Vol. 39 NO. 30
Family And Farming
Synonymous At Maple Lawn
LOIS SZYMANSKI
Maryland Correspondent
FULTON, Md. “Fanning is
a nice way of life,” says Charles
lager of Maple Lawn Farm in Ful
ton, Maryland. "It is a nice way to
raise your children, with all of us
working together, each with our
own job. There is always some
thing different to do.”
For Charles and Judy lager of
Maple Lawn Farm and their three
sons, Michael, 27, Matt, 22 and
Mark, 17 there is plenty to do on a
farm that boasts 350 registered
Holsteins and a Red and White
heifer. In addition to the cattle
they crop-farm 1,200 acres and
raise 12,000 to 15,000 turkeys at a
time, starting with one-day-old
poults and raising them for six
months before they slaughter right
on the farm. With lager’s brother
Gene and his family they continue
to work a family farm that has
been farmed by five generations
of lagers and has been in the fami
ly since 1852.
Currently, Charles lager serves
Index Of Dairy Stories
Please see general index on Page A 3.
Andrus Family A 22
At Home Schooling A 26
Chester Milk Lines A 25
Cows Are First B 2
Recipe Extravaganza B 6
Smile And Say Cheese 818
Ag Museum 830
Ease Work Load C 3
Pa.DHIA Herds Cl 2, D 6
Pa.DHIA Newsletter E 8
(Turn to Pago A 32)
First Forum■ Focuses On Future Of Dairy
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) In a meeting of some of
the most powerful people in the
commonwealth’s huge dairy
industry, agreement was reached
on several key issues to move the
Options Available For Manure Systems
ROBERT E. GRAVES
Professor, Ag Engineering
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) A dairy manure handling
system is a cost item that must
meet many requirements.
The ultimate goal of a manure
handling system should be to
improve management, .provide
positive environmental protection,
and allow maximum utilization of
manure nutrients.
The best manure handling sys-
This Special Issue Pays Tribute To The Dairy Industry
60t Per Copy
as president of the 700-member
Maryland Holstein Association.
Over the years the family has serv
ed the farming community in
many ways. Charles was on the
Board of the Howard County Fair
for 23 years and he and wife, Judy
have each been leaders of their
own 4-H clubs. They are members
of the Farm Bureau, the Dairy
Shrine and the county, state and
national levels of the Holstein As
sociation. Each of them belongs to
the University of Maryland Alum
nae Association where Charles
graduated with a major in dairy
production and Judy with a degree
in business education.
Charles says it is pretty much a
24-hour operation on the farm
which produces about four million
pounds of milk per year. The day
begins at 2 a.m. with milking at 3
a.m. and 3 p.m. They milk 175
cows at a time in a totally updated
double-nine herringbone milking
parlor with automatic Take-off
(milkers) on one side. They use 19
Germania milkers.
~~“^u rn to Page A 34)
industry into a more unified voice
on issues that affect the survival of
dairying in the Northeast Leaders
in production, education, lending,
communications, agri-business,
and processing attended the First
Pennsylvania Dairy Industry
Future Forum all day Wednesday
terns are usually developed as part
of an overall plan for new con
struction, renovation or
expansion.
A well-planned system will be
compatible with the type of hous
ing and will include manure and
wastewater from outside animal
areas, the milking center, youngs
tock facilities, and silage effluent.
It should also be compatible
with anticipated changes in hous
ing and management over the next
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 4, 1994
Charles lager, president of the Maryland Holstein Association, has a hobby of dairy
collectibles. Here he shows a few of his huge collection of old milk bottles.
at the new Penn State Scanticon
Conference Center Hotel.
From the presentations, discus
sions, and action planning ses
sions, four major agreements
evolved:
I. Wide-range industry support
was given to educate dairy farmers
8-10 years.
An integral part of an effective
manure handling system is having
adequate cropland available to
utilize the manure nutrients or an
alternative outlet for extra nutri
ents. Dairy expansions that
include large increases in pur
chased feed and no increase in
cropland often result in over appli
cation of manure nutrients.
Manure handling systems,
(Turn to Pago A3O)
on the need for better management
skills on their farms. In addition,
Penn State’s Dairy MAP course
was supported as the vehicle of
choice to accomplish this goal.
Robert Reich agreed to pull this
segment of agreement together
with the help of many others at the
meeting.
2. The group of more than 100
attendees agreed to hold an annual
or bi-annual educational forum.
3. The group agreed that the
Pennsylvania Dairy Industry
Future Committee should continue
to function as the facilitator of
action.
4. Agreement was reached that a
group of producers form a profes
sional dairy farm manager’s orga
nization in Pennsylvania. This
effort is to be headed by Cliff
Hawbaker.
The dairy future commute was
formed about two years ago to
Flva Sections
Industry
address the concern from industry
leaders that the dairy industry in
Pennsylvania was threatened by
economic, environmental and
political pressures that could
reduce profits to dairy farmers bey
ond the ability to survive long
term. After several meetings that
included a meeting to receive input
from an expanded group of dairy
leaders, there was a consensus that
strong collaboration across all sec
tors of the state’s dairy industry is
needed now as never before.
Wednesday’s meeting focused
on two issues deemed most critical
at this lime; 1. enhancing the man
agement skills of Pennsylvania’s
milk producers and 2. further deve
loping Pennsylvania’s dairy pro
ducts manufacturing capability.
Co-chairs Dean Lamartine
Hood and State Ag Secretary Boyd
(Turn to Pag* A 24)
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