2005 News

Randall Lineback Breed Association in upcoming ALBC newsletter

Keep a lookout for the new American Livestock Breed Conservancy newsletter!

Randall Lineback Breed Association holds kick-off meeting

The Board of Directors of the new Randall Lineback Breed Association held their first meeting at the historic Chapel Hill Farm in Berryville, Virginia. We all had a wonderful time and things in the breed are moving forward.

Board of directors and guests on tour of Chapel Hill Farm.

The Board of Directors includes Debbie Hamilton and Mary Ellen Nicholas, two previous directors of ALBC and conservators of Poitou Donkeys and Mammoth Jacks in addition to Randall Linebacks.  It also includes George Randall, the grandson of the creator of the Randall Lineback stock which we are preserving.  George grew up on the family homestead with his father and grandfather and has many tales to tell of the history of the breed and its past husbandry practices on that home farm. In addition are Pat Hastings and David Randall, Randalll Lineback owners, and true cow experts and afficionados, Reagan Duncan and Joe Henderson who are encouraging the herd on Chapel Hill.

The Association will be building its own website. We encourage sustainable farming and grass-based farm practices, but also approve of organic creep feed for young animals and properly formulated mineral supplements for all. Like the practices of many other breed associations, the RLBA approves of embryo transfer, bull DNA typing and identification and registration of Randall Linebacks. We promote the objective of Johnes disease free herds and continual testing programs. We promote the idea of multiple satellite herds with multiple owners. We also seek to create markets for the animals, which in the long run will help to ensure their survival.

We also include all who are interested in this wonderful breed to become associates of the RLBA. Please e-mail me your contact information to be included.

The Randall Family Association Lends Support

The Randall Family Association expresses their support of the Randall Lineback breed in their June newsletter "Randall Ramblins." They also displayed a collection of Lineback pictures and news stories at their September family Reunion. We would like to thank the Association for their support for their four legged relatives.

Hamilton Rare Breed Foundation has twins!

Hamilton Rare Breeds Foundation announced today the birth of Randall Lineback twins! As far as we know this is the first set of twins to come from the breed. Even more amazing is that they came from a first calf heifer. Both twins and mom are doing well.

Rural Vermont features Kinship Farm and resident Randall Lineback Daisy

Randall Lineback Breed Association promotional color brochure available

The RLBA has published its first promotional material. A beautiful tri-fold color brochure is available to help with promotion of the breed. Included in this material is the breeds Vermont history, dairy use, Vermonts proposed Heritage Breed Bill, full color pictures and information about the Randall Lineback Breed Association (RLBA). If you are headed out to the fairs or other events with your Randall Linebacks contact us and we would be happy to send some brochures for you to hand out to interested parties. All of us can work together to promote this wonderful breed.

Daisy makes a trip to the Vermont State House Lawn for Dairy Day

Daisy, spokeswoman for the Randall Lineback Breed Association, was invited to travel to the State House Lawn for Vermont's Dairy Day. Daisy and I made the trip to Montpelier with Pat Hastings and Deb Hamilton of Hamilton Rare Breeds Foundation. We were visited by thousands of school children eager to learn about dairy cows and farming. Many of these children have never been close to a dairy cow even though they come from New Englands Dairy State! Though the event was mainly for the benefit of children, many adults also attended, including several Vermont representatives and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Louise Calderwood.

New England Cable News visits Daisy

Reporters Kyla Cullinane and Brian Carpenter came to do a news spot on Daisy and Vermont's pending Heritage Breed Bill. The timing couldnt have been better as Daisy had had her calf the day before and a wonderful photo oportunity was had. Also an interview was done with Louise Calderwood the deputy Secretary of Agriculture. In the interview Louise expresses her support for Bill H .468 and the value of genetics the rare breeds hold. This clip aired across New England on April 26, 2005 all day on TV and the NECN web site, and again on June 6th,2005. I would like to personally thank Kyla, Brian and Louise Calderwood for their support and the great job they have done. We hope to have the video clip for you in the future.

Daisy has her calf, media returns to Kirby

Daisy and her calf, born April 25, 2005

Daisy, the resident Randall Lineback, had a bull calf today right after morning milking. Both Daisy and her calf are doing well. Our local reporter has been anxiously awaiting the calf's arrival since she was last here at the farm for the Agriculture Committee's visit. She wrote a nice article that made the front page of The Barre/Montpelier Times-Argus. Link to article

The Agriculture Committee came to the Northeast Kingdom today for a meeting with farmers and the public to discuss agricultural issues. They made a special trip to Kinship Farm in South Kirby to see the farm facilities and the resident Randall Lineback, Daisy. We were also honored with a visit from George Randall, who traveled from Michigan to join us and visit with the committee members. George enjoyed seeing Daisy and took her for a walk around the barnyard.

George Randall and Daisy	Agriculture Committee members on the farm tour
George speaks with the committee members	George, Daisy and myself

Vermont makes its first step toward the national animal ID system. The ID effort is a two step process. Premise Identification is a process in which every farm that houses animals, regardless of size, registers for the central database. That farm will be issued a premise ID number that will stay the same for the life of the farm.

Step two will involve Animal Identification. Animals that leave the farm on which they were born, either for commerce or exhibition, will be assigned a number and given an ear tag with a computer chip. That chip will contain information about the animal; including where it was born, and will be stored on a central database. That information will be updated if the cow is ever sold. Auction houses will be equipped with scanners that will read the computer chip and update the information automatically. Officials will be able to access those records almost instantly should the animal develop a disease like BSE or FAD.

The program is voluntary right now, but that is expected to change, as USDA will eventually make participation mandatory. Please help make this program a success by filling out the simple form. This program will help us all in the future and by participating now will help Vermont be a leader in the Animal ID program.

A well done short article to support the effort of the Randall Lineback becoming the Vermont State Heritage Breed and more.

Nice articles that goes into the Randall Linebacks history and future. Details about the efforts being made to have the Randall Linebacks being designated as Vermonts official Heritage Breed.