Winning a calf launched this youthful Jersey breeder
BY ROBIN PHILLIPS
Staff Correspondent
NEWBURG From raising and
showing pigs to excelling with
champion Jersey cows, Marilyn
Deaven, R 1 Newburg, has changed
the route of her farming life.
This 21-year-old past 4-Her and
FFA member is currently renting
a farm and milking her 38
purebred Jersey cows. For
Marilyn, it has been a successful
transition and progression for her
cows are becoming widely known
in the showring.
"I didn’t even want to look at a
cow,” Marilyn states, remem
bering back to when she was
showing her pigs. Throughout 4-H
and FFA she carried her hogs as
her projects. Explaining her father
had a Holstein dairy at the time,
Marilyn said, “we showed dairy
and pigs all the time.”
The change came early in the
FFA career. Marilyn’s father,
Mark, had a friend in the judging
business. This friend wanted to
support the local FFA chapter and
donated a Jersey calf to be given
away in an essay contest. Of
course, as Marilyn tells us, she was
expected to enter the contest. Her
winning the small calf put the right
showman with the right breed and
the blue and purple ribbons began
to appear.
Getting started in 4-H is a little bit easier for Mary Deaven
with help of older sister Marilyn.
working with her Jerseys.
“I was champion fitter the first
year,” Marilyn says. Her Jerseys
also took her to the Grand
Championships of the York In
terstate Fair, the Gratz County
Fair, The Pennsylvania State
Junior Show, and the 1984 Farm
Show in the open and youth
divisions. She has also earned
numerous reserve championships,
first place premiums, and fitting
and showing honors.
“Dad helps me,” Marilyn says of
her father’s constant aid in the
barn and support at the shows. She
also credits her brothers for
helping when needed, too.
Nineteen-year-old, Mark Jr., who
works on a neighboring dairy,
assists in any emergencies, and 17-
year-old Marlin works in the barn
after school. Showing at 11 shows a
year, Marilyn says she could not
get everything done without their
help. Her father and brother just
smile and add, “she cracks the
whip,” but admit that her ideas are
usually the best ones.
It is hard to catch this young lady
without a smile and when you
mention “Faithful Advancer
Colleen” the smile gets bigger and
bigger. “Colleen” has been her
most successful bovine on the
tanbark. In 1980 at the Farm Show,
“Colleen” and Manly took the
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Deaven dairy family groups around a couple of their herd favorites. From the left are
Marlin, Mark, Mary, Mark Jr. Marilyn.
Reserve Championship in the
youth show. In 1982, the pair
returned for the Grand. Even a
twisted stomach suffered after the
1982 Farm Show did not alter this
cow’s winning ways. “She took the
winter of ‘B2 as a vacation,” Mark
Deaven says of ‘ ‘ Colleen’ ’.
The fall of 1983 marked her
comeback. Calving the day after
she won the Reserve Cham
pionship at the Fulton County Fair,
“Colleen” went on the York and
Gratz for the Grands. At the
Pennsylvania All-American she
took the Reserve Grand honors
against stiff competition and the
Grand m the youth show.
“She can stay in the barn a
while,” Marilyn replies to any
offers to purchase “Colleen”. “I’m
not going to sell her,” she adds.
“Colleen” is currently projected
over 12,500 pounds of milk and
testing 6.1% butterfat. She was
recently classified "Excellent -
90 11
The sire of "Colleen” is Golden
Faithful, one of the best type bulls
of the breed These bloodlines
teamed up with those of Shadewell
Ethan Allen, another well-known
bull of the breed, have produced a
winning daughter out of "Colleen”
for the Deavens Mar-De Allen
Cathy, is following in her dam’s
footsteps. First place four-year-old
at the 1984 Farm Show went to this
homebred entry of the Deaven’s
"Colleen’s” due in September
again and Marilyn is hoping for
another heifer
After winning that first Jersey
calf and winning with that first
calf, Marilyn knows what to look
for when selecting her winners
Marilyn selected "Colleen” as a
calf from a fellow Jersey breeder.
Today, she breeds mostly for type,
from bulls high on the list She is
currently using a lot of Boss Man
and trys to correct feet and legs in
her herd. "If they’re not tall, forget
it,” her father says of show
animals.
This enthusiastic dairy person is
about to make another change in
her life In June Marilyn plans to
marry. Her fiance, Scott Zmn,
Newville, works for a dairy farmer
now.
"He plans to get into red and
whites,” Marilyn says of her future
spouse’s plans. They plan to rent a
neighboring farm and continue
with Marilyn’s dedication and
winning ways. Marilyn met Scott
at a fair while showing her Jer
seys. When asked if he approves of
her Jerseys and wants to expand
with them, she replies, "just give
me a few years, I'm working on
it.”
Look for Marilyn and her Jer
seys at the upcoming fairs and
state shows this year You can
recognize them by the quick smile
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of Marilyn and the glossy ap- helping in the showring. “We’re
pearance of her charges. You will still trying,” we’re nothing
also see the rest of the Deaven spectacular, but we’ll be there,”
family caring for the cows and Marilyn concludes.
Marilyn Deaven with some of the trophies she has won with
her showring Jerseys.
Another winning Deaven Jersey, a Production Plus
daughter, is shown with Mark Jr.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 10,1984—E3
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