ANTRIM — Mel Cavanagh had a dream. One he thought he’d never see.

But he and sons Andy and Dale have just earned a Master Breeders shield from Hostein Canada for long term excellence in milk quality and production.

"Twenty years ago I thought it was never going to happen," Mel said. The dream began back in the 1960s when he was milking about 25 cows. He and the boys now milk 60.

"I asked an old fella one time how the heck you win a master breeder shield. He said, ‘look after them.’ Three simple words and I remembered them."

He focused on the goal and stuck to it. "Andy and Dale had as much to do with it in the past 10 years."

They’ve had a purbred herd since the late 1970s and struck gold with a few cows who bred out well with daughters that were even better. "They had longevity and stayed in the herd a long time," Mel said.

"A lot of cows won’t produce anything better than themselves," he said. "There’s a lot of luck with it too. You have to have the right cow family. You don’t know you have a really good cow family until she’s an old Excellent cow."

They look at 60 % type and 40 % production when picking what they hope is a winner.

"Improving the breed is the fun thing," he said. "Wouldn’t you hate to wake up in the morning to an ugly woman?"

They buy from different genetic providers but have used an Eastern Breeders bull, the famous and now dead Braedale Goldwyn, many times for semen and still have 75 doses in frozen storage.

"AI has really helped the dairy industry by leaps and bounds. Production per cow has more than doubled since 1971."

Mel, 61, is a third generation farmer on 675 acres. They rent another 400 acres. The three partners formed a corporation last year after buying out Mel’s brother James, who retired at age 66.

James got out after a scare with cancer. He and his wife are now on a bus trip to Arizona.

Back at the ranch, Mel basks in the fact that the boys are keeners, who also married well. "I’m very lucky I have two great daughters-in-law," he said.