EDMONTON — It’s been 45 years since the first Maine Anjou cattle were brought to Canada from France in 1969.
For long-time Maine Anjou breeders, there is no point in changing breeds when they already raise the best.
Janice and Robert Stenberg said it felt like they won the lottery when they bought their first Maine Anjou in 1971.
The couple’s name was drawn out of a hat to buy a group of Maine Anjou cattle and their other friends won the right to buy other breeds in the draw.
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The Stenbergs think they got the best deal.
“They’re so quiet and easy to work with, which is why we like working with them now that we’re older,” said Janice.
When the first Maine Anjou cattle were imported to Canada they were tall, long and a dark red and white. The Stenberg family continued the tradition and has stayed with the familiar red and white full blood Maine Anjou and has not moved to the solid black or red colours.
“I don’t think the colour makes any difference once they’re hanging in the cooler,” said Janice.
At their busiest, the couple had about 120 head on their Alder Flats, Alta., farm. They are down to about 20 at home, but have more out on shares with other producers.
When the couple first started in the Maine Anjou business they travelled to cattle shows displaying their animals, but slowly they stopped. In 2002 they started again and in 2011 their bull competed in the Farmfair Supreme show against the other breeds.
“It’s hard to quit,” said Robert.
Across the aisle Deanna Wise shows off four black Maine Anjou cattle. The Wises have raised Maine Anjou since 1973.
“My dad and mom picked the breed. Dad thought they had potential,” Wise said during the national Maine Anjou show at Farmfair.
Unlike the Stenbergs, the Wise family sold all their full blood Maine Anjou cattle in 1975 and started breeding black Maine Anjou to purebred cows and slowly built a herd of 100 purebred black Maine Anjou cattle.
Wise dabbled with her own herd of Limousin for a few years, but eventually bred them back to Maine Anjou.
The family now has about 100 black purebred Maine Anjou cattle they sell to other breeders and commercial cattlemen and bring to shows.
“Lots of people are getting converted. There are lots of junior kids who see the potential behind the quality of cattle,” she said.
Bringing cattle to Farmfair and other shows is a good way to show off the breed.
“It helps get the breed in front of people. You put yourself and your cattle out there and get all the breeders to see what you have,” said Wise.
“It’s a good comparison.”
Contact mary.macarthur@producer.com
