A2O-Uncaster Farming, Saturday, December 27,1986
Maryland Jersey Farm Realize Dream With Jug Win
BY GINGER SECRIST MYERS
Adams Co. Correspondent
KEYMAR, Md. - The National
Jersey Jug Futurity, held annually
in conjunction with the All-
American Jersey Show at the
NAILE in Louisville, Ky., is billed
as the most glamorous and
prestigious of all dairy breed
events. For most Jersey breeders,
winning “The Jug” is just a
dream. For Ed and Carol Kahler
and family, Gaywinds Farm,
Keymar, MD, that dream came
true at the 32nd National Jersey
Jug Futurity held Nov. 9 at the
Louisville Exposition Center.
Gaywinds Saint Crissy EX-92
topped a class of 52 of the country’s
best 3-year-old Jersey cows to win
The Jug. For the Kahlers the win
was especially sweet for several
reasons.
“Crissy” represents the fourth
generation of Gaywinds Jersey
breeding.
She is the first cow from
Maryland to ever win the show.
And, the Kahlers took home a
first place purse of $1,287, a silver
replica of a Jersey Jug, a silver
ware set for the Mary Leas
Memorial trophy, another set for
having bred the winner of the
class, and will have their names
inscribed on the Vauclause Farm
Trophy.
Not a bad return on the $44 they
had invested in her nomination
fees.
Crissy is owned by the youngest
Kahler son, Jack, a high school
senior who plans to return to the
family farm after graduation.
Crissy is out of an Excellent
Golden Faith daughter who has
two Excellent full-sisters. Her
granddam was an 88 point
Generator daughter. Crissy can
milk as well as show. At 2-06 she
made 14,830 pounds of milk and 705
pounds of fat in 365 days.
Although Crissy had been
showing well all season, daughter
Pat Kahler Beachy, who manages
the Kahlers 160 head combined
Holstein and Jersey herd, stated
that the win was a real surprise.
Fresh just before the show in
Harrisburg, Crissy went down the
ketosis, but recovered well enough
to place third in a strong 3-year-old
class there.
Fully recovered and in full
bloom, the Kahlers had many pre
show admirers that picked their
cow as the winner. Still, they
considered it all just shear
speculation.
Carol remembers that the
judging was nerve racking. Judge
Larry Schirm and associate judge
Carol Kahler with her homebred winner of the 1986 Jersey
Jug Futurity, Gaywinds Saint Crissy, EX-92, who is housed
with the other cows.
David Dickson selected their top 12
cows and placed them randomly
off to one side of the ring. They
then placed the remainder of the
class.
Returning to their original 12,
they placed them 12th through 6th.
The top five cows were then ex
cused to be milked out. At this
point Carol was hoping to be in the
top three.
When those five cows returned,
judging started from sth to first.
The entire Kahler crew broke into
applause as fellow Maryland
Jersey breeder Wayne Stiles, who
was leading Crissy, turned her into
the top spot.
The Kahlers routinely enter all
their Jersey calves in their
respective futurities each year.
They feel this show is good
promotion for their farm and for
the Jersey breed. They also par
ticipate in a number of other AJCC
programs including TPE.
Their Gaywinds prefix has
traveled the tanbark circuit with
both their Holsteins and Jerseys.
All their children, Jim, Pat, Kathy
and Jack, have shown cows and
remain active in dairying.
The Kahlers have sent 15
Holsteins bulls into AI service and
presently have one cow under
contract. Their Holsteins have a
RHA of 17,500 pounds of milk and
673 pounds of fat. Their Jerseys
average 11,168 pounds of milk and
602 pounds of fat.
The herd is fed a total mixed
ration plus hay. The Holsteins and
Jerseys are housed and managed
together, but are tested
separately. Ed Kahler finds that
the two breeds manage well
together, but that his Jerseys, will
get fat pushing right up to the'feed
bunk with their Holstein
stablemates and then eating their
fiU.
Kahler doesn’t see any one breed
as the answer to dairying’s
profitability. He states, “Dairying
is more of a business today than
ever before. What you do with your
cows is more important than the
breed of cows you have. We don’t
have a split herd just for the
butterfat production. You need to
look at what’s making you money.
Our Jerseys are good feed con
verters.”
Added Carol, “I had Jerseys
when we got married. We like
them and we have always liked
associating with Jersey people. We
enjoy Registered cattle and
showing. Without that, dairying
would get kind of. . . well, boring.”
Even as they were lining up for
Danny Weaver’s show winner
Gaywinds Saint Crissy was the winner of the 1986 Jersey Jug Futurity. Shown here
are left; Molly Stevens, Susie Heath, David Dickson, Larry Schirm, “Crissy,” Wayne
Stiles, Pat Kahler Beachy, Carol Kahler, Jack Kahler and Cherie Wamsley.
another member of this high mediate future, you can bet that
quality family, but they’d really the Kahlers have been busy filling
rather not. What they would like to out their nominations for the 1989
do is to milk her another lactation Futurity. The nominations were
and then start to flush her. She is due into the American Jersey
currently safe in calf to Squire. Cattle Club not later than
As for their plans in the im- December 31st.
picture following the class, they
started to receive offers from
prospective buyers for Crissy.
They continue to consider some
offers, including one to export her
to Brazil. If the price is right, the
Kahlers may part with Crissy or
'V.'V
Y *
** r
The 1987 officers of the Cumberland Valley Jersey eeders and the St_, /cl jrs
from District II were recently elected at the group's annual holiday meeting. In front of
the piano, seated, Julie Martin, secretary, standing, Florence Robinson, treasurer.
Behind the piano, left: Lester Martin, vice-president, David Robinson, District II state
director, and William Dietrich, president and District II state director.
Cumberland Valley Jersey
Breeders Elect Officers
BY GINGER SECRIST MYERS
Adams County Correspondent
CHAMBERSBURG - The
Cumberland Valley Jersey
Breeders held their annual holiday
meeting recently at the Lighthouse
Restaurant, east of Cham
bersburg. Over 55 Jersey breeders
and agri-business representatives
gathered for the evening program
which included a family-style
meal, business meeting, and a
Christmas carol sing.
Highlights of the business
meeting included the election of
officers and state directors for the
coming year. Those elected were:
William Dietrich, president;
Lester Martin, vice president;
Julie Martin, secretary, and
Florence Robinson, treasurer.
William Dietrich and David
Robinson were both re-elected to
the Pennsylvania Jersey Cattle
Club Board as Directors from
District IT
The group unanimously voted to
again sponsor the CVJB July 4
Jersey Sale. This year’s sale will
again be held at the Shippensburg
Fairgrounds. The main objective
of the sale is to provide buyers with
a source of quality Jerseys and to
help meet the demand for Jersey
breeding stock in this area. The
sale committee will include: Bill
and Susan Dietrich, Lester and
Ruth Martin, Ted and Carolyn
Small, Dave and Florence
Robinson, and John and Ginger
Myers.
State Director Bill Dietrich
reported that the state production
awards criteria have been revised
for 1986. Only 100 percent Jersey
herds will be considered for the
high herd awards in each herd size
category; three times a day
milking herds will have their herd
averages adjusted to two times a
day milking levels for comparison.
Individual cow records will be
Jt*
f %
compared on a CY$ basis for
competition in the individual high
cow awards.
State Field Representative
Florence Robinson encouraged
members to get their 1987 mem
bership payments in to her as soon
as possible. Membership dues to
the PJCC are $lO per family plus 10
cents per milking animal. The 10
cents per milking animal is con
tributed to the youth fund.
Membership dues should be sent to
Florence Robinson, 9269 Mentzer
Gap Rd., Waynesboro, PA 17268.
Robinson also announced that
the 1987 PJCC State Meeting will
be held in the Lancaster area on
March 27 to 28,1987.
The State Bred Heifer Sale will
be held April H, 1987 at the Mercer
4-H Park. Anyone interested in
consigning to this sale should
contact Florence Robinson or Bred
Heifer Sale Chairman, John Mc-
Connell.