A26-L*ncaster Firming, Saturday, July 22, 1995
DHIA
Board Summary Report
PA DHIA
Dave Slusser
General Manager
The PA DHIA Board of
Directors met June 28 in Mars,
PA. President Lane Sollenberger
called the meeting to order, and
Secretary Neal McCulloch called
roll. The minutes of the April 25,
26 Board Meeting were approved.
President Sollenberger an
nounced his committee appoint
ments; Finance; Dale Hoover,
Chairman, Norman Hershey, John
Castrogiovanni, Mark Eby, Wil
liam Itle, Marian Butler. Policy;
George Cudoc, Chairman, John
Wilcox, Brooks Smith, John
Brodzina, Frank Omer. Retire
ment Trust; Neal McCulloch,
Chairman, Norman Hershey.
DRPC; Steve Mowry, Chairman,
Ralph Gilkinson. Planning; Wil
liam Jackson, Chairman, Luke
Rebuck, Ralph Gilkinson, Don
Duncan, Steve Mowry. Techni
cian Training & Certification
Advisory; Neal McCulloch,
Chairman, Marian Butler.
Financial Reports
Ted Brown, Director of Finance
and Personnel gave the financial
reports for March and April and
went over the preliminary budget
for the 1995-96 fiscal year. After
the Finance Committee reviews
next year’s budget, and makes
recommendations on field service
pay and benefits, the committee
will recommend a 1995-96 budget
for approval at the August Board
Meeting.
Staff Reports
Dean Amick reported on the
very good meetings that have
recently been held with the field
technicians. The Technicians
Advisory Committee meeting
with Dean Amick, Ted Brown,
Dave Slusser, David Bigelow, and
Jie Region Managers met to dis
:u;s problems with pay, bonus,
and beneftis and discuss solutions.
IT.e meeting was positive and pro
iuCtive. Also, the Technicians
Summer Conference was the most
positive and productive in PA
3HIA history. Technicians
received training and inspiration
in marketing and sales. All field
Technicians are meeting bi
monthly with their Region Mana
gers for additional training.
Dixie Burris reported that the
“Focus” distribution in the farm
reports will begin next week and
that news releases and advertising
are occurring in Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Delaware, West Virginia
and Maryland. The PA DHIA
Booth manned by staff has
appeared at the National Holstein
Convention, and will appear at Ag
Progress Days. She also attended
the Summer Technician Confer
ence, Agri Forum and PA Dairy
Futures Committee.
Jim Boyer gave the DRPC divi
sion report. Jim attended the Sum
mer Technicians Conference
where he led a panel discussion on
Laptop computer use. The panel
was made up of Held technicians
and was a productive part of the
conference. Jim also reported that
Randy Mayes was moved from
Field Technician to Help Desk.
Jim is developing an update to
Dairy Plan for the Technician’s
computers. He stated the results of
the Veterinarian and Nutritionist
Conferences favored MUN test
ing. Calf identification from the
Jersey Cattle Club was being
worked on and progress is being
made in PC processing, billing,
ind payroll.
Teid Brown reported that Pen
non fund investments were up and
on allowing our employees to join
i credit union.
Dave Slusser asked for a uni
brm recognition program for this
all’s local annual meetings. He
suggested the following as recom
mendations by staff for all coun
ies; Herd Certificates for 500 lbs,
md higher in fat and protein, Cow
Certificates for lifetime produc
ion of 100,000 lbs. and 25,000
bs. increments for milk or 4,000
bs. of fat or protein and 1,000 lbs.
ncremcnts. Rolling Herd Average
ibbons foi protein only, certifi
■atcs i.i Herd Management Award
n the county for 20 or more offi
;ial herds enrolled will be recog
nized for first three positions with
10 tests for the most recent cow
yeru and have at least 10 cow
ye<r?. Rolling Herd Average Cer-
i f . ales for high protein herd and
Lowest SCC herd. (All informa
tion available from start of the
cow testing year (October 1) to the
end (September 30) will be used).
State would also print programs
upon request, and that no plaques
or trophies be provided by State.
The Local Annual Meeting Rec
ognition Program sponsored by
the State will be reviewed by the
Planning Committee and a recom
mendation will be made at the
State Board meeting in August.
The policy on members and
non-members using the DHIA
trucks to transport soil and masti
tis samples was reviewed. The
policy manual update has been
completed, copies will be updated
by next board meeting.
MUN Testing
The board voted to lease a Foss
4000 machine for the purpose of
testing our members Milk for
Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN).
Industry Talks
Dave Slusser reported on talks
iiat he had with Dairy Industry
Leaders, and with Russell C. Red
ding, Deputy Secretary of Market
ng. Promotion and Program Ser
vices of the Pennsylvania Depart
nent of Agriculture. The center of
.he discussion concerned the
'uture of PA dairy farms and what
hese farmers as well as their farm
erganizations have to do to cope.
The meeting was adjourned at
4:00 p.m.
Pa.DHIA
DAVID BIGELOW
Training Coordinator
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) The Pennsylvania Dairy
Herd Improvement Association is
proud to present three of its techni
cians who serve on the associa
tion’s Technician Advisory
Committee.
The 10-member committee is
instrumental in making sugges
tions and helping Pa.DHIA set
policy.
Bob Edwards, an Indiana Coun
ty resident, said he enjoys working
for Pa.DHIA. Bom and raised in
the county, he decided to stay and
work there.
Currently he is responsible for
matinaining a circuit of 47 herds,
which consists of 2,300 cows, in
Indiana and parts of Westmoreland
counties.
A graduate of Marion Center
High School, Edwards has experi
ence working with his father, a
contractor. Part of their work
included building pole bams for
Agway. Edwards also had the
opportunity to work for Agway in
Marion center as a laborer.
Having an interest in agricul
ture, he was a member of his local
FFA chapter, serving as president,
and also as a county officer. Cur
rently, he serves as a Cub Scout
den leader. He is also a member of
Marion Center Presbyterian
Church.
In addition to serving on the
Technician Advisory Committee,
he is also a senior technician.
Being a senior technician
involves promotion, training and
substituting for those on vacations
or off work for illness.
Edwards also completed the
Westfalia Training School and has
the training to teach other techni
cians how to tailor-make dairy
men’s same-day test reports.
Nancy Dana, of Utica, Pa., has
been able to use her experience
from many years working in vari
ous aspects of agriculture in her
duties serving 41 herds in Mercer,
Venango, and Crawford counties.
There are 2,500 cows in her circuit.
Also a senior technician, and a
graduate of the Westfalia Dairy
Plan Training Seminar, she said
that she enjoys working for
Pa.DHIA because of the dairy far
mers with whom she works. She
said it is important to keep them
first in mind at all times. Dana said
that today’s DHIA world needs
cooperation.
Pa. Ayrshire Association
CONNOQUENESSING (But
ler Co.) Homestead Acres Ayr
shires, owned by Harold and Bar
bara Rader and family in Conno
quenissing, Butler County, is
serving as host of the 1995 Pen
nsylvania Ayrshire Held Day, set
to be held 9:30 a.m., July 29.
The family affair event is to
include dairy judging for juniors,
women and men, with prizes
awarded in all three groups; while
that is ongoing, dairy princess are
to oversee children’s activities
such as a coloring contest, playing
in a sawdust pile, playing hide-n
-seek, etc.
At 11:30 a.m., an “Anything
Goes Auction” is set to be held
with proceeds going to support the
1997 National Ayrshire Youth
Convention, which the Pa. Ayr
shire Youth are to serve as host
Any type of item is needed and
Introduces Technicians
Bob Edwards
A graduate of Franklin High
School, she has a business degree
from Clarion University of Pen
nsylvania and has participated in
the Dale Carnegie Course.
She currently serves as a 4-H
leader for the Venango County
Livestock Club and just finished a
term of office on the county exten
sion board.
Her past work experience
includes working for Talong Divi
sion of Textron, where she worked
in the computer department for
two years. She also worked for
American Breeders Service for 12
yean serving as a genetic mating
specialist for 10 yean and a district
representative for two. During her
employment she was named the
1989 ABS top evaluator in the
Northeast, an award based on
accuracy. She was also named a
runner-up district representative of
the year.
She and her husband Gale have
a daughter Heather. Nancy said
she and her daughter enjoy show
ing sheep at the county 4-H lives
tock show.
Carol Spatz, of Hamburg, has a
40-herd circuit with 2,400 cows in
Berks County that keeps her busy.
Raised on a dairy farm in Berks
County, she has been a technician
for IS years and has served as a
senior technician.
She is a graduate of Hambuig
To
Hold Field Day
would be appreciated. Everyone is
encouraged to bring something to
contribute toward the youth fund
raising event
At noon, a pig roast is to com
mence, followed by a short busi
ness meeting and awards presenta
tion for the adults, while the youth
may participate in a “Junior
Olympics” designed to test their
skills at identifying feeds com
bined with other games.
Entertainment is to be provided
by Cindy Speck, a ventriloquist
with puppets from Zelienople.
Commercial displays, exhibi
tion booths, homemade handi-
Carol Spatz
Area High School and began test
ing forPa.DHIA the same year she
finished high school. She is an
active member of Saint Michael’s
Church in Hamburg were she
serves as a council person and
helps with church activities.
Included in some of her career
accomplishments is receiving the
Merti Award several times.
Feel free to contact Pa.DHIA at
1-800-344-8378, if we can assist
you in your dairy operation.
crafts and door prizes also arc
planned.
The Homestead Acres family
includes Harold and Barbara Rad
er and their children, Elaina, John,
Sharon. Jr. and Louanne, Lona and
Steve Peters, and the Rader’s
parents, Clinton and Evelyn Rader.
The farm is located at 114 Con
noquenessing School Road, off of
Rt.6B about halfway between the
towns of Buder and Evans City. At
a brick schoolhouse, turn east onto
Connoquenessing School Road,
and the farm is lsss than a mile.
Watch for signs. For more infor
mation, call (412) 789-7413.
hbalth kkx
Nancy Dana
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