Thriving On (Continued from Page El 6) clearly their main interest and first love. The Hollers milk twice a day with buckets in a tie-stall bam. AU replacement heifers are raised on the fr ith ' bei »ld. the “fin & feather” restaurant. The restaurant, open during hunting season, features dairy, beef, and pork products raised by the Holler family. ./.. mm *La&v : ~- .. / : !S < : v v> p*iSe|i*/4iw*, wii,« «*** |)rf» MPPMRe„o', System* SSST ~, - r / r^ \ *- v Her.hey Equips* sS*'"' put it *ll SiSft*«***«ft* **?»».: ,a^ : .-. TO HCRSHEY EQUIPMENT ri I COMPANY, INC. i S C 3 DMifiitn of Quality Syotons for Poultry, Sirino and Grain Handling Difference And Diversity Their farm, Holler-View, was hon ored this year with the Dairy of Distinction Award. About two years ago Mary Lou and Jim bought (he “fin and feath ”Br ’ it. hr EY Hog Systems Hot Dip Galvanized SYCAMORE INO. PARK 255 PLANE TREE DRIVE LANCASTER. PA 17603 (717)393-5807 spur of the moment decision. They always wanted a place, “but never had the courage” to do anything about it. When the restaurant went up for auction, they made their move. The restaurant is open every day from April 1 to December 15 with the Hollers rising at 1:30 a.m. to open the restaurant at 3:00 a.m. As they pull into the parking lot, hun gry hunters are already waiting in line for breakfast before heading for the state gamelands, which are across the street. “The serious hun ters want to be out and in their blinds before daybreak,” said Mary Lou. At the height of the season, they have served up to 300 eggs in two hours! Jim helps Mary Lou get started at the restaurant and then leaves to tend the dairy cows. Despite the hard work and long hours involved with the restaurant, buying it has been a good move for the Hollers. Mary Lou revealed that they have met “an awful lot of nice people” at the restaurant. She particularly enjoys it when former class mates come to the restaurant to eat Mary Lou receives help in run- • Farrowing Systems • Nursery Systems • Gestation Systems • Finishing Systems Route 30 West at the Centerville Exit. ning the restaurant from her daughter, Debbie, who also works in Erie at St Vincent Health Cen ter. Debbie was employed by the restaurant’s former owners and “I sort of went with the place when it was sold,” she said. The “fin and feather” is located about a mile from the Pymatuning Spillway. The Holler sons have started their own enterprise in the parking lot where they sell stale bread for visitors to feed to the fish at the Spillway. “Everybody com es to Pymatuning to feed the fish,” explained Mary Lou. The beef that is served in the restaurant like the pork, is raised by the Hollers. They have four registered Simmental cows and two calves, and more than 15 Gel vieh cattle. The Hollers began rais ing Gelvieh cattle, a dual dairy/ beef breed originally from Ger many, as a hobby because they “wanted something different to work with.” They read about Gelvieh in magazines and discovered that the breed produced fast gainers with gentle dispositions. They bought their first six head of Glevieh: five heifers and a bull, in February, 1986, in 22-below-zero weather at a beef expo in Des Moines, lowa. * * mmrW f I i **“*- *> * .• Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 19,1988-El7 k <• '' \v HOMELITE The Hollers have been very happy with the breed and find them a “nice, gentle type animal.” The Hollers have come a long way from theft beginnings. Jim grew up in the Jamestown area, while Mary Lou was a “city girl” from Meadville. Together they lived on their present farm for 31 years. In 1956, they added a small run-down farm nearby. Don’t ask to see “before” or “after” pictures because “we were too poor to buy film,” remembered Mary Lou. The Hollers are a real success story and certainly are thriving on diversity. 4f V STRIKE IT RICH! SELL IT WITH A LANCASTER FARMING CLASSIFIED
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