A34-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 29, 2000
Simmental Family Has Great Show Five Years Running
(Continued from Page A 22)
The Schaeffers care for about
16 dams, using all AI with many
embryo transplants. Some dams
serve as recips for transfers.
The animals are pastured and
fed hay. No TMR is used,
though there are free-choice
minerals available.
Special show rations are pro
vided to the heifers. But for most
cows and calves, hay and pas
ture is the rule.
The breed is noted for great
weaning weight, good milk from
the mothers, and good feed effi
ciency. Paul noted that one bull,
born at 90 pounds, weighed 946
pounds at six months of age.
“That’s a tremendous rate of
gain,” said Schaeffer.
The family hopes to purchase
a farm in the area so they can
expand their beef breeding.
The farm near Myerstown
totals about 42 acres, including
owned and rented. Paul
Schaeffer maintains a wood
products business operation at
the site but is limited in terms of
how many animals he can stock.
Tracy said that their own
breed operation is only a “small
fish in a big pond” compared to
the larger operations, including
Leachman, headquartered in
Montana, with a multihundred
page catalog of available genet
ics. But one day the Schaeffers
want to be an asset to the breed
organization and provide top
quality genetics.
The Pennsylvania Simmental
Association honored them with
the award for their accomplish
ments in the show ring and with
the breed. Paul credits many
people who have helped them
achieve so much in only five
years.
Many contributed their ex
pertise and time, besides helping
fit and clip cattle, for exhibition.
Cassie said she simply enjoys
SYRACUSE, N.Y. Finding
and retaining quality employees
has become increasingly diffi
cult for dairy farmers during
this period of low unemploy
ment. In response to its mem
bers’ concerns with the current
farm labor situation, Dairylea
Cooperative Inc. has launched
an employment program
Agri-Placement Services (APS)
to assist farms in locating
farm laborers, and custom train
those workers to meet the spe
cific needs of the farm.
“The current workforce lacks
INCREDIBLE LOW PRICES!!
SUPER TOUGH STEEL BUILDINGS
Factory Direct 800/825-5059
working with the breed. Cassie,
17, a senior at Elco and a
member of FFA and 4-H, spends
much time meticulously prepar
ing the animals for show and
her efforts paid off handsomely
in several. Cassie plans to attend
Penn State to study ag business.
Her brother Tim has been
considering several universities,
including Oklahoma State, Vir
ginia Tech, and Purdue. He is
leaning toward Virginia Tech.
Tim wants to pick a college not
only for its academics, but for its
location to the breeders and
show rings.
Paul said to be chosen family
of the year by the Pennsylvania
Simmental Association was a
great honor.
Some don’t understand what
it takes, though Tim credits
watching others getting “good
at it, and you get to feel more
comfortable” about showing, he
noted, as time goes along.
Tim’s ideal farm: having
about 50 head of cows with at
least 30 good, purebred cows.
Have a few good calves and
“run a lot of recips,” he said.
Purchasing solid, proven
genetics is the best and “quick
est way,” he said, to upgrade the
herd. By selecting good quality
female genetics and by crossing
them to the right bulls, “we are
starting to produce our own out
standing offspring, which will
carry the S&S prefix,” Paul
said.
But right now, without a good
farm to base the operation,
“we’re pushing the bubble,” he
said. “We can’t really expand.
So a bigger farm would help a
lot.”
No matter what, Tim believes
the farm would stay strong with
Simmentals and “Simmental
influenced” cattle, he said.
Simmentals, said Paul, are ex
cellent in all areas they have
Dairylea Cooperative Launches Employment Program
a sufficient amount of people
who are willing and capable of
doing farmwork, despite the in
dustry’s move toward better
management practices, and in
creased pay and benefits,” said
Dairylea Chief Executive Offi
cer Rick Smith, “With Agri-
Placement Services, our
intention is to bring farms and
competent employees together
and create a solid relationship
that benefits both parties,”
APS has workers available for
placement on dairy farms in
May. Additionally, APS is cur-
Available models
25 x 32 (2 left) 45 x9O (1 left)
30 x44(3 left) 50 x 100 (2 left)
40x62 (4 left) 55 x 150 (2 left)
call for other sizes
Tim with Missy-0 and calf. Tim has been considering several universities, including
Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, and Purdue. He is leaning toward Virginia Tech, but
wants to choose a college not only for its academics, but for its central location to the
breeders and show rings. Photo by Andy Andrews
the best combination of average
hair coats, average to good tem
perament, good mommas, and
other traits.
As for the show ring, Tim
noted that Cassie and he have
different styles. Cassie can be
“picky,” he said, or very meticu
lous when it comes to showing a
heifer. She’s a perfectionist
about heifer leg placement in the
show ring. “She’s a good show
man,” said Tim.
Tim, however, works closely
on making sure the judge can
see the heifer always and isn’t as
rently handling requests for sea- provide ongoing support, cul- formation on how APS can
sonal workers for the 2000 tural and otherwise, to the assist with their farm labor re
growing season. farmer and worker to improve quirements are encouraged to
Since many of these laborers the possibility of successful long- contact Brandon Mallory at 1-
will be new to the United States term employment. 800-654-8838, ext. 447.
and have limited English lan- Those interested in more in
guage skills, APS will assist the
farm owner and farm workers in - *rU ItlCK'
adjusting to the new situation by .v lip/H,/''
providing translation services.
In addition, the program will
demanding of foot placement.
No matter who actually wins,
if the family wins, Tim said he is
satisfied. “The more shows we
participate in, the better we’ll
get,” he said.
During a recent interview at
the farm, Tim paraded Missy-O
(War O’ Fancy Pants), a 2-year
old, with her calf. Missy-O was
exhibited at the Eastern Nation
als, Kansas City, KILE, the
Houston, Texas show, and was a
class winner at the National
Western show in Denver, Colo.
Missy-O, if she could produce
30 calves, would be great, ac
cording to Tim. At the first
flush, there were seven freezable
eggs. Buyers have already been
lined up.
A judge in Kansas City called
Missy-0 “the best Simmental
heifer walking in the pastures
today,” said Paul.
The American Royal was a
great honor for the Schaeffer
family. They were presented
with the solid silver belt buckle
with rubies, as champions at the
100th anniversary show.
“It’s an extreme honor that
we’ll always remember and
cherish,” Paul said.