DlO—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 18,1983
A Crawford farm with 85,000 bosses
BY NANCY KUNICK
Staff Correspondent
SAEGERTOWN - The
Crawford County Home Farm,
established m 1855, is run quite
differently than a family dairy
farm. Although 375 acres sound
average, the buildings, labor force
and dairy herd are unusual.
The large brick Home houses
two hundred residents that are
aged and unable to care for
themselves. The impressive
structure faces Rt. 198 near
Saegertown.
Directly behind the brick
building are several barns and
outbuildings. Each barn is painted
white with gray trim and displays
a sign over the door reading hog
barn, milkhouse, etc. The interiors
are every bit as impressive as the
exteriors. The floors are swept
clean and covered with lime and
the smooth walls and ceilings are
painted white with no cobwebs m
sight. Two long dairy barns join a
large hay barn in the rear to make
a u-shaped pattern. These are
institutional barns and there are
very few like them.
Charles Bruckner, the Crawford
County Home Farm Superin
tendent for the past five years said
the key to his responsibility is “to
keep evrything in balance.” He
went on to explain he works with
several government programs and
community projects. These supply
the farm with most of its labor
force.
The farm employs four Union
members with the additional
laborers being affiliated with the
government and community
programs. There is a work release
community service called work
fare which is for those on welfare
that are now working to receive
those smae benefits. The amount
of welfare granted is divided by the
minimum wage (3.35 per hour) to
determine the number of hours the
person must work. This is a new
program at the County Home
Farm and there are three workers
gr, ihouse has been added at Crawford County
Home and Farm for additional produce crops.
Crawford County Home faces Rt. 198 and presents a well-kept and trim appearance to
community.
in this. All are under twenty-three
years of age.
Charles Bruckner was educated
in northwestern Pennsylvania and
graduated from the University of
Georgia in Tifton, Ga. He feels
there must be a problem in
educating youth since many ob
viously have little desire to im
prove themselves. He feels there is
a need to train these people and
since the county farm is owned by
the taxpayers it is a good place to
start.
Another program that works
much like Work-Fare is a jail
release project now in effect. This
is for those who commit non
violent crimes but cannot pay the
fines. These are worked out in the
same manner as the welfare
monies.
CETA (comprehensive
education training activity) and
SEEDY (summer employment for
economically disadvantaged
youth) are also part of the farms’
traming programs. Three of these
youth wiU begin work June 16.
It may appear that the Crawford
Co. Home Farm has more em
ployees than needed but with 80
swine, 50 dairy beef, 105 heifers
and 27 milk cows, there is plenty
work to be done. Also, when taken
into account there is no barn
cleaner, tractor with front loader,
silo unloader or pipeline and only
one small hay elevator - the
manpower is crucial. There is also
a twenty-acre garden and the
weeding and harvesting is done by
individuals with hand tools.
There are a couple fo reasons for
the lack in equipment. One of these
is common - the large amount of
money needed at one time. Most
importantly though, Bruckner
feels that that same money is
better utilized in manpower:
•‘lnstead of purchasing ex
pensive equipment from a cor
poration, which may only be used a
few weeks m the year, we use that
money to pay three or four workers
the whole year. That gets money
Overall view shows the institutional farm of the Crawford County Home.
This is a barn complex on Crawford County Home and Farm. Hay barn is one of the
largest in the area.
into the county and into more
peoples’ pockets. In this way the
farm is directly effecting the
community,” he said.
Along with the buildings and
labor force the dairy herd is
unique, especially their recent
success and the manner in which
their replacement heifers are
raised.
The Holstein herd is comprised
of 27 grade cattle. The County
Home Farm has been on DHIA test
smce it was initiated in Crawford
County. There have been cattle at
the Home smce it was established
in 1853. Ken Custard, the hersman
since 1979 is proud of the herds’
records. Last month the herd was
second m milk in Crawford Co.
with 20,670 lbs. and fourth in fat
with 719 lbs. The high cow in the
herd has a record of 25,184 milk,
914 fat at 3 yrs. 9 mos. Half of the
herd are first time heifers at this
time.
Custard is attentive to the cattle
and this helps production. He was -
reared on a farm near Meadville
and has been employed at other
farms. He has been working at the
County Home Farm and residing
on the premises with his family.
Custard said that in 1979 the farm
was 80th of 150 herds on test
in the county. In 1982, they were
second. That is quite a climb in
three short years. The display case
m the bam holds plaques depicting
“most gam in milk” for 1981 and
“most gam m fat” m 1980.
Custard does 90 per cent of the
milking although he does have a
relief milker. He milkes on a
regular schedule which varies less
than fifteen minutes from'tus 6:15
a.m. and 5 p.m. times. He has a bit
of good philosophy about cattle:
“I don’t hit animals. 1 think they
should be treated as you would
want to be treated.”
Ken also thinks that the cows are
the most important factor on a
dairy farm. He feels that if the
owner doesn’t like to milk he
should hire someone who is
capable to do it for him.
Charlie Bruckner agreed and
mentioned that Ken is usually kept
out of the fields to have ample tune
with the herd. Both men think this
would work better for family
farms, too. If one person has a
designated specialty, it is better
left to that individual.
In managing the herd Ken
mentioned that he culls heavily. If
health problems arise the cow is
}
apt to be beefed. Ken may feel he
can cull more easily than most
farmers because meat is needed at
the Home too. Also the Crawford
Co. Home Farm has gotten some
good deals on their herd
replacements.
Bruckner and Custard have been
buying the heifers as calves at the
Meadville Livestock Auction. They
rarely spend more than $l2O. for
any one Holstein heifer. The ab
vious disadvantage is that they
don’t know what they’re getting.
On the other hand if the heifers
don’t milk when they get into the
herd they are used for beef. The
farm provides all the beef for its
residents. 'This way it’s a nodose
proposition.
The surprising and pleasing
result is the high production. Seven
of these auction calves are now
milking and averaging 18,500 lbs.
of jmlk. Last year, they purchased
60 calves. As they are purchased
they are isolated and watched.
This way disease in the herd can be
prevented.
The herd is expanding with
heifers freshening and have
outgrown the 30 tie stall barn.
Recently one half of the second bam
was converted to 16 tie stalls
to meet the need. The 400-gallon
bulk tank will be replaced soon
with a used 800-gallon tank.
The Crawford County Home
Farm plants 120 acres of corn, 50
acres of oats and the rest goes to
hay and pasture. The terrain is
rather steep so some land is ren
ted. It is also interesting to note
that the farm cuts the hay off the
Crawford Co. fairgrounds.
It seems as though little is
wasted. After the corn is picked the
corn stalks are baled. This was
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