Dr. Roy Berg, the man who brought hybrid vigour to Alberta’s cow herds, passed away last week at the age of 85. Ranchers and others in the agriculture industry should take a moment to remember Berg not only for his intelligence and hard work, but also for the guts he had to stand by his idea.
Hybrid vigour is a widely-accepted concept in the beef industry today. But in the 1950s, purebred herds were the norm for everyone, including commercial cattle operators. Dr. Roy Berg went against the prevailing industry wisdom to change that norm and make cattle herds more productive.