Pa. Jersey breeders hold Tours, awards highlight session BY ROBIN PHILLIPS Staff Correspondent BEDFORD In spite of the Pa. Jersey annual meeting include, from the left back row, Sarah Arrowsmith, Helen McCahon, Patty Dreisbach, Michelle Lusk, Michael Lusk, Lisa Lusk; from the left, Scott Ritchie, Jennifer Chapman, Tom Arrowsmith and Carol Dreisbach Dreisbach sisters pass crown BY ROBIN PHILLIPS Stall Correspondent BEDFORD Pennsylvania Jersey breeders crowned their new state Jersey queen Friday evening, March 30, at the Arena Restaurant, Bedford. But the crowning saw only first names changed. Folks will still see the bright smile and witness the energetic enthusiasm for the Jersey breed that they became accustomed to with the 1983 Queen, Patricia Dreisbach. Hugs and tears of happiness were abundant as Patty relinquished her reign to her younger sister, Carol. The pair of queens are the daughters of Dr. Robert and Helene Dreisbach, R 3 Hamburg. Passing of the crown seemed a natural thing since the two sisters share the chores on their 70-cow home farm, show and help each other in their 4-H and FFA careers, and take turns achieving many of the same awards, championships and laurels. “The responsibilities I have gained while working on the farm have given me a head start in life,” Carol stated in her address to Jersey breeders. “I’m happy and content working with Jerseys and Jersey people,” she said. Carol is a junior at Hamburg Area High School. She is active in 4-H, FFA, and band and plans to attend college in the future. She has exhibited her Jerseys on the local, state, and national level, and has won several championships on the local level with her own-bred animals. The brunette beauty is also a suc cessful judge of dairy cattle in her 4-H and FFA contests and was a member of Pa’s top-notch dairy bowl team in 1982, which finished second in the nation. Carol looks forward to a busy year promoting Jerseys. Her year will be highlighted with the 1984 National Jersey Jug Queen contest in Louisville, Ky. Last year, Patty Dreisbach was the first Penn sylvania Queen to capture the title and said that she would love to pass that crown to her sister, too. The alternate queen is Jody Minor from Western Penn sylvania. She is the daughter of Sam and Beverly Minor. Her father is the President of the Pennsylvania Holstein Association, but Jody is active in the showring with her Jerseys. She enjoys the “closeness shared by family members,” on their farm. She helps on their 90-cow dairy snow storm the day before, over 100 Jerseys breeders took a chance on the weather and attended the farm and looks forward to a career in some aspect of the dairy in dustry. The judges were Mathern Mellott, of Wallymae Farm, Harrisonville; Cathy Robinson, Everett, a retired music teacher; and Bennetta Snyder Gable, manager of Snyder Homestead Farms, Bedford. The annual youth awards preceded the Queen contest and over 13 juniors received production and achievement honors. The Olmstead Trophy went to Helen McCahon, Downingtown, and the Fetterhof Trophy for FFA achievement went to Patricia Dreisbach, Hamburg. First year project book honors went to Jenny Chapman, Waterford. The scrapbook prizes were won by Scott Ritchie, Geigertown, junior division, and Helen McCahon, Downingtown, senior division. The Brunges Trophy for production was won by Michelle Lusk for her cow’s record of 19,703 FCM with an actual record of 6-03 30517.276 milk, 799 fat. % Flanking Carol Dreisbach, 1984 Pa. sister, Patty, left, 1983 queen; and alternate. annual meeting of the Penn sylvania Jersey Cattle Club at the Quality Inn and Arena Restaurant, Bedford. The meeting included tours of three area Jersey dairies, the awards banquet, the calf sale, and barbeque at the Bedford Fairgrounds. “Pennsylvania’s is second to none”, Robert Dreisbach stated at the directors meeting on Friday, March 30. “We’ve done wonders in 15 years. We have one of the best junior groups in the country,” he continued. At the directors meeting and at the meeting of the general membership, Dreisbach generated enthusiasm for “greater things” and urged members to begin to prepare for 1985 when Penn sylvania Jersey breeders will be hosting the national meeting of the American Jersey Cattle Club “Jerseys from Pennsylvania are making headlines all over,” stated Second through tenth place production certificates were received bv the following: Second - Tammy Clark, Enon Valley, 19,089 FCM; 2-10 - 291 - 14,252 milk - 680 fat. Third - Carol Dreisbach, Hamburg, 17,909 FCM; 1-11 - 305 - 12,510 milk-604 fat. Fourth - Michael Lusk, Charleroi, 17,684 FCM; 6-02 - 305 - 15,216 milk-725 fat. Fifth - Lisa Lusk, Charleroi, 17,495 FCM; 3-00 - 305 -15,620 milk - 646 fat. Sixth - Sammuel Williams 111, Middletown, 17,039 FCM; 2-00 - 305 -11,920 milk-542 fat. Seventh - Tom Arrowsmith, Peach Bottom, 16,655 FCM; 4-03 - 301-14,753 milk-724 fat. Eighth - Sarah Arrowsmith, Peach Bottom, 16,524 FCM; 2-05 - 305 -13,193 milk -600 fat. Ninth - Patty Dreisbach, Hamburg, 15,938 FCM; 5-03 - 305 - 15,133 milk-659 fat. Tenth - Tina Campbell, Lititz, 15,286 FCM; 2-01 - 305 -10,222 milk - >l3 fat. % ' \ % (Turn to Page A 33) V V* € ■J i Jersey Queen, are Jody Minor, 1984 Clyde Robison, right, Coal Center, presents Pa. Jersey Distinguished Service Award to Robert Lusk, who receives it for his father, Dutch Lusk. include, back row from the left, Bill Ulrich, Tom Clark, Tom Arrowsmith, Gerald Moose: front row from the left, Clyde Robison, George Hough and Judy and Calvin Watson. Don’t overfeed those cows BY ROBIN PHILLIPS Staff Correspondent BEDFORD - “The future is bright for you people, but you can’t sit back and do things as they were done years ago,” William Heald told Jersey breeders at their an nual meeting last Saturday. To survive the 80’s, according to Heald, dairymen will have to improve the makret, reduce costs and adopt technology. Heald is the extension dairy specialist at Penn State Univer sity. His address to over 100 Jersey breeders included both praise and admonition. “You’re a growing breed. Take advantage of what the Jersey breed has to offer,” he stated referring to the high protein milk and the heat tolerence of the breed. Heald’s criticisms centered on overfeeding the breed of cow that is known to be the most efficient feed converter. He stated that current DHIA statistics show that there exits a lower income over feed cost average for the breed than there should be. “You’re overfeeding your cattle,” he stated. Although several breeders stood up and differed with this point saying that many times in the other breeds, what is fed is not what is recorded on the records, Heald remained adamant in telling breeders to get more efficient with their “most efficient” breed. “You’re a very unique group of people,” Heald continued. “You don’t seem to be milking cows just for the sake of milking cows,” Heald stated to a round of applause from his audience. He explained that this may be one of the factors behind the overfeeding of cows. “You have a tendency to put a f higher value on other things besides milk,” he stated. “You’re going to have to tell people to taste your product,” Heald said. He advocated the use of any available technology, such as computers, and using technology to become better managers to make the product better, cheaper to produce, and more enhancing to the public. Heald also told dairymen to take pride in their youth. “We’re going to have to make farming more attractive,” he stated. “Over the next two years, we’re gong to lose ten percent of our dairy farmers. They’re going to lower the price until that hap (Tum to Page A 34) William Heald, Penn State dairy specialist, addresses annual meeting of the Penn sylvania Jersey Cattle Club.