DB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 19,1981
Hard-working
BY DONNA TOMMELLEO
PARKESBURG - When Donald
Hostetter and Dorcas Smoker
married 22 years ago and started
with just $2OO between them, they
decided two of their most im
portant goals were to raise a
family and breed a top herd of
registered Holsteins.
The Chester County couple
started from scratch in all respects
and today their Maplebound
Holsteins are some of the finest
animals in the state. This year
alone the Hostetters were named
Premier Breeder and Exibitor at
the Eastern Championship Show in
Kutztown and showed the Grand
Champion female. They later
doubled their banner count at the
State Championship Show in
Bloomsburg with Premier Breeder
andExbitor awards.
They’ve got five children,
ranging in age from 20 to 8, and one
can’t help but see and feel the pride
and respect they have for Jay,
Bev, Sue, Kim and Missy.
Obtaining their goals didn’t
come easy for Don and Dorcas.
Like most worthwhile quests there
have been a lot of hardships and
trials.
During the first year they far
med as man and wife, Dorcas
broke her leg after being kicked by
a cow. That same year, one of the
dryest of their career, Don injured
After a long school day, Sue, who also feeds the calves,
finds time to adjust a milker.
jome of the most worn pieces of equipment looking platoon of Hostetter shoes lies idle i ite waitin 8 -
aren’t found in the machine shed. This weary- before chores. keeping a clean alley.
his eye in a softball accident and
later sustained a back injury.
Meanwhile, they had to care for
two small children.
At that time, while many
universities and colleges turned
out several dairy production
graduates armed with the latest
trends and, research in the field,
Don also furthered his education
at home.
Due to the death of his mother,
Don, 15 and then the oldest of 9
children, quit school. But with the
help of his father Jay, he continued
to leam about dairying.
“I have to give my dad alot of
credit,“ he says with a son’s love.
“He was a good manager.”
Don read and studied from many
agricultural magazines and
publications and admits the
education process is on-going.
“If you quit trying to leam,
you’ll fall,” he affirms.
Slowly but surely the herd grew
from all grades to a total
registered herd. As the herd grew
so did their reputation. Today,
Maplebound Holsteins are
marketed around the country as
well as in several nations. Herd
average is steady around 19,000
and every year the Hostetters lose
a little more wall space to banners,
plaques and ribbons.
And the family works hard to
stay on top. Don describes his
family’s teamwork as pieces of a
Hostetters reap
rewards with to
The entire ✓, and Pixie and Missy, 8, with kitten. Standing
pets, stop long enough from their busy from left to right is Jay, 20, Bev, 19, Donald,
schedule for a family Soto. The ’oup in- Sue, 15, and Dorcas.
- <
•v'-
„ * /<<
The youngest Hostetter, Missy, adds her
piece to the puzzle by gatherir
puzzle that come together when
there’s work to be done. Add like a
well-oiled machine the Hostetler
brood gets the job done.
Jay, 20, is a full-time employee
and does all the breeding and
milking. Bev, 19, for the most part
is full-time but does have a part
time job off the farm. Sue, 15, is in
charge of raising calves and her
proud parents add that the calf
mortality on the farm is quite low.
like the rest of her sisters, Kim, 12,
helps out by keeping the lawn,
flowers and shrubbery
meticulously manicured as well as
being in charge of washing udders
before milking. And last but by no
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