The Hall family from Cookstown, Ontario, was recognized as the 2008 Commercial Breeder of the Year at the Eastern Canadian Gelbvieh Association Annual Meeting in January.

The Hall family has a 130 commercial cow herd, cash crop 2000 acres of wheat, soybeans, and corn, and cut and bale 1000 acres of hay in the New Tecumseth Township in Simcoe County. This is very much a family operation involving John and Brenda Hall and daughters Amanda and Christy, all who work full time on the farm.

The Halls have been involved with Gelbvieh cattle since 2000 when Christy showed a Gelbvieh heifer owned by South Simcoe Gelbvieh, Jeannie and Kim Ellison, as her 4-H project. The family purchased their first Gelbvieh females in 2001. In 2002, a Gelbvieh bull was introduced to the herd. Disposition and fertility were the factors that impressed them about Gelbvieh cattle. Other purchases have followed and today a lot of their herd is Gelbvieh influenced. The Halls have hosted 4-H meetings and school visits enabling them to promote the Gelbvieh breed. In 2003, Christy won Grand Champion showperson at Beeton and Cookstown Fairs with her Gelbvieh heifer and went on to compete at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. Christy also participated in the CJGA show at V & V Farms in Alberta.

Congratulations to the HALL family!