A2O-LancMter Farming, Saturday, January 4, 1997
Milking Shorthorns Win Awards For Brother-Sister Team
(Continued from Pago A 1)
While Milking Shorthorns,
which originated in England, are
the oldest of all dairy breeds, they
were not accepted into the Ameri
can Dairy Association until 1972.
At that time, the breed was split
with'A becoming dairy cattle and
the other 14 are rasied for bteef.
“I have them because my dad
had them and he had them because
Grandad had them,” Chris admits.
“And, I’m not certain how he got
his shorthorn knowledge.”
The Youngs do know that their
selected breed takes less mainte
nance than Holsteins. “And, when
you consider the smaller con
sumption of food, versus the milk
production we feel you come out
on top.” Christine points out”
“We used to house our shor
thorns with a herd of Holsteins.
The Holsteins saw a vet with
much greater frequency. I’ve nev
er had a shorthorn with a twisted
stomach, they don’t get milk fev
er, and they tolerate heat much
better than most breeds.”
She also feels shorthorns are
more even tempered than other
breeds and, therefore, easier to
handle.
Discouragement over the breed
sets in when Chris sees a milking
shorthorn passed over for a
E .^ da^ M *5? ,n ,h#Mn,or two-year-old class at the World Dairy Expo and
had the best udder. She was reserve All-American yearling.
supreme award that she feels is
well qualified. “We live in a Hols
tein oriented nation,” she says.
“But, we're making progress.
This year, a milking shorthorn was
suipeme champion in Dlinios and
supreme udder in California
competitions.
Nationwide, there are about 600
milking shorthorn members. “As
many as there are Holstein mem
bers statewide,” Chris points out.
National headquarters are in
Balart, Wisconsin and are shared
with the Brown Swiss Dairy
Association.
“Like all breeds, there are good
ones and bad ones,” Chris says.
“To say there are ten bulls contri
buting to artificial insemination
might be an exaggeration,” she
continues.
“Actually, most breeders get
their semen privately.”
Chris keeps her breeding
records on the computer and
checks carefully for genetic quali
ties before breeding. She accepts
help and suggestions from her
fiance, Keith, who gives her hand
around the farm when not working
for the Blank Book Company in
nearby Roaring Springs.
“I've tried flushing more than
most shorthorn breeders." Chris
admits. “But, with minimal suc
cess. Luke has been ' met”
Last year, their herd avenge
was 19,812 pounds and their Gold
medal herd is in the top 30% of the
milking shorthorn breed.
Horizon Farms is the only milk
ing shorthorn breeder attending all
three American Dairy shows.
“This month we will be going to
Lousville and Toronto,” says
Chris. ‘That takes a lot of sche
duled juggling. We will be home
for 24 hours between shows and
we have to have someone lined up
to milk the cows we leave behind
as well as figuring out how to get
the ones milked we are taking
along."
“My aim has always been to
have all show cattle,” she con
tinues. “That way. I can grab any
of my cows for a show and not
have to call it all off if one isn’t up
to par.”
Chris and Jimmy do their own
clipping and trimming and each
cows has a “beauty parlor” finish
at all times.
Situation in the picturesque
farmland of Morrison’s Cove,
Chris and Jimmy’s show cattle arc
not the norm.
“There are only a few of us who
go from show to show,” Chris
says. “I know most farmers don’t
understand it, but showing cattle is
the best way I know of to market
them."
Chris shows ons of hsr favorits Milking Shorthorn calves.
Brosius Gives
Year-End Report
EVERETT NBWSWANGER
Managing Editor
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
At a media conference in his
office on Tuesday, Pennsylvania
Ag Secretary Charles Brosius
listed five major accomplishments
for PDA in 1996. They include the
completion of die state conserva
tion commission’s nutrient man
agement regulations; the work in
the domestic animal health act; the
comprehensive ammemdments to
the Dog Law; the repealing of
obsolete language in the consoli
dated weights and measures act;
and the initiation of the hardwoods
development council.
In ail their efforts, Brosius said
the department operated with the
idea that education is just as effec
tive as regulation. “We feel we rep
resent the farmer in the admins tra
tion and in the contacts we make in
fulfilling our responsibilities as
regulators,” Brosius said. “And the
fanners were helpful in securing
the additional $4.3 million for
Penn State reserach and
extension.”
In their efforts to promote export
of Pennsylvania products. Brosius
said it was important to note that
international trade is all around us
now through the Philidelphia port
of entry. And we need to put Pen
nsylvania products in this flow.
Because American farmers can
produce more than our population
needs, we need to export the excess
to help keep the market price at
profitable levels.
Brosius also expressed concern
with the on-going trend that small
farmers are not going to make it if
they are not efficient and have a
low debt load. But this is also true
for larger farmers.
The International Day at the
Farm Show is another attempt by
PDA to facilitate exports by invit
ing foreign buyers to come to Pen
nsylvania’s major showcase of
agriculture. On Friday, January 10,
a trade show with about SO
businesses will participate at the
Hershey Convention Center prior
to the annual Farm Show Banquet
Here the foreign buyers will make
contact with local exporters. The
next day, these buyers will have
fine run of the farm show to pick
and choose who and what they
want to see. To dale, 105 people
fiom 29 countries have made reser-
variant to come. Unlike bit year
when many ambassadors from
foreign countries came, this year
most of those who plan to come are
trade and export/import officials.
In a release from the press
office, Brosius said the hard work
and dedication of Pennsylvania’s
50,000 farm families continues to
keep agriculture the number one
industry of the Commonwealth.
With $3.76 billion in cash receipts.
Keystone farmers and agribusines
ses are the leading agricultural pro
ducers in the northeastern U.S. and
some of the most productive in the
country. * ,
Agriculture' generates an addi
tional $4O billion annually in
related economic activity such as
food processing, marketing, trans
portation, as well as manufacturing
all the products and equipment
used on the farm.
Milk production is die leading
segment of our agricultural indus
try, with annual sales in 1995 of
$1.47 billion. Pennsylvania’s milk
production for the same year was
10.5 billion pounds, or 6.8 percent
of the nation’s total supply. The
number of milk cows in the state
averaged 642,000 head and the
number of commercial dairy farms
was 10.800.
The total value of all cattle,
hogs, and sheep on Pennsylvania
farms at the end of 1995 was $1.36
billion, down 7 percent from the
previous year. Ibe gross income
from beef production on 33,000
farms was $369.8 million, down 21
percent. Gross income from pork
production on 5,500 hog farms was
$132.1 million, and income from
sheep production was $5.2 million
for 3,200 sheep farms.
The combined value of Pennsyl
vania’s poultry production from
broilers, eggs, and turkeys, plus the
Value of chicken sales in 1995 was
$563.5 million, a seven percent
increase over 1994. Laying flocks
produced 5.66 billion eggs for the
year and turkey producers raised
11.5 million poults.
The value of agricultural exports
from the Keystone state during the
last fiscal year were valued at $413
million. This represents an
increase of 13 percent from the
$454 million worth of commodi
ties exported during the previous
year.