Nelson, the oldest of the two brothers who operate The
Weaver Homestead dairy farm, is pleased with their grade
cows, which have increased production in response to bet
ter forage.
(Continued from Page B 2) family and church activities at the
emergencies since children and Weaverland Ntennomte church.
fh 0 m e b old reSponsibiUtieS keep They have grade cows because
em usy. they aren’t interested in marketing.
The two-hour shifts are rotated Not having registered cows has not
between the brothers and they have interfered with success,
hired help for the other. Nelson said, “Because we have
Their milking schedule allows grade cows, I think we make better
them to have one weekend, one decisions when it’s time to get rid
Sunday, and one Saturday off of a cow. When a cow is a dud, it
monthly. The milking schedule should go even if it is registered.”
allows their evenings to be free for Over the years, Weaver Home-
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Palmyra
stead has earned a reputable name
and some farmers have begged to
buy some of the Weavers’ heifers.
“We have good cows and good
production from using balanced
rations, good quality forage and
good management techniques,”
Don said.
Reseed alfalfa
Every three years the Weavers
reseed alfalfa. They feed high
moisture shell com and no bale
hay. They are extremely pleased
with the results of using mega lac,
a condensed source of energy.
For breeding purposes, they use
AI and the best bulls for the
money.
Of BST, Don said, “I kind of
wish it would go away. We won’t
be the first to jump on the band
wagon. We’ll watch the results and
reactions of the public. I think it’s
safe to drink, but to get more milk,
you must work the cow harder and
a cow can only eat so much. The
food would need to be more dense
in energy and protein,” he paused
then turned toward his brother and
said, “That’s my opinion, what
about you?”
Nelson agreed and laughingly
remarked, “We get along good
because we agree on important
issues.”
Paper bedding
The Weavers use newspaper
paper bedding. Nelson made a
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Weaver Homestead
machine to grind it by using a ham
mermill to grind and blow the bed
ding into a bin and later the bed
ding is dropped through a chute
into an electric feed cart for
distribution.
“I built it for $l,OOO and it
shreds finer and more consistent
and uniform than others we’ve
seen,” Nelson said.
Except for emergencies, Don
takes care of most of the health
work needed for herd care.
“I work hard to keep the cows
happy,” he said.
Host visitors
The Weavers also work to keep
others happy. Nelson and his wife
Joyce are in charge of helping a
Russian family resettle in the area.
They often host international stu
dents and hope someday to reci
procate the visits.
The family also offers farm
tours and has enjoyed visits with
people from all over the world.
Don’s family enjoys music and
the girls play the piano and violin.
Sports occupy a lot of their time
with Nelson playing softball on a
Jeana, 6, and Rita, 3, find these bunnies just the right size
for them.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 31,1990*83
church team, Jenny basketball,
Jeana baseball, and Jason, soccer.
Six-year-old Justin, who likes to
ride in the cab tractor with his
father, said, ‘Td rather plow than
go to kindergarten.”
Linda, Don’s wife, is busy with
Heidi, 8; Gina, 6; Rita, 3; and D.
John, 20 months. Linda shares her
love for animals with the children
by raising guinea pigs, chickens,
rabbits, and fish. A horse is
ordered and they look forward to
using a three-seated cart they own
that is big enough to haul two fami
lies comfortably.
Because they enjoy entertaining
friends, Don and Linda built a
patio to host groups such as Sun
day schools and a day camp for 60
kids which Don co-directs.
The adults are pleased with the
flexibility that partnership fanning
allows.
“I didn’t want to marry a fanner
especially a dairy fanner
because of the long hours
involved,” Joyce said, “but now I
think it’s the greatest way to raise a
family.”