Weaver Homestead Offers A Great Way To Live
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster
Co.) The Weaver Homestead, a
familiar name among progressive
farmers, is often cited for excel
lence in farming practices.
But Nelson and Don Weaver,
who operate the century farm in
New Holland, appear nonchalant
about the media recognition they
receive for their example of leader
ship and inspiration to others.
“We are trying to do a good job
and we’re thankful for what we
have accomplished, but what we
really are trying to do is to live in a
way that our families enjoy,” Don
said.
He explained, “We consider
ourselves progressive in manage
ment, but we don’t live or die by
our cows production. We get the
most satisfaction out of doing
something with our families and
with our church because God is
important to us.”
Begin farming
Nelson, 38, the oldest son,
began farming in partnership with
his dad, John M. Weaver, in 1976.
While Nelson has always main
tained a love for the farm, his
brother Don, who is 32, recalls
that, as a teenager, he couldn’t wait
to leave the farm.
“Back then, it seemed like
everything I touched broke,” he
recalled. “It was so frustrating.”
After high school graduation,
Don left the farm and for three
years was employed by a company
in a supervisory position.
No regrets
“During that time, I felt no
regrets for leaving the farm and I
was content in my job,” Don said.
But in 1980, when his brother
bought out his dad’s share, Don
decided to join his brother in
partnership.
“I had matured a lot in those
three years,” Don said, “and we
D. John, 20 months, shares his mother’s delight with the
chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs that are housed in a shed
on the homestead.
decided I would be in charge of the
cows and Nelson in charge of the
crops.”
Working in partnership allows
the team to be flexible and Nelson
said, “I feel we make better deci
sions because we can weigh each
other’s perspective and come up
with the right decision.”
The brothers believe they
balance each other. Nelson enjoys
the crop and mechanical end of
farming while Don prefers over
seeing the breeding and feeding
program for the cows.
Recognizing strengths
Both recognize that Don is more
open in expressing his opinions
and Nelson more reserved. Recog-
The Nelson Weaver family includes (from left) Joyce, Nelson, Jennifer, Justin and
Janina.
nizing each other’s strengths and
weaknesses has allowed them to
work well together.
“Sure we have differences of
opinions sometimes that’s to be
expected but the important
thing is that we respect each
other,” Don said.
One of the first decisions the
brothers, who have both earned the
Keystone Farmer Award in the
FFA program, made was to cut
back on diversification.
“We wouldn’t have this farm if
our dad hadn’t kept on top of
things. He wasn’t afraid to expand.
Over the years, in addition to dairy,
he farmed tobacco, tomatoes, pigs,
chickens, and steers.
Don and Linda Weaver with their children, from left, D.
John, 20 months; Gina, 6; Heidi, 8; and Rita, 3.
“But we decided to stick to dairy
because that makes the most
money to support two families,”
Nelson said.
They have 90 Holsteins and 90
replacements on their 106-acre
farm. Nelson owns the farm with
the two houses.
Conservation practices
In March, the Weaver Home
stead received the annual Out
standing Cooperative Award from
the Lancaster County Conserva
tion District.
The Homestead had been signed
up with the conservation district in
1970. At that point, they began
contour farming and soon installed
a waterway to prevent ditch
erosion.
Don Robinson, who heads the
Young Farmers Program in the
Eastern Lancaster County School
District, worked with them to
switch fields from square blocks to
strips.
In 1974, the Weavers added to
the bam and installed a 90,000 gal
lon liquid manure system. “It held
a two-month supply and was sure
ly better than spreading manure
every day,” Don said, “but it had
its disadvantages too.”
In 1982, they installed a slurry
ll
% \
hold that stores a nine-month supp
ly. “It’s ideal because we haul in in
the spring and the fall —whenever
it’s convenient for us.
“In the beginning we viewed the
system as an advantage for the
mere fact that we didn’t need to
haul it everyday. Later we saw the
advantages that we needed no fer
tilizer at all for the last three years.
Soil tested
After the soil tested in excess for
nitrogen, potash and phosphorous,
the Weavers became more particu
lar about adding additional nutri
ents to the soil.
“The soil is alive; it breaks down
organic matter and we must treat it
as something special. If we put on
chemicals that are so toxic that it
*Komesipad
hurts our skin, I have to ask what
else is it killing,” Don said.
The reality of this possibility
was magnified when Don and his
wife Linda’s first child was diag
nosed severely mentally
handicapped.
“The doctor attributes her hand
icap to high nitrates in our water,”
Don said. “Since that time, we’ve
eliminated the water contamina
tion but we prefer to not place
blame but to accept that God gave
Heidi to us for a special purpose.
She is very happy and fils in well
with our family.”
When the Weavers observed
that the soil was getting solid, they
saw the importance of crop rota
tion and low input farming. Today
they rotate from com to alfalfa to
kill off the weeds. A severe prob
lem with shatter cane was eradi
cated with mowing and crop rota
tion. Instead of baling com fodder
this year they plowed and disced it
to built up the soil.
To be successful in low input
farming, the brothers contend, you
must stick out your neck and do
what you think is the right thing to
do.
Experimentation for them did
not result in crop losses, but “our
com fields didn’t look perfect,”
Nelson admitted. But the Weavers
have been pleased with crops and
yields.
“It has been three years since we
put on fertilizer and we’re really
impressed with the look of the
soil,” Don said “It's healthy, loose
and full of earthworms.”
Milk production
For two families to survive on
one farm, the Weavers wanted to
push for optimun milk production.
“We didn’t want to expand our
herd because we didn’t have any
place to go with the excess fertiliz
er,” Don said. “At the same time
we needed more money to survive
financially.”
In February 1989, the Weavers
began milking three times daily, at
6 a.m., 2 p.m., and 10 p.m. “It’s
one of the best decisions we ever
made,” Don said. Their milking
totals have been up 10 percent dur
ing the first year.
Presently the herd is averaging
23,000 pounds with 880 of
butterfat.
“Milking three times daily real
ly helps udder health because it
relieves pressure,” Don said. “We
have no mastitis or damage to the
teats because they don’t lay in a
wet bed.”
“It has a lot more pluses than
minuses,” Nelson said. “It’s
important to have automatic stop
milkers if you milk three times
daily.”
Despite their success, Don said,
“We don’t recommend milking
three times daily unless you have
enough help. We don’t recom
mend having your wife help on a
regular basis or you’ll suffer
burnout.”
Both wives can handle the milk
ing alone, but do so only during
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