VOLUME 22
ISSUE 2
SEPTEMBER 2023
What’s Inside COMMERCIAL BEEF PRODUCER WITH AN AUCTION MART PERSPECTIVE
COMMERCIAL BEEF PRODUCER WITH AN AUCTION MART PERSPECTIVE
1 GATE POST — CANADIAN SIMMENTAL ASSOCIATION 2023 CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS / FAITS SAILLANTS DE LA CONVENTION 2023 DE L’ASSOCIATION SIMMENTAL DU CANADA
12, 22 BREED IMPROVEMENT — SIMPLE TRAITS IN A COMPLEX WORLD / DES CARACTÈRES SIMPLES DANS UN MONDE COMPLEXE
14, 24 VET’S ADVICE — THE STIFLED COW OR BULL
18 WHAT’S HAPPENING
58
Jim Pulyk just loves being around cattle and the people who produce them.
P
Story By Lee Hart
ulyk was born and raised on the family farm near Mannville, in central Alberta, about 22 kilometres west of Vermilion and 170 kilometres east of Edmonton. He and his wife Rena, along with their son Lyndon and his wife Krystal and their three children run a large herd of crossbred Simmental cows.
But for almost 40 years, he’s also been involved with the livestock market industry. Pulyk worked 34 years for what is now the Vermilion Livestock Exchange at Vermilion, and for the past five years has been with Northern Livestock Sales at Lloydminster, SK. Over the years he’s held a number of positions. Today, he says livestock fieldman best describes his role as he works with both commercial and purebred beef producers in marketing their cattle. That job title might be a bit limiting, since along with helping to market cattle, he also does livestock judging, serves as a ringman at different purebred sales, and as an order buyer he does help source bulls for customers each year, he enjoys working with youth organizations such as the 4-H and the youth committees of different breed associations, and he volunteers his time with the Vermilion Agricultural Society helping to organize beef show events. He keeps busy with the beef industry. “I have just loved cows since day one, since I could walk,” says Pulyk. “And over the years I have realized that cattle are the commodity, but really it is people that make this industry. I get to work with some tremendous people. That old proverb is true for me at least, — choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” Pulyk, 65, was recognized early this year at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado with a Cattleman’s Leadership Award - Canada, recognizing his contribution to the beef industry. “It is nice to be recognized,” says Pulyk. “But I’m not in this for the attention. I just love being around the industry.” As Pulyk was growing up, his dad ran a herd of about 300 head of mixed breed cattle. Jim was the only one of a family of 15 children who carried on in the ranching business. As a young married couple in the late 1970s, he and Rena began building their own beef operation starting with purebred Charolais. “We started with Charolais and then in 1984 I began working at the auction mart in Vermilion,” says Pulyk. “I soon realized that working full time and trying to raise purebred cattle was too big a workload, so we switched to a commercial operation.”
Publication Mail Agreement # 40012794
In early 1990’s they began to introduce Simmental cattle to the commercial operation. As a teenager, son Lyndon was also helping out with the cattle. Later as a married couple, he and Krystal began to increase herd numbers. Today the farm runs a herd of about 600 head of Simmental-cross cows mostly bred to Charolais bulls to produce terminal cross calves. About three-quarters of the herd are red cattle with a blaze face or red baldies with the other quarter being black baldies. “We farm jointly but I really can’t take much credit for the day-to-day operation,” says Pulyk. “It is the third generation, Lyndon and Krystal who do most of the work and I help out where I can. Now we have the fourth generation coming along as well.”
Return Undeliverable: Canadian Simmental Association #13-4101 19th St. NE, Calgary, Alberta Canada, T2E 7C4
As a market fieldman, Pulyk says he remains objective when it comes to dealing with producers raising various breeds of cattle. “The Simmental/Charolais cattle have worked for us, but all breeds are good,” says Pulyk. “In this part of Alberta and Saskatchewan we see as much as 75 per cent of cattle with the Simmental influence. There are some excellent Simmental breeders in the area, but when it comes to beef breeds it really comes down to personal preference and what appeals to each producer.”
continued on page 8