A2B—Lancaster Farming, Friday, December 24,1982
Gem-Rock is Holstein operation in transition
BY DICK ANULESTEIN
ANNVILLE - The Gem-Kock
Holstein operation, now under the
direction of the third generation
Kenneth Sellers family, could be
described as a herd in transition.
The operation, founded by Elmer
H. Dutweiler in the early-40’s and
recently honored by the Lebanon
County Holstein Breeders, led the
county in 1980 and 1981 in butterfat
production with averages ot 762
and 741 lbs.
Milk production uvereaged
19,400 and 18,900 lbs.
But this year, production has
slipped to 16,600 milk and 632 tat.
The reason tor the slip is a good
one. The operation is undergoing a
completely internal expansion in
cow numbers that has very nearly
doubled herd size.
. And brand new facilities- barn,
milk house, teed room, silos and
manure storage - to accomodate
the larger herd will be on display
at an open house on Wednesday at
the tann located along Kl. 034
about haltway between HI. 322 and
Annville.
‘We had 43 stalls in the old
barn,” Ken Sellers explains.
“Now, we have t>o tie stalls and
three box pens in this new barn.
Only tour stalls are empty and
we’ve been busy building up the
herd completely from within.
"In lull rotation, we'll have
about 00 to 70 cows, with tile dry
cows kept in the old barn with the
heiters.
“We hope to gel back into
merchandising again, 100. We've
had to cut back on that ttie past
year or so due to the expansion.
"But in another year or two we
should be getting back to where we
were before all the expansion
began."
The old barn, which sets closer to
the road, was beginning to show its
age. There was pipeline trouble
and the gutter cleaner was shot.
So, we had to decide whelhei to
overhaul or build new,” Sellers
said.
- We decided to gel bumelhing we
wanted and 1 liaven'l been burry.
Sure, it’b going to be light tor
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New Gem-Rock dairy barn contains small trough used as
boot bath. Although he’s not wearing boots. Ken Sellers
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Five-year-old Kevin Sellers gives mom and dad, Karen and Christmas was just around the corner had nothi
Kenneth, an extra big hug in new dairy barn. The fact that with his impromptu show of affection.
awhile with the cutback m milk
support, bul it's been a pleasure
working in the new barn anti
teeding troin a completely en
closed area.'
In addition to the JB by l/O-100l
barn, there’s a milk house and
ottice wing. The teed room extends
some b’O teel oft the barn past the
two brand new Madison silos - a 20
by 6t> Nulriinalic and a 20 by 40
Grainamatic.
Tlie concreted and tooled
manure bluiage bliuclurc ib
capable ut holding about a mx
moiilli supply. A I'atz tain ib
located right in a cornel ot the
barn.
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I'hel ellbe no tree*'mg pi üblein
and working on n ib mueli eabiei,
Sellers bald.
’There b borne odor when il b
working bul the laiib quickly
remove it. And there b been no
bplabhrng problem.
Another unique deviee ib located
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Spreader stands idle and will not be used as much on Kenneth Sellers farm
manure storage facility goes into operation.
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When people come m. the> abk
what 11 iib little trough lb, helleib
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it b a bool
veterinarian recommended U
The Annville-Cleona !• FA
graduate look ovei the opeialion in
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I'J/U liuiu liib tall
year lalei, Ken
American Decree,
member ol Hie Vuui
Bui Hie operallun
Hie Kive-K. filer,
Karen, Uie UauphU
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