E24-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 3,1989 BY HELEN KELCHNER Columbia Co. Correspondent BERWICK (Columbia Co.) The Dean and Hazel Robbins Farms of Bloomsburg, are run by Dean Robbins and his four sons, Randy, Boz, Sam and Andy. The Robbins’ Holstein dairy herd of just over 500 head has 270 milking cows, 35 dry and 200 heifers at the present time. In addition to the distinction of being the largest in Columbia County, this farm has one-of-a kind creations resourceful fa cilities which save time, labor and are cost efficient. From the bam, which is just short of a football field size, to the heating units designed to bum sawdust, the entire.operation is one of skillful and ingenious plan ning. Robbins Farms consist of six farms with 500 tillable acres. An additional 500 rented acres make up the total operation within two miles. Most of the land consists of gentle rolling hills which Dean Robbins has turned to his advant age, especially at the main bam site. Dean has a reputation for his creative engineering talent which is the result of self-teaching and practice. For instance, the average builder would shy away from a site with a 12-foot slope ending in an abrupt 30-foot drop. But Dean worked these “minor” disadvant ages into a classic facility which is a unique show piece. The T-shaped bam, 360’ x 96’ and 130’ x 60’ (built in 1979), is located on the main farm. The sloping terrain was incorporated into the design. The facility has a 12-foot drop from one end to the other, a decline scarcely notice able to the average person. How ever, the hill on which it was built lent itself to the ultimate purpose. The gentle slope encourages the nature of cows to lay with their backs “uphill” in their free stall area. With few exceptions, the cows lay as planned, thus elim inating the possibility of kicking the next cow in the bag or belly. Andy says about 90% of the herd performs as planned. Another “hill” advantage is seen in an adjoining manure pit which is constructed on the edge of a dropoff. Just a few feet be yond the levee-like sides, the hill makes an abrupt 30-ft. drop. A 30-inch pipe runs through the levee at the bottom of the pit The open end extends out far enough for easy spreader loading on the road beneath the dropoff. A tractor pulled spreader positioned under the pipe can be filled in three sec onds by a pull release activated by the driver without leaving the trac tor. The gravity force system has a safety device for mechanical fail ure. Dean Robbins’ engineering is also evident in two saw dust burn ers on the premises. He and his sons (who have picked up his tal ent) designed and constructed these furnaces which heat water for the domestic hot water and the heating system in the house, and the hot water and heating system for the milking parlor. The furnace for the home is lo cated some distance from the house. A hot water line rims un derground into the residence. Ad vantages to the outside furnace range from fire safety to conven ient access to fuel. Ther elimina tion of fuel storage, resulting dirt and ash handling within the house also makes the outdoor facility argest Dairy Herd In Columbia County Run very desirable to Dean’s wife. Ha zel. The second furnace located just off the compressor room of the bam heats the milk parlor 55 to 60 degrees in winter. Water tempera ture reaches 180 degrees for cleanup. A 500-cubic-foot load of sawdust is the fuel consumption for one month and amounts to one trip by truck. Both these furnaces have been fueled with wood, but the waste product of saw mills and lumber yards is more economical. The Robbins’ farm complex is made up in part from farms owned by great-grandparents on both sides of Dean’s family which dates back to the 1800 s. Dean was bom on the land as were his four sons and one daughter. In 1976, a partnership was formed with Dean and three sons: Andy, Randy and Boz. A fourth son, Sam, works for the partner ship. The Robbins’ daughter, Pam, is a nurse at Geisinger. Each partner has his specialty. Randy is in charge of crops and the field crew. The acreage per crop runs approximately 450 acres in com, 350 in alfalfa hay, 100 in timothy, 60 in barley and 40 in oats. Storage consists of one Harve store, 25 x 90 feet for high mois ture shelled com. Five large trench silos handle haylage with con struction of a sixth in the planning. The largest trench is 90 x 30 x 12 feet. It is filled IS to 18 feet deep, tamped down by an Intemationnal 340 small dozer. A side-dump wa gon run behind the chopper dumps forage into a buck which trans ports it to the trench. This practice, begun about 1985, eliminates a couple of laborers. The benches vary in size down to the original which has less than half the stor age capacity of the largest. Andy is the herdsman and han dles breeding, feeding and treat ing. Bloomsburg veterinarian Lar ry Smith makes weekly herd checks and Sunny Golden nutri tionist advises Andy on ration bal Interior of the 360-foot by 96-foot barn with its 42-foot high cathedral celling has a 12-foot drop from one end to the other. It is designed for optimum air flow. Eight foot windows can be dropped open in hot weather to create a dhimney effect, drawing the hot air up to the open ceiling. ancrng. A TMR wagon delivers feed to the herd. The top two groups get fed three times a day and the bot tom producers twice a day. The ra tion is essentially the same of hay lage, high moisture com, silage, com distillers, buckwheat midds, wet brewers’ yeast, grain and min erals with free choice hay. The buckwheat midds have been intro duced into the ration recently be cause it is cost efficient and nour- ishing. The 130-by-60-foot extension of the T-shaped bam holds the milking parlor, 4,000-gallon stor age tank and holding pen. The milking system is a Bomatic-Poly gon. The diamond-shaped facility accommodates 24 head at one time. This system features indivi dual electronic weigh meter and automatic takeoff. It has a hookup for a computer which may be add ed in the future. The Robbins take a second to gather together for a quick picture. Pictured: (from left) Andy, Sam, Randy with son Jeff, and Haael and Dean Robbins. ]l
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