Dr. John Coulter Berry was involved with the Canadian dairy industry all his life. He was born in Langley, British Columbia, and worked on his father’s farm, Belmont Holsteins, with his brothers, Harry and Tom, for several years.

Jack Berry received his B.S.A. and M.S.A. from the University of British Columbia and graduated with a doctorate from Iowa State College in 1939.

Dr. Berry’s work in the development of the Breed Class Average (BCA) system has had a significant impact on the dairy cattle industry. As a member of both national and provincial ROP and AI advisory boards, he was able to promote the acceptance of the Breed Class Average system in Canada in the early-1950s. The Breed Class Average refers to the average milk or butterfat production for a particular age group in a breed of dairy cow. A cow’s production is measured against this average and her value for breeding assessed.

Dr. Berry also was actively involved in developing the expertise of dairymen around the world. He visited India for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1964 as an advisor on livestock production. In 1965 he went to east Pakistan under the auspices of the Canadian Colombo Plan. He was involved with CIDA, the Canadian International Development Agency, in Barbados and spent two years as professor of Animal Science at the University of Zambia.

John Berry demonstrated his commitment to the Canadian dairy industry by serving on the executive of the BC Holstein Association, the Canadian Ayrshire Association and the BC Jersey Breeders’ Association for many years during his career.