Farming, Saturday, February 11,1989 Fallston, MD —Pick out any of the 1200 open or bred heifers the Scarff Brothers have on inventory and Howard will tell you where she came from and where she is going-going to maybe Texas, Florida, Colorado or even Puerto Rico. This ability to remember each animal and an educated eye for good Holstein replacement stock have made Howard, age 25, and his brother Lance, age 22, among the youngest, successful cattle dealers around. “I (aught the boys to work,” says their father W. Conly Scarff. “And while they have had a lot given to them, they also earned a lot themselves.” 'The brothers now own the cattle business that was*started by their grandfather in 1928 and the 165 acre family farm.ln addition, they lease another 335 acres from their grandmother’s estate. They raise 225 acres of com for silage to feed their growing Holstein heifer replacement business. The Scarffs buy heifers from dairy herds in the “country” that weigh from 400 to 600 pounds. These heifers come mostly from farmers in Pennsylvania and New York. Then the heifers are con tracted out to farmers to feed until they are springing with their first calf. They sell the bred heifers by the trailer load to commercial dairymen across the country. This new bam houses 500 bred and open heifers. Scarff Bros. Have “We look for a large framed heifer that shows a lot of youthful ncss,” Conly said. “We don’t want a stunted heifer. And since we sell 90 percent of our heifers without die buyer seeing them until they are at their new home, we want them to be thriving, healthy heif ers. Our reputation depends on it.” Because of the optimism for the future of dairying, especially the export market for dairy animals, the Scarffs have just completed a new 122’x284’ bam and loafing pen that’s divided into six parts. The bam, built by A.K. Pelersheim & Sons, Narvon, had Lapp’s Bam Equipment, Gap, as general con tractor and uses Zimmerman stalls. A 68x225 Sollenbcrgcr trench silo was built beside the new bam. The bam houses 500 heifers and was patterned after the Pennsylvania Holstein Association barn in Middletown. The bam is 14 feet high inside and has a ventilator in the roof to siphon off the hot air from the ani mals. They also installed vent doors in back to adjust the air flow as needed. The bam faces east and allows the morning sun to shine back into the pens. ‘The new bam is rather a luxury for us,” Conly said. “Our family has been raising heifers out in the open for quite some time. My father did it before us. Until recen tly, the business was not large The icarff Brothers farm at Fallston, Maryland with new barn shown on right. New Bam For Family Business enough to justify a new bam. In addition, my father put every extra dollar into land. He thought bams depreciate but land appreciates.” And the Scarffs have reason to believe their father and grand father was right. The land around their farm sells for $lOO,OOO to $125,000 for one or two acres. But they still feel that their new bam was needed to keep better hands on management of the heifers. “No question the cattle business supports the farming operation,” Conly said. “But we’re proud to keep the family business going right in the heart of this area where development pressure has pushed many of our neighboring farms into $350,000 to $650,000 homes. I’m not sure what kind of a job you must need to have to own a house like that, but they sell them as fast as they build them.” Conly expressed appreciation to other cattle dealers who helped his sons get established in the busi ness. He said that competitiveness among dealers is common. But many dealers, especially in the Lancaster area, helped his sons when they were inexperienced. “These dealers could have taken advantage of the boys, but they didn’t,” Conly said. “And we want to thank them for that.” Back in the late 1800’s, Thomas Winfield Scarff bought the first ground for the family. Succeeding generations include: C. Howard Scarff, Sr., W. Conly Scarff and the Scarff brothers, C. Howard II and Lance N. “It feels good to be on the land where vour family has lived for generations,” Lance said. “And even today we keep things in the family. We do all the work, the buying and selling. We have hands-on management that gives us a chance to discern the needs of our customer and his opperation too.” And with this fourth-generation, farm-cattle business team of How ard and Lance in charge, this hands-on family management is likely to continue for quite some time. Betty and Conly Scarff and sons C. Howard II and Lance N. Rutt Named State Ag Board To HARRISBURG Rep. John E. Barley today announced that a southern Lancaster County farmer has been named to the state’s new Agricultural Land Preservation Board. Barley said Kenneth M. Rutt, of Edgefield Farms near Quarry ville, was appointed to the board by House Republican Leader Matth ew J. Ryan for the 1989-1990 ses sion of the General Assembly. “Ken Rutt is well qualified to serve on the state board, having been recognized by his peers as a successful farmer and agri businessman,” said Barley. “He’s been very active, not only in the agricultural community, but in many civic and community endeavors.” Barley pointed out that Rutt was recognized as a Master Far mer in 1983 and has served as president of both the Lancaster County 4-H Council and the Lan- caster County Extension Service. He served on the Lancaster Coun ty Planning Commission’s Land Use Advisory Committee for 12 years and was manager of the Sol anco Fair Association from 1967 to 1978. Rutt is also a director of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and serves as chairman of the Chamber’s Agriculture Commit tee. Rutt will be one of two Lancas ter countians on the 17-member State Agricultural Land Preserva tion Board. Rep. Kenneth E. Brandt (R-98th District) will serve by virtue of his position as Republican chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. The board was created under House Bill 442 (Act 149 of 1988), which was cosponsored by Barley and enacted into law in December. The panel is responsible for reviewing farm preservation pro posals from counties, around the state and approving funds to sup port those preservation efforts. “Agricultural land preservation is crucial to Lancaster County and our county is expected to be the largest recipient of preservation funds from the state,” noted Bar ley. “We’re very fortunate to have both Ken Rutt and Rep. Brandt on the board representing the south ern and northwestern portions of the county.” GIGANTIC SILICTIGN In Lancaster Farming's CLASSIFIEDS
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