Ci2-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 16, 1993
Dairymen’s Association Give Awards, Hear History
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) —“History is for learning, and
we have recycled history many
times in the dairy industry,” said
Donald Ace, professor emeritus.
Dairy and Animal Science Dept.,
Penn Stale University. “But I ques
tion sometimes how much we have
learned.”
Ace was the featured speaker at
the 122nd annual meeting and ban
quet of the Pennsylvania Dairy
men’s Association Monday even
ing in conjunction with the Pen
nsylvania Farm Show. He traced
the history of the association back
to 1871 when a group of dairymen
in Crawford County formed an
organization “to encourage dairy
farming in the state and improve
the industry and protect it from
fraudulent products.”
Over the years the Dairymen’s
Association joined dairymen with
distributors and manufacturers into
a united cause, but in more recent
years the members have become
dairy farmers in a service type role
in the industry.
Sue Bashore, executive secret
ary, reported that the organization
continues to support young people
in 4-H, FFA and in collegiate activ
ities. And among other projects,
they have supported the Pennsyl
vania Foundation For Belter Liv
ing. This foundation educates
teachers in the public and private
school so they can include farm
information in their regular class
room presentations. On Tuesday
morning at the Farm Show the
Dairymen’s Association presented
a check to this foundation. (See
side story this issue.)
Walter Pccchatka, deputy sec
retary, Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture, said animal health
would receive attention over the
Dairymen’s Extension Award. President Dayid Smith
(left) presents award to Eugene and Carol Schurman.
.... .... 7 -
nitlon for the dedication of the 1993 yearbook to their late
husband and father Clyde S. Robinson.
next few years and announced a
program to combine the Summer
dale lab, the veterinary science
facility at Penn State, and the New
Bolton Center at the University of
Pennsylvania into a common data
base for computer networking to be
accessed through a 900 number
system.
Dr. Lamartine Hood, dean of the
College of Agricultural Sciences at
Penn State, said the financial
resources at the college were
“restrained" as everywhere else.
He noted that 63 percent of the
funds for the college come from
stale and federal appropriations.
But on a bright note, he said the
increased enrollment in the Dairy
and Animal Science department
showed that young people had
become more aware of the oppor
tunities in the dairy industry and
this “bodes well for the future of
the dairy industry in Pennsylvani
a,” he said.
Crystal Schweighofer, state
dairy princess, said dairymen face
many problems, but the fact that
they ranked high in the nation in
production and provided 56,000
jobs in Pennsylvania showed that
they were successful and were
“doing a great job.”
Several awards were presented
at the meeting. The winner of the
PA Dairymen’s Extension Award
this year is Eugene W. Schurman
of Indiana County. Gene is the ag
ricultural agent for Indiana County
and also assists with work in near
by counties.
Gene was bom in Clymer, New
York and graduated from Cornell
University in 1972 with a degree in
Dairy Science. He obtained a Mas
ter of Science degree in Dairy from
Penn State in 1974 and then started
work with the Extension Service in
Franklin County. He moved to In
diana County, in 1977 and taught
Harold and Leona Crider and family of Chambersburg In Franklin County received
the Charles E. Cowan Award from the Dairymen’s Association. In the photo, left to
right, front, Eileen Flenner, Leona, Harold, Marion Jones and Steven Jones. Back,
Stan Flenner, Dawn Crider, Rodney Crelder, Rhoda Munch, Aldean Crider, Roger Crid
er and Katy Crider.
vocational agriculture for several
years. In 1982, Gene returned to
Extension and became an agricul
tural agent with dairy responsibil
ity for Indiana County.
Gene has set a high standard for
others to match. He was a member
of the Penn State Milker School
teaching team from 1982 to 1985.
He was a committee member and
twice chairman of the Southwest
Regional Dairy Day committee
from 1983 to 1990. He has been on
the State Dairy Task Force com
mittee, the 4-H Dairy Project Eval
uation committee, the PA Dairy
Termination Program team, the
PA Dairy Farm of Distinction
committee and both the All-Amer
ican and Farm Show Dairy com
mittees.
His on-going activities are with
the 4-H Dairy Ovcmighter School;
county and regional participation
in the DHIA educational program,
nutrition schools, dairy cattle
breeding clinics, calf and heifer
management schools, reproduc
tive management schools, county
and regional 4-H dairy shows and
on-farm trouble shooting. He also
schedules the Forage Testing Van
to his area, develops rations for
dairy herds, generates a regular
county newsletter and helps other
agents with milking systems and
bam ventilation evaluations. As a
fellow agent put it - no request for
help is turned down.
n
Gene has received several
awards including being the winner
of the National Association of
County Agricultural Agents
(NACAA) “Search for Excel
lence” award in 1987. Also in
1987, Gene received the Pennsyl
vania County. Agents Achieve
ment award. He was a 1989 nation
al winner in Ihe 4-H Recognition
program for his tractor safely pro
gram. In 1992 he was chosen as
Dairy Promoter of the year by the
PA Dairy Promotion Board.
Gene and his wile Carol arc an
Extension team in Indiana County
and have done,an outstanding job
with the 4-H and adult agriculture
programs. Gene has been a “mam
man” at both the PA All-American
and Farm Show dairy shows. Gene
has been chairman of both Hol
stein shows since 1983. He also
helps Carol with the Dairy Goal
show at Farm Show where they
start work at 5 a.m. and oversee the
checking in and showing of over
200 animals in a single day.
The Charles E. Cowan Award
Donald Ace signs his book on the “History and Perspec
tive of the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association,
1871-1992.” Ace was the featured speaker on this subject at
the annual meeting.
was established in memory of a
man who was longtime secretary
and a leader of the Pennsylvania
Dairymen’s Association. It recog
nizes dairy farmers who have
made major contributions to the
state’s largest agricultural indus
try. Harold Crider of Chambers
burg in Franklin County is the
1993 recipient of the Charles Cow
an Award.
Harold and his wife Leona arc in
partnership with twin sons Roger
and Rodney at Antrim Spring
Farms. Harold has bred over 30
EX cows and currently have a
BAA of 107.2%. The Criders were
early adapters of embryo transfer
technology and currently use the
technology heavily in their breed
ing, selection and marketing pro
gram.
Harold is very active in Hol
stein, DHIA and Dairy Promotion
in Franklin County as well as re
gional and state levels.
Harold was a director of the
Franklin County Holstein Club for
25 years having served as presi
dent and currcndy as secretary
treasurer. Harold served in the po
sition of state director for 10 years.
Harold has also served as delegate
ip the National Holstein Conven
tion 15 times.
Antrim Spring Farm has been on
DHIA for over 30 years. Harold
has served as a county director for
18 years and president. Harold also
served on the date DHIA board lor
4 years and also served that organi
sation as sc-relary-lrcasurcr.
Harold has served on the Frank
lin Count) Dairy Promotion Com
mittee and dsd served as a dircctoi
for the Pem ylvania Dairymen’s
Association for more than four
terms. Harold has also served on
the advisory committee to the Penn
State Veterinary Science Depart
ment.
Harold’s community activities
arc just as involved as those related
to agriculture. He has served as a
school board member for the
Grcencastlc-Antrim School
Board, a charter member of the
Kauffman Ruritan Club and a very
big supporter ol 4-H activities in
the county.
Harold is involved with the 100
voice Mcrccrsburg Area Com
munity Chorus which performs
' classical music and is a member ol
the Cedar Grove Mcnnomic
Church and music committee
Harold and his wife Leona arc
the parents of five children: Rod
ney and Roger who arc in partner
ship at Antrim Spring, Eileen,
Marianne and Don.
The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s
Association dedicated the 1993
YEARBOOK to the memory of
Clyde Robison.
(Turn to Page CIS)