TORONTO — A Jersey cow bred in Nova Scotia has been named Supreme Champion dairy cow for the third straight year, the first time in Royal history the same cow has won three consecutive years.
Musqie Iatola Martha was bred by Musqie Valley Farms in Nova Scotia and is now owned by MilkSource Genetics of Kaukauna, Wisconsin and Finca Valparaiso in Guatemala. Martha has also been tapped as the grand champion in the Jersey competition at the World Dairy Expo for three straight years, and was named reserve supreme champion at this year’s show and supreme champion in 2016.
“I’ll spend the rest of my lifetime and I’ll never find a cow like this again,” said Jim Ostrom, a partner with MilkSource Genetics. The operation — which has dairy farms in Wisconsin, Michigan and Missouri — has at least 30,000 cows and employs 475 people.
Ostrom said Martha has had five calves and could be back to the Royal next year to try for a fourth win if she calves for a sixth time.