A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Novamber 12, 1994
Campbell Brothers Combine Show Type With Dairy Management
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
(Part 2 of 2)
FORD CITY (Armstrong
Co.) The grand champion and
the junior champion Holsteins of
the Pennsylvania Fall Champion
ship Show were both owned by
syndicates' involving dairymen
Mark and David Campbell.
Those two registered
Holsteins 5-year-old Wind-
Drift A-J Natema, and senior calf
Don-Ton Chaos Beauty are
kept at the Campbell's 300-acre
farm, which is tucked in a hilly
area about three miles from down
town Ford City.
It is a somewhat remote area,
with hunting cabins speckling the
big woods area to the north, a thin
ner soil that is good for growing
about four cuttings of hay, but
dependent on well-timed rainfall
for good com production.
It is the home farm of the
brothers, the place where they
woe bom and grew up with their
4-H dairy projects on their father’s
dairy farm. It is now the place they
live and milk about 68 registered
Holsteins to support their families,
and their children.
Showing the champion Hols
teins in a state show is an accom
plishment for the brothers who are
involved in the syndicate with fel
low dairyman Alex Claypoole and
Doug Beatty, whom Mark said is a
friend and milk hauler from
Lawrence County.
But perhaps more to the point of
dairying is the fact that the Camp
bells have tied with Fantasyland
Farm in Berks County for the Pen
nsylvania Dairy Herd Improve
ment Association’s (Pa.DHIA) top
herd management award.
The award is presented annually
to the top finalist in a contest that
awards points to various aspects of
dairy herd management, with an
emphasis on increased average
milk production per cow. Signific
ant production increases for an
entire herd is an indicator that
management for a wide variety of
dairy cattle concerns.
The award formula also takes
into account all the important man
agement concerns.
While Armstrong County
doesn’t have many dairy opera
tions, in comparison to other coun
ties, the Campbell’s 1993 end-of
year production was 23,211
pounds of milk, ranking them sec
ond in the county.
In one year, the Campbells
increased the average milk produc
tion of their herd to 27,509 pounds
of milk, 926 pounds of fat, and 877
pounds of protein. The herd now
not only has the top herd in the
county for production averages,
but the fourth highest averaging,
milk-producing herd the state.
It wasn’t anything spectacular
that gained them the extra milk
production, but more of a concen
trated effort to increase the aver
age, according to Mark.
“We’ve concentrated on pro
duction a little more, and fed them
a little better.” Mark said. “We did
it mostly to increase cash flow.”
A local nutritionist helps them
formulate the rations of separately
fed grain, hay, and haylage and sil
age, he said.
“We feed grain four times per
day, silage three times, and hay
three or four times,” Mark said,
adding that the hay is mostly grass
hay or mixed alfalfa.
The have two silos one for
com silage, and the other for
haylage.
Bob Morrell is at the halter of the Junior champion of the
Pa. Holstein Fall Championship Show, while syndicate part*
ners Mark Campbell who holds daughter Sarah and has
his arm on daughter Rachel and Doug Beatty who
holds daughter Lindsey stand next to their winner. Don
Eaton, breeder of the heifer, stands in back of Campbell and
Beatty. The champion is kept at the farm of Mark and David
Campbell who are winners of the state Pa.DHIA herd man
agement award.
They do not use a totally mixed
ration, which has been a method of
feeding which generally has
resulted in increased production,
compared to feeding forages and
grains separately.
The farm has a lot of pasture,
Mark said, and the cows are
milked in a 50-tic stall bank bam
twice a day. The bank bam is an
old one, with a 60-foot, one-story
addition built in 1972. The dry
cows have their own bam, and the
heifers are kept in another bank
bam.
"Our main thing on manageing
is cow health,” Mark said. “We’re
pretty fussy about animal health.
We’re on a good herd health prog
ram and try to make as good of
feed as we can.”
Mark said that compared to
some recommendations that have
come along in recent years, he and
his brother don’tpush the high pro
ducing cows as hard as some
might
“On good heavy producers, I
like to have them dry three or four
months. A lot of people wouldn’t
agree with that” Mark said. He
said he feels it is justified because,
“It seems to give them a good
enough time to recuperate and get
back in shape.” At the same time,
he said, “We’ll run some of those
through a longer lactation.”
As part of their herd health prog
ram, care of feet and legs is also
key. The entire herd gets hooves
trimmed at least once a year, and
the trimmer is used during the year
to take care of subgroups of cows
in the herd, as needed.
The management decisions also
include bedding with chopped
straw, daily hauling of manure,
with a temporary stacking pad for
use during winter or when it’s not
otherwise feasible.
The Campbells raise the majori
ty of their heifer calves, unless
they are sold as breeding stock.
The also raise some of their own
bulls for cleanup, mostly on
heifers.
The calves are raised in indivi
dual hutches first, then moved
- * z
through a series of grouping pens,
as is the current industry experts
recommend.
Mark said his wife Donna feeds
the calves, they use maternity pens
for the cows, and they place high
importance on getting colostrum
into the newborns in time to utilize
its benefits for health.
While their champions were
purchased through the cooperative
efforts of a syndicate of friends,
the Campbell's breeding strategy
focuses on using a lot of Canadian
influence.
The Natema cow last scored
as a Very Good 88, but due to be
reclassified in December has
finished a 305-day lactation started
at S yean of age. made 30,894
pounds, made a 990 pounds of fat,
and 944 pounds of protein.
Mark said that while flushing
her in the future for embryo trans
fer work hasn’t been ruled out, she
has been bred back to Roundale
Stardust, a Canadian bull, and
should freshen again next summer.
He did say that they do intend to
use her genetics to improve their
own herd.
However, the herd already is
injected with good genetics at
last classification, there IS
Excellents.
The herd is not closed however,
and probably will not be, at least
for some time, since Mark said that
when they see an calf or heifer that
they like, and the price is right,
they will buy it Further, he said
that he and David haven't made
any concrete plans for expansion,
but that they may well be adding
more to the milking string.
“We’ve increased herd size in
last two years," Mark said, "and
we haven’t sold as many for dairy
purposes as in previous years.
We’re talking about increasing
herd size a little, but not sure.”
The milk is marketed to Dean
Foods, in Sharon, close to the
Pennsylvania-Ohio border.
While the farm is somewhat sec
luded, it is not unknown. Thanks to
marketing genetics, and showing
and winning with registered Hols-
4 “
From the left, Harvey Clem is tine leadsman for the grand
champion Holstein of the Pa. Fall Championship Show,
while Mark Campbell holds the banner and Doug Beatty
holds the rosette.
teins, many have discovered its
location.
“We’ve done business with sev
eral different counties and a lot of
different states.” Mark said.
“Recently there’s been interest in
the champion.”
Also, there are family concerns.
Mark and Donna have three
young children Mark, 8, and
younger sisters, Rachel and Sarah.
David Campbell and his wife
Audrey have ,a daughter Alysa.
“The children are not old
enough for 4-H yet, but I’m sure
that they will be involved,” Mark
said. He said* that while his son
YORK (York Co.) Larry R.
Redding, agricultural education
instructor and FFA advisor at
Dover Area High School has been
nominated to receive the Hon
orary American FFA Degree.
Redding was nominated for the
degree by the Pennsylvania FFA
Association, and the nomination
was approved by the National
FFA Board of Directors at their
recent meeting in Alexandria, Vir
ginia. The Honorary Degree is the
highest honorary award presented
by the FFA. This year 69 teachers
of agricultural education were
nominated to receive the degree
during the 67th National FFA
Convention in Kansas City, Mis
souri, November 10-12, 1994.
Redding has been involved in
agricultural "education for 17
years. During the first 10 years of
his career he taught at Bermudian
Springs High School in York
Springs, Adams County, from
1987 through 1991 he served as
program specialist in agricultural
education with the Pennsylvania
FFA Nominates Redding
For Honorary Degree
MILK.
IT DOES A
BODY GOOD.
Mark will probably start in 4-H
next year, he already has seen
some experience in the show ring.
“He showed a calf that was junior
champin at the Western Pennsyl
vania (Holstein) Championship,
last year ”
hi fact, family and 4-H had a big
role in forming the lives of the
Campbells, according to Mark.
“When our dad was with us. and
when we were small and in 4-H, he
began buying purebreds, and
we’ve had purebreds ever since.*
He passed away nine years ago,
and my brother and I took over (die
farm). He's the one who got us
started.”
Department of Education, and
since 1991. has taught agricultural
education in the Dover Area
School district.
The degree is awarded on the
basis of points earned by the
teacher for his/her accomplish-
as an agricultural instruc
tor, FFA Advisor and participant
in professional organizations for
agriculture teachers. During the
past 17 years, Redding has super
vised students who have received
the Keystone FFA Degree,
Regional Proficiency Awards,
The American FFA Degree, Star
Agribusinessman Awards, and
who have served as Pennsylvania
FFA Association Officers. From
1983 through 1987 Redding
served as an officer in the Penn
sylvania Vocational Agriculture
Teachers Association and led the
organization as president for the
1986-87 term. At the 1987 Ameri
can Vocational Conference in
Dallas, Texas, he received the
National Vocational Agriculture
Teachers Association, State Pro
fessional Development award.