 THE JOURNAL JUNE 2010
minds and we must keep a balance of reporting the news while also being able to inspire. Of course, we’d like to be everywhere at once reporting on events as they happen, but travel schedules and budgets don’t permit that. Sheila - There isn’t one really. You know what to expect before you start working with animals and all the pitfalls that may occur. It’s part of the job to have unruly cows (and sometimes humans!) or animals that become unsettled by the occasion. But that’s the challenge of being a professional and patience is the key element to
a successful shoot. You have to overcome the diffi culties, pull your team together and deliver the
best possible image for your client.
Would you encourage today’s Young Breeders to follow in
your footsteps?
Dawn (pictured above) - I think it depends on what that Young Breeder wants to achieve. Everyone is different; no one can presume a path, this one led me here. I’ve had a few eye openers beyond the ‘text book’ ladder of progression and personally I think it is true that the journey is far more important than the destination. Jane - I hope that I have already encouraged Young Breeders and I will always try to help any young person who asks for advice. It is vital we encourage all young people - they are the future. Karen - Absolutely! Print and internet media have gone through some tremendous improvements in the last fi ve years. Just like the production side of dairy farming, the media side has seen new technology that provides us with unlimited ways to present the news. It’s more exciting than ever to think about the possibilities of print and internet coverage at Holstein World in the years to come! Sheila - Yes, unquestionably and I have and continued to do just that. There’s more than enough work within the UK and Europe and over the years I’ve helped train and develop other leading cattle photographers in the UK. However, anyone entering the industry has to be prepared to work hard, listen, learn and be prepared for the long haul. It just doesn’t happen overnight.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88