A32—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 21,1983 BY IRISH WILLIAMS FOGELSVILLE As 1 drove north on 222 from Lancaster on Monday morning through pouring ram, I felt fortunate that 1 had put off washing my car over the weekend, but was saddened a bit by the dreary day that I had hoped would be picture perfect for my visit to the hills of western Lehigh County. 1 had scheduled a farm visit with Joanne Dominick, a goat enthusiast, who had been very helpful to me by providing the goings-on in the goat circles. In our conversations 1 was im pressed with her zeal for goat husbandry, and she had*--soon sparked my interest. ■Before,/! knew it 1 had invited myself foi; a farm visit, and found rflypelt northward bound. 1 could almost visualize Joanne, although 1 had never seen her. As 1 drove 1 was passed by a large number of truckloads ol hay going south to the New Holland hay market, and began to conjure up images of the rolling farmland in western Lehigh County. Carefully following the direc tions Joanne had given me, nearly there, 1 found myself winding down a dirt road over hills, and hoping that I wouldn’t meet another vehicle. The scenery was beautiful even it the weather was not. Large old farm houses and bank barns graced the hills, more beautiful was the absence of new buildings and crowdedness. Capping the last hill 1 was right on top ot the Dominick’s Lyon-Dale Farm. The road winds right bet ween the house and barn that are nestled in the side ot a lull. The 103 These two inquisitive kids poke their heads over the pen to check out the camera toting stranger. \i ■ a ■* ! A A . i\ v 4 \ \ -. ; ''fs'j Jamie helps his Uncle Tim with the construction of the milking parlor. Lyon-Dale Farm building up, building on acres of Lyon-Dale must be tar- hours a day on the farm while she med with a Bible under the tractor attended school. seat, 1 thought. "1 guess 1 burned out on cows,” Seeing the terrain one become Joanne explains. “1 got rny fill appreciative of the necessity to when! worked tor my father.” keep the ground in permanent Now living on her grandparents cover. Farming practices are farm, northwest of Fogelsville, is serious farming fletinitely limited by the -topography, making livestock ,* .tanning one ot the best suited for " the area. But why goats? This was my first question to Joanne. “Sheep are dumb,” Joanne said laughingly. "Goals are smart and they have a personality. 1 handle all ot the dairy work, my husband works tull tune ott ot the farm. Cows are too much tor me, it seems to lake a guy to handle them, they are too big and pushy. Beside cows don’t have a per sonality, they just knock you over on their way to teed bunk.” Growing up on a dairy tann seven miles away in Chapman, Joanne is well aquamted with dairy tanning. During the late titties her tather, Arthur Snyder, was the largest producer tor Lehigh Valley Farmers. At that tune he was milking 131) cows and Joanne was helping tour to tive ♦BBS’ J. V;£r t 1 No kidding, this Joanne plans to slay with goals. The farm has been in the family tor over 150 years, the barn that houses the goals is the original barn built by Joanne’s ancestors. Her husband Dennis and his brother Tun are in the process of converting part of the bank barn into a milking parlor tor the goat herd. They are adding on a room tor the bulk tank that has already been purchased tor the expansion. Nubians predominate the 27 head herd, but there are a tew Saanens and one LaMancha. Joanne has plans to increase the herd to a total ot 100, almost a tour told increase. Such a large ex pansion will require a great deal ot ability in herd management. Joanne demonstrates to me the capability to meet such a challenge by her thoroughness in record keeping, and in conversation by expressing knowledge ot herd health management. The herd is on UHIK testing, with a rolling herd average ot 2357 pounds ot milk. The Lyon-Dale herd is one ot tour herds on 'Hound Robin’ or 'Circle’ testing. The herd is tested once per month by an owner ot one ot the other tour herds in the circle. All the milking is done by hand presently. Joanne estimates that it lakes her about three minutes to milk each goat. Most ol her does will milk tor 310 days. Joanne’s tavonte doe, Cathy, milked 365 days in her last lactation. Cathy is a young stylish Nubian doe. Last year in the show circuit Cathy won six grand champions and two reserve grand champions. 1 do not protess to be a judge ot goals, but 1 do have a good eye tor dairy character. 1 was very im pressed with the sharpness and the sti ength ot these goals. At present all the goals are registered and classitied with a herd average ot Very Good at 84.5. Joanne contides that when she expands the herd to 100 she will probably buy soine\good grade milkers to mitigate the'cusl ot such a rapid expansion. ' v Alter only about hour on the tann 1 was certain Joanne,had all the personal resources to manage such a dairy operation. But having grown up myselt on a dairy tann, under somewhat ot a conservative philosophy, in my mind 1 still questioned how the operation was going turn a profit. Joanne had the answer tor that too. Dennis and Joanne grow corn, oats, soybeans and hay. They mix Iheir own teed, buying only altalta pellets and minerals, based on logistics the herd is not large enough now to ship to a com meicial dairy, so the milk is led to veal calves. Proceeds Iroin the sale ol the vealers pays tor the costs ol all the bought teed, as well as oltiei expenses, buck tees also help pay the bills as does the sale ot buck kids. by this talpihe milking parloi should be finished and the herd'up to Ji) milkeis. She plans to be up to a total held ol UK) by the following tall. This week alone she pur chased tour milking does. The new milking facilities will (Turn to Page A 39) Some of the new additions to the herd give Joanne a warm welcome. Joanne can milk out a goat by hand in about three minui Joanne shows off her favorite goat, Cathy, as the rest of the herd looks on. jr \J ' $ tes. m -
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