Building a Purebred Powerhouse
This story was published in the Late Summer 2023 Cowsmopolitan Magazine.
When the Lambert family of Lambert Run Farm in Norridgewock, Maine wanted move into the registered dairy cattle business, they did the old- fashioned way – they got hooked in the show ring and went out to buy good registered cattle to replace their grades. For Garrett Lambert and his partner Matt Hartle, the upgrading path has led to some outstanding results at the shows!
Lambert Run Farm is a family operation, and Garrett’s dad, Timothy, took over the reins in 1982. They milked all grade Holsteins, but when Garrett and his brother Nicholas started in 4-H, the family purchased their first registered Holstein, then eventually converted the herd to all registered cows from there. “My dad always liked good cows, but not necessarily the paperwork that comes with registered cows. Once we took that on, we started improving the herd.”
Today, Garrett, his partner Matt Hartle, and Garrett’s brother, Nicholas all work on the farm. They currently milk 150 Holstein and Guernsey cows, with 400 head total on the farm. The operation consists of 800 acres, planted mainly in corn and grass hay.
Garrett and Matt met at a cow show five years ago, where Matt worked for Juniper Farm. Originally from Washington State, Matt is a big fan of the Jersey breed, but the little brown cows haven’t nudged their way onto the farm yet. He began working for Juniper as a part of their show crew at Eastern States, then was hired on at the farm, where he worked with that elite herd everyday.
They both still enjoy showing and exhibit at numerous fairs in Maine every summer and have most of the show cattle at home. “I’ve got pens everywhere and every which way,” Garrett laughs, in order to separate animals out to get the proper feed. The show cows are kept in a smaller area away from the large milking herd.
A notable Holstein cow that has racked up wins on the Maine show circuit is Ver-Maine Crush Maizie EX-92. Bred by the Hussey family of Limington, Maine, Maizie is backed by five VG & EX dams from the Brigeen Dundee R A Marcy EX-92 family. To date, she has two 1st Grade daughters at the farm.
They’ve always been big supporters of Maine and New England breeders, and many of the animals brought into the herd come from the region. That includes the members of the Guernsey breed that first made an appearance on the farm when a friend wanted to sell a couple of heifers. Digging a little deeper, they found out that they went back to Springdale breeding from the Whitcomb herd in nearby Waldo, Maine, and thought they would be good buying.
Garrett thinks the Guernseys are a breed on the comeback trail, and his first experience led to him buying more. Last year, he, Matt and Philip Hauks exhibited the All-American Yearling in Milk, Prairie Moon Fame Addison-ETV. She sports an All-American pedigree with her dam, Prairie Moon L Abriella-ET EX-91, the 2017 Reserve All-American Senior 2-Year-Old, and her granddam, Prairie Moon Y Antebella EX-92, the Reserve All- American 4-Year-Old in 2015. The family has produced numerous All-American nominated animals, and they look to keep developing from this high-type pedigree.
Another Prairie Moon heifer owned by the same threesome – Prairie Moon Java Lavender-ETV, was recently 1st fall calf, Junior Champion, and Supreme Champion Heifer at the Iowa State Fair and have the owners excited for the fall shows. They also own Knapps Indian TN Irish Whiskey, the 2nd winter calf at the show. These heifers, along with a few other national level show animals are housed in Iowa at Maxx Boarding, under the care of Grayson Gahring.
At home, they’re showing the home bred LRF James Dean Taylor, a winter calf that has claimed a number of champion rosettes at the local shows. She is out of Knapps Drone Taylor, a heifer that had done very well as a summer yearling in 2021, and hails from the well-known Knapps Ace Tamera EX-93, one of the most prominent Guernsey brood cow of the modern era.
Also at Maxx Boarding is Lin-Crest Warrior Macey, 1st winter yearling at the Iowa State Fair and Iowa Holstein State Show, owned by Garrett and Matt. She is another heifer that is looking at the bigger stage in Madison or Louisville this fall, as is a fresh Junior 2-year-old, Hannans Warrior Candace-Red, and a spring calf, Lambert- Run Diamondback Candy.
Garrett is a staunch agricultural fair supporter, and contributes some volunteer time to the cause. He’s on the Board of Directors of the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs, is also the Livestock Superintendent at Skowhegan Fair, and the Assistant Dairy Superintendent at the Fryeburg Fair.
Away from the shows, Garrett used to be active with Quarter Horses in the sports of cattle penning and sorting. Now he is breeding Australian Shepherd dogs, which he jumped into about four years ago, and has enjoyed learning the pedigrees of another species. He promotes the breed as being one of the very best for working cows.
But even with that diversification, the dairy cows are number one at Lambert- Run. Garrett has been purchasing about 15-20 show-type, purebred cattle for each of the last three years. They have moved into doing classification for the show cattle – about 25-30 head each time. Now, with that foundation in place, Garrett says they are going to start flushing more intensively and continue to build those pedigrees and develop more beautiful home bred heifers. Whether on the Maine Fair run or looking to the national shows, Garrett and Matt want to be competitive with some of the breeds’ best!
By Kathleen O’Keefe