A3B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 21, 1991
Levys Attribute Success To Feeding
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
CLEARVILLE (Bedford
Co.) — James and Karla Levy of
Clearville RD 2 are proud of their
farming success they have
attained in only six years.
“If we would just get a decent
growing season two years in a row
I think we could do very well,”
said Karla. “Since we’ve lived
here, we’ve had one good year.
The rest have been either very dry
or very wet.”
James grew up on a farm in the
Clearville area. However, when
the family farm bam burned, his
father sold off the land.
“Farming was something I
wanted to do,” he explained. “So,
Karla and I started looking for a
place of our own. When we found
this one, we bought in quickly.”
While Karla did not grow up on
a farm, she said she has adapted to
farm life and, “most of the time,”
enjoys it
This year, the Levys won the
lop DHIA award for cow protein
production, the “Best Production
Progress” award and the Herds
men award (a new Bedford Coun
ty award).
The Levys farm is on 143 acres
with about 90 being farmed. They
milk 30 registered Holsteins and
have 33 adult cows. There are an
additional 43 to 30 head of young
cattle.
James attributes the production
increase this year to feed. “We use
as good of forage as possible,” he
said. “And, we raise our own. We
do buy most of our shelled com.
We also have a good genetic
potential and breed for superior
cows.
“We thank Agway for their
advice in our protein award,”
Levy said. “We listened to what
they had to say regarding a feed
program and. it worked. We listen
to all suggestions, then, we keep
an open mind and think about
(hem.
“In 1990, we had a good grow
ing season and that also helped us
to win these awards. The cows
took off and started to do great.”
The Levys feel that the 1991
drought was a bit of a setback.
“For about six months we had
almost no rain,” Karla comments.
“We only got about 50% of our
com crop.”
James and Karla run the farm
with no outside help. James does
the field and heavy work. Karla
milks with their pipeline milking
system and the milk is sent to the
Maryland/Virginia Co-op.
Their two sons. James, 10, and
Joshua, 7, both help. “James is
getting big enough to be a good
help,” Karla said. “He tells us we
couldn't have won these awards
without him.”
Since Joshua was only one year
old when the Levys bought their
farm, Karla said she remembers
milking with a baby hanging on
her leg.
The boys both belong to the
Chapman’s Run 4-H group.
“Outside of helping the boys
with their 4-H projects, we have
very few outside activities,” Karla
said. “There just isn’t time.”
When the local elementary
school had a Christmas play, it
meant that Karla had to rearrange
her whole day to get the milking
done in time to attend. “We still
ended up sitting in the back of the
auditorium,” she said.
James and Karla Levy stand outside at their farm with
their dog “Goose.”
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