A3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 18, 1995
Kindig Receives Pennsylvania DHIA Leadership Award
(Continued from Pago A 1)
“Shrinking cow numbers and
changes in demographics, not to
mention decreasing milk prices,
challenges the DHIA system we
have known,” Omcr said. “There is
little doubt that DHIA of the future
will look somewhat different The
board and staff are taking a leader
ship role in moving toward the
future. We are trying to be proac
tive rather than reactive.
‘The organization has down
sized. Cost cutting measures have
had an impact on the bottom line.
The reality is Pennsylvania DHIA
has done a lot of things right; how
ever, we must continue to do all
that we can to shape our future. Let
us work together to prepare our
cooperative for the dairy industry
of tomorrow,” Omer said.
David Slusser, general manager,
reported a number of cost cutting
steps that have been taken this
year. The downtown office was
closed. Some staff positions were
cut, and the membership develop
ment and laboratory manager posi
tions were combined. In addition,
the laboratory staff became Pen
nsylvania DHIA employees rather
than university employees.
In other developments* Ted
Brown was hired as director of
finance and human resoruces, and
all field technicians are now using
laptop computers.
‘The results of these changes
improved our efficiency of opera
tion without affecting the quality of
service,” Slusser said. Quality con
trol reports from National DHIA
maintained the same high stan
dards that our lab, DRPC, and field
service were always use to, and
* ?
Plan# Nutrients
Solid Agronomics for Maximum Yields and Profits
turn around time has improved.”
Slusser said the fee structure
changes to members last fall
encouraged large numbers of
members to switch to A/P testing
and innovative test programs. Pre
sently, about 25 percent of the
association’s members test their
herds 2X and the remaining herds
are on A/P or some other innova
tive program. This has led the asso
ciation to reduce field staff mostly
through attrition, thus improving
efficiency. Indications are that cow
numbers on test are holding if not
improving, and the cash flow of the
cooperative is positive and
improving.
Brown gave the financial report
saying that-in the current year the
financial picture is much improve
d. But past debts continue to weigh
on the books of the association.
Jim Boyer, DRPC manager, said
1994 brought an extensive number
of accomplishments for the data
processing department. A major
achievement was bringing all tech
nicians online with laptop compu
ters. Several programming systems
were finalized, including a herd
locating system, a problem track
ing system, the interface to Westfa
lia’s dairy plan, and Calf-ID
exchange with the Jersey Cattle
Club.
Dean Atnick, field operations
manager, said all technicians are
sending information to the service
center electronically, and dairy
men can now receive reports via
the dairy plan after each test About
85 dairymen have switched to the
new innovative programs offered
by National DHIA. The associa
tion’s Am/Pm program has
ghbors talk Agronomics...
they talk about Moyer & Son.
Receiving herd management awards at the Pennsylvania DHIA annual meeting last
Friday In State College were Susan Kulp, herdsperson, Ardrossan Farms, Chester
County, Ayrshlres; Albin and Betty Wester, Wester Jersey Farm, Mercer County,
Jerseys, and Harold and Joan Stump, Montgomery County, goats.
attracted more than 70 percent of current needs of members but at the lenge we are faced with is for you,
the members. same time anticipate the future the members of DHIA, to tell us
Dixie Burris, laboratory services needs. “Communication is a two- how we can be of better service to
and membership development way street,” Burris said. “The chal- you presently and in the future ”
manager, said members met the
continued challenge of supporting 1 AT j n
their association programs despite tLXCfICUt2€ €€uS V CLltllll€S
the pressures of new technology, 0
price of milk, social issues and
family pressures, and the chal
lenges of the day to day dairying.
The quality of the laboratory is
working more efficiently with less
people and less expense for the
association. The lab runs six days
per week with ten hour shifts. They
average 235,751 samples per
month
Burris said the goal is to be effi
cient and effective in meeting the
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