—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 17, 1972 22 Jerry and William Arrowsmith “I never saw a cow till I was 12 years old,” says Mrs. William (Geraldine) Arrowsmith of Hillacres Farm on Arcadia Trace, Peach Bottom RDI. She was born and raised in The Bronx, N Y., and her husband was born in New York City. They have been farming 24 years. They now own and operate a 150-acre farm with a fine Jersey herd of SO animals, 50 of them milking cows. Arrowsmiths are avid milk users, as “Jerry” will testify, “We serve milk every meal. We all drink milk We also use lots of butter, cheese, sour cream and ice cream The ice cream truck comes in every two weeks and we buy ten dollars worth at a time. I’m sure we’re some of his best customers ” We think they have something here. Surely it behooves every dairy farmer’s family to use all the milk and dairy products they can. Mrs Arrowsmith says “We have worked with Holsteins and Guernseys, as well as Jerseys, but we prefer Jerseys.” They came to this farm in Fulton Township in 1959, which was owned by Mrs Margaret Gatchell and three daughters. They farmed for them five years, then bought the farm. There have been registered Jerseys on this farm since 1885 when Charles S Gatchell farmed there. He sold a lot of bulls He bought the farm in 1859. His son, Harlan started farming there in 1912. Mrs. Arrowsmith says “You can be self sufficient on a small farm with Jerseys because they eat less ” They have shipped their milk to Turkey Hill Dairy since 1966. Turkey Hill features an all-Jersey low-fat milk. Jerseys have the largest part of solids-not-fat in their milk. Arrowsmiths’ animals are all from registered stock but they have not registered quite all of them. Harlan Gatchell was one of the first local dairymen to have silos. Something of interest was that he built two wooden silos inside his barn Part of these silos can still be seen inside their bam. He also built one later outside the bam. Another unusual feature of this farm is a woods adjoining the pasture with an open gate for the cows to go to during the heat of the day. Cows, as well as people, seem to enjoy a shady spot to relax in. Arrowsmiths have made several improvements on the farm. They built a 20 by 60 foot silo and a 1-%-acre pond which is as deep as 12 feet in one end and holds 1,500,000 gallons of water. It is fed by Puddle Duck Creek and several springs. It has some fish “Hillacres Milkboy Penney”, Arrowsmith’s prize Jersey cow. City Folks Become Dairy Farmers in it and occasionally they swim in it. It is a real fire protection to their buildings. They have a long macadam lane to their farm. They recently added a new living room to their house. Arrowsmiths have no help outside their family They work with neighbors m harvesting, trading wagons, cutting hay and silo filling. They raise corn, alfalfa, Sudex for green chop, mixed hay and barley. They have six children. Stephen took the academic course and graduated from Solanco High School in 1969. He played guitar in school. Steve was in the 4-H Dairy Club 8 years and served as president one year. He had two Jersey cows he showed and received many awards. He has over a dozen trophies. He showed “Hillacres Milkboy Penney” and her daughter “Eggnog”, both bred and raised on Arrowsmiths’ farm. He received Junior Breeder award several years in the 4-H District Show. He placed fifth in 1965 and sixth in 1966 for production through the National Jersey Cattle Club in Columbus, Ohio and won a Jersey cow trophy. These awards are based upon DHIA records. Penney was Junior Champion in the state in 1962 and Eggnog was Reserve Senior Champion in 1968. Steve took Master Showman Mrs. William Arrowsmith does the farm accounting. and Fitting with Penney at District shows several years and with Eggnog at local, district and state shows Penney was top Jersey in the County 4-H Shows five years or more. Steve is now a route man for Pepsi Cola and lives in Lancaster. Penney and Eggnog are still m the family herd. Penney, as a five-year-old, produced 16,035 pounds of milk and 814 pounds of butterfat in a 301 day lactation. Now, as a 12-year-old with two months to go till freshening, is producing 40 pounds a day. Eggnog is milking 60 pounds a day at present. Arrowsmitbs have done some line breeding from Penney. Most of her off spring were bulls and were raised for breeding purposes for their herd and some were sold to local dairymen. Brian took the academic course and graduated from Solanco High School in 1970. He, likewise, was in the 4-H Dairy Club about six years. He had three animals and received some blue ribbons. He went to Catawba College, N.C. one year, worked at Host Corral Resort and Country Club from last summer till this April and has been working at home since. He is going to take a two year course in food management at the State University of New York at Cobleskill, N.Y., starting this fall. Matthew is seven years old and in third grade at Fulton Township Elementary School. He helps feed hay, sweeps and limes the stable, puts milking machines together and bring it in to use. He is a very capable boy. The three younger children are Sarah, four years; Tommy, three years; and Helen, two years. There is quite an age gap in the children but Jerry says “I’m really enjoying the children.” Jerry helps milk morning and evening and helps with the barn work and washing up. She spends about four hours a day doing chores at the bam. She used to help crush hay and drive the tractor to hay wagons before she had small children. She does all the farm accounting, keeps records for federal and state income tax and pays the bills. Jerry had one year in business college in New York City after graduating from high school. She worked for Birds Eye division of General Foods in New york, then in a paper mill office in Hollyoke, Mass. Later she worked as a secretary in the New Bolton Center lab. in Kennett Square. Bill took Ag in high school and wanted to become a veterinarian. He spent the summers on a dairy farm in the Catskills. He had no farm background except his grandmother’s people raised sheep and pigs in Ireland. After serving two years in the Navy he went to the State University of New York, Agricultural and Technical College at Cobleskill, N.Y. for two years. He worked on large dairy farms in Pawling, N.Y.; Hollyoke,Mass. (Jerseys); High Lawn Farm in Lenox, Mass.; Saddle Back Farm in Dorset, Vt.; Bill Balderston’s farm at Exton, Pa. (125 Holstein cows); and at Hill Girt farm at Chadds Ford (Guernseys) before coming to his farm in Lancaster County Jerry says “Of all the places we’ve lived, the people of Lancaster County are the Jerry Arrowsmith making pies for the family. friendliest and the most helpful. Bill was a Sea Scout as a boy and Jerry was a girl Scout for five or six years. She was a second class Scout, a Patrol leader and treasurer. They have continued in their interest of community organizations. They were members of Patterson Grange in Patterson, N. Y. and of Putnam County Pomona Grange before coming here. They have been members of Fulton Grange for almost 12 years where Mrs. Arrowsmith served one year as Flora and William was one of the institutional representatives when Boy Scout Troop 330 was organized. Recently he has been serving on a committee opposing the building of an atomic plant in the area. Mr. Arrowsmith is a member of the Pennsylvania Farmers Association and of the Solanco Young Farmers and served as treasurer at one time. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Jersey Club. DO YOU REMEMBER BLACK-OUTS & BROWN-OUTS TURN ON WITH ELECTROMEC STANDBY GENERATORS |P ELECTROMEC Wm\ 34 north reading road ICj EPHRATA, PA. 17522 717-733-7911 They were active in Fulton Township P.T.A. when the older boys were in school and Jerry served as program chairman. Mrs. Arrowsmith has been a member of Farm Women Society 21 for nine years and served as treasurer two years. This Society has 30 members and have evening meetings once a month. Mrs, Richard Woods is president. She is a member of Little Britain Homemakers Club. They meet monthly and learn to do all kinds of crafts. Jerry says she enjoys this group and the Farm Women group of women because you get to meet with different women. Jerry was a leader of the 4-H Sewing Club in Fulton Township 1962-1963. She makes dresses for herself and daughters and made coats for the boys. She also makes curtains and draperies. Professionals taught her to make draperies. Arrowsmiths are members of Saint Catherine’s Catholic Church in Quarryville where Jerry belongs to the Parish Council of Catholic Women. She served as program chairman in the past. She helps when they have things like bazaars, card parties and bake sales. Jerry’s hobby, besides sewing, is swimming. She says “I have a desire to swim across the Susquehanna River. Also I have a burning desire to play a banjo.” She hopes to take lessons when the children are in school. She sang in her high school chorus and in her church choir. Bill’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Arrowsmith, live at West Palm Beach, Fla. but spend the summers in Arrowsmith’s tenant house. Jerry is of Polish and German descent. Her father, Joseph Bader, lives in New York City. Jerry says she enjoys to cook very much. She used to bake white and whole wheat bread. She does a lot of baking. She freezes (Continued On Page 23)
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