WESTLOCK – Unique Valleystream Genetics, operating as Unique Stock Farm, the home of David and Tracy Morey and their daughter Casey and son Lee, are the recipients of the 2020 Farm Family Award for 2020 for Athabasca County.
The award, a metal gate sign, was presented to David and Tracy at the Farmfair International banquet held Nov. 12 in Edmonton to honour 15 recipients from 2020 — last year’s awards gala was cancelled because of COVID-19.
Unique Stock Farm was the name David and Tracy chose when they were first farming on their own.
Tracy Pfannmuller grew up on the family farm south of Mayerthorpe in the Deerlodge area; Bar LU Angus, where the family raised Black Angus cattle. As a youngster, she was a member of the Lobstick 4-H Beef and Clothing Clubs, taking part in both sewing and beef. In 1985, she won the provincial title of top 4-H speaker. After high school she went to Lakeland College at Vermilion in Animal Health Technology.
David Morey moved to the Rochester area with his parents as a very young boy from Oregon in 1970, renting land at the beginning, and then bought the land which David and Tracy own as part of Unique Stock Farm today. Their goal when they came to Canada was to start a dairy, but at the beginning, along with milking cows, kept some beef and hogs as well. David was also in 4-H as a youngster. After high school, he attended Lakeland College in Vermilion in general ag with a livestock major and both he and Tracy graduated in 1987.
That’s where the couple met, but only began dating after their college days, and married in September 1988.
At the beginning of their married life, they lived on the farm at Rochester, where Roger worked on the farm. Farming was the plan from the start. Meanwhile, Tracy was back in university working on an education degree. They moved to Mayerthorpe later, where David first worked for Universal Genetics and later for both Peter Trynchy and Roszko’s at the New Holland dealership as parts man.
They bought a half section in the area and started farming on their own, raising Black Angus cattle. In addition to the farm, David managed western Canada for Select Sires and coordinated the Canadian Beef Program for them.
In 1992, they bought the Rochester farm, which was a dairy with 46 cows and quota, and moved back to where they are today. They wanted to get into dairy and also continued to raise beef cattle as well. David was still working for Select Sires and Tracy was teaching, and both farming at the same time. They eventually expanded their herd, buying more cows and quota.
“That brought Dave home full time,” Tracy says, and when their daughter Casey was born in 1994, they expanded again. “And we were both farming full time.”
At that time they were were milking Holsteins and raising beef cattle.
“We were milking about 150 cows and calving over 600 beef cows, a herd of about half purebred and half commercial Black Angus cattle.”
They bought their first five Jersey cows in 1994. “By the time Lee (their son) was born in 1996, we were already half Jersey, and half Holstein, about 120 cows.”
They separated the herd into the two breeds, and ran feed trails, monitoring feed intake and outputs, “And we found the Jersey cows more efficient — more milk for the amount of feed. In 1996, we moved to a different pricing formula for milk, called MCP; Multiple Component Pricing, so we were being paid on fat and protein.” The Jersey cows produce higher fat content milk.
“After 1996, we just slowly took our time and converted the whole herd to Jersey, but we’ve always kept a few Holsteins. Casey has a couple of Brown Swiss, plus a few milking Shorthorns. We just have a little ‘smattering’ of other stuff, but the majority are Jersey.”
In fact, Unique Stock Farm has the largest herd of Jersey cows in Canada. Casey and Lee are fully involved full time in the farm operation. As youngsters, both were also in Moos on the Moove 4-H Dairy Club, receiving many awards along the way. They, as well as their dad, were all in the Premier’s Award group in 4-H.
“They’ve had really strong 4-H careers.”
After school Casey went to U of A, earning a bachelor of science (BSC) in agri-business, while Lee went to Lakeland, earning a diploma in agri-business.
Lee is engaged to Melissa Gablehaus, who is currently finishing her vet med, and will graduate from University of Calgary. She is on contract with Westlock Veterinary Clinic and will start there in May 2022.
“She has a strong 4-H background too,” Tracy notes. “She was involved with a horse club in Calgary and was Cochrane Rodeo Queen.”
The couple hope to wed this coming summer.
In 2010, they put robot milking machines in, but are in the process of change once again. Currently under construction at the farm, building a rotary parlour barn and they hope to have that in operation this coming summer.
“The proper terminology is it is going to be a 50-bail rotary parlour,” Tracy says, and can milk 50 cows at once. “It’s a continuous flow of cows as it rotates.”
At that point, they will phase out the robotic machines. Whether they milk two or possibly three times per day is something that will be worked out as needed.
Awards seem to attract themselves to the Morey family. David’s mom, Pauline was awarded Pioneer Farm Woman of the Year for Athabasca County and Tracy was later awarded the Modern Farm Woman of the Year in 2013.
Unique Livestock Genetics exports Jersey embryos and semen around the world to several countries, including Australia, South Korea, Switzerland and Europe.
“We send quite a few of the bulls we raise into different AI (artificial insemination) studs, and draw semen for our own use as well,” Tracy notes. They do all of their own AI on their milking herd, and about 20 per cent of their heifers, with about 80 per cent of the heifers are bull-bred.
“We really appreciate Farmfair and BMO for recognizing farm families and their contributions to their communities,” she says.
“We want to thank especially past councillor Dwayne Rawson for bringing our name forward to the council to nominate us for the Farm Family Award for Athabasca County,” Tracy concludes. “It is a real honour.”
