A34-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, Dacambar 2, 1995
JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
SHREWSBURY (York Co.)
The high performance herd of
Smyscr’s Richlawn Farm has
extended for yet another year its
perch at the top spot of York Coun
ty's Dairy Herd Improvement
Association production listing.
Rodney Smyser, who operates
the East Berlin Road, York, regis
tered Holstein herd with his
brother Robert, accepted an armful
of awards during the county’s
annual DHIA dinner and recogni
tion meeting, held Nov. 20 at the
Shrewsbury Fire Hall.
With a rolling herd average for
the year of 25,075 pounds of milk,
773 pounds protein and 934
pounds butterfat, Smyser’s Rich
lawn Farm topped both the milk
production and protein categories.
Individuals in the 7S-head herd
also claimed top awards for
30S-day milk and protein produc
tion and high lifetime milk
production.
The herd’s accomplishments
combined to earn the York farm
the county's management award,
with a total of 113 points. Rich
lawn’s repeat performances at the
top of the county list have con
tinued for nearly a decade.
Also claiming a repeat award of
several years running were
Edward and Carolyn Calhoun,
Glen Rock, taking the low somatic
cell count award with an average
of 149,000. Topping the high life
time production for protein was
Horace Heindel, Airville, whose
Satin cow tallied a total of 7,159
pounds.
Recording the most protein
pounds of improvement, among
herds averaging over 600 pounds
of protein, was Beshore Farms,
New Cumberland, with an
increase of 39 pounds. An increase
of 96 pounds earned Hidden
Springs Farm the top award for
protein increase in herds under 600
pounds average.
During the business
session, three directors
were elected to three
year terms on the county
DHIA board. Filling
those positions are John
Doll, Hanover. John
Sprenkle, Spring Grove
and Jerry Taylor, Delta.
An award of apprecia
tion was presented to
outgoing board member
Gary Thoman, for six
years of service, several
as president of the York
DHIA.
Scott Cooper, Delta,
county president,
reviewed in his report
the continuing decline
in test herds and cow
numbers, balanced by
continuing increases in
production. In 1994,
York County had 78
herds with 6,063 cows,
or 71 per herd, with
herds averaging 18,135
pounds, to rank the
county 30lh in Pennsyl
vania. In 1995,74 herds
with 5,880 cows were
on test, with 73.5 cows
per herd, averaging
18,472 pounds of milk,
and ranking 27th in the
state.
With an increase in
herds testing on one
time, AM-PM testing,
York Coctnty operated
more efficiently, with
one less technician and
Smysers Continue As Top York County Herd
remaining technicians. York tech
nicians include Abbe Gore,
Donald Mcssinger, Jean Myers,
Carolyn and Clyde Stump and
Marianne Walter.
“We want to maintain the qual
ity and the integrity of testing, but
at the same time, be the least-cost
server of members’ testing needs,”
affirmed Cooper.
Further state efficiencies were
reviewed by district director Neil
McCullough, Newville, who rep
resents Cumberland and York
counties on the state DHIA board.
McCullough noted that the current
debt of the statewide testing
cooperative has been reduced to
one-third its previous level.
Regional manager Dave Shenk
and director of Held services Dean
Amick reviewed the state DHIA’s
newest program offered to mem
bers, Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN)
testing.
MUN testing is a method of eva
luating if cows are being overfed
protein, a condition which can
adversely affect reproductivity
efficiency. Over-feeding protein
can also cost as much as $5O per
cow per year.
MUN testing, which measures
the milk urea nitrogen levels in
milk samples, is less costly and
easier than previous methods
which required blood sampling. In
comparative tests run on die dairy
herd at the University of Pennsyl
vania's New Bolton Center, MUN
results from milk and blood were
virtually identical.
According to Shenk, MUN test
ing will cost IS cents per cow and
is optional, to be utilized only as
frequently as a producer-member
feels is necessary. MUN testing is
recommended when major
changes are made in feeding prog
rams or new feed supplies are put
into use:
Top five production herds woe
Smyser’s Richlawn Farms, 25.07 S
pounds milk average, Ramsey
Cooper Jr., 24,250 pounds. Sink
ing Springs Farm Inc., 23,694
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From the left, York County Dairy Princess Angela Mummert congratulates Rodney
Smyser, representing Smyser’s Rlchlawn Farms, for winning multiple county DHIA
production awards, and Carolyn Calhoun, for again having the lowest somatic cell
count among county DHIA herds.
pounds, William Myers, 23,415
pounds and Lynn Wolf, 23,075
pounds milk.
Smyser’s high protein of 773
pounds was followed by Lynn
Wolf, with 745 pounds, Sinking
Springs Farm Inc., 744 pounds.
Ramsey Cooper Jr., 740 pounds
and Beshore Farms, 739 pounds
protein.
High 305-day record went to
Emily, of Smyser’s Richlawn
Farms, with 34,823 pounds of
milk, followed by Glen and Dawn
Anderson’s cow Pamela, with
34,635 pounds. Third was Loretta,
with 33,778, owned by Earl Fuhr
man, fourth was Woodbine Farms’
#479, with 33,778, and fifth was a
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second herd member of Smyser’s
Richlawn, Bertha, with 33,654
pounds.
Smyser’s had the top two
305-day protein records. Poppy,
with 1,098 pounds, and Jenna,
with 1,042. Stump Acres was third
with Najet’s 1,036-pound record.
Fourth was Beshore Farms ’ Jewel,
producing 1,031 pounds protein,
and fifth was Shelly, another
Smyser herd member, at 1,027
pounds.
High lifetime milk production
was Smyser’s Sally, with a seven
lactation total of 239,917. Second
was Becky, with 237,371 in eight
lactations, owned by Wayne
Myers, third was Ramsey Cooper,
ATTENTION
TOBACCO FARMERS
Our 609 tobacco markets open
Dec. 4, 1995
For the past 12 years Golden Leaf
Tobacco Co. has been a major buyer for
your 609 tobacco. We are looking
forward to a good marketing year. We
will be following sales at the Paradise
Tobacco Auction and also will be
receiving tobacco at our receiving
stations for those farmers who wish to
sell privately.
We will be receiving tobacco this year
at our old location in Kirkwood
(Kirkwood Hay Auction) on Tues. and
Thurs. from 8-4 and at a new location
on Rt. 23: .Earland Industrial Park, 130
Earland Dr., Building 3, (behind J.B.
Zimmerman Hardware), beginning Mon.,
Dec. 4° 1995, at 8 am and continuing
Mon. thru Fri. 8-4 until the end of the
season.
New Holland (717)354-8177
Kirkwood (717)529-2886
Jr.’s Michelle, 235.65 S pounds in
nine lactations, fourth was Joelyn,
223,148 pounds in six lactations,
owned by Smyser’s Richlawn, and
fifth was Lily, with 210,984
pounds in eight lactations.
Tallying high lifetime protein
honors behind Heindel’s Satin, at
7.159 pounds in 10 lactations,
were Ramsey Cooper’s Michelle,
6,928 pounds in nine lactations,
Smyser's Sally, with 6,880 in
seven lactations, Wayne Myer’s
Becky, with 6,79opounds in eight
lactations and Smyser’s Joelyn,
with 6,728 pounds protein in six
lactations.
(Turn to Pag* A 35)
on