Episode Details

The bull didn’t want his picture taken. A 3,000‑pound Holstein named Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation was snorting at the end of the lead in an Ohio stud barn, and the man behind the camera had exactly one job: capture the image that would convince dairy farmers to risk their best cows on an unproven young sire. Three clicks of the shutter later, a Maryland farm kid turned photographer walked away with what would become one of the most important bull photos in Holstein history—taken on film, processed in a basement darkroom, long before genomics or online proofs existed. This is the story of how that moment, and the quiet life behind it, will make you rethink who you trust and what really drives your herd’s future.

The Story You’ll Hear

· The decision at a kitchen table in 1973, when a 150‑acre family dairy had to choose: borrow money and expand…or sell every cow and bet the future on a side‑hustle with a camera.

· The neighbour in an Alaska darkroom who unknowingly lit the fuse on a 50‑year career in dairy cattle photography.

· The phone call from a young AI cooperative called Select Sires that led to a long drive to Plain City—and a first look at a bull named Elevation.

· The three‑shot session with Elevation: a tough bull, a patient perfectionist, and a photo that would ride along with more than 500,000 units of semen.

· The dispersal sale where a cow’s bull calf brought $600,000—and the split‑second frame that captured him just before he bolted.

· The quiet ways a wife who “kept the home fires burning” and four daughters shaped a career most people thought was a solo act.

· The mentor who never raised his voice at the crew, only at the cattle—and how that philosophy carried into the next generation of photographers.

· The moment a man who’d always been behind the camera stepped on stage at World Dairy Expo at 91, hearing his name called for the National Dairy Shrine Pioneer Award.

· The ride down Main Street as Grand Marshal of his hometown parade at 98, and what it means to look back on a life spent helping other people’s genetics shine.

This isn’t just a nostalgia trip about a famous bull. It’s the human story of Jack Remsberg—a kid who started hand‑milking ten pedigree cows three times a day, learned to judge cattle from his dad, learned to process film from a neighbour, and quietly became the trusted eye behind thousands of bull and cow photos across North America. Long before you could pull up genomic rankings on your phone, his pictures were the bridge between AI studs and farm kitchen tables.

If this story resonates, don’t stop here. Subscribe to The Bullvine Podcast so you never miss an episode that digs into the real decisions and real people shaping modern dairy. Visit https://www.thebullvine.com/dairy-industry-professionals/jack-remsberg-the-man-behind-elevation-three-shots-forty-thousand-cows-and-the-trust-that-built-a-legacy/to read the full written profile of Jack Remsberg and explore related articles on Elevation, sire impact, and dairy cattle photography.

We’d love to hear your story too—the cow, bull, or moment that changed everything on your farm. Share it with us on social or through the site, and join a community that believes the future of dairy is built on honest stories, tough questions, and better decisions.