A26—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 5,1984
Pa. Dairy Goat Association celebrates 40th year
BY LAURA ENGLAND
BELLEFONTE - When
members of the Pa. Dairy Goat
Association get together next
month for their Big Weekend
event, they will do more than show
goats and compete in milking and
cheese-making competitions - they
will be celebrating 40 years as an
organization.
Begun by six persons in 1944, the
Pa. Dairy Goat Association now
boasts 110 members and 15 local
state chapters. These members
raise approximately 15,000 goats in
Pennsylvania.
According to secretary Jane
Smeltzer, Bellefonte, the Dairy
Goat Association had its strongest
years during the late 1950’s and
early 1960’5. Then, the association
flourished with about 200 members
Pa. Dairy Goat Association president Danny Harter,
Bellefonte, sees dairy goats as “useful animals" with a
growing popularity.
Centre County FFA’er takes pride in dairy goats
BY LAURA ENGLAND
WARRIORS MARK - Centre milk producer. The 6-year-old
County FFA member Jonathan “milking machine” recorded 3,800
iry, _ .(pine doe, is Jonathan Merkle's
highest producer, recording 3,800 pounds of milk with 3.2
percent butterfat on OHIA in 1983.
Curiosity runs high among all "kids," as this little fellow,
peeking through the window, seems to prove.
due largely to the fact that more
homesteading was done, Mrs.
Smeltzer said.
Membership today; however, is
on the upswing.
Association president Danny
Harter, Bellefonte, said that
membership is showing a steady
growth and goat numbers are
increasing. “We’ve gone from
shows of 50 to 60 (goats) to shows of
500 animals,” Harter said.
Harter, who’s been raising the
Toggenburg breed since 1976, said
he credits state Agriculture
Secretary Penrose Hallowell for
the increased recognition of dairy
goats. “Secretary Hallowell has
really recognized dairy goats and
has helped to coordinate
programs,” Harter said.
With an increasing popularity in
Merkle is mighty proud of his top
Pennsylvania, dairy goats are now
seen as useful animals, Harter
said. “People don’t make fun of
them as much anymore,” he ad
ded.
Harter explained that in foreign
countries, goats have always been
viewed as useful animals and are
the livelihood of many. More goats
milk is consumed in foreign
countries than any other kind of
milk, Harter said.
In Pennsylvania, goat’s milk is
normally marketed as licensed
raw milk, Mrs. Smeltzer said, and
is used for fluid consumption and
cheese-making. Nine dairies in
Pennsylvania are licensed to sell
raw goat’s milk.
The dairy goat breeds
recognized in Pennsylvania are the
Alpine, Lamancha, Nubian,
Oberhasli, Saanen and Toggen
burg. The Smeltzers, whose dairy
goats belong to daugther Debra-
Lee, raise Alpines and Laman
chas.
Raising her goats as FFA
projects, Deb Smeltzer is quite
involved in the dairy goat industry
and is a member of the state
association serving as its youth
representative. Selected last year,
Miss Smeltzer has had an im
portant role in promoting the dairy
goat industry.
The youth representative
program, begun three years ago, is
“one good way to promote dairy
goats,” Harter said. “We are
really pushing that program. ”
As youth representative, Miss
Smeltzer has attended various
state shows, participated in mall
promotions, helped to kick off
Farm City Week programs, spoken
to groups and has attended both
the state and national goat
association meetings. Her biggest
pounds of milk with 3.2 percent
butterfat on official Dairy Herd
Improvement Association (DHIA)
test in 1983. A remarkable feat,
according to Jon.
A yearly production record of
3,800 pounds, remarkable? Well,
yes, Considering the fact that this
top milk producer is an Alpine
dairy goat.
Jon, the 16-year-old son of
Charles and Dolores Merkle of R 1
Warriors Mark, has been raising
dairy goats on the family’s Centre
County farm for five years.
However, the herd’s foundation
was begun in the sunny land of
California.
The Merkles left California when
Charles Merkle accepted a
teaching position at Penn State
University. They left behind sunny
skies and warm days, but they
wouldn’t leave behind their dairy
goats. In fact, the herd’s foun
dation dam happens to be Jon’s top
milk producer and the mother of
all his Alpine goats.
A junior at State College Area
High School, Jon raises his goats
as FFA projects, along with
market lambs, veal calves,
breeding sheep and a dairy heifer.
His goat herd of Alpines and
Saanens totals 17 head - three
bucks, six milking does and seven
kids.
Very involved in dairy goats with
goals to increase milk production,
Jon entered his Sinking Springs
herd in the DHIA program.
Although, he had always recorded
his goats’ production, he said the
DHIA program is more accurate
and adds credibility to his
production records.
On the program for one year,
Sinking Springs’ rolling herd
average for 1983 was 3,100 pounds
of milk. His top producer is Mari
Monte Mary who once milked 31.9
pounds m one day.
The average daily milk
production for dairy goats is eight
pounds Jon explained The
Youth representative Deb Smeltzer, Bellefonte, is par
ticularly fond of her Lamancha goats.
upcoming event is the Big displays, dairy shows, cheese-
Weekend, set for June 15 to 17. making contests and the selection
The Big Weekend, held at the of the 1984 youth representative.
Huntington County Fairgrounds, is
the association’s event of the year, It should be a fun-filled weekend,
and this year it will be extra Mrs. Smeltzer said, and she en
special because of the 40th year courages all with an interest in
celebration. goats to attend and help the
The Pa. Dairy Goat Association association celebrate 40 successful
will celebrate its 40 years through years.
Jonathan Merkie, Centre County
by hand, three times a day.
Sinking Springs herd averages
nine to 16 pounds daily.
Jon, with the help of his mother,
milks his goats three times daily -
at 5 a.m., 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. It takes
two to three minutes to milk each
doe by hand, Jon said.
To make the milking chore
easier, Jon built two milking stalls
and set them up side-by-side. The
does are fed grain during milking,
about one pound to every two
pounds of milk.
Jon said he would eventually like
to set up a more permanent
milking situation, but for now his
current set up is adequate as long
as he keeps his herd size down.
The Merkles prefer to keep four
of the top milkers in production.
They cut back the herd size each
year to include the top four does
and the best kids.
“We can’t use all the milk when
the does are in full production,”
Mrs. Merkle said explaining that
the original goats were bought to
provide milk for the table.
“We use all the milk ourselves,”
(Turn to Page A 39)
is six does