A22-Lanc«st*r Farming, Saturday, June 10, 2000
Pennwood Farms Relocates To Expand Dairy Operation
Duane and Andrea Stoltzfus were the first of Pen
nwood Farm’s five household families to move to Somer
set County.
GAY BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
BERLIN (Somerset Co.)
Some 400 head of milking
cows at Pennwood Farms are
still adapting to the 28-stall
rotary milking parlor during
the hours of 2 a.m.. 10 a.m..
and 6 p.m.
Typically, the older cows,
set in their ways, are more
stubborn. The younger stock,
naturally, are adapting more
readily to the single-file order
of entering and exiting the
fully computerized facility.
Like their animals, the
owners of Pennwood Dairy
never before experienced a
milking parlor and realize
progress bring challenges.
Pennwood Farms is a part
nership four-brothers who
are carrying on a business
begun in 1%2 by their dad,
Harvey Stoltzfus. They are
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Don. Glenn, Dwight, and
Duane Stoltzfus.
On 50 acres near Morgan
town, Harvey began on land
he rented from his mother,
with 18 cows derived from
her herd.
Stoltzfus. with his wife,
Mary Jane, saw Pennwood
Farms dairy, like their four
sons, thrive and grow until it
finally had outgrown its loca
tion. Ultimately, the entire
family five households
moved across the state to
Somerset County, from their
home on the border of Berks
and Lancaster counties.
Pennwood had purchased
the local farm and Holstein
herd of Lewis and Barbara
Berkley, as well as the Wil
liam Schultz farm, which
would augment heifer hous
ing and cropland.
The Berkley lands were
ample to support the new
freestall barn and milking
center Pennwood planned to
build. In 1999, these were
constructed adjacent to exist
ing facilities.
The freestall barn is
equipped with the side and
top curtains critical for main
taining temperature control
and proper ventilation for
cow comfort, since, in the
Laurel Highland region, the
four seasons are very distinct.
The top curtain, unlike its
side counterparts, is con
trolled by a thermostat.
Additionally, three big
bunker silos, along with a
five-bay commodity shed and
several calf hutches, were
built. The existing freestall
barn was remodeled and a 2.5
million gallon manure pit was
constructed. Dwight empties
it with a 5,700-gallon capacity
manure truck.
One loss in the move was a
thriving custom manure haul
ing business they had built in
Morgantown. They said,
however, they hope to build a
similar operation here.
Pennwood dairy spokes
person, Andrea Stoltzfus,
wife of Duane and pregnant
with their first child, said she
and her husband were the
first couple to arrive here.
They milked the existing
herd.
In November 1998, the
couple was married one day,
moved to Berlin the next day
and honeymooned on the
third day.
“We have had to make a
lot of changes since we
moved here," Andrea said of
the group. “We made up at
the outset a job responsibility
sheet. We are still a family
farm, but with different as
pects as a business.”
Don's speciality, for
instance, is equipment
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repair and maintenance.
Glenn makes the cropping
decisions, handles the em
ployee aspect, and manages
the parlor. Herd health,
breeding decisions, and mer
chandising are Dwight’s areas
of responsibility and Duane’s
areas are nutrition and feed
ing.
“Each can take over the
job of the other, if necessar
y,”Andrea said. “Here they
have the same focus and the
same goal. There is no time
for grudges.”
Two couples are allowed
Andrea Stoltzfus shows the Pennwood free stall barn,
342 by 112 feet. The herd is fed TMR twice daily at
bunks.
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time off on alternating week
ends. That is equivalent to
four milkings. Five part-time
employees and good neigh
bors have been a blessing.
The Berkleys live nearby,
Lewis helps with tractor driv
ing. According to Andrea, if
Harvey is not on a tractor, he
comes around once a day to
see what’s happening.
“He loves his cattle and he
loves his family,” Andrea
said of her father-in-law. “He
wants to make sure everyone
(Turn to Pago A 22)
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