A2l-LancMler Farming, Saturday, March 1, 1997
Joe Kavanaugh, Bovine Podiatrist Talks While He Works
JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
MT. AIRY, Md. Joe Ka
vanaugh calls himself a bovine
podiatrist.
With a broad grin and twinkle
in the eyes, the Maryland cattle
hoof trimmer sometimes uses that
term to describe his profession to
new acquaintances. He is es
pecially fond of telling clergymen
that he “makes the lame walk.”
And while his dairy farmer cli
ents wait in line to contract Kava
naugh to fix (heir cows’ ailing
feet, they get a healthy dose of his
own brand of entertainment free
with the service.
“All I ever wanted to do was
fool with cows,” affirms this con
fessed cow enthusiast who says
he’s one of the happiest men on
earth pursuing his chosen profes
sion.
Though his father was a Maryland State
Police officer, the Rockville native spent
every waking moment possible as a boy on
his grandparents’ dairy farm.
“The moment school was ova in the
spring. I’d be at my grandparents’ farm at
Westminster,” relates the veteran cowman. “1
had a grandmother and a great-grandmother
who let me get away with just about any
thing. It took my parents'two months to get
me back in shape every fall when I went back
home.”
Even while in school, he wanted only to be
out on the farm.
"My second-grade teacher finally con
vinced me to learn to read by going out and
buying a book called ‘The Wobbly Calf,” he
admits. “Hey, it was about cows, so that got
my interest. And when I was about eight, I
visited Irvington Farms (home of the legen
dary Holstein sire Irvington Pride Admiral).
With their beautiful bams and cows in fresh
sawdust and employees in white uniforms, I
thought I’d found heaven. It was
my first pilgrimage to Mecca.”
Almost as much as he loves
working with cows, Joe Kava
naugh enjoys making people
laugh. His country-philosopher
brand of humor, mixed with a
broad knowledge of the dairy in
dustry and a lively interest in what
is happening in the world and poli
tical fronts, keeps Kavanaugh’s
clients chuckling while he im
proves the foot and leg health of
their cattle.
While still in high school, Ka
vanaugh began breeding cows for
the Curtiss company. Following
classes for the day, he would make
his scheduled A.I. visits to area
farms. His vp-ag teacher had en
couraged him to get involved in
(Turn to Pago A 29)
'
Maestro/flB
conducts w
it better ft
J.B. Zimmerman
& Sons, Inc.
P.O. Box 337
Lancaster County
Blue Ball. PA 17506
717-354-8030
A Alfa Laval Agri
Cattle are humanely strapped to a tilt table, then gently laid on their side, position
ing the feel when the trimmer can more easily and effectively trim, shape and treat
sore feet.
Erb and Henry
Equipment, Inc.
22-26 Henry Avenue
New Bertlnvllle, PA 19545
610-367-2169
Franklin Hess
Ent, Inc.
Rt. 2, Box 130
Orangeville, PA 17859
717-925-6939
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Wltmer Implement
Service
1696 Bedford Rd.
Shippensburg, PA 17257
717-532-6139
Potamlc Valley
Supply
11606 Greencastle Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21740
301-223-6877
People Salas
and Service
Oakland Mills, PA 17076
717-463-2735
717-436-2735
H.B. Duvall, Inc.
901 E. Patrick St.
Frederick, MD 21701
301-662-1125
Out of State: 800-423-4032
11100 N. Congrats Ave., Kansas City. Missouri 64153
© 1996, AHa Laval Agri ALAI-009-96