By JoanMclntire
COCHEANVILLE Chester
County dairyman-Melvin Stotlzfus
was recently honored by his fellow
dairy peers at the County’s Dairy
Herd Improvement Association
banquet. Stoltzfus’ herd of
Holsteins turned.in both the top
milk and fat production
records for the year, pumping out
21,527 pounds of milk with 840
pounds of fat. '
According to Stoltzfus, one of his
management tools that helps him
to achieve this top.production is a
record-keeping system called a
Cow Calculator. This chart helps
him to keep individual in
formation, on each of his 35 head ot
milk cows, available at a glance.
-•tWC.
. One of Melvin Stoltzfus’ most valuable cows •
is Dunwood Golden who represents
six generations of Dunwood breeding. This 5-
year-old EX cow lets down 100 pounds of milk
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Records keep Melwood cows at peak
“The credit belongs to the
breeders of the cows,” explained
Stoltzfus. “We’ve been privileged
to work with good cows that were
bred by a few people in whom I
have faith as-breeders. Also, the
Lord blessed us with a good crop
year.”
One of the. breeders Stoltzfus
puts his trust in is his father Jacob
Stoltzfus. Twelve of his present
milking string were purchased
from his father. These cattle are
joined by six top milkers bred by
Earl and Betty Weir. The Weirs
sold Stoltzfus his 75-acre, farm,
called Melwood, along with the
cattle five years ago. These 18
milkers make up. Stoltzfus’ ‘first
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per day, something she's been doing since her
lactatin began bn February 14. She is
projected at 33,000 pounds milk with 1,200
pounds fat.
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string’ the highest producers in
his herd.
Even the best bred cattle won’t
produce well if they’re not fed
correctly, points out Stoltzfus.
Helping out in the nutrition
department is a fellow Stoltzfus
with the first name of Gideon the
feed consultant for Brown and Rea
Feed Mill, Atglen.
“He. takes these resources and
gives me knowledge,” remarks the
■“dairyman,
Stoltzfus’ feeding program in
corporates baled hay, com silage,
ground com and oats, -and a top
dressing of vitamins and minerals.
Much of the feed is homegrown,
with alfalfa; com and wheat being
raised at Melwood Farm. Only in
101 S. Lime Street, Quarryville, PA
Phone: 717-786-2895
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 28,1981—A31
poorer crop years has feed been
purchased, noted Stoltzfus.
Backing up his ‘first string’,
Stoltzfus has 50 head of
replacement heifers waiting on the
sidelines. Some of these , potential
milkers were homebred at
Melwood. Stoltzfus explained that
he strives for and achieves a 13-
month calving interval With cows
milking for 11 months and being
dried off for 2 months. The Chester
NFO
begins Monday
CORNING, lowa —Thousands of
' farmers, faced by their worst
economic crisis since the 19305, are
flocking to Indianapolis, Ind., this
weekend for the annual convention
of the National Farmers
Organization,'scheduled for Nov.
30 through Dec. 3 at the In
dianapolis Convention Center.
U.S. Secretary of Agriuclture
John Block and’a number of other
public officials and national
leaders will address the con
vention.
The NFO is the only major farm
organization that does not have a
product to sell. It’s single aim is
blocking farm products in
significant volume and then
bargaining for a price from
buyers.
“Collective Bargaining more
than marketing” is the slogan of
the 1981 convention. The an
nounced goal of NFO is using
Collective Bargaining to achieve
the cost of production plus a
reasonable profit.
'"This will be the first National
Farmers Organization national
convention to be held in In
dianapolis, and if experience is any
indication attendance will be
swelled by NFO members living in
Indiana and surrounding states.
dairyman milks twice a day in the
barn which is outfitted with
comfort stalls and a pipeline.
“My cows are at the peak of age
now. They are in the prime of their
life and are averaging about 76
pounds of milk a day with 3.7
percent tesv,” stated Stoltzfus.
Sharing the dairying life with
Stoltzfus are his wife, Mary Ellen,
and children Merlin, 3, and
Melanie, 1.
convention
The organization is nationwide in
membership.
Attendance is expected to be
particularly heavy on Dec. 2, when
meetings will be held for various
commodity groups such as dairy,
grain, livestock and specialties.
At these commodity meetings,
bargaining programs of the past
will be reviewed and plans made to
deal with the coming year.
Secretary Block will speak at the
Wednesday night session.
National Farmers Organization
President DeVon Woodland of
Blackfoot, Idaho, will open the
convention with a news conference
at 2 p.m., Nov. 30 and will speak at
a general session at 8 p.m., Dec. 1.
Plans also call for a news con
ference with Secretary Block and
the time and place will be an
nounced when his travel
arrangements are completed.
READ
LANCASTER
FARMING
FOR COMPLETE
AND
UP-TO-DATE
MARKET
REPORTS
KERO-SUN
CENTER
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Follow Signs from
Light at Hinkletown
on Rt. 322
717-733-4973
R. 0.3 Napierville
Rd., Ephrata, Pa.
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Thurs., Fri. 9-9
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