Kevin and Laura Conard with Dierdre and Earle Mikkelson inspecting the Mikkelbrae herd. Photo by Lindsay Murray
As noted in our January 2025 newsletter fellow British White cattle breeders Laura and Kevin Conard from Baldwin, Wisconsin in the USA visited Australia during February. While only here for a short time, a priority for this pair of British White devotees was to see some British Whites “down under” during their “trip of a lifetime”. So it was, they made the time to travel to the Northern Rivers region of NSW to visit Lindsay Murray (Dingo), Dierdre Mikkelson (Mikkelbrae) and Chris Malden and Wayne Cross (Vale Hill Farm, Stonehaven).
Kevin and Laura run a 350-acre farm in western Wisconsin, about 45 minutes east of Minneapolis. The farm previously belonged to Laura’s family and, some years ago, she and Kevin decided to scale down busy careers and take on the land with a vision of restoring the soils and landscape using regenerative agricultural techniques. Today their farm produces certified organic hay, beef and horses (Thoroughbreds and American Whites). They are surrounded by massive corn, soybean and dairy farms all using more conventional production systems.
Originally, their beef production system was based on Holstein-Angus crosses but after discovering British Whites, they have gradually moved across to British White – Holstein crosses and now are increasingly using purebred British Whites. Purebred British White bulls are purchased from a British White Cattle Association of America (BWCAA) member. They currently run over 30 breeders, calve in May, grow the calves over the Northern Hemisphere summer, weaning at six months and then grow them out to 18-22 months before slaughter at a local abattoir and processing at a local butcher. Beef is sold directly to clients as packaged quarters and they cannot meet the increasing local demand for organic grass-fed and finished beef sourced directly from reputable farms.
It was fascinating to hear the challenges of running a beef operation in such different climatic conditions. Pasture is grown for hay in summer with enough grown not only to feed their livestock over the harsh winter but to also sell organic hay to other livestock operations. The cattle stay outside all winter but are provided with a large mound of cornstalks to keep them dry and warm in the snowy and muddy conditions. A system of mobile windbreaks provides further protection. All waterpipes are buried 9 foot deep to prevent freezing during winter!! All newborn calves must have iodine applied quickly to cauterize the umbilical cord and prevent infection from the muddy conditions as the snows melt. It all sounds like hard work over there!
Despite the completely different climatic conditions, Kevin and Laura are attracted to British White cattle for many of the same reasons as the breeders here in Australia. First and foremost, they are attracted by the DOCILITY of the breed. They are convinced that British Whites are the most trouble-free breed and stand up to the harsh climate. They also do really well in a pasture/hay system with weight gain similar or better than other breeds they have trialled including Angus. For Kevin and Laura, British Whites are a perfect fit for their pasture-based, regenerative grazing operation producing organic beef for local consumption. In the longer term, they plan to move to more purebred British Whites and establish their own stud.
Kevin and Laura were extremely impressed with the British White herds they were able to inspect during their visit to Australia. They felt the Australian British Whites are a squarer more solid animal with a meatier back end than the American animals and would have dearly loved to take a few home. They were also impressed with the level of pasture care and pasture biodiversity demonstrated in the regenerative grazing operations they inspected during the visit.
It was pleasure to host Kevin and Laura and exchange views on farming and British Whites. Kevin and Laura have extended an invitation to any of our breeders to contact them should they travel to their part of the world. You can find out more about Kevin and Laura’s farm at: https://www.heavenonearthfarm.net
Kevin’s hints for British White breeders:
- Believe in the benefits of British White cattle and British White beef – you are your best salesman.
- Establish good relationships with all partners essential for breeding and economic success: Breed Societies, Butchers, Agricultural Extension Officers, Local Landcare and Pasture groups, and above all CLIENTS.
- Engage with clients and encourage them to visit and inspect your farming operation.
- When buying bulls, prioritize temperament and calving ease.
- When buying breeding cows, prioritise maternal qualities and milk production.
