Witmer receives honor
(Continued from fife I)
student nominees from
across the country.
The Dairy Shrine Club
created the student award in
1969 to encourage young men
and women enrolled in dairy
science courses to continue
working with dairy cattle
when they complete their
formal education. Selections
are made on the basis of
leadership, scholastic
record, past experiences and
plans for the future.
Witmer had been an active
leader in both high school
and college and continues to
be influential in farm
organizations, especially the
Pennsylvania Guernsey
Breeders Association. In
1973 he won the National
Outstanding Guernsey Youth
Award.
While at Penn State, the
youth served as an officer of
the dairy science club,
assistant editor of the
Dairyman, the club’s
yearbook and chairman of
the college’s dairy ex
position.
A member of Alpha Zeta,
the biology and agriculture
honorary fraternity, Witmer
also participated on the
University’s dairy cattle
judging team and received
the 1974 William R. Davey
Award as the outstanding
senior in dairy science. In
addition, he has served as
president of the State Junior
Guernsey Breeders
Association, and as an of
ficial judge at dairy shows.
The young dairyman’s
farm experiences date back
to as far as he can
remember, and he adds he
has been actively involved
Look neigh
THA
Replacement
Chain for
Most Barn
Cleaners
in Stock
FREE ESTIMATES
See or Coil us Today!
since he was old enough to
work. The family owns 135
head of registered Guern
seys, of which 13 belong to
Peter. Aside from his ex
periences with the home
farm, Witmer has also had
opportunities to work with
others, including different
breeds. This has given him a
wide range of experience in
showing, fitting, and more
recently management. He
believes it has given him a
more complete and objective
viewpoint of the dairy in
dustry as a whole.
While the past is an im
portant consideration in
evaluating the applications
for the award, the students’
future plans are not
overlooked.
As one of four children
born to the Witmers, Peter
said he had to be very
careful in evaluating the
position he was in. He said he
wanted to be absolutely sure
about taking over the farm
because he wanted to, as
opposed to simply taking it to
continue family ownership.
A younger brother and two
sisters have not indicated
strong interest in the farm so
far.
His four years at college is
what really caused him to
realize how much he ap
preciated the farm. Grinning
broadly as he explained that
statement, he said he was in
for a lot of razzing by his
fraternity brothers who were
dedicated Holstein en
thusiasts. In defending
himself and his Guernseys,
he strengthened his con
victions and found his goals,
he remarked. “I was glad to
get back with the cows, you
Jamesway® Volumatic® II silage
distributor-unloader gives you fast
feeding and less climbing.
Stop In Today for Free Catalog.
• ATTRACTIVE APPEARANCE
New 170-degree bend free-access stalls are a
joy to behold.
• GREATER COW COMPORT
New design provides plenty of head room,
makes it easier for cows to move in and out.
YOU CAN COUNT ON US
don’t know how much you
really like and mlaa
something, until you leave
it,” Wltmcr said.
“I didn’t go to college with
the intention of learning how
to farm,” the award winner
stated. "Sure, it was a
worthwhile education, not
just academically; but my
main reason for going was
because I wasn’t sure about
what I wanted to do and I
wanted to expose myself to
other careers. A person has
to be sure of himself,” he
emphasized.
Witmer is convinced that
there is a good future in
dairy fanning for those who
are determined to stay with
it, but he adds quickly “it
won’t be easy.” As far as
young people starting out is
concerned, he says it would
be very difficult without a
‘direct link’, but not
necessarily impossible.
Those herds which have
production and can maintain
it will make it,” he predic
ted.
The 65-cow Witmer herd,
housed in comfort stalls and
milked with pipeline
milkers, has a rolling herd
average of 12,739 M with a 4.9
test and 627 pounds of but
terfat. The young dairyman
expects the size of the herd to
grow, especially if it is to
support two families and if a
jugging operation is added.
While not opposed to ex
pansion, he expressed
considerable concern about
the changes in management
which would result with
increased herd size.
“I believe the best way to
feed cows is individually,”
Witmer remarked. “As we
HENRY S. LAPP
Box 175 R.D.I (Cains) Gap, PA 17527
Peter Witmer, Student Recognition Contest winner.
get larger this will become
less practical and problems
will increase, but we will
meet them as they come up
and I think we’ll find a
suitable solution as we have
done in the past.” Definite
plans for expansion or a
jugging operation have not
been made yet, but they are
being considered.
The Witmer’s 130 acre
farm is situated among
moderately rolling, hills
south of Lancaster. Nfeatly
painted* buildings, white
board fences, a spacious
Why ABE Dairymen
Installing So Many New Jamesway®
"CAREFREE” STALLS?
Featuring
• NOTHING ANCHORED in CONCRETE
Hot-dip galvanized wall brackets mean quick
installation, plus faster, unobstructed cleaning.
• HOT-DIP GALVANIZED FINISH
both inside (where corrosion starts) and out
side—for years of extra use.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 23.1975
lawn dotted with trees and
shrubs, and beautiful flower
beds accent the premise’s
appearance. Located on a
major north-south highway,
Witmer believes they will
have good access to
customers for their retail
milk store, if and when it
becomes reality. He would
like to have quality control
over his products all the way
to the consumer, pointing out
that many people really
don’t know what a good glass
of milk tastes like.
Recalling an experience in
But don’t take our word for it —
Ask a neighbor who owns James wav. J
Phone (717) 442-8134
New York City, the young
dairyman said he has tasted
so-called “milk” which
tasted like chalk-water. Such
incidents have convinced
him that dairymen must
have more control over
quality control of their
product and he also believes
strongly in promoting dairy
products.
Guernseys are of special
interest to Witmer, and he
expressed some concern
over the future of the breed,
although he maintained
(Continued on Pate 24)
15