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VOL 37 No. 22
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Frank Orner Named Pennsylvania DHIA President
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
HOME CAMP (Clearfield
Co.) —When you deal sucessfiilly
with other people around you, you
may call it good public relations.
But to the new president of the Pen
nsylvania Dairy Herd Improve
ment Association, public relations
is simply old-fashioned
neighborliness.
Frank Omer, who farms 400
acres on five farms just east of
Dußois, with his parents, uncle,
and cousins, was named head of
Pennsylvania’s largest dairy asso
ciation last week at a board meet
ing in Sayre. William Jackson,
New Salem, was named vice presi
dent; Joseph Lyons, Millville, sec
retary; and Norman Hershey, Gor
donville, treasurer.
“We try to help our neighbors
when we can,” Omer said. “We
plow the snow from their lanes and
each year invite them for a hay ride
and other activities on the farm. In
return, if we have a problem or
need some help, they arc not reluc
tant to step in and offer help.”
“The secret to good relations is
not to be argumentative, but
Farmers Must Test Water For Herd, Family Health
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
BERNVILLE (Berks Co.)
After returning from a Sunday
drive one afternoon in August,
dairy farmer Calvin Zerbe saw one
of his prize cows, a 3-year-old,
lying dead in the field.
A few months earlier, calves on
milk replacer began to die. Cows
wouldn’t drink enough water, and
their digestive systems would shut
down. After the death of additional
calves, Zerbe called a veterinarian.
The vet’s suggestion? Move the
calves from the bam into hutches
and administer antibiotics for
every possible sickness. Zerbe did
but that didn’t work. More
calves began to die.
With all possible explanations
Guernsey Association Holds Convention At Bedford
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD (Bedford
Co.) "Overall, we were pleased
with the sale," said Jim Trotter,
business manager of the Pennsyl
vania Guernsey Breeder's Associ
ation, following the Blue Halter
Sale held April 4 at the Bedford
Fairgrounds.
A bid of $2,500 was cast fen’ a
senior calf owned by Brad and
Bemetta Gable of Snider Home
stead Farms in New Enterprise.
The highest bid came by telephone
from a Kentucky farmer, Philip
Perkins.
Calf sale receipts totaled
$21,900 making a $1,216.67 aver
age for an 18-head herd.
John E. duPont of Newtown
Square purchased the highest bid
consignment cow for a bid of
$3,500. Walnut Lane Prides Hazel
Five Sactions
cooperative,” Omer said. “It’s not
enough to only do what you must
do to get the job done. You need to
be friends with as many people as
possible. In farm organizations as
well as personally, the care of our
neighbors is a very important
aspect of agriculture right now.
“In DHIA we need to improve
our relations with members as well
as other segments of the industry.
We need to work at our relation
ship with the bull studs. We have
been working on our relationship
with Penn State, but we need to do
more.
“We need to work with govern
ment agencies because the lab gen
erates waste. With fewer people in
agriculture, the government tends
to move away from us. That’s why
we need to try to work together.
“It’s essential to the survival of
the dairy industry in Pennsylvania
that we work together. United we
stand, divided we fall. It’s as
simple as that.
“Down the road, 1 would like to
see more cooperation among far
mers to get things done without the
need for the farmer to use his fin
- (Turn to Pago A2>)
for the deaths of his cattle ruled
out, Zerbe considered another.
Perhaps the well water needed
testing?
After the results came back that
the well water was so contami
nated that it wasn’t even fit for
washing clothes, Zerbe did what
he had to do.
New well system
Within a few months, Zerbe
built a new well and new well
water filtering system with help
from a neighbor.
Zerbe, recognized this week by
the Berks County Conservation
District as farmer of the year, said
that even drilling a new well
wasn’t enough. The previous well,
contaminated by what he believes
was owned by Rodney and Dar
lene Stuff of Mercersburg.
Second highest consignment
bid of $3,000 was by Great Hill
Dairy Inc. for Oakland Fortunes
Farah owned by Moser Brothers of
Chicora.
Third highest, Lebanon Valley
Ned Nel owned by Jacob N. Smith
and Son of Ja-Mar Dairy in
Annville, went for $2,500. She
was also bought by John E.
duPont.
Troy Hill of Sandy Lake pur
chased the second highest bid calf
for $2,100 and Tucker Wirthing
ton of New York paid $2,050 for
the third highest bid calf.
At the Friday evening awards
banquet held at Hoss's Best West
ern in Bedford, Kathy Keenis was
named the 1992 Pennsylvania
(Turn to Pago A 36)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 11, 1992
The Omer family from left, Frank, Ross and Sarah, David, Leroy, and Russell.
may have been surface water, was
closed and a new one was built
“ We drilled a new well, and that
didn’t solve it all,” he said. “We
wound up putting a filtering sys
tem in and blacklight. And since
that’s been in, the herd health and
the calves have been doing
wonderful.”
Zerbe admitted that the water
Morrow Distinguished Dairy Alumnus
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Dr. David A. Morrow has
been named the Department of
Dairy and Animal Science’s 1992
Distinguished Dairy Alumnus. He
will be honored at a banquet fol
lowing the 67th Dairy Expo on
April 25.
Troy Hill and Erica Yaple are named Outstanding Guern
sey Girl and Boy at the state Guernsey Association's annual
convention.
problem had him perplexed for the
longest time. Most farmers,
according to the dairyman, don’t
bother to check their well water.
Some know a problem exists but
don’t have the money or the
resources to handle it Instead, they
rely on the advice of veterinarians
and other experts to exact a quick
cure which often proves futile.
Morrow grew up on a farm in
Blair County and graduated from
Penn State with high honors in
1956. Like many past recipients,
he was a very active student. His
early accomplishments include
receiving the Mr. Agriculture
Award (now known as the Out
609 Pf Copy
Highly contaminated
The water was highly contami
nated, according to Zerbe. “We
had just about everything,’’ he
said. “High nitrates, coliform bac
teria ... They said not do do any
thing with it. not wash clothes or
anything.
(Turn to Pag* A3O)
standing Senior Award) and parti
cipating on both the dairy judging
and livestock judging teams. Dur
ing his college career, he chaired
the Dairy Judging Contest and
edited a student-produced maga
zine, Penn Stale Farmer. He also
served as president of the Dairy
Science Club and campus 4-H
Club. He is a member of Phi Eta
Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi,
Alpha Zeta, Gamma Sigma Delta,
and Epsilon Sigma Phi. He was
also the Dairy Expo’s Grand
Champion Filter in 1954 and
Grand Champion Showman in
1955.
After receiving his D.V.M. in
1960 and a Ph.D. in theriogenolo-
INDEX
Sec. A,..Market Reports
& General News.
Sec. B... Women’s News
Sec. C... Business News
& Classified 4-36.
Sec. Declassified 1-3.
Sec. E... Public Sales &
Mailbox Market
See Story Index Page A 3.
19.00 Per Year
(Turn to Pago A 37)