A26—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 5,1983
Meet the new House Ag Committee chairman
Chester Co . dairyman Sam Morris
BY SHEILA MILLER
PUGHTOWN - Standing tall in
the Pennsylvania legislature is an
easy task tor Cheater County
Representative Samuel W. Morris,
the new House Agricultural
Committee chairman. The 64-year
old state legislator, who has been
serving his 155th District con
stituents since 1967 (with a two
year break between 1978 and 1900),
makes all of his 6’2” presence felt
when it comes to tackling farm
problems.
Morris’ keen concern for
home, Morris’ old stone home, built in 1796, provides a quiet
place for the new House Ag Chairman to contemplate the
ever-present issues facing farmers.
Part of the remodeling effort tackled last year included the installation of this picket
fence manure holding structure. Morris said he was convinced that this was the "way to
go" after visiting the Lancaster county dairy farm owned by Robert and Susan Kauff
man, Peach Bottom, where a similar structure was operating successfully.
p"
Morris’ 31 head of registered and grade Holstein milkers rest comfortably in their
recently remodeled Dutch-style barn. The Morris girls record an average milk production
close to 15,000 pounds with a 3.5 test.
agriculture in the Keystone State dairying. Today, a newly
can be attributed to the fact that remodeled Dutch-style barn
he, too, is a farmer. He bought his., bouses 31 head of registered and
first farm in Phoenixville in 1942, grade Holstein cows on the home
the same year he enlisted in the , farm, a small flock of chickens
armed services. Following his tour roam a fenced-in coop providing
of duty, and with the pressures of a the daily supply of eggs for the
growing family, Morris told Morrises, and a lot of growing
Lancaster Farming that he pur- feeder pigs squeal as Morris
chased his present farm, a histone wanders over to check their
landmark located along Route 100, “pork” progress,
in 1946. Things are quieter at the farm,
Over the years, the thrust of
Morris’ farming efforts were
diversified between livestock and
now, since the seven children have
grown up and left the farm. The big
stone farmhouse, built in 1796, is
filled with family pictures, books
and heirloom furniture and quiet
as a mouse. Both Morris and wife
Eleanor are kept busy off the farm
he, devoting most of his days to
“farming" the legislative hall in
Harrisburg, and she, guiding the
efforts of the French and Pickering
Conservation Trust.
While the Morrises are away
from the farm, the well-being of
the dairy cattle is seen to by
herdsman Kenneth Brown.
Although the Morris dairy bam at
one time held 55 milkers, the
milking string has been cutback to
its present 31 head who pump out a
rolling herd average of 14,500
pounds milk and 550 pounds fat
with a 3.5 test.
The milking string rests com
fortably on cow mats in the
renovated comfort stall bam,
waiting for the time when the
stainless steel pipeline will carry
their half-day output to the waiting
Surge tank (the big white tank is
Chester County Representative Samuel L. Morris (D
-155th) receives the support needed by a busy Ag Committee
chairman from equaliy-busy wife Eleanor. The couple raised
seven children, four boys and three girls, on their Chester
County dairy farm, while farming and pursuing careers.
Helping hands on the Morris farms keep the 500 acres of
cropland in production and the cows in top condition. Dan
Hammond, left, has been working on the Morris farm for the
past seven years while herdsman Kenneth Brown, center,
has been learning the dairy business for the past five.
dubbed “Moby Dick” by Morris’
youngest son Christopher, 22, a
student at the University of
Pennsylvania).
Explained Brown, the cows are
fed according to their DHIA
production records. A 50-pound
cow, he said, receives 15 pounds of
high moisture com, 2 pounds of
concentrate, 2 pounds of roasted
soybeans, 20 pounds of haylage, 25
pounds of com silage, and 12
pounds of alfalfa hay. All of this
feed ration is grown on the Morris
farms, which now number three,
except the commercial con
centrate
Few replacement heifers are
purchased to fill out the milking
string, said Morris. He pointed out
that his heifer calves are
“homegrown” in calf hutches, and
are products of several popular AI
sires Danny Boy, M-Jaybee
Astro Josie, Arlinda Astrocharm,
Elm-Creek Astro Don, Bayless
Astro Sneaker, Marvex, and
Superior. These bulls are selected
for their production genetic
potential.
Treated green lumber fences the
concreted barnyard in front of the
bank barn where dry cows and
older heifers bide their time in a
freestall wing. And the barn’s
gutter cleaner travels underneath
this scraped-clean loafing area to a
year-old- picket-fence manure
holding structure.
In talking about his extensive
remodeling efforts carried out in
1982, Morris said, “I took the bull
by the horns and did a lot at once.
It was either do something, or get
out of the dairy business.” Atrip to
the Robert Kauffman farm in
Lancaster County convinced him
on the manure storage structure,
he recalled.
Although modern-day milking
machines did away with the need
to milk each cow by hand some
time ago, Morris, who wasn’t
raised on a farm, said he used to
milk each of his eight cows himself
when he first started farming. “I
like to milk cows,” said Morris,
pointing _ out that he’d still do it
himself if time allowed.
But the demands of politics leave
little time to farm 500 acres and
milk cows, although the concerns
of the operation are constantly a
reminder to Morris of the farming
situation.
“I remember a time back in the
’6os when it didn’t pay to grow
corn, and I wondered why I was
growing it If it wasn’t for the fact
that I needed the crop for silage, I
could have bought It cheaper,” he
recalled. He observed that the
same situation is facing farmers
today.
“Agriculture has plenty of
problems in good times,” he
philosophized. “And these aren’t
good times."
(Turn to Page A2S)