Behind the Scenes of the Breeding Program at Fairmont Farm

When you look across our pastures or walk through our barns, you see a healthy,

productive herd. But what you might not see is the decades of careful planning and

genetic strategy that goes into every single animal.

Recently, we sat down with Ricky Hall of Fairmont Farm to talk about how we handle

our breeding program. To ensure our cows are healthy, happy, and producing the

highest quality milk, we don't just leave things to chance. We look at the genetic

makeup as well as the physical attributes of cows individually to make the best mating

decision for the health of our cows and the profitability of our farm.

Finding The Perfect Match

We work closely with a professional genetics company that maintains a detailed file on

every individual cow in our herd. This allows us to make educated decisions on every

cows individual traits.

We want our cows to perform to the best of their ability, but "performance" isn't just

about how much milk they give.

To be a successful dairy cow at our farm, you need:

• Strong feet and legs: To move comfortably and stay active.

• Excellent health traits: To naturally resist illness and live a long, comfortable

• life.

• Longevity: Our goal is for our cows to stay in the herd as long as possible.

By matching each cow with the ideal sire (father), we are constantly improving these

traits in the next generation.

A Year of Growth

Breeding is a 365-day-a-year job. In 2025 alone, we bred 3,500 animals.

Getting a cow pregnant is a delicate process. We currently average a 41% conception

rate, which means, on average, it takes about 2.5 breeding attempts for an animal to

become pregnant. This is a above the industry average, that reflects the high level of

care and nutritional support our animals receive.

Technology

At our farm we use a heat detection system called SCR. Every cow on our farm has a

collar on. This collar is constantly monitoring the rumination frequency of the cow as

well as the activity. Think of it as a high tech FitBit. It allows us to tell when our cows

are ready to breed, if they are having an off day, if they might be getting sick, or if there

is something in the diet that needs to be changed. In using this we are able to breed

the cows at the optimal time, and respond quickly and efficiently to any cows that don’t

feel well.

Our Strategy

We use a very specific "split" strategy to manage our herd size and quality:

1. Sexed Semen: We use "sexed" semen to ensure that 92% of the offspring

born will be female (heifers). We use this on our highest-quality animals to

ensure the next generation of Fairmont milkers has the best possible genetics.

2. Beef Semen: For the rest of the herd, we breed them to high-quality bee

sires. This allows us to contribute to the local beef market while focusing our

dairy raising efforts only on our very best genetic lines.

Our young heifers represent the most "up-to-date" genetics on the farm. Because of

this, we breed 75% of our heifers to sexed semen to ensure their superior traits are

passed down, compared to about 33% of our mature cows.

Quality You Can Taste

Finally, we breed for components. In the dairy world, we are paid based on the

percentage of fat and protein in the milk as well as the total volume of milk produced. This is something we have worked on for years. By selecting for these traits, we ensure

that the milk leaving Fairmont Farm is as nutrient-dense and high-quality as possible for the families who enjoy it.

The Goal

At the end of the day, all the data and technology serve one simple mission: To have the

healthiest, longest-lasting, and most productive cows possible. When our cows are

happy and healthy, they produce the highest quality milk, and that is a win for our

animals, our farm, and our community.

Have questions about how we care for our herd? Stop by the Market and ask us! We

love sharing our story with our community.