International Extravaganza Set For New Jersey July 10 BY GINGER SECRIST MYERS Adams County Correspondent WASHINGTON, N.J. - Max Spann, his family, his farm staff and his Heron Run Farm herd of 100 registered Jerseys are making preparations for visitors. However, this event will not be the typical county field day or even a State Meeting. On July 10 to 13, Heron Run Farm will host one of the premier Jersey events in the world this year, the International Jersey Extravaganza. Not since 1968 when the World Jersey Cattle Bureau held its meeting in Columbus, Ohio, has there been a Jersey event of this scope held in the Umted States. The Extravaganza is the brainchild of Max Spann, a third generation Jersey breeder, who describes himself as a displaced farmer who still understands farmers and agriculture. Spann left active fanning when he was 35 years old to pursue a career in real estate sales. Still, he longed to return to owning a herd of Jerseys and a farm, much as his grand father, W. R. Spann, and father had operated. Spann’s grandfather had been a premier broker of Jerseys in the early 1900’s and was instrumental in the procurement of the foundation stock for such herds as Curtis Candy and Marlu Farm. Five years ago the Spanns purchased a property in the Asbury area and built all new cattle facilities designed especially for Jerseys. He re-established a herd of cows, selecting from a varied pool of genes which include Jerseys imported from the Island of Jersey, Canadian breeding, and brood cows from some of the best herds in the States. Max characterizes his herd as the only truly international Jersey herd in the world. Cows such as Valley Stream B Dial 47L, a for mer senior 2-year-old butterfat HM| pf * Spann characterizes his herd as the only truly international Jersey herd in the world. Pictured here is Golden Munifordia Noble, an imported herd sire from the Island of Jersey. His dam has over 250,000 pounds of milk credited to her lifetime production. -Jgl travaganza will be housed at Heron Run Farm. A special sale crew is already at-work tending consignments that started to arriye at the farm in mid-June. champion in Canada; W.F. Brass Allure, ranked 62nd on the January AJCC Cow Performance Last; and Geldria Titles Opal EX-92; all make their home at Heron Run Farm. According to Dave Wallace, farm manager, the current RHA is over 12,000 pounds of milk and 599 pounds of butterfat. The realization of his ambition to return to active dairying has proven not to be an end in itself for Spann, but rather a new beginning. He feels that now, as never before, there is a need for a world-wide exchange of Jersey ideas and Jersey genes. He explains, “It is so important now to stimulate in terest in the breed and in agriculture world-wide. We in the Jersey business have a great opportunity to lead the way in agriculture with our cow’s ef ficiency factors. I want this event to promote Jerseys, milk, and pride in agriculture.” Spann has organized the event to provide a balanced mixture of business and pleasure. The program for the first day, July 10, will feature a Breeders Symposium to be held at the Holiday Inn in Clinton. The mor ning session, to be chaired by Ed Grotty, president of the Jersey Cattle Cooperative Association, will feature such speakers as Maurice Core, Dr. John Wilk, Dr. Jim Justin, John Whit, Fred Stout and Calvin Covington. Their topics will focus on developing and managing the Jersey cow and marketing her products to their best advantage. There is a $7 charge for lunch. The afternoon session will include a round table discussion with audience par ticipation. A trip to New York City is scheduled for July 11 for visitors and their families. The trip will include a bus tour of Manhattan, lunch at South Street Seaport, a Max Spann is a third generation Jersey breeder who strongly believes that promotion and a forum for an open exchange of ideas from around the world is vital to rejuvenating agriculture. It was this idea that motivated him to host the International Jersey Ex travaganza at his Heron Run Farm July 10 to 13. Shown here with Max (right) are his son, Louis, and his wife, Jean. visit to the observation tower at the World Trade Center, and a ride on the ferry around the Statue of Liberty. Family Day continues on July 12 with a genuine Jersey banquet and a Parade of the Extravaganza Sale consignments hosted at the Heron Run Farm. Max emphasizes'that “Jersey” is the theme of the banquet which will feature pit roasted Jersey beef, Jersey milk, New Jersey grown sweet corn and tomatoes, and all the trimmings. Evemng musical entertainment is also planned. The Extravaganza will conclude on July 13 with a sale of 65 Jerseys of diverse backgrounds. Con signments are coming from many of the top herds in this country and Canada, as well as two con signments direct from the Island of Jersey. Included in the offering are two 1986 All-American winners, daughters of two more winners, plus descendants of four U.S. National Grand Champions, along with USDA Elite List Cows, daughters of Canadian Class, and offspring of AJCC High CPI List cows. All the sale cattle will be housed in a 80-by-40 foot building at the farm that usually houses their calves and dry cows. A special sale crew has been secured for the fitting and care taking assign ments. Sale cattle had already started arriving at the farm by mid-June. I,OOOth Dairyman Signs RCMA Contract HARRISBURG - The final push to sign members to Regional Cooperative Marketing Agency contracts is paying off and the I,oooth Pennsylvania dairy farmer will get his contract on Friday, June 26. Steve Commen, who operates “Justa Beauty” farm with his father Creedin, has signed a contract to let RCMA collect a premium on his milk,above the federally set minimum price. Steve’s sign-up is another milestone and shows how strong RCMA has become during a recent campaign to win a 14-year struggle to turn the concept into reality. :*>* * » ; The milking string at Heron Run Farm is housed in a comfort stall barn designed especially for Jerseys. Here they receive a ration of haylage, shelled corn, concentrate, and baled hay. Their ration is balanced by the staff at New Bolton center. Spann notes that while the ex change of ideas among breeders is imperative at this event, the up coming sale has become a highlight for him. He, along with Norman Nabholz and the Jersey Marketing staff, have logged countless hours and miles in making these selections. Stated Spann, “The quality of the con signments is great. There are at least 30 cows, any of which we could start the sale with. Every breeder I visited gave the pick from the top of his herd.” Catalogs RCMA’s purpose is to get over order prices for dairy producers. This concept is endorsed by Secretary of Agriculture Boyd E. Wolff and by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. “The Northeastern U.S. has lost more than 2,000 daily farms in the last 12 months,” said Secretary Wolff,” and I think RCMA provides the kind of help farmers need to stay in business.” The Secretary added, “Producers need all the help they can get to preserve our precious supply of milk and preserve Pennsylvania’s family farm system.” for the sale can be obtained for a $5 charge. Send request to: In ternational Jersey Extravaganza, P.O. Box 256, Bedminster, N.J 07921. Max Spann is optimistic about agriculture, Jerseys, and people in general. He has applied his philosophy to this event When asked if all the time and travel spent in its organization has been worth it, he just grinned, raised his eyebrows and said, “Just wait to you see what we’ve got planned for next year.” With an RCMA contract, a producer who milks 70 cows could receive an extra 5,000 dollars a year for his milk. Ninety-five percent of the dairy farmers in the 11 state area from Maine to Maryland have signed RCMA contracts. However, the program has lagged behind that figure in Pennsylvania so RCMA officials launched a last-minute campaign to sign up more farmers before a July 10 deadline. On July 10 the RCMA board will meet to vote on a premium. Farmers who have not signed contracts cannot share in that help. * cJ * „***** < *
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