A24-Lancastcr Farming, Saturday, April 30, 1994
Former Junior National Showman Sees Dream Come True
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BREEZEWOOD (Bedford Co.)
Sam Wylie always knew he
wanted to make his living with
cattle.
He knew it as far back as stand
ing m the ring at the first National
Junior Angus Showman in Ken
tucky as a teenager. He knew it as
the ribbons and trophies piled up
and the news clippings and special
photos made their way into
frames.
Thing is, he wasn’t sure how!
“I tried the show circuit for a
long lime,” Wylie says. “I showed
cattle, traveled all over the country
showing for others, grooming and
trimming hooves. But it wasn’t
what 1 wanted to do forever.”
Certain that the American far
mer had it all wrong, Wylie began
to study fanning methods in coun
tries such as those Down Under.
“The problem I have with farm
ing as the Americans do it today is
that they plant, cultivate and
harvest their crops; haul the food
into the animals; then haul the
manure back out.”
Wylie began taking a holistic
management approach for his
black angus herd. This ecological
ly sound production model is
based on the land feeding the
cattle and the stock’s waste nutri
ents recycling and feeding the
land.
Needing more land, he found it
at a reasonable price in the quiet
valley of Clearville where he
bought IS3 acres and rents a sec
ond farm of similar size. “I also
utilize some other grassland in the
area to make round bales for wint
er feed,” he says.
“1 had this picture in my mind,”
Wylie smiles. “Black cows in
green grass. That’s a pretty sight. I
needed a stock farm with an above
average house and land that was at
least 80% usable. I knew I could
beef up any bam.”
Now as springtime
arrives in this Pennsyl
vania Valley, Octoraro
Angus is providing the
answer to those early
dreams of Wylie’s. Fif
ty coal black calves are
on the ground and
another 20 or more
expected to drop any
day.
Wylie named his new
place Octoraro Angus,
after a creek that
divides southern Ches
ter and Lancaster Coun
ty, where he farmed
prior to moving to Bed
ford County in 1988.
“It’s taken 25 years
to get to the point where
I am now,” admits
Octoraro’s owner. “It’s
been done with no fads,
no frills, only years of
sound line-breeding and
selection practices
based on ‘pure,’ breeder
traits longevity, repro
ductive efficiency,
balanced EPD’s and the
traditional Angus quali
ties of which the breed
was founded.”
Wylie says his cattle
have passed the test for
being efficient.
Even a winter as tough as the
one just experienced was not hard
on cattle bred tough enough to
take it. “That’s been my idea.”
Wylie assures. ‘To have cattle that
provide a balance of true lasting
genetic value along with the abili
ty to thrive on a low-input inten
sive grazing program.”
The cattle are confined to their
lush paddocks with an efficient
spring loaded fencing system and
there is very little trouble with
cattle breaking loose. A solar
energizer is used for maximum
control of cattle on the rental farm.
As Sam surveys the green hills
surrounding his one time over
worked farm, he sees green grass
now thriving. Grass he has care
fully cultivated to include such
nourishing plants as puma, chic
ory, clover, and other cool season
grasses. “I try to get plants started
that have deep roots,” he says.
“That way they bring the nutrients
buried deep in the earth to the sur
face. And, thfy also survive sum
mer droughts.”
With his time tested gene pool
in line and cattle adaptable enough
to survive well on grazing, Sam
did a headcount and realized he
was becoming overpopulated. “I
like them all.” he admits, smiling
broadly, “but shucks, I can’t keep
all of them forever.”
For this reason, Wylie has also
taken a modem approach to mark
eting with a day of entertainment,
fellowship and selling planned for
Saturday, May 14. There will be
speakers on intensive grazing
management and certified Angus
beef.
An advance catalogue will
show such offerings as the high
indexing heifer from the ’93 calf
drop: an extension out of a stacker
out of a viking which is strictly
foundation genetics.
Wylie also plans to offer 20
cow calf pairs from the heart of
the herd along with fall calving
cows and bulls.
Planning ahead. Wylie has set
and get higher production with lower cost and less maintenance.
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A view of the Wylie Octoraro Angus farm taken from one of the grazing pastures.
starting prices on each lot to be
made available on sale day. No
catde will be sold for less than the
starting price. Cattle will be avail
able for inspection anytime prior
to 12:30 p.m. on sale day. There
will not be a traditional sales ring.
Providing a balance for the sale
will be a table of refreshments
including “angus,” hot dogs. “Not
black,” laughs Wylie, “just made
from angus beef.”
Two speakers will also be avail
able to provide information for
prospective buyers including Tom
Calvert talking on “Introduction
To Intensive Grazing Manage
ment,” and Bill Wylie, “Evolution
of Production Genetics to Con
sumer Oriented Genetics”.
“By doing this,” admits Sam. “I
hope to educate those ‘would be’
farmers of the future on the ways
of line breeding of grazing. By
doing this. I’m building my own
customers.”
Future plans also include a new
watering system instituted by the
Bay project which should be as
maintenance free as the rest of the
farm.
“When that happens, I will even
be able to get a few weekends
free,” Sam Wylie says.
His dream is fast becoming a
total reality.
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Sam Wylie weighs one of his Black Angus calves In a
routine check on the Wylie farm located In Bedford County.
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