6S~ Lancaster Farming. Saturday. Dae 13, 1975
Family farm features
KUTZTOWN Mlrl-Carl Dairy Farm near here Is no
ordinary dairy farm five blue silos give the visitor the
first clue to that fact.
Other unusual features about this 400-cow operation are
that the milking is done by four girls, only one hired man
helps in the 1,400 acre set-up, no feed is offered In the 12-
unlt milking parlor, professional veterinary services are
not used, and owner Carl Miller claims he hasn't sold a
cow because of breeding problems in four years.
The uniqueness of the farm and Miller's agricultural
business philosophy doesn't stop there. Describing
himself as a man who “can’t stand still," Miller says- "If
I and my wife and the bank can’t keep farming, then we're
going to sell out." He is convinced the dairy business is
here to stay and shows no concern about its future. “We
all have to make the best of what we’ve got,” he remarked
at his kitchen table, adding that the future of his business
rests with the entire family.
The father of five daughters and a son. Miller relics
almost entirely on family help. His one hired man, Harold
Kchl, helps out with field work and is counted upon a lot,
especially as a mechanic, according to Miller. Sons-m
-law, his father, and his father-in-law, Arthur Spate, also
help out part-time.
The four girls doing the milking include three of Miller’s
daughters and son Jeff’s girl friend, Michele Gladney, a
sophomore in the Kutetown High School FFA program.
Questioned as to how and why they started as “milk
maids," their answers came back as varied as could be
imagined.
Carlme, the oldest of the group, simply answered “I like
it or else I wouldn’t be doing it.” She has been herdsman
for Miller since March of 1972 and has milked at other
dames besides the one belonging to her father. She came
back to the home farm, she explained, because “Daddy
needed help.” She’s in the bam for both milkings, and
By Dieter Krieg
keeps record* on the entire herd. "I like working with
cows," she uid in a convincing tone of voice.
Twenty-two year old Candy is the youngest of the
milking quartet. Most of her time in the turn is during the
early morning hours, and that's the way she likes it
because it gives her the rest of the day "off." She couldn't
have that with most other Jobs “I like it alright," she
affirmed.
"1 like milking because it gives me extra spending
money so I don’t have t' ask my husband for it," quipped
23-year old Bonnie, who was expecting a baby within three
days of this interview and was i 'etermined to keep right on
working until it was time to go to the hospital. "Once the
baby is bom,” she added, "I’m going to take three weeks
off.” Extra spending money wasn’t the only reason the
girl mentioned for liking her job, however. “I’ve always
missed cows when I was away from them, and I also miss
the calves, cats and dogs, when I’m not on the farm," she
said. Her father noted proudly that she had milked up to
the morning of her marriage, then left the farm, but came
back within a year or two.
Of the five (laughters, four have left at one time or
another, and all but one returned to do the work which
they’ve been accustomed to since they were six years old.
The one who chose a life away from the home dairy farm
is Diane, but Miller is no less proud of her than he is of the
others. He proudly takes visitors to one end of his bam,
points to a huge painting, and says "Diane painted that
when she was 11 years old.” The fifth daughter in the
family is seven-year old Tammy.
Michele claimed she liked milking a lot adding en
thusiastically that she liked farm life in general “a lot
better than city living.” She helps in the bam and parlor
on weekends and holidays, oftentimes filling in as a
substitute. Her sister, Susan, also helps on a part-time
basis.
The working day at Mirl-Carl Farms begins at 4:45 a.m.
Four girls do the milking at Carl Miller's dairy
farm, near Kutztown. Three of the four are the
Miller’s daughters, while the fourth is the girl
friend of Jeff Miller, the Millers’ son. Carline, left, is
in charge of the 300-cow operation and is in the
barn every morning and evening. Next to her is
Jeff’s girlfriend, Michele Gladney. Completing the
foursome are Candy and Bonnie.
‘cowgirls ’
Each milking takes roughly 3Vi hours. None of the girls
help out with the field work. Son Jeff’s main respon
sibilities concern the calves and youngstock.
Asked how it came about for girls to do the milking at
the dairy. Miller shot back with the all-too obvious an
swer: "I had daughters and only one son." Each of his
children was taught to help with the bam chores from the
lime they were six years old. The degree of proficiency
the girls had in their work was discovered more or less by
accident one year, however, when Miller and his wife
decided to vacation in Florida for two weeks. Miller’s
father, Stanley, supervised the work during his absence.
The girls have been milking ever since, except for their
regular time off. vacations, and travelling to meetings
pertaining to the dairy business.
Miller started farming for himself at age 30 when he
worked up an agreement with his grandfather. Pur
chasing his present farm in 1962, he has kept on expanding
9
I Continued on Paj e 721
€