Sanner Farm Switches To
GAY N. BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
ROCKWOOD (Somerset Co.)
Lynn and Debbie Sanner have
been fanning for 17 of their 21
years of marriage.
Because they used available
resources to their advantage, their
Holstein dairy herd has grown to
95 head, including dry cows.
Heifers number 110. They
started with 20.
Herd production is now 21,200
pounds of milk, compared to
13,000 pounds in the early days.
Fat percentage is now 3.6 and
protein stays around 3.2 or 3.3
percent.
In 1992, Sanner, whose brother
Keith shares the farming responsi
bilities, switched to the intensive
grazing method and said recently
that he is well-pleased with the
results.
“Everything is going real well
as far as herd health,” he said.
Sanner said he enjoys learning
ways to improve his operation and
saving time and money in the
process.
“The benefits I’ve seen are the
savings in feed,” he said. “We
always put our cows out in the
summer. When the cows start
dropping in production, I start
feeding the stored feed.” He uses
total mix ration.
When Lynn and Debbie took
over the farm, around 1976, Ban
ner had made the choice to quit
college after attending the West
Virginia University at Morgan
town for two years. Nobody else
in the family wanted to run it,
even though Banner and his
brothers were the fourth genera
tion on the farm.
Lynn said his dad was into the
coal business and the farming end
was hanging on by a mere thread
with Banner’s mother and brother
keeping it going.
It was a gutsy move for the
young couple who lived a mile
away from the bam and had to
drag the babies along at milking
time. With them came the play
pen, then the walker, which they
tied fast with just enough leash to
allow a satisfying mobility for the
toddler.
Debbie did the feeding and San
ner’s mother continued to help
them.
Memories of those early days
are vivid for Debbie. “When we
took over,” she said, “there were
no silos, they didn’t soil test or
These Holsteins line the fence of their pasture to observe a group of people walking
a pasture to observe the cow operation.
spray. There were only the basics.
“We baled 20,000 bales of hay
each year,” then, grinning she
added, “Lynn’s grandfather taught
me to unload a wagon real fast”
Today the Sanners put away
just 2,000 small bales.
Together they worked hard. As
the operation grew, and milk pro
duction increased, silos were
added. There are now three of var
ying sizes for haylage, high
moisture com and com silage. No
till farming was begun 10 years
ago.
The biggest silo was installed in
1989 for haylage. Its size is 25 by
80 feet. A 20-by 80-foot concrete
silo was built around 1984.
The first silo, for high-moisture
shell com, was erected in 1979.
It’s 20 by 55 feet.
Sanner said he wouldn’t go
back to plowing, but said that no
till is not a complete panacea:
“You still have to pick rocks.”
Herd health is as much a con
cern as with any dairying.
His veterinarian makes monthly
visits to check animals.
Consultants are important too.
Sanner credits much of his suc
cess to a close association with
Bob Brown, the county agent “1
use Bob Brown... and AJ. Walk
er, two people who have the
knowledge,” he said. Walker
operates a local farm service
business.
Banner said that through the
years he has continued to educate
himself by reading a lot, but a
home computer is also a valuable
tool in the operation’s record
keeping.
“They sure are fascinating,” he
said. He added a computer in 1983
and said it greatly helped manage
die farm.
Five years ago, their new house
was ..built near the bam. And
because she would rather work
outdoors than inside, Debbie has
planted big, beautiful flower beds
all around the well-kept lawns.
Their house faces, across the
lawns and driveways, the solid
stone house of Banner’s parents,
built in 1811. Recorded as one of
the oldest in Somerset Co., the
landmark house was constructed
it is said, by a Peter Bradford
whose own nearby log house was
consumed by fire. Bradford,
according to rumor, determined
that his next house would not be
easily destroyed.
Banner and Debbie said they
look with satisfaction upon their
No-Till, Intensive Grazing Finds Savings
Sitting on the porch step of their home, are three members jner
family from the left, daughter April, Lynn and his wife Debbie. Not shown are
daughters Amy, Christy and Darci.
accomplishments. “It’s all come
from the cows,” they said.
But their conversation reveals
their desire to be as self-sufficient
as possible in every way. They do
much of their own butchering with
Sanner curing and smoking hams
from several hogs they raise.
Home-grown produce from
Debbie’s vegetable garden is also
preserved for the family.
A sawmill beyond the roadway
appeared well used. Sanner said it
belongs with the farm and is used
for cutting wood from their own
stand of timber when necessary.
Of 500 acres, 275 are actually
farmed. The remainder is
woodlands. „
In fact, Sanner said it was the
farm’s timber that supplied the
lumber for both his and his
brother’s house. All of it was
sawed cm site.
Sanner said he plants 120 acres
in com, 90 in alfalfa and the
remaining land in other grains and
hay.
“My dad helps when he’s
around,” said Sanner. “You really
look forward to having him
around because'he’s an extra est in entering ag-related work.
But they are sports nuts who parti-
Debbie, who also operates a cipatc in basketball, volleyball,
beauty shop, doesn’t usually help back and others,
on the farm anymore unless . . TT • ■„ ,
there’s an emergency. M attends the‘University of
As it now stands, the four San- Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh. Chnsty
ner daughters - Amy. 20, Christ- attends Shippcnsburg State Col
y. 18. April. 16 and Darci, grade 7 April and Darci are students
- aren’t showing the least inter- “*e Rockwood school district
NDB Gives Kids
Dental Tips
ARLINGTON, Va. Snack
ing is a favorite pastime for every
one, especially kids. Knowing
that, the National Dairy Promo
tion and Research Board develop
ed a packet of materials with
snack recipes that include dairy
foods.
Many kids come home to an
empty house after school, and
even those that have a parent at
home in the afternoon like to show
their independence. So the recipes
found in “Power Packed Dairy
Snacks” are simple enough for
kids to make with some supervi
sion.
Along with the recipe leaflet, a
brochure tilled “Snacking and
Your Child’s Dental Health” was
part of the packet of materials dis
tributed to 740 supermarket chains
for dairy merchandisers and con
sumer affairs specialists to order
for distribution to their shoppers.
The National Dairy Board joined
the American Academy of Pedi
alrie’Dentislry (AAPD) to develop
that brochure.
“Snacking and Your Child’s
Dental Health” discusses the caus
es of tooth decay and ways to pre
vent it as well as the benefits of
choosing nutritious snacks, in
cluding chocolate milk. This bro
chure also supports the chocolate
milk promotion being conducted
this fall.
Each year, the National Dairy
Board distributes two supermarket
kits with free dairy information
materials tailored to a certain sub
ject. The “Power Packed Dairy
Snacks” kit, also included offers
for a cooking demonstration
videotape, recipe card with two
children-friendly recipes, food re
cipe and photo to use in other
printed materials like a store cir
cular and background information
about snacking and nutrition. Su
permarket personnel can order un
limited quantities to use in provid-
, ing information to their .custom
ers.
“Because we (dairy farmers)
care about kids’ health and kids
are current and future consumers,
they remain an important market
target,” said Maynard Lang, lowa
dairy farmer and chair of the Na
tional Dairy Board’s Public Rela
tions Committee.
“Since the kits were mailed out
in late August, we have filled or
ders for more than 800,000 recipe
and dental brochures,” Lang said.
“That confirms consumer demand
for information about and ways to
use dairy foods, and that can lead
to increased sales for America’s
dairy farmers.”