Congratulations to Albert and John Ready of Covehead, P.E.I, who are this year’s recipients of the Maritime Angus Commercial Breeders award. The award recognizes a farm committed to sustainability and that incorporates Angus- influenced cattle in their herd. While John and Albert’s families each have their own landbase and cattle, for the last 35 years they’ve farmed together, sharing equipment and working together.
Their cows are outside for most of the year, taking cover in a pole barn or in the woodlot in severe weather. The cows bale graze for the majority of the late fall and into the winter. The Readys supplement feed with haylage and corn silage. They also finish their calves on corn silage, grain, haylage and, when available, cull potatoes. They grow almost all their own feedstuff. Their finished animals are produced under the protocols of the Certified Island Beef program and are processed at Atlantic Beef Products in Albany.
Albert and John have participated in training offered by the P.E.I. Cattle Producers including Enhanced Environmental Farm Plans, Certified Humane Handling and the Verified Beef Plus Program.
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Family is very important to both farmers. Albert’s wife Margaret is responsible for farm management records and provides an extra hand when required. Their son Alec recently graduated top of his class at the Dalhousie Agriculture Campus. He is interested in applying his scientific training in agriculture to the farm. Their daughter Clara works off the farm but is eager to assist when needed. John works as an electrical contractor. He and his wife Monica live nearby with their sons Tim and Owen, and daughter Amy. Owen has a keen interest in the cattle and sheep sectors and is responsible for much of the daily operations on the farm.
The Ready farm has evolved and thrived over the past 200 years. With the next generation sharing the love of cattle and land they are ready to enter their third century of farming on PEI.
