A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 25,2001
Dairy Producers Receive Stakeholders’ Pacesetters Award
ROCKSPRING (Centre Co.)
Jobo Holstein Farms, L.L.C.,
Gettysburg, Adams County, and
Tom Craig, Murmac Farms,
Bellefonte, Centre County, were
recognized by the Pennsylvania
Dairy Stakeholders with the or
ganization’s prestigious Paceset
ter Award at the Ag Progress
Days dairy producer luncheon.
The two dairy operations are
the third and fourth recipients of
the award, which was created last
year to recognize individuals and
organizations who have contrib
uted significantly to creating a
positive image of the Pennsylva
nia dairy industry. Up to three
Pacesetter Awards can be pres
ented annually to nominees who
excel in the following criteria; vi
sionary, innovative, progressive,
excellence of performance, and
unique.
“Both Murmac Farms and
Jobo Farms have pursued their
visions to develop progressive
dairy businesses and become
leaders in our industry,” said
Ralph Heffner, chair of the Pace
setter Award committee. “They
truly exemplify the characteris
tics of a Pacesetter and are ex
tremely worthy candidates of this
award.”
Jobo Holstein Farms, L.L.C., is
a partnership between John and
Bonnie Hess, their children Josie
Riser and John Hess, and their
son-in-law Dale Brown. They
milk 500 cows, farm 900 acres,
and provide custom forage har-
Deadline Approaching On All-American Dairy Show
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) Agriculture Secretary
Sam Hayes reminded all dairy
breeders that the entry deadline
for the 2001 All-American Dairy
Show is approaching.
“If anyone has not entered
their prize-winning cow into the
All-American, I would like to en
courage them to do so. This is an
other banner year at the All-
American. I hope to see everyone
in Harrisburg in September,”
said Hayes.
All entries for the 2001 All-
American Dairy Show need to be
postmarked by Sept. 5 for the
second entry deadline and sent to
the Pennsylvania Farm Show
Complex.
The All-American Dairy Show
vesting and TMR blends for area
producers. The Hesses have been
recognized as Master Farmers,
conservationists and leaders both
in the industry and in the local
community.
Since purchasing the farm in
1970, John and Bonnie have
farmed with a vision of building a
business to include the next
generation. They’ve worked with
dairy consultants and other ex
perts to expand the herd and op
eration. They’ve adapted new
technology and practices to build
a productive and progressive op
eration.
Last year their vision became a
reality when they formed the
partnership with Josie, John and
Dale. John and Bonnie share a
passion for farming and agricul
ture, and they’ve passed on that
passion to all five of their chil
dren. The five children and their
spouses work in some part of the
agriculture industry.
The Hesses also share their
passion for farming with other
dairy producers and with young
people from all over the world.
Along with hosting tours and ed
ucational meetings for fellow
dairy producers, the Hesses have
hosted international exchange
students as interns on their farm.
Each year they invite more than
200 local elementary students to
tour their farm. The Hesses have
also welcomed local 4-H mem
bers who don’t have homes for
their dairy animals to keep their
animals at Jobo Farms.
continues to exemplify its mission
of having the best dairy genetics
on display. The dairy cattle that
will be on display in Harrisburg
have traveled from across the na
tion, several having received na
tional recognition in milk pro
duction, type quality, and dairy
genetics.
To recognize the high quality
of cattle on display at the All-
American, the show will pay
some of the highest premiums in
the nation.
Building on the investment
from the year 2000 with the in
creases in the premiums for the
champions of each breed receiv
ing $l,OOO and the supreme
champion being paid $3,000, this
year the All-American will in-
Tom Craig also shares his pas
sion for agriculture and fanning
with others. He got his start in
the dairy industry in 1979 as a
herdsperson at Murmac Farms
and took over the operation in
1980. Through the help of a men
tor and business partner and the
advice of experts both within and
outside the dairy industry, Craig
has grown his dairy to 800 milk
ing cows. The operation is now
positioned to provide business
opportunity for his and his wife
Sherry’s family.
What sets Craig apart from
other dairy producers is his en
thusiasm for the dairy industry
and his willingness to share' his
insight, experience, successes and
failures with others. Craig has
provided Penn Staters with in
ternships and job opportunities
on his farm. He has also hosted
classes and informal discussions
with students. He is a member of
the Executive Committee of the
Professional Dairy Managers of
Pennsylvania and has played a
key role in developing that or
ganization.
According to Lisa Holden, a
dairy professor from Penn State
who nominated him, “Craig sets
the pace for the dairy industry
and provides the encouragement
for others to follow him.”
Craig has created a very posi
tive and business-like image of
dairying on his farm. He uses an
outside advisory team and has
developed comprehensive proto
col for his employees to follow.
crease the premiums paid to the
reserve grand champion, inter
mediate champion, and junior
champion of each breed to $2OO.
To recognize a herd’s dairy type
excellence, the Exhibitor Herd
Class winner will receive $5OO.
Breeding productive cattle
takes time and commitment from
breeders. To recognize their ef
forts, the All-American will in
crease premiums for the premier
breeder award to $5OO and the
junior and senior best bred and
owned of each breed to $2OO.
The 38th Annual All-American
Dairy Show will be Sept. 22-27 at
the Pennsylvania Farm Show
Complex, Harrisburg. For more
information or a premium list,
contact the All-American Dairy
Show at (717) 787-2905.
When he decided to hire Hispan
ic workers on his farm, he pro
vided his family and existing em
ployees with Spanish classes and
his new Hispanic employees with
English lessons. Craig is truly a
visionary and progressive think
er, and he has developed himself
as a leader for his organization
and the whole industry to follow.
Both Craig and the Hess fami
ly were presented a gold-plated
clock commemorating the Pace
setter Award during the Ag Pro
gress Days luncheon. According
Metzler Receives
Service Award
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Lancaster Mennonite High
School agricultural science teach
er Lehman Metzler recently re
ceived the Years of Service Rec
ognition Award for serving the
agricultural education profession
for 30 years.
The recognition, sponsored by
the Pennsylvania FFA Founda
tion, was given as part of the Pa.
Association of Agricultural Edu
cators Conference conducted at
Penn State University this sum
mer in conjunction with the Pa.
Governor’s Institute for Agricul
tural Science Careers.
Metzler also recently received
the Youth Adviser Award for
“exemplary leadership and serv
ice” to the National Institute on
Cooperative Education (NICE)
Youth Scholar Program. This
summer he served as a youth ad
viser during NICE’S 73rd annual
conference, conducted in Atlanta,
Ga.
Metzler, of Willow Street, is in
his 22nd year of teaching at Lan
caster Mennonite High School.
At LMH he is co-adviser, with
teacher Christopher Ochs, of the
Hans Herr FFA Chapter, which
has enjoyed numerous successes
since its inception in 1992.
During the 72nd annual Pa.
FFA Convention mid-June at
Pennsylvania State University’s
main campus, the Hans Herr
Chapter’s outgoing president,
Paul Hostetter, was named presi
dent of the Penn
sylvania FFA As-
sociation. Paul’s
classmate, Jere
my Ranck, was
named eastern
region vice presi
dent of the state
to Heffner, the award was cre
ated as a way to recognize the dy
namic leadership responsible for
creating a strong and rewarding
future for the Pennsylvania dairy
industry.
The Pennsylvania Dairy stake
holders will recognize up to three
recipients throughout the year, so
qualified nominations can contin
ue to be submitted to the board of
directors for consideration. To re
ceive an application, contact
Alan Bair, facilitator, Pennsylva
nia Dairy Stakeholders, at (717)
948-6328 or nab4@psu.edu.
FFA Association. Both were
graduated from LMH in June.
In addition, the school’s Agri
business Management Team took
first place and received $l,OOO to
compete in the National FFA
Convention at Louisville, Ky., in
October. The Ag Mechanics and
Dairy Food? teams took home
second place awards, both receiv
ing $450 to compete nationally in
the Northeast Regional Career
Development Event at the BIG E
(New England Expo), Spring
field, Mass., in September.
Prior to his position at LMH,
Metzler served nine years in Cen
tral and South America in Adult
Ag Extension Education.
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