British Simmental Review 2018

technology, including my thermal imaging
cameras, and we even treated two calves
who had the start of poorly eyes due to
fly strike. We also had Jack Walton carry
out a fake auction each day to show how
pedigree cattle are sold; Grace reached just
below £200,000 at one of the auctions (if
only!)
Some of the questions and comments
we were getting were:
What is a Simmental and where is it from?
I didn’t know they were so big!
How does using embryos work?
What does a X animal mean?
And the best of all - How do you tell a
heifer from a bullock?!
SIMMENTAL REVIEW 2018
Many farmers are not fans of the BBC
and the program Countryfile (me included
on the BBC) but this event is the only one I
know of where the majority of the people
are not from farming backgrounds. This was
my second year; last year I met the Waker
family and helped to get Alfie started on his
road in agriculture. Since introducing him
to the Aberdeen Angus youth development
program he has gone from strength to
strength and now his brother Charlie is also
starting to get involved. I still see them when
I can and am in regular contact with them.
This year I met another family who luckily
live close to me; it was their daughter’s
dream to milk a cow, so for her 18th
birthday I arranged for her to go to a friend’s
dairy farm and milk a cow.
Throughout the 4 days, we talked to
hundreds of people about what we do and
how we care for our animals. With the large
amount of focus currently centred on the
vegan movement, and negative content on
social media, it is good to be able to spread
positive news.
This event really does give us the chance
to shout about how good we are at what
we do to the end user. I was interviewed by
local radio and said “it does not matter if you
buy a burger from McDonalds or steak from
Tesco, without the general public on board
with us we have no customer”.
In 2019 there are going to be two
events, one in Oxfordshire and the other in
Yorkshire. I will be there again next year and
it would be good if we could perhaps get
the Society and more members involved?
Although very tiring, it is a cracking event to
be involved with and at the end of the day
you only need one Alfie a year to make it
worthwhile!!
www.britishsimmental.co.uk
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