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Pine Haven Farm Branches Out To Include Sheep
BY JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
HUNTSDALE - John Conaway ,
has a philosophy about livestock
merchandising. “Fifty percent of
it is having something, and the
other fifty percent is promoting
it,” says this savvy marketer of
some of the state’s most winning
purebred Suffolk sheep bloodlines.
Conaway and his wife Dianne
manage Pine Haven Farm, the
Suffolk sheep and evergreen tree
operation owned by her father, E.
Richard Eberts. On April 18, Pine
Haven will hold its first Club Lamb
Connection Sale and an open-house
in this lovely Cumberland County
mountain valley setting.
The Eberts family purchased the
property in 1967, adding a flock of
some 20 Suffolk ewes soon after
moving onto the farm. The
following January, their first crop
of lambs began arriving, and Pine
Haven’s flock started down the
path that would lead them to the
top of regional show competition.
Initially it began as 4-H in
volvement, as Dianne’s project
lambs proved worthy competitors
in the show ring.
“In the early 1970’5, they got
serious about the sheep business,”
says Conaway. Not only flock size,
but quality of performance came
under scrutiny, as the family
upgraded their purebred lines.
Champion Bloodlines
As the accomplishments of the
Pine Haven bloodlines became
increasingly known in shepherd
circles, outside interest was
stirred. The first club lambs were
sold privately about five years ago,
performing well for pleased
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S’ ZIMMERMAN'S
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P. n« I I immsmun _ n g-gBB—M
Phone John W. Zimmerman
$ (215) 445-6976 R#l Box 358
East Earl, Pa. 17519
project buyers. In fact, from that
first group of six club lambs, one
took the Centre County cham
pionship, and another was named
reserve champion at the Farm
Show.
As that trend continued, interest
among buyers mushroomed. By
the third year, prospective buyers
were milling among the flock,
writing down eartags before lambs
were even near ready for sale.
For the past two years, Pine
Haven joined forces with Hanover
hog breeder Roger Bankert to hold
a club project sale, offering both
lambs and pigs, at the York
Fairgrounds.
While breeder-held sale and open
house events are commonplace in
the large grazing areas of the
West, few East Coast sheep
producers have ventured into this
method of merchandising. Along
with the Suffolks offered by Pine
Haven at the club lamb sale are
selections from Buster Wilson
Hampshires, Rural Retreat,
Virginia, and Clearview Acres
DorsetsofYork.
Total consignments will number
in the 25 to 35-head range. Along
with the selection of club lambs
will be a “handful” of breeding
ewes. Sires of the Suffolk offerings
include The Right Move and
Zeigler Co 131. Hamps are from
Gigelo, Nightrider or WF 319,
with The Priest, or Poynter Ram in
the Dorset’s paternal side.
In addition to the Suffolks, Pine
Haven for a period of time also
maintained a flock of Ram
bouillets. Those were sold last year
MEMBERS!
WHY JOIN?
It is becoming more difficult for an
individual or small organization to make a
point or initiate an idea, or resolve a
problem that could be beneficial for the
livestock industry. This is especially true
when such a point or idea needs wide
support. It is the hope that as a member
of the Pennsylvania Livestock Association
you could and would, as an individual or a
livestock organization, present your point,
idea or problem to the association for
consideration and support.
As a member you will have a role and be
supporting an effort to influence and
strengthen the future of Pennsylvania’s
livestock industry.
WHO CAN JOIN?
Any individual, corporation, partnership
or business interested in the production,
marketing, processing, supplying or any
other practices related to the livestock
industry
HOW TO JOIN?
Fill out the attached form and send to
the membership chairman as noted on the
form
DUES STRUCTURE
Individual & Family farms
Associations & Agri-Business
Sustaining
Supporting*
to a Virginia purchaser, since a
greater return on investment was
being generated by the Suffolks,
especially in the demand for club
lambs.
Now the focus is solely on the
Suffolk flock of 55 brood ewes, 75
percent the farm’s own lines.
Outside purchases are mainly for
fresh genetics through stud rams,
including an ET ram acquired
from Rosenboom Suffolks in
Clifton, Illinois.
Conaway’s experienced eye
quickly sees beyond the woolly
exteriors of these tall, stylish,
black-faced beauties to the show
and developmental potential in
their bone structure and muscling.
“We want lambs with the ability
to grow efficiently, and to have
muscle; after all, these are red
meat animals. Soundness is im
portant. There are a lot of unsound
legs, feet and mouths around the
country,” assesses Conaway.
“And, we need frame and bone, but
not with as much emphasis as in
the past.
“I believe perhaps size has been
overemphasized,” he adds,
stressing the need for a “totally
balanced package” in a lamb,
including breed character.
Until packers move toward
wanting 130 to 160 pound lambs,
Conaway figures that 38 to 40 in
ches is the ideal size for stud rams.
Packers currently prefer 105 to 125
pound weights, and price has been
holding in the 88 to 90-cent area.
Wool prices, however, have
“tumbled,” from past highs of 90
cents to more recent per-pound
ELi itO’Cs&CO’Oit
CO'it
For the development and growth of the livestock agriculture and associated industries in Pennsylvania
Attention: Beef, Swine, Sheep & Horse
DETACH, FILL OUT & MAIL TO: Peter H. Krall, P.O. Box 149, Catasauqua, PA 18032
Name .
Address
I would like to become a member
lndividual Association or Agri-Business
Interests and Related Industries
ASSOCIATH
(Here are some facts about your
association)
Contributed $5,000.00 to the Penn State
Livestock Judging Team
Donated $300.00 to the Penn State Block
and Bridle Club (Red Meats Spectacular)
Supported ($200.00) Penna. Dept, of Agr.
Cornucopia Dinner
Sponsors the Penna Meat Marketing
Program, making an annual contribution
of $3,500 00 to this effort, plus being
responsible for expending nearly
$13,000 00 worth of funds (from other
sources) toward the promotion of red
meat
Sponsors the Association Food Booth at
State Farm Show where beef and pork
sandwiches and lamb stew are served to
approximately 20,000 hungry people each
year.
For the past 30 years the Association has
sponsored and conducted the Keystone
international Livestock Exposition This
event is one of the largest livestock
displays along the eastern seabord The
'B5 Show included 3,874 entries from 18
states, with premiums of $84,000.00
$l5 00
$3O 00
$lOO 00
* Includes a banquet table for eight at the
Annual Meeting and a half page ad in the
KILE catalog
$5OO 00
lows of 60 cents.
Thus, flock profitability can be
significantly boosted if club lamb
demand is maintained. Conaway
prescribes to the theory that show
accomplishments, as well as
publication advertising, keeps
potential purchaser interest high.
“When you’re winning, the
Jgh, pic ly. .. gro.
champion market lamb honors at this year's Farm Show with
a Conaway-bred Suffolk sired by “The Right Move.”
IR-Di
’hone Number
County
Zip Code
-enclosed.
And Trees
phone keeps ringing,” he grins.
And Pine Haven lambs have been
on a winning streak for the past
few seasons.
The 1967 Farm Show club lamb
champ is the latest of a string of
top prizes taken by Pine Haven
breeding. Top wins of 1986 lambs
(Turn to Page E 5)
YOUTH COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
Recognizes four outstanding 4-H and FFA
youth annually at the Awards Banquet
$300.00 in awards
Conducts the annual Keystone Jr
Livestock and Meats Judging contest
($1,000.00 cash awards and ribbons)
Sponsors the Junior Stockman Award at
the Keystone Exposition ($975.00 in U S
Savings Bonds and ribbons)
The sponsored youth contests for the past
5 years have included 1800 contestants
from 5 states and awarded over
$10,000.00 worth of prizes
To conduct these contests the Youth
Committee has been assisted by 500 adult
leaders, and has reached 1,994 deserving
livestock youth with a budget of
$22,750.00
Provided scholarships for state-winning
livestock, horse, meats, sheep shearing,
and horse bowl teams to compete in
National Contests each year; this ex
penditure of $1,700.00 annually benefits
outstanding livestock youth
Awarded Achievement Trophies at Penn
State's Little International, State
Achievement Days, and Penna Jr
Livestock Field Day
Sustaining
Supporting