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The Hereford breed is celebrating 150 years in Canada – and that means 150 years of helping Canadian beef producers make a sustainable living. Innisfail farmer Randy Radau runs about 350 head of Herefords on his family farm, Coulee Crest Herefords. His grandfather started the farm back in the late 1920s, but his family has been known for its registered Herefords since 1944.

"There were a few influential breeders in the area that got them into it," Radau said of his family’s start in the Hereford industry. "And I got into it because they were into it; carrying on the tradition."

Radau said the herd has grown over the years, from 60 to 80 when he was a kid, to over 300 now.

When asked what was so special about the Hereford breed, Radau didn’t need any time to consider his answer: "They’re very well adapted to Canadian climate," he said. "They winter very well and they grow and gain weight on a low forage diet."

Radau said the Hereford is a cold climate breed and does the best in cold, blistery places like Canada or its native Europe.

Personality-wise, he said the Hereford is a very docile breed and easy to work with.

Radau works as the vice president of the Canadian Hereford Association, president of the Central Alberta Hereford Association and also sits on the board for the provincial branch.

"They’re a long-lasting breed," Radau said of Herefords celebrating 150 years this year. "They have stood the test of time in Canada."

Radau said the Hereford has always been one of the top four best beef breeds in Canada. But the breed’s reputation doesn’t stop at the border. Coulee Crest Farms is in the bull business and has sold genetics from some of their best bulls all over the world.

"Canadian Herefords have a good reputation around the world," he explained. "We have a strong export market here."

This past week at the annual Calgary Bull Sale, the Alberta Hereford Association was there handing out engraved jackknives to everyone that purchased a Hereford bull.

"Across the country, different provincial associations are doing something to celebrate the breed," Radau said.

Karen Hronek, of Bowden, has had Herefords since 1990 and followed in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents.

Hronek said she enjoys the breed’s calm attitude and she likes being able to tell the cows apart in the pasture.

"With Black Angus, they’re all just black," she laughed.

Hronek showed her cows for many years, but stopped in 2004 when she had kids. Now that her boys, 6 and 3, are getting older, she said she plans to get back into it again.

Currently, Herefords make up about 10 per cent of the Canadian beef cow population, with an estimated 300,000 to 350,000 straightbred Hereford females in production and about 120,000 purebred Hereford females in production. Additionally, about 30 per cent of Canada’s total herd carries Hereford breeding.