Daisy Kunming: An ideal way to Agriculture is the keystone of Pennsylvania’s economy, and family" farming is the heart of that agriculture. Paul and Dorothy King and their family, owners of Pa-Dot- Holsteins in Cochranville, are good examples of the kind of farm life that is centered on their land, family, community, and church. Pa-Dot farm got its start in the early 1950’s when Paul King’s father, Valentine S. King, bought the present homestead Paul worked for his dad until 1955, when he and Dorothy got married In 1957 Paul and Dorothy bought the farm, and started milking their own 27 grade cows. From that original number, the Kings increased their herd to today’s total of 80 registered cows in milk, and the same amount of young stock. In their first year on DHIA, they started with less than 500 pounds of butter fat They finished the 1982 year with 21,130 pounds of milk and 766 pounds of butter fat with 82 cows on test. Wendel King Curt King lead the good "family life” The milking cows’ roughage program consists of haylage and com silage. High moisture shell com and Pennfield’s 26% dairy concentrate are fed according to production. Paul uses Pennfield 26% because this concentrate is designed to be fed with haylage, high moisture com, and com silage. It also contains buffers which help to maintain butterfat test when ensiled roughages and high moisture com are fed. The herd presently has a 104 plus BAA classification rating. The Kings put a lot of emphasis on herd selection for quality. They have bred four excellent cows at Pa-Dot, and were especially grati fied when an Ivanhoe daughter topped the Pennsylvania State sales in 1968. During each of the last four years, the herd has increased an average of over 1,000 pounds of milk, and 1982 marked the third consecutive year that the herd went over 700 pounds of fat per cow. Paul King Dorothy and Paul King Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, February 5, attributes the development of his herd and the stability of his operation to the teamwork of his wife and five sons, and the opportunity his father gave him to begin on his own 30 years ago. The tradition of passing responsibility and know-how down through the generations is very much a part of the King’s family life, Paul and Dorothy and their family are all active members of the Maple Grove Mennonite Church. Paul has taught Sunday School there, and was Christian Education Director for six years. Recentty he was elected Super intendent. Paul also finds time to be involved in his community and his industry. He has been a director of the Chester County Holstein Association for 12 years, and secretary-treasurer of the Chester County DHIA for ten years. He is a former member of the West Fallowfield Tovhiship Zoning Board, He also enjoys managing a neighborhood softball team. Dorothy King is active as a leader in the Lift Program for young women of the Maple Grove Mennonite Church, and the entire family is involved in many sports. Families like the Kings are keepers of a tradition that is the backbone of this country a tradition of hard work and inde pendence, of pride and progress, of skill and success. They are dairy farmers, and in their hands they hold a great agricultural treasure, the Pennsylvania family farm. pennfieid feeds 711 Rohrerstown Road Box 4366, Lancaster, PA 17604 Call 299-2561 or Toll free: PA: 1-800-732-0467 MD: 1-800-233-0202 Quality - Performance - Service Kent King
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