Toystory the Bull
Food Chain Radio Show #1010
Michael Olson, Author & Urban Farming Agriculturalist
The Story of Toystory the Bull
How does agriculture get so many out of so few?
Guest: Keith Helkes, CEO Genex Cooperative, Inc.
In the joke, the old bull offered some very wise advise to the young bull regarding all the attractive cows grazing in the pasture below.
Michael Olson Food Chain Radio: Toystory the Bull
Toystory may well have been the young bull that took the advise, as he went on to sire 500,000 calves.
In the modern world of farm animal genetics, Toystory was truly a major league champion. The massive, and ornery, 2,700 bull produced over two million straws of sperm that were sold by his owners to farmers throughout the world who were seeking to improve the productivity and durability of their herds.
One central Illinois dairy farmer paid $300,000 for one of Toystory’s daughters in 2009.
When Toystory passed, the Genex Cooperative vowed to name a breeding center after him. And so the story of Toystory is the story of the business of modern farm animal genetics, and how that business has transformed the herd. This business leads us to ask…
How does agriculture get so many out of so few?
Tune in here, for the syndicated Food Chain Radio Show #1010 April 25, 2015 Saturday 9AM Pacific
