Robert Smith family, a Guernsey tradition continues
BY MARTHA J. GEHRINGER
PALMYRA When Penn
sylvania Guernsey breeders visit
Robert Smith’s Lebanon Valley
Farms, as part of their annual
convention tour, they’ll find a
family tradition that has continued
for over five decades.
The Guernseys started with
Robert’s father Jacob in the ’3o’s.
Originally he bought a couple of
crossbreds “some of which came
out black and white,” said Robert.
“But he wanted Guernseys, and
there’s been Guernseys here ever
since.”
Jacob started by buying reactors
to brucellosis from Fairview
Farms, a large Guernsey herd
south of Lebanon. He was able to
get these animals cheaply and
built from there. All of the animals
have been registered.
As these cows came fresh, their
calves were placed at a different
bam. By using this method, he was
able to develop a clean herd. For
some time he was also milking two
herds at two bams to make certain
the herd stayed clean.
Jacob went with Guernseys
because of the premiums being
paid for Golden Guernsey milk by
a local dairy. In the early 70’s the
dairy stopped these high
premiums.
The Smiths felt they could do just
as well marketing their own milk,
so they opened toe Ja-Mar dairy
store near their home.
They process all their milk and
sell milk, ice cream, and cheese.
These products are made from
their own milk.
Many customers find their milk
to be better tasting than milk they
find in a regular grocery store. As
David observes, “Maybe we
wouldn’t be in the current situation
if we had kept a better milk
product on the shelves.”
The Smiths have never had any
problems finding a market for
their surplus milk. They usually
sell to a local cheese plant that
prices favorably for Guernsey
milk. They give a fat p.remiums
and base pricing on protein con
tent.
There is also a creamery in
Elizabethtown that will call them
when they need milk.
One of the difficult aspects of a
jugging operation is the
assessments the government has
levied. Some people think they are
exempt from these assessments,
The cows at Lebanon Valley are housed and milked in this
stanchion barn.
Lebanon Valley Farms is located southeast of Palmyra
however, they must report and pay
the government for any milk sold
through the store.
“It hurts twice as much this
way,” David noted. Since they
must send the check to the
government, they know exactly
how much the government is
taking. They do agree to the need
for the 15 cent advertising
deduction, however.
The herd has been paying its way
at the milk pail. The Smiths have a
couple of cows over 140,000 pounds
of milk and six over 100,000 pounds
of milk. Presently their rolling
herd average is 14,188 pounds of
milk, 692 pounds of fat, with a 4.9
test on 75 cows.
This average has been steadily
increasing for the past several
years. As Robert proudly points
out, “A nearly 700 pound fat
average proves their worth.”
This average in addition to their
successes on the tanbark trail has
gained them national attention.
The National Sale was interested
in having a Lebanon Valley
prefixed animal in their upcoming
sale. Unfortunately, they didn’t
have anything this time.
Although David and his brothers
had shown at the 4-H level, they
only recently entered toe bigger
shows. David feels that now they
“have something that can compete
at the bigger shows.”
With their recent successes in
the show ring, it appears they will
be continuing their winning ways.
Last year they were the Premier
Breeder and Exhibitor at the
Maryland State Fair.
This year they tied for Premier
Breeder at the Farm Show. In toe
1984 Farm Show they captured both
Premier Breeder and Exhibitor.
They also showed the Grand
Champion and the Junior
Champion.
The Smiths have worked hard to
get high quality cattle. They are
currently using top bulls from the
PTI list and the top PD milk bulls.
David noted that 30 percent of the
herd is bred to young sires.
They realize the importance of
“getting out and sampling their
young bulls to find the top future
bulls.’’ David suggested this is
something all of the high protein
breeds must realize and start to do
more of.
Another management tool they
have recently started using is the
Robert, left, and David hold Lebanon Valley Star Elsie, a 90 point 2 year old
TPE program that the Guernsey
Association offers. This program
classifies three times in a two year
period.
This allows the classifiers to see
more daughters quicker and then
develop better more accurate sire
summaries.
One more point they can claim
when marketing their animals, is
that they have been certified free
of Johne’s disease.
While they have been dmng some
innovative things in marketing
their animals, they have been
doing some uncommon things on
other phases of the farm.
They recently they began
feeding roasted, ground soybeans,
as part of their protein sup
plement. One advantage is a
higher moisture harvest. This past ,
fall was damp. The Smiths were
able to harvest the beans at a
moisture level of 20 percent.
Roasting reduces the moisture
level to a tolerable amount. They
noticed a .1 percent increase in fat
as soon as they started on the
soybeans. ,
The roasted beans are com- i
plemented with soybean meal in :
the protein supplement. They also
feed a shelled com and oats ‘
mixture that is combined with a ag •
concentrate of minerals.
USDA
WASHINGTON - The U.S.
Department of Agriculture soon
will begin spending reductions in
its commodity programs to comply
with President Reagan’s Feb 1
sequester* order issued under the
Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (the
Gramm-Rudman-Hollmgs Act)
The order calls for the USDA
spending reduction of $1.3 billion
for fiscal 1986, equal to a 4.3 per
cent reduction in those USDA
outlays subject to provisions of the
Act. The reductions, scheduled to
begin March 1, will be allocated
equally on a pro-rated basis among
these programs.
USDA programs exempted from
spending reductions include the
Food Stamp, the Child 'Nutrition,
and the Women, Infants and
Children Special Supplemental
Food Programs.
Officials said $823 million in
resductions will be made in 1986
Commodity Credit Corporation
programs. No redueMjfeji will bv
made in price loans,
Forages on the farm are fed by
baled hay and silage, with the
recent addition of haylage. They
never put haylage up before
because they were set up to handle
it. This problem was resolved with
the addition of a large plastic bag
placed in the top of the silo.
The bag serves to limit spoilage
by creating an oxygen-limiting
situation in the silo. Feeding
haylage this year helped to reduce
feed costs by supplying more
homegrown protein. As David
joked, “And we were tired of
baling hay.”
Rations are determined for each
cow and adjusted grain amounts
FURrKAmti 1
rwn •
mm
announces
for Gramm-Riidman
purchase agreements and regular
deficiency payments made for 1985
crops.
Target prices and loan and
purchase rates will not change for
1986 crops. Also, payments made
in-kind or by negotiable com
modity certificates will not be
subject to reduction.
Reductions of 4.3 percent will
apply, however, to checks paid to
producers for commodity loans,
deficiency and diversion payments
for 1986 crops, and to payments for
certificates that producers redeem
for cash.
Both advance and final
payments will be subject to the
reduction. The reductions will be
made after the maximum payment
limitation of $50,000 per producer
has been applied.
Producers entering 1986-crop
programs will be notified at the
time of sign-up how programs will
be affected by the deficit reduction
legislation.
In regard to
provisions, official£o|idL4he price
are adjusted after each month's
DHIA report returns. That is one of
the advantages David has found
with the stanchion bam, individual
feeding.
The replacement animals at
Lebanon Valley Farms are raised
on at different bam. The heifers
are placed in four group pens
which are based on age. The calves
are placed in individual pens that
David built.
All the feed on the farm is also
grown on the 180-acre farm. This
past year they rented an additional
80 acres.
They decided to rent land to
reduce equipment costs and'
possibly raise some cash crops, or
at least become self-sufficient feed
producers. *
With all the other distractions,
they felt they weren’t doing a
sufficient job of keeping up to date
on the latest in crop production. To
get help in this area they have
joined the newly formed Crop
Management Association.
The Smiths have ambitious plans
for the future ... including higher
production, higher quality animals
and a more efficient operation.
It’s a Guernsey tradition in the
Smith family. And a winning
tradition at that.
cuts
support level of $11.60 per hun
dredweight will remain unchanged
for the current fiscal year, but CCC
purchase prices for cheese, butter,
and nonfat dry milk will be
discounted by 4.3 percent from
March 1 through Sept. 30. USDA
previously announced that
payments made to producers
based on bids received under the
18-month dairy termination
program will not be reduced.
In regard to wool and mohair
payments, officials said payments
will not be subject to the 4.3 per
cent reduction. However, the
support price for these com
modities will not be increased.
Payments under the National Wool
Act due on or after April 1 will be
based on the frozen support price
for shorn wool.
In regard to provisions of the
conservation reserve program,
officials said the amount of
acreage entering into the reserve
and the level of annual rental
payment based-on bids receive?'
will not be reduced.