Red Rose
* V
(Continued from Page 1)
students who have
distinguished themselves
with leadership, service,
record-keeping, farming,
and in-school achievements.
The trophies presented to
Why and How RED BARN Rubber Mats can reduce costs, cut injuries
LABOUR COSTS
CUT DRAMATICALLY
RED BARN rubber flooring cuts free stall cleaning
time to a minimum. One dairyman with 165 stalls
averages only 15 minutes per day to keep ALL
stalls clean (testimonial on request). Because
RED BARN mats are tough, depressions cannot
develop that require filling, as is often the case
with other types of flooring. Broken dividers
causing animal injury are also avoided.
Wise and Hess on Monday
are symbolic of noteworthy
achievements and ad
mirable character.
Biographical sketches of
each winner and runner-up
follow:
Brian Hess
The top agribusiness
student in his class this year,
Brian was the natural
selection for the County
RED BARN floors are 100% vulcanized rubber.
They were first manufactured and installed in
1968, and have proven their worth to dairymen
ever since. Whether these mats are used in free
stalls or stanchion bams, their non-slip qualiti
provide both comfort and safety for your hei
Dairymen everywhere report bedding cc
reductions of 80% and more, and a drama
decrease in clean-up time. Slips and falls tl
result in swollen hocks and stepped-on teats
all but eliminated.
contest. Interested
primarily in swme breeding,
the young man has farm
production experiences
which include swine, dairy
cattle, heifers, calves, corn
and tobacco. Carefully kept
records for each of his en
terprises and working ex
periences helped him to win
the coveted title of Star
Agribusinessman.
Young Hess has been
employed at Robert Book’s
Racoma Farms, Bareville,
for nearly six years, and has
gained knowledge there for
both dairy and field work.
Responsibilities have in
cluded calf feeding, milking,
and various kinds of field
work. During the school year
he works at Racoma for a
few hours a day; during the
Summer it’s “pretty much
full-time” he told Lancaster
Farming in a recent in
terview.
Among Hess’ projects are
six sows, 31 market hogs for
1977, six acres of corn, and
2V2 acres of tobacco. His
record book shows he was
tops m his class for both
dollars and hours. It’s a fact
which brings a modest grin
to the Garden Spot junior.
Hess speaks highly of his
school’s vo-ag program,
stating that it has helped him
gam a better understanding
of agriculture, specifically
swine production. His father
is a former dairyman who is
presently employed by Book
in Racoma Farms’ jugging
operations.
“FFA really helps to
expand your view of ag
careers,” Hess continued,
adding that he’s considering
work at Atlantic Breeders
Cooperative, Lancaster, as
an alternative to his swine
breeding plans. He became
intrigued with that
possibility after having
1. RED BARN is the thickest mat there is,
measuring over 3 /«”,
2. Surface has a grained, pebbled texture
for easy cleaning and non-slip qualities.
3. Surface is resilient for comfort, yet
springs back to original form.
4. TOUGH. Each mat contains over 100
pounds of vulcanized rubber. NO WIRE,
METAL OR CLOTH BONDING
MATERIALS ARE USED.
5. RED BARN is non-absorbent.
RED BARN soft, tough mats save costs and protect animals
visited Atlantic’s facilities
on a class trip during his
sophomore year.
The variety of work and
challenges offered in
agriculture are what Hess
finds the most satisfying. He
also likes to get out and meet
people, and he relishes the
outdoors. His specific
agricultural interests center
on genetic studies and their
practical applications with
either swine or dairy cattle.
Ask Hess what the number
one problem is on the farm,
and he’ll take a little time to
think about it. After the
pause, he admits that he
likes it all, and he’s looking
toward a bright future. But
that doesn’t mean that
everything is just as rosy as
can be.
When asked what he would
have to say to all of
America’s consumer’s if
that opportunity arose,
Brian acknowledged that he
would attempt to explain
farm prices to them.
Brian Wise
Tall for his age, and
possessing a business sense
of responsibility which many
others don’t find until later
in life, Brian Wise is totally
in tune with the family’s beef
cattle operation. He’s in a
25-75 partnership with his
father on that score and is
sole owner of a herd of
swine. Last year he chan
neled 257 hogs through his
business and helped his
father market 106 head of
feeder cattle. In addition, he
helps with the cropping of
150 acres of tillable land.
Crops include hay, com, and
oats.
Admitting that the work
he’s doing demands up to
five hours of his tune during
the Winter, and “all day”
during the Summer, the
young man finds that to be
ETHE
QUALITIES
VANCO SALES CO.
RD4, Box 300, Carlisle, PA 17013
Phone - 717-776-3494
Ask for Van Hocker
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 4,1978
the only drawback in far
ming. The ingredients which
make it most enjoyable are
the animals, the shows he
participates in, the
challenges, and the
satisfaction of being one’s
own boss.
After graduation from
Garden Spot High School in
1979, Wise would like to
with pigs
and steers. A change he’d
like make at that time would
be to include farrowing
facilities in his set-up.
Profits can be had with
pigs and steers if
management is sharp, Wise
maintains. “If you keep your
costs down you can make out
alright... watch your buying
price and overhead,” he
says. The profit motive is
one reason he’d like to raise
his own pigs. Another reason
is that he likes working with
the little fellows.
Formulating his own feed
is one way Wise has found to
cut down on costs. Another is
to watch the market; know
when to sell and when not to
sell.
The Garden Spot vo-ag and
FFA programs taught Wise
“just about everything” he
knows about agriculture, he
readily admits. Record
keeping has been an
especially appreciated area
of knowledge.
If Wise were given the
opportunity to speak to the
nation’s consumers, he says
he’d ask them “to respect
the farmer and realize what
he does for the country.”
Expressmg concern over
land management, disap
pearing land, and the oc
currence of new diseases,
the young man believes that
education can be one of the
best ways to combat
COMFORTABLE
Ideally suited for use in stanchion barns, RED
BARN flooring provides a protective insulation
from the cold cement floor and gives comfort
and security to standing or resting animals. This
vulcanized rubber flooring also eliminates the
danger of slipping and injury that often occurs
on concrete. With RED BARN flooring, your
stanchion stalls will stay clean and dry with little
effort. A small amount of bedding can be used in
the gutter to facilitate the handling of manure.
Many dairymen use inexpensive electric cow
trainers in conjunction with RED BARN flooring
to eliminate stall bedding entirely.
problems. “Learn about new
stuff,” he says simply.
Wise has been fanning for
three years and looks for
ward to a lifetime career.
Robert Fox
Ephrata’s runner-up for
the Star Farmer award
makes his home on a dairy
farm. He’s the owner of
three dairy cows and a
number of veal calves. Last
year he marketed 16 vealers.
“Trying to get that perfect
cow” will be one of Fox’s
main ambitions after
graduation from Ephrata
High School. He’d like to go
into partnership with his
father, who owns 120 acres
near Lititz.
Fox’s high school
education centers on the vo
ag curriculum, and he says
“I don’t know what I’d do
without it.” He’s tramed in
artificial insemination and
enjoys working with records.
Arlen Keener
Registered Holstems are
the center of Keener’s
agricultural ambitions. He’d
like to work as a herdsman
while retaining the privilege
of raising a few of his own
animals on his employer’s
farm. An accomplished
showman, he has won a
number of ribbons and
trophies with his animals.
Bom and raised on a farm,
young Keener was tran
splanted when his father sold
the property. But he didn’t
let that stop him from
pursuing a possible career in
agriculture. He has found
employment on several
farms m the Elizabethtown
area and the experiences
have contributed to his
almost having won the top
award in his category.
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