Jade and Georgia Sieben have a goal to continue to breed balanced, functional high type production cows under their prefix Brindabella.
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Established in 1997 with just six cows, when the family moved from Queensland to the Riverina, the mother and daughter duo have grown their herd to currently include 200 Holsteins and a few Jerseys at Torrumbarry.
They received their first Holstein master breeder status early this year and were delighted by the recognition.
“It really is a lovely acknowledgment of years of dedication to Holsteins and an honour for me — I am the third one in my family to receive a master breeder,” Jade said.
Jade’s love of cattle was instilled in her from an early age and stemmed from her nanna and pop, Mavis and Eddie McGinn, who farmed at Kenilworth inland from Noosa and established Rickdale Holsteins.
“They started out with Jerseys, but Pop got into Holsteins after buying a handful of good cows and doing some embryo work.”
Jade thinks she was about six when she led her first cow at a show in 1981.
“I got hooked on it — we all got hooked on it actually, and back then, you could go to the show every single weekend from May through to August, and it always culminated in the Ecka.”
There have been many good cows over the years and quite a few successes, but Jade said the friendships formed over the years had been just as fulfilling.
Jade has never been afraid to buy a good cow in partnership, including the latest purchase View Fort Jagger Satin.
The syndicate set an Australian all breeds record for a two-year-old when they bought the cow for $54,000 at the Defining a Decade Sale for Lightning Ridge Genetics last year.
Since the change of ownership she has classified EX 93.
She has gone through two rounds of IVF and was reserve champion at Sydney Royal Easter Show.
She is currently pregnant, and Jade said she remained a great, no fuss cow to work with.
Other significant cow families that have performed well over the years include the Nans, Fredias and the Tammys.
“The Nans are star brood cows, show cows, and high production, high fat cows, and they have formed an integral part of our show team over the last 20 years,” Jade said.
“In fact, I think every team we have shown would have a Nan of some sort in it — we all love the Nans, and they have been an amazing family for us.”
She said the genetics could be tracked back to Judel Starbuck Fan from the Hewitt family.
The Tammy family was established in Brindabella after Jade was judging an on-farm challenge, and she came across Howava Reginald Tammy in the Howava herd.
Again, she bought it in partnership, this time with the Shaw family from Finley and Peter Clark.
“We had some great fun with her, and had some great success, including reserve intermediate champion and then a couple of years later reserve senior champion at IDW,” Jade said.
The Midas family has great sentimental value after Jade and her sisters were each given a cow from her grandparents.
Like all breeders, Jade said she did grapple with selling any of her cows.
“It is so hard to part with any of them when you love them all,” she said.
The Jerseys remain Georgia’s love, and Jade said, while she had tried to love a good Jersey, Holsteins remained her jam.
“Georgia loves them, and I have no doubt she will develop some great families of her own over the years,” Jade said.
Jade said she and Georgia were now considering the future of their operation which could include a move out of zone seven and into a more affordable irrigation system.
“Water has made it pretty difficult to farm here,” she said.
“When we bought the farm 20 years ago it was a bit different, and we were surrounded by other farmers, now we are just about on our own.”
Jade said over the last two years the temporary water market had been pretty good, but this year, expensive temporary prices had set them behind.
“I had to use our permanent water to finish off the corn, so there was nothing left to get the autumn pastures up, so we are a bit behind,” she said.
“We are planning on putting a bit more lucerne in, in the future, to be a bit more water efficient and of course the cows love it.
“We don’t grow any permanent pasture, but I will put a bit of millet in over summer if temporary water prices are favourable.
“Georgia has dreams to move and grow, but if that doesn’t happen we will be happy to stay here and keep going.”