PA Ayrshire breeders
visit Ardrossan Farms
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BY PAT KAUFFMAN
VILLANOVA - Here at
picturesque Ardrossan
Farms, Ayrshire breeders
from across the state and
some from surrounding
states assembled for a field
day, Saturday.
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Ardrossan Farms is a pleasant combination of
the new and the old. Beautiful old stone buildings
blend with modern techniques such as heifer
calves in rows of calf hutches.
The farm was a fittmg
place for Ayrshire en
thusiasts to assemble, it’s
the top producing herd m the
U.S.
The day’s activities began
with 2 classes of cows to be
judged in the morning,
k
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followed by
meeting.
Richard Lyons,
Cockranton won the men’s
judging division. Women’s
division winner was
Margaret Mimnagh, Her
shey. And youth winner was
Johnathan Stine, Danville.
After a dinner of Kentucky
Fried Chicken, the group
heard Dr. Phillip Garret
from Flemington, New
Jersey, a specialist m the
field of infertility.
But perhaps the part
people were most interested
in was the chance to visit
with fellow breeders and
tour the facilities on the
main farm.
Ardrossan is presently
milking approximately 97
head with 285 head total.
Five people are required to
handle the milkers.
Presently, the herd main
tains a rolling average of
16,865 pounds of milk and 696
pounds of butterfat with a 4.1
test.
According to Doug Dodds,
the National Ayrshire
Association’s executive
secretary, “If a man is
looking for return on his
investment, there’s no doubt
about it, the Ayrshire breed
warrants higher prices than
are being paid today for the
best cows sold. And ninety
nine percent of the time,
when cattle go through the
auctions, there’s a true
seller and a true buyer.”
business
Visitors to the farm roamed at their leisure during the afternoon. Modem
facilities such as a large milk house to the'far right, and milking barn, center
front, adjoin centuries old stone buildings here at the home of the United States’
highest producing Ayrshire herd.
Earl E. Keefer, the
National president was on
hand for the day. Keefer, a
native of Millersburg, also
owns a herd of about 85
milkers. Keefer said the
population of Ayrshire cattle
has declined over the years
pretty much in proportion to
the decline in overall dairy
cattle numbers. He noted
that there seems to be an
interest in the breed from
young dairymen who are
harder pressed financially.
Ayrshire enthusiasts from
Wisconsin, Connecticut,
Vermont, and Maryland
mixed with the Penn
sylvania breeders in a day of
renewing old friendships and
creating new ones.
GEOTHERMAL
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... Weils, Ponds, Pools, etc.
40% TAX CREDIT
m h
Doug Dodds, Brandon, Vermont, secretary of
the National Aryshire Association and Earl E.
Keefer, national president took some time to chat
at the PA Ayrshire field day last Saturday.
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For information, Contact:
C.M. DAVID
& ASSOCIATES, INC.
400 N. Race St.
Richland. PA 17087
717-866-7588 (Call
717-272-8580 Collect)
HAROLD C. FOSTER
80x96A
Star Route
Huntingdon, PA 16652
814-643-0248
(Call Collect)
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