EDMONTON — Wendy Bishop was up at 4:30 a.m. a few weeks ago working with her cattle when the sky burst into a cascade of northern lights.
“What could be better than that?” she thought as she went about her chores on her farm near Holden, Alta.
“Farming is the only way to go, the only way to live and the only way to raise a family,” she said following the Shorthorn show at Farmfair, held in Edmonton Nov. 5-13.
Read Also
Going beyond “Resistant” on crop seed labels
Variety resistance is getting more specific on crop disease pathogens, but that information must be conveyed in a way that actually helps producers make rotation decisions.
The farm has kept the single mother of five close to her children and maintained ties to her Shorthorn heritage, which goes back more than a century when her great-uncle started with the breed in 1907.
Her father, Tom Bishop of Gyaglen Shorthorns, took over the herd in 1945. Four generations of the family haven’t strayed from the solid British breed.
“It’s my heritage,” she said. On her mother’s side, the family
traces its roots in Canada to 1642, when British sailors landed in what is now Nova Scotia. She also has the strength of powerful women before her, including a grandmother who marched for women’s emancipation.
Her farm is called Creekside Shorthorns and includes the Admiration and Yappy cow lines that go back to the ranch’s original cattle 100 years ago. Some of the Creekside cattle also have the Gyaglen prefix in their pedigrees.
“Shorthorn are an intelligent breed and they are easy to work with,” Bishop said.
Her 65 purebred and commercial Shorthorn cows are quiet and calve easily. They are traits she needs because she farms on her own and works as a nurse in a long-term care facility in Tofield, Alta.
Bishop paved the way for her daughter and daughters-in-law, who enjoy showing and competing. The family offers custom fitting and showing. Her daughter, Whitney, an animal science student at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta., is a major player alongside her mother.
“Women look better in the ring,” said Whitney.
Her mother said it was not always so welcoming.
“We have to enter the men’s world carefully and show you know what you are talking about,” she said.
Bishop has proved her worth. This year, her herd produced the grand champion female at the Olds Fall Classic show in October.
That same female was reserve at Farmfair. She also won grand champion bull and reserve female at Lloydminster in November.
The next trip is Canadian Western Agribition, where her Olds champio n female has qualified for the supreme challenge competition.
The family also runs Creekside Meats using Shorthorn genetics for their natural beef program. They also sell antibiotic free and hormone free chicken, pork and eggs.
