RETIREMENT
After 39 years, the woman behind the U of S’s dairy herd is moving on.
“MY HUSBAND PASSED AWAY LAST OCTOBER, SO THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE CHANGES. IT’S NOT THE SAME.”
MARLENE FEHR
After 39 years, the woman behind the University of Saskatchewan’s award-winning dairy herd is taking her knowledge and wisdom and moving on.
Marlene Fehr, the dairy research and teaching unit manager who retires this month, is known for her “absolute dedication to the comfort and health of the dairy herd,” according to Andrew Van Kessel, a professor and animal sciences department head. He co-nominated Fehr for the 2014 President’s Service Award, which she received at this spring’s convocation.
Fehr started as a parttime research assistant in 1975 and soon became indispensable, according to Professor Emeritus David Christensen, who hired her and did whatever it took to acquire funding for her job over the years until it became a regular funded position in the department.
All graduate students who have worked with cows and calves since Fehr has been in charge have done so under her guidance.
Former students, such as Paul Kononoff, now an associate professor at the University of Nebraska, remember Fehr as an inspiration.
“Despite all the changes in weather, season, people and technology, Ms. Fehr is the constant at the research unit and is always available to answer student questions while lending support as they seek to realize their educational goals,” Kononoff wrote in his nomination letter.
Graduate students often remarked on her patience, understanding, and sense of duty to ensure experiments are conducted properly, he wrote.
Fehr’s herd management skills are recognized at the national level. The Canadian Dairy Herd Improvement Program rated the university’s Greenbrae herd at the top in 2007 and 2013. The ranking is based in part on high milk production — a challenging feat when the cows are undergoing feeding and metabolism experiments.
Fehr’s farm life in the city included living for 30 years on campus in one of six houses reserved for employees working with livestock at the campus farm.
She moved into the house in 1984, after marrying Bill Fehr, who was an animal technician. Their two children, Amanda and Jason, grew up there; not surprisingly, both attended university there.
“My husband passed away last October, so that’s one of the reasons for the changes. It’s not the same,” Fehr said.
Among her memories is the team effort that met the Oct. 26, 1983 barn fire.
A blaze that started while plumbers were soldering in the former main dairy barn swept through the roof, destroying half the building before firefighters and a firewall halted its progress.
No people were hurt, but despite success removing dozens of cows from the burning barn, one confused cow went back inside and was lost to smoke inhalation.
The animal sciences department has an emergency evacuation plan in place, but the decision was made to keep the cows on campus to prevent disrupting teaching and research.
The fire didn’t even delay the animal science students’ scheduled training in basic milking principles the next day, Fehr recalled.
It was all hands on deck for the campus farm workers. Some farmers brought portable milking machines and for the next six months Fehr, then a research assistant, took up work helping to milk the cows that were kept outside during the unusually mild fall.
“The first week or two was a bit of a panic, but things settled out and the staff all pulled together wonderfully and we made it.”