by Amélie Hardy Demers

If you think that you are too young to get involved it what you are passionate about, talk to Martin Poirier. He will tell you that it’s never too early! In fact, at 29 years of age, Martin is President of the Quebec Ayrshire Society and has been cumulating involvement in the agricultural environment for many years. Martin graduated in 2000 from the Joliette “Cégep régional de Lanaudière” in Farm Management but even before he learned to walk, he caught the passion for Ayrshires.

Martin has been co-owner of Ferme Bavavoise with his mother, France Denis, for 3 years. However, he has been working there full time since his father, Roger Poirier, passed away in 1999. Besides Martin, the business has many part-time employees to support him. Martin has a brother, Yannick, who is a cattle trucker and works part-time at the farm. He mainly looks after the machinery. He also has a sister, Veronique, who is a meat inspector for the government and gives him a hand during the show season. His mother looks after the accounting and helps occasionally in the barn. Martin can also count on his uncle, Normand Poirier, who is in charge of the heifer barn and is a precious handyman.

The Bavaroise herd consists of one hundred and fifteen head at the moment, with forty-two cows in milk for a total of fifty-two. The herd’s classification is 1 EX-3E, 4 EX, 25 VG, 18 GP and 2 G and the production average is at 7,825kg with 4.2% fat and 3.61% protein for an average BCA of 220. Ferme Bavaroise has 136 acres cultivated in corn, oats, soyabeans and hay. The Bavaroise herd is fed forage, unlimited hay with grass and corn silage. The ration is completed with high-moisture corn with concentrates, supplements and minerals distributed by robot.

Ferme Bavaroise has participated and still does at numerous exhibitions, such as Berthierville, Trois-Rivières, the International Dairy Showcase, Expo-Quebec, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and World Dairy Expo. The farm won the Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor Banners at the Trois-Rivières Exhibition and the Premier Exhibitor banners at Berthierville Fair in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

Martin is very proud of Bavaroise Jurist Kathy, VG-88 ELITE who has an LPI of 2208 and produced 10,808kg at 2 years of age, for BCA’s of 382-348-399 and deviations of +186, +164 and +197. In 2004, Martin bought, in partnership, with Ferme Petit Nord, Rosayre Razzel-ET, VG-89 who was 4th - 4 year old at the International Dairy Showcase this year, 1st - Junior Yearling at the Spring Show in 2005 and Reserve All-Quebec and All-Canadian in 2005 and Reserve All-Quebec in 2004. She now has seven daughters in the herd, embryos by Hector and Hercule and is presently in calf to Trident. Martin had always dreamed of buying a cow from the Miral Vicky, EX-91 5E 18* and Terrace Bank Cherry L, EX. cow family. Two years ago, his dream came true when he bought Lombard Dale Wilton Icing, VG-86 at 2 yrs of age in partnership with Alain Roberge, Marc Charpentier and Sari Alholm. She now has a daughter by Hector in the herd and embryos by Hector and Poker.

Projects are numerous at the Poirier’s. Martin wants to increase milk production per cow and therefore have 40kg quota/day. Construction of a free-stall cold barn to house the heifers is also among Martin’s future projects as well as making the business prosper even more.

Martin has been involved in the dairy industry since he was young. He participated in youth activities for almost 15 years where he was on the Board of Directors and President of the “CJR Lanaudois”. Martin is Director of the Lanaudière Ayrshire Club since 1999 and was President of the Joliette-Berthier Agricultural Society in 2004 and 2006. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Autray Base Syndicate. Martin sits on the Breed Improvement Committee and Executive Committee of Ayrshire Quebec. Martin has been a judge since 2002 and an official judge since 2006. In 2008, Ferme Bavaroise was awarded “Ferme génération en génération” (Generation to Generation Farm) prize from the “Syndicat des agricultrices de Lanaudière” (Lanaudière Female Farmer’s Syndicate). According to Martin, it is crucial that young people get involved, because they represent the future. Our youth should not be afraid to get involved to learn from those who have been on committees for many years, they in turn, will someday transmit their experiences to help future young breeders. Martin believes that it is important to get involved in our breed, because “I’m proud to be an Ayrshire Breeder and I believe in my breed”.