A32-UmcMttf Fanning, Saturday, July 3, 1993
REYNOLDSBURG, OHIO
Positive action was taken by the
membership and board of direc
tors to further the future of the
Guernsey breed at the annual con
vention of the American Guernsey
Association June 11-14 in
Dubuque, lowa.
Positive action was taken by the
board of directors on several mat
ters. One was to make changes
regarding the current type traits
appraisal program. The board
passed a motion which stated
“Animals owned by individuals
housed on same farms may be
considered separate herds for
appraisal purposes. If any animal
is transferred over IS months of
age between herd owners within
one year prior to appraisal, then all
eligible cattle must Be appraised.
If both herds are not apprised,
then occasional classification
rates will be charged if appraised
on a regular schedule. However,
the minimum herd fee will be
$75.”
Effective in 1994, junior exhi
bitors in the national junior
Guernsey shows must have cows
and calves registered in their
names by July 1. This transfer date
change from January 1 to July 1
was made to increase the partici
pation in the mature classes at the
national junior shows. The Janu
ary 1 rule will remain in effect for
the 1993 show season. The junior
entry fee in the All-American con
test will be reduced from $2O to
$lO per entry. These new fees will
go into effect with the 1993 All-
American contest
The membership also took a
stand on an important issue at the
annual meeting. The vote to elimi
nate the Guernsey Genetic Growth
program from Section K of Article
111 of the Bylaws of the American
Guernsey Association passed by
the majority of active membership
who voted.
Church Crowned National
Guernsey Queen
Amy Church, the 20-year-old
daughter of Craig and Gladie
Church of Cresco, lowa, took top
honors when she was crowned the
1993 National Guernsey Queen.
She has been active with the fami
ly’s Oak Knob Guernsey herd
since she was a small child. As
National Guernsey Queen, Church
feels that her responsibilities fall
into two categories, consumer
promotion and producer events.
She said, “Consumer promotion is
essential to publicize Guernsey
cattle and the delicious, nutritious
products they provide for us.
Equally important is promoting
the Guernsey breed to dairy far
mers. The national Guernsey
queen should promote excellent
Guernsey cattle, herds and
achievements to producers of
other breeds.” Church is a junior
at lowa State University where
she is majoring in dairy science
and agriculture journalism.
Elizabeth Littlefield, the
20-year-old daughter of Clarence
and Sharon Littlefield of Water-
town, New York, has been
crowned a 1993 National Guern-
sey Princess. As a National
Guernsey Princess, Littlefield said
she will promote the Guernsey
cow and her strengths in many
ways. She said, “First, I will work
with other Guernsey breeders to
strive for breed improvement
programs through better genetics
and marketing of products. I will
tell everyone of the efficiency of
the Guernsey cow, especially len-
ders and agricultural economists
who advise to watch youf cash
flow.” Littlefield is currently pur-
National Guernsey Association Reports Convention
suing a degree at Cornell Univer
sity with a major in dairy science
and a minor in communications.
Jennifer Berg, the 18-year-old
daughter of Pamela and. Curtis
Berg of West Salem, Wisconsin,
has been crowned a 1993 National
Guernsey Princess. As a National
Guernsey Princess, Berg said “My
main responsibility is to promote
and represent the American
Guernsey Association, the Guern
sey cow and her products.” Berg
said she will use this opportunity
as a learning experience and apply
the knowledge she learns to her
future. Berg is a student at the
University of Wisconsin at River
Falls. She is employed at the uni
versity’s dairy farm lab.
Guernsey Outstanding
Young Fanner Selected
Three outstanding young far
mers were recognized at the 1993
annual youth awards banquet. A
national winner, Erst runner-up
and second runner-up winners
were selected.
Millie Widmann received $750
and the Eugene Harding Memorial
Watch Award for being named the
1993 National Outstanding Young
Guernsey Farmer. Widmann and
her husband Jim reside in Oxford,
Pennsylvania. With her brother
Axel, Linde joined in a partner
ship to continue their parent’s
herd of Lindenhof Guernseys.
Their 1992 rolling herd average
for 55 cows was 17.099 M 766 F
602 P. Widmann’s goal is to
increase the herd size to 80 cows
by raising their own young stock.
She would like to increase produc
tion and profrtability in the Lin
denhof herd. Because their milk
market is 55 percent fluid sales
and they are paid a premium for
solids-not-fat, Widmann said they
are selectuigjnating sires based on
pounds of milk and pounds of pro
tein. She studied animal science at
Cobleskill State University in
New York.
Mark Erdman of Lexington,
Illinois, was named the first
runner-up in the 1993 National
Outstanding Young Guernsey
Farmer contest and received $2OO.
He owns Myown Guernsey Dairy
in partnership with his father
Myron. The rolling herd average
so far for 1993 is 15.171 M 704 F
S3SP on 86 cows. Besides the 370
Guernseys on the dairy, he farms
■■ MILK
Vn check
jir 1 THOMAS JURCHAK
S 1 Dairy Specialist
| • 4 Lackawanna County
SCRANTON (Lackawanna Co.) About 50 years ago the dairy
industry, in a rare moment of unanimity, picked the month of June for a
national program to promote the consumption of daily products.
It was a natural choice because June was the season of increasing pro
duction and falling milk prices at the farm. Many things have changed
dramatically in the dairy industry and the “spring flush" may be one of
them.
However, milk pricing has always been a strange combination of eco
nomics, psychology, politics and the weather and the pattern doesn’t fit
the Dairy Month concept this June.
Instead of milk prices falling at the farm they are increasing this year.
From March to May the increase in the Uniform Price has been 95 cents in
Older 2; 60 cents in Order 4 and 78 cents in Order 36.
The Minnesota-Wisconsin Price Series, that provides the Basic Formu
la Price for all federal milk marketing orders, has been on a rampage gain
ing $1.78 since March with more expected this month.
Increases in the M-W In the spring is not unheard of and just last year it
went up $l.OB from March to May. Each year since 1989 the M-W has
800 acres of row crops and
finishes 5,000 head of hogs per
year. He graduated in 1980 with a
bachelor’s degree in animal sci
ence from the Illinois State Uni
versity where he was active on the
dairy judging team. He received
the AGA outstanding youth award
in 1978. Erdman would like to
keep herd achievements on the
incline and increase the milking
herd size. He would also like to
show people how type, production
and indexes can work hand-in
hand. Erdman is striving to
increase the rolling herd average
over the next several years to
20.000 M, 900 F and 700 P.
Thomas Luebke of Mayer,
Minnesota, was named second
runner-up in the 1993 National
Young Guernsey Fanner contest
With his wife Jody, they own and
operate Edgewater Meadows
Guernsey Farm. They have two
children—Lindsay, 7, and Brady,
3. Their 1992 rolling herd average
for 27 cows was 15.693 M 730 F
S3OP. Luebke’s goal over the next
five years is to increase his total
farm net profit by increasing the
production and herd life of his
cows, and decreasing labor by
changing to a free stall system and
fall freshening. His breeding prog
ram consists of using strictly the
top PTI bulls, plus Dairybelt
Young Sires. His herd has always
been 100 percent A.I. bred.
Luebke graduated from Hutchin
son Area Vocational Technical
Institute in dqiry management.
New Guernsey
Board Slated
Three positions of the Ameri
can Guernsey Association Board
of Directors wore voted on at the
National Convention. Two board
members were re-elected and one
new member was selected.
John Morrow of Tyrone, Pen
nsylvania, will represent District
Two on the board. Morrow’s farm
houses 70 head of young stock and
80 milking Guernseys enrolled on
TPE. His 100 percent registered
Guernsey herd is tested annually
for Johne’s. Sixty percent of his
breeding program consists of
using young sires through Mid-
Atlantic Guernsey Sires and A.I.
young sire programs. Of the 380
acres Morrow farms, 60 are
devoted to intensive grazing and
die others are used to grow com,
alfalfa, soybeans and barley. His
June Dairy Month
experience as a farmer and breed
er who is dependent on the Guern
sey cow for his family’s future is
an asset Morrow said he can bring
to this leadership position. He has
been a director and president of
the Pennsylvania Guernsey
Breeders’ Association which also
qualifies him for this position.
District Two represents die states
of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Cline Brubaker of Rocky
Mount, Virginia, was re-elected as
director for District Six. Brubaker,
who has served as president of the
American Guernsey Association
the past two years, will continue
as president for the upcoming
year. He cuirendy has 95 regis
tered Guernseys on test and 102
replacement heifers. Four of the
cows in his herd are in the top 300
of the breed for cow performance
index. The herd is ranked number
13 in the top 30 herds of the
Guernsey breed for cow perfor
mance index. Young sire prog
rams are a high priority for Bru-
baker. He is a member and chair
man of the administrative
committee of Mid-Atlantic
Guernsey Sires and is a member of
several other young sire sampling
programs. He is the past president
of die Virginia Guernsey Breed
ers’ Association, past president of
the Rocky Mount Young Fanners,
past president of the Franklin
County ASCS Comm., and a past
director of Old Dominion Divi
sion of Dairymen, Inc. Brubaker
said, “There is a future in our
Guernsey breed if we as breeders
keep believing and working to
make a stronger association for
our children and grandchildren.
Let’s promote our most valuable
asset the Guernsey cow.” Dis
trict Six represents Alabama, Ark
ansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisia
na, Mississippi, Missouri, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennes
see and Virginia.
Truman Weaver of Goshen.
Indiana, was re-elected as
director-at-large to the board of
directors. Weaver is currently the
chairman of the type committee.
Belonging to local and state
Guernsey and dairy associations
has given Weaver experience in
leadership positions as well. He is
also active in his church. Weaver
feels that he can bring leadership
to the board as director-at-large
increased in the spring but these were only between 14 and 76 cents - not
$1.78 as we have this year.
Production wise we certainly don’t have anything resembling a “spring
flush” this year but many markets are having problems finding buyers for
milk and supplies are already moving in unusual directions.
Balancing plants are generally at capacity and there’s concern about
where the fluid milk will go when schools close for the summcr. And yet
nationally, total production is not up significantly greater lhan' in the
recent past.
Perhaps we need to expand the export market for dairy products
through DEIPor voluntarily like the deal made last month between Russi
a and USDA with the help of eastern milk marketing cooperatives.
While it has been a good month for price increases at the farm and
there arc more coming the first two weeks of June brought a crash in
the cheese market.
Blocks fell 5.75 cents and barrels 7.S cents in two weeks. Consensus
reason for the skid is that cheese dealers had replaced inventories in a hur
ry and, when it appeared there would be no let up in milk production, Just
backed off. This is where the market'psychology comes in. It was one of
the scenarios presented when prices started up in March and increased 24
cents in seven weeks too much, too soon.
However, the momentum generated by those increases will continue in
your milk check for another month. Farm prices arc still higher than a year
ago from nine to 36 cents in May depending on which federal order regu
lates your handler. If cheese prices stablize at these levels you’ll still be
better off than a year ago.
With cheeses prices down the powder market has also weakened so
there aren’t many places to go unless we can stimulate export sales. The
tilt in support prices for butter and powder may help slightly but here
again we rely on exports.
The best hope is for cheese paces to start moving up again in July; you
Finish the year with a belter average price than 1992 end that’s better than
because “Our livelihood has
always depended on a 100 percent
Guernsey herd. I’m deeply com
mitted to the future of the breed.”
Weaver’s herd consists of 60
milking Guernseys and he farms
60 acres of com, hay, soybeans
and wheat. His herd is enrolled on
TPE and he is a member of Lake
Central Guernsey Sires. Weaver is
optimistic about the future of the
breed. He said, “With membership
commitment and a spirit of coop
eration, we will succeed." The
director-at-large represents all
active members of the American
Guernsey Association in all states.
Other board members and offic
ers include: First Vice-President
Lee Riggs of Evansville, Indiana;
Second Vice-President Eldon
Moss of lowa City, Iowa; Laurie
Askew of Hilmar, California;
Robert Holcomb of Greene, New
Yak; Kevin Nedrow of Clifton
Springs, New York; and Don
Peterson of Cashton, Wisconsin.
Outstanding Guernsey Youth
After many grueling interviews
with a panel of judges, the Nation
al Outstanding Guernsey Youth
winners were announced at the
annual youth awards banquet
Brent Clements, the 19-year
old son of Kenneth and Judy Cle
ments of Stoddard, Wisconsin,
received the $5OO Lawrence A.
Colebank Award and $l5O for
travel expenses to the convention
for being named the 1993 Nation
al Outstanding Guernsey Youth.
Clements is a student at the Uni
versity of Wisconsin-Madison
majoring in dairy science and
agriculture law. As the owner of
64 Guernseys, Clements said the
dairy industry will always be a big
part of his life. He said. “It takes
critical thinking and motivation to
be a success in the dairy industry.
Without the dairy industry, I
wouldn't be in the degree prograirf
I am pursuing, wouldn’t have met
so many friends, and would not
have gone this far in life.” Cle
ments continues to be active with
his Guernseys while away at
school by helping with ration
balancing, computerized farm
record keeping, calf and heifer
management, marketing and
advertising, sire selection and
public relations. When home, he
assists with feeding, milking and
field work.
Production Puzzle
Good News, ■ Bad News