farming, ‘Saturday, March' 7, 1998
Houser,
(Continued from Pago A4l)
A total of 30 homebieds have
scored Excellent, helping to main,
tain the herd’s 20-year BAA be
tween 10S tdo 107 and earning
Penn-Dell the Holstein Progres
sive Breeder award for a quarter
centiy. Over 30 Penn-Dell young
sires have gone into the AI indus
try.
An all-time herd favorite was
the herd’s S-E homebred, Penn-
Dell Elevation Rose-Twin.,
SE-92, Gold Medal Dam and Dam
of Merit Though she left the herd
in 1995, the four generations then
in the milking string carry on her
genetic contributions. All four
generations are Excellent and all
producing over 1,000 pounds of
fat At 14-2, she broke the state re
cord for her age with a 305-day,
2X lactation of 26,910 milk, 1108
fat and 745 protein. She also has
several outstanding sisters in the
herd.
For more than 30 years, Houser
has been active in Holstein activi
ties and leadership. In addition to
heading up the PHA as president
from 1996-1998, Houser has been
a national Holstein delegate, state
vice president and state director
from Centre County. He is a 4-H
dairy leader of more than 30 years
and enjoys showing the family’s
own cattle along with encouraging
young people.
In 1983, Houser was named a
Master Farmer and Centre Coun
ty’s Conservation Fanner of the
year. He serves on both the coun
ty’s ASCS and extension boards.
Burdette Elected President
JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
GREENSBURG (Westmore
land Co.) —James Burdette, Mer
cersburg, is the new president of
the Pennsylvania Holstein Asso
ciation, elected to head the state’s
largest dairy breed organization
during its annual meeting, hosted
last week in Greensburg by PFA’s
Southwest District
Burdette, former vice president
of the state Holstein group, as
sumed the gavel from outgoing
president Jay Houser, Spring
Mills. The Franklin County dairy
man will serve a two-year-term at
PHA’s helm. Burdette, his wife
Nina, and their two sons operate
Windy Knoll View farm. Their
76-head milking herd is interna
tionally known for its breeding
genetics and showring accomp
lishments.
“Change will occur, but the
challenge will always be to serve
the members of the Pennsylvania
Holstein Association,” promised
Burdette in his brief acceptance
statement
Moving up into the vice presi
dency is former treasurer Dean
Johnson, Warren. Richard Allen,
Smock, was elected treasurer.
Newly-elected to the executive
committee are Adam Derr, Daw
son, representing the Southwest
district, and Steve Vanco, Bear
Lake, representing the Northwest
district
In addition to receiving the an
nual reports, members and guests
attending the business meeting
had a challenge thrown to them by
one of PHA’s own junior mem
bers. Troy Hartle, 13, public
speaking winner at the recent
junior PHA convention, shared his
award-winning presentation to a
standing ovation from the roomful
of veteran cattle breeders.
“It’s surprising how many times
Zimmerman, Named To Holstein Hall Of Fame
along with numerous other indus
try leader roles.
The Housers have five children
and five grandchildren. Their son,
Jim, and two daughters, Karen and
Barb, all continue to be part of the
management team at Penn-Dell
Daughter Mary Ellen and her hus
bnad Craig Storm are Wisconsin
dairy producers, while daughter
Sandra and her husband Steve
Haragen operate a Centre County
dairy herd.
Offering a toast to the
Pennsylvania Holstein
Association’s annual gath
ering was Pennsylvania
State Dairy Princess Nicole
Meabon.
I have heard, “If you want to be a
winner, you have to fix the cow’s
problem,” challenged the Belle
fonte-area son of Tom and Lori
Hartle.
Hartle related how he had
eagerly looked forward to the op
portunity to participate in largo
cattle shows with his junior ani
mals and learn all he could about
showing. At one of his first such
events, Hartle noticed a cow being
led to the washrack at what he felt
was a strange time, only to ob
serve her being led back soon after
with a “perfect” udder. He then re
alized that her udder had probably
been injected with a substance to
help fill out any hollow or empty
looking areas.
Also bothering this junior
breeder were the number of adults
and experienced show people who
suggested that show advantages
on his calves could be gained by
falsifying birth dates.
“Where is the Ethics Commit
tee at these shows?” he plaintively
queried his adult Holstein-breeder
audience. “The message being de
picted is that, in order to be a win
ner, you have to lie and cheat”
Don’t be surprised then, he sug
gested, if young people lie or
cheat based on what they have
seen and heard adults doing in
similar circumstances.
“Not everyone cheats,” Hartle
adamantly stated. “I don’t cheat;
and I am a winner. In life, there
are no gray areas, only black and
white."
Members passed several resolu
tions addressing issues facing the
dairy industry, including one sup
porting the introduction and pas
sage of Dairy Compact legislation
in Pennsylvania. One resolution
was aimed at the Pennsylvania
Farm Show Commission, request
ing effort* be made to dress-up the
appearance of the show area dur-
New PHA president James Burdette, second from right, accepts the gavel of his
office from outgoing president Jay Houser. Completing the officer team are, left,
newly-elected treasurer Rick Allen, and vice-president Dean Johnson.
Offering a historical perspective to the 1998 PH A convention were a trio who also
attended the first, held in Greensburg in 1955, were, from left, Paul Countryman, Art
Nesbitt, and Bill Conyngham.
Serving on the PHA Executive Board are, from left, front: Jay Houser, James
Burdette, Dean Johnson, Clyde Bishop, rear, Creddin Cornman, Adam Derr, Steve
Vanco, John Burket and Rich Allen.
ing the dairy judging events. PHA
members also supported a resolu
tion to request the national Hol
stein Association to provide one
free pedigree with each animal
registered.
On the industry political side,
resolutions were passed support
ing former state Secretary of Agri
culture Boyd Wolff to the Penn
State Board of Trustees and sup
port Mansfield-area breeder Ron
Wood to re-election on the na
tional Holstein Board.
Featured annual meeting speak
er was Doug Blair, president and
chief executive officer of Alta
Genetics. The British Columbia
native is an avid Holstein genetics
historian and has traced the lin
eage of dozens of the breed’s top
animals back to their European
cattle ancestry.
Blair noted during his informa-
**v S ****** * * k **»*«,•*
tivc presentation that the whole
Holstein breed was originally built
from “grade** animals. He told the
Pennsylvania breeders that only a
few farms have ever had more
than one sire appear in the ‘Top
10” listing since 1979; and, of the
top 142 sires inclusive in that list
ing, 122 of them came from 122
different farms.
‘The good ones are rarely from
famous herds,** Blair concluded.