Franklin Couple Sees
Bright Future In Dairying
DAVELEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
MERCERSBURG (Franklin Co.) From produc
tion to promotion, Tim and Alexa Stoner are deeply
involved in the dairy business.
Tim grew up milking cows with his father and
uncles on Hijos Hill Farm between Greencastle and
Mercersburg. Now he is president of a family corpora
tion that includes his brother and four cousins. His
father, Bob Stoner; several uncles, and an aunt are also
still involved on the farm.
Alexa helps out with the milking herd of about 630
Holsteins on Hijos Hill mainly on weekends when
she is not out promoting milk in her work as industry
relations specialist with the American Dairy Associa
tion (ADA).
Tim’s duties involve “a little bit of everything,” in
cluding feeding the cows, keeping herd and crop
records, and “making most of the crop decisions” for
the 1,600 acres under cultivation.
The corporation conducts monthly meetings to dis
cuss business and vote on important decisions. Min
utes are kept by Todd, Tim’s brother and secretary of
the corporation.
With the younger generation now in its second year
at the helm of Hijos Hill, Inc., “Things are going real
well,” Tim said.
As president, Tim said he tries to keep routine jobs
on schedule as much as possible and alternate milking
chores. His approach to the business is not rigid.
“Our meetings are kind of free flow,” he said.
With full-time help from his father and varying de
grees of involvement from wives and uncles, Hijos Hill
has no employees from outside the family.
The Stoners have chosen to use live bulls on the
farm instead of artificial insemination for breeding.
Tim said it is his father’s job to find new bulls on a reg
ular basis to keep up genetic diversity. About 20 bulls
are housed in the free stall barn along with the milking
herd.
According to Tim, the Stoner family switched to
using bulls about five years ago to save the labor of
watching for cows in heat. The bulls do a good job
breeding the herd, he said.
Safety can be an issue in having bulls on the farm,
but Tim said the family is proactive in heading off po
tential dangers.
“If we have problems (with a bull’s temperament)
we move him out pretty quick,” he said.
Rolling herd average for the 630 Holsteins on Hijos
(Turn to Page 23)
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