Located along Route 241, southwest of the city of Lebanon, the
120-acre Hoover Farms is owned by Reid and Diane Hoover. With
white-painted buildings arid regularly maintained lawn care, the
farm presents an image of attractive functionality. The couple has
four children, three boys and a girl, who help with their 140-head
registered Holstein milking string, and about the same number of
young stock. The two oldest boys Bradley, 14, and Aaron, 12
help more around the farm, while Brenden, 10, and Audrey, 7, also
pitch in where and when needed. Two years ago, Bradley won a 4-H
club chain heifer calf at the Lebanon Area Fair, a donation by Nelson
Ebersole, a local auctioneer and real estate agent supportive of the
county 4-H dairy program. At the recent Southeast District Youth
Show in Lebanon, Bradley took first place in his class with the now
milking 2-year-old. The dairy operation uses a tie-stall barn and
loose housing for its a herd, and splits the milking group into two
, li H 1 ■ j / i *
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Dairy
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Distinction
groups, both milked in the tie-stalls. The rolling herd average is
about 24,000 pounds milk and the Hoovers use modem mainstream
technologies, such as totally mixed rations. Reid and his brother
Dale, who also dairy farms, work in partnership to plant and harvest
their respective crops. Including rented land, together the Hoovers
crop about 500 acres, with everything raised going to feed dairy
cattle. Working in cooperation, the brothers have been able to purch
ase their own equipment and machinery, as well as obtain bulk
purchase discounts on inputs. Reid said that while he doesn’t con
sider his farm or operation fancy, that he does concern himself with
details. He said that, to him, a successful dairy farmer keeps up with
the day-to-day activities, the small details, whether it’s paying close
attention to cattle during calving or staying on top of the condition of
the crops in order to harvest for maximum feed value. “It all adds up
to help do a better job to make the operation successful,” Reid said.
Milking Center and Free Stall Barn
717-738-2142
1-(800)-874-7531
HOOVER FARMS
Freestall Barn
191