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Fanelli Is
REYNOLDSBURG. Ohio
Phil Fanelli, Hilmar, Calif., has
been named 1992 Master Breeder
hy The American Jersey Cattle
Club. He will be honored during
the organization’s 124th annual
meeting in Lansing, Mich.
The Master Breeder Award is
bestowed annually on a living
member of The American Jersey
Cattle Club, who, in the opinion of
the board of directors, has bred
outstanding animals for many
years and made a notable contribu
tion to the advancement of the
jersey breed in the United States.
“Phil Fanelli has done more for
the Jersey breed than many people
realize. He is a truly gifted person
who can remember almost every
good cow he has ever seen. He is
able to Remember the strengths,
weaknesses, and individual pedi
grees of every ‘great’ cow.”
Perhaps this quote by a fellow
Jersey breeder sums up the key
qualities that make Phil Fanelli the
1992 Master Breeder.
Phil began dairying on his own
in 1961. He had received dairy
experience while working with
Frank Hopkins, a well-known
Holstein breeder, and later H.I.
‘Tom” Sawyer, where he learned
about the Jersey breed.
In the beginning. Phil’s goal
was to breed a herd of cows that
would win blue ribbons at the
shows and produce enough milk to
pay the bills. He learned that while
he loved to breed cows that would
do well in the show ring, the ones
that won the ribbons didn’t always
pay the bills.
After purchasing a dairy in Hil
mar, Calif., in 1971, Phil changed
his breeding philosophy. The new
breeding goal included breeding
cows that would milk and compete
in a commercial herd.
His ideal cow would have a
wide rear end with wide thurls, and
her teats would be longer than the
breed average so the milking
machine would stay on. He also
bred for high rear udders and good
feet and legs.
His ideal cow had a lot of dairy
character.
Since setting his personal breed
ing goals, Phil has had a tremend-
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AJCC Master Breeder
ous impact on the Jersey breed in
the Western states, and is known to
Jersey breeders across the United
States.
His own herd of 350 milking
cows demonstrates the results of
yean of good breeding and is
under the capable management of
his son Victor.
During the 19705, three bulls
from Phil’s Jersey Farm were con
tracted and marketed by Carnation
Jersey Genetics. This success
kindled Phil’s interest in Jerseys
and he began doing matings for
local Jersey breeders. Those same
breeders in the Hilmar area now
comment that Phil is a great tour
guide, showing their animals to
visitors and A.I. representatives.
Phil was the catalyst that made
Jerseyland Sires, a successful sire
proving group, a reality. Most peo
ple credit Phil with Jerseyland’s
enviable track record of proving
bulls. Members of the group have
traveled across the United States
seeking top-pedigreed young bulls
to prove in members’ herds.
Bulls like Highland Magic Dun
can, D&E Spirit Lu, and Great
Magic were sampled through
Jerseyland Sires.
Wlule Phil loves the Jersey
breed, he also has great affection
for young people. He has been a
4-H leader for 27 years. He is past
president of the Merced County
4-H Dairy Replacement Heifer
Committee. This program
involves 30 dairy heifers and
allows 4-H youth who would not
otherwise be able to have dairy
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projects to raise a calf for 18
months, then sell her as a springing
heifer at the county fair.
Phil volunteers time as a room
parent for the handicapped and
special education classes at the
Hilmar school. He also volunteers
at King View, a special education
continuation school at the county
level. In addition, Phil serves as a
camp counselor and member of the
Special Olympics County
Committee.
Phil has served as president of
the Merced County DHIA Board
and is presently serving on the
state DHIA board. He is active in
Hilmar Grange and was recently
elected president of the Hilmar
Chamber of Commerce.
Phil’s vigorous pursuit to organ
ize the Jersey breeders in the Hil
mar area brought about the reacti
vation of the Central Valley Jersey
Breeders and the California Jersey
Cattle Club.
Phil has a lifetime of involve
ment with the Jersey breed and is
responsible, directly and indirectly
for thousands of Jersey matings.
Recent notice was paid to one of
Phil’s matings when Midnight
Storm-ET, consigned by Fanelli
and Eric Silva, topped the 1991 All
American Jersey Sale with a bid of
$42,000.
Phil is a tireless worker and
driving force for continued prog
ress in the Jersey breed He con
tinues to challenge Jersey breed
ers, questioning the progress that is
being made, and seeking to breed a
better Jersey cow for the benefit of
all Jersey breeders.
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(Continued tram Page A2O)
award and the DHIA dairy herd
protein award for Somerset Coun
ty. It was presented at the big
countywide Ag Day banquet It
marked the first time his and Nan
cy’s registered Holstein herd had
topped all the others in the county
for production, although they had
ranked among the upper ten for six
of the last 10 years.
In the week following the fire,
milk production fell, but not by
much, according to Gary, who
said he believed the reason
stemmed from the water shortage
at the time. But the numbers soon
returned and have stayed steady.
So while the honor is appre
ciated, Gary and Nancy have a
simple, basic philosophy. “Our
goal in life is to get along and get
our bills paid and to make a nice
place to raise our family,” said
Gary.
Nancy said, “We had a compu
ter feeder put in because we were
killing ourselves with work.” Sure
enough, the big silver feeder
called “Herbie after “Herbie,
The Lovebug” of Walt Disney
fame saves the dairy duo hours
of woik each day. Plus the child
ren do one morning milking each
week to give their parents a
needed break.
Gary is up by 3:30 a.m., while
Nancy Joins him at 4 a.m. Later,
her parents, Donald and Dorothea
Welch, come by and help. This
routine allows the Lynch family to
enjoy breakfast together before
the children leave for school.
Evening milking is usually fin
ished by 5:30, so there’s time for
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school, agricultural, and social
activities.
‘The cows work for us,” said
Gary, “not us for them.”
Water lines have been replaced,
but it took the temporary sacrifice
of the big front lawn to lay the
new lines. The foundation of the
new house is up and framing has
begun.
They have planned another
“farmhouse,” which will be two
stories high over the basement
It’s important that the new house
feels Uke “home” to everyone,
including 17-year-old Mike, who
leaves for Penn State in late
August. His parents want the
entire family to be living in it
together a little while before his
departure, so it truly will seem like
home to him after he leaves.
Meanwhile, life is a different
kind of normal. The 310 acres of
the farm will be sown with com
and alfalfa along with the other
300 acres they rent The kids will
continue to help with the evening
work and foe involved with their
two 4-H clubs and other interests.
Maybe, just maybe, the family can
still take its annual vacation. It’s
something they make happen
because they believe that it’s
important.
“Wc call back every orice-in
awhile to see the home is still
here,” said Gary. “Other than that,
we don’t look back.”
Andy is IS, Lauren, 13, and Jes
sie is 11. They attend classes in
the Somerset Area School
District.
The cause of the fire is under
investigation.