Dairy Family Demonstrates Five-Star Care For Cows, Environment (Continued from Page A 1) quality of cull animals sold for beef. Jason Swallow, a dairy nutri tionist and certified DQA con sultant from Columbia, reviewed Winterspring Farm for the program. Swallow was already working with the Martzes on balancing their feeding rations. He saw the DQA program as “a great way to delve into other parts of the farm.” According to Swallow, the DQA review not only recognized areas where the operation ex celled, but also outlined a plan Jamie Martz with 17-year old “Rolls,” a Gemini daughter who still calves every year while maintaining healthy feet, legs, and a well-attached udder. ’kajpiaw • Wide open design for easy entrance * Square tubular frame construction tu**f Slfeawiy iabfflr of action for points that could be improved. The Martzes are an innova tive dairy family who are always looking for ways to do things better, he said. “They’re a real pleasure to work with.” As a young man, Bill Martz worked with his father who managed a dairy farm in Balti more County, providing milk to Mt. Wilson State Hospital, a fa cility for tuberculosis patients at that time. The family later pur chased a dairy farm in the El dersburg area. After the death of Bill’s father, and with increasing de- •OamraNeWUfmgwwwufinKtemartioiAWdTubet Conduit Co 717-484-2233 - 255 Holteman Road. StocJutuh* 17569 Galvanized Headlocks • Automatic down cow release * Quiet cushioned operation velopment coming into the area, his mother sold the farm. Bill Martz spent some years working in the construction business, then managed a dairy for four years for a state senator in Fred erick County before purchasing Winterspring Farm in 1977. The Martzes made the move with four children to the Keymar homestead. Bill gave it the name Winterspring Farm for the large number of year round springs on the property. The family went to work es tablishing a dairy operation there that would sustain them through cycles of low milk prices and droughty conditions during the ’Bos, ’9os, and into the ’oos. According to Jamie, the soil in the area is a challenge because of its tendency to hold water. “You have to know when to (work it), and when to sit still,” he said. The Martzes have installed drainage tiles on a large part of the farm. They grow corn, alfalfa, and mixed hay as well as some wheat for chopping, grinding their own TMR from the forages, high moisture corn, soybean meal, and mineral supplement. Jamie Martz said that the TMR mix is changed according to conditions, including the cost of soybean meal and other sup plements, and with a goal of keeping the cows at their health iest. Milking cows are also given free-choice mixed hay. The feed is not mixed for highest possible milk production because the Martzes would rather see the cows live longer, produce more calves, and make more lifetime milk. According to Jamie, “hot” ra tions also tend to make hooves Walker Selected Granger Of The Year (continued from Page A 1) to. To be an inspiration in your iifework is a pleasure when you love what you’re doing.” Walker said church, family, and the Grange have been the center of her life. She remembers traveling around the state to take on new members. The 129th annual session of the Pennsylvania State Grange opened in Altoona last Saturday when Grange Master (president) William A. Steel delivered his opening remarks. Secretary of Agriculture Samuel Hayes, Jr. also spoke. Grangers attended seminars and business sessions on Sunday and Monday and concluded the convention on Tuesday. The presentation of awards high lighted the All-Granger Ban quet. Steel presented the Recruiter of the Year Award to Raynfiond Gross of the Plumsteadville Grange in Bucks County. Gross secured 15 new members. Com munity Service chairpersons Mi chael and Janet Pratt reported Ruth Walker, center, of the Buffalo Grange in Washing that Grangers throughout the ton County was given the Granger of the Year Award. Con commonwealth contributed gratulating her are, left, Harold Steeley, 2000 Granger of more than 123,000 hours to im- the Year, and, right, William Steel, Pennsylvania State proving their communities. Al- Gr Mr 'er. though the dollar amounts donated totaled more than $58,000, the Pratts believe the figure is much higher because not all Granges submitted re ports. The top four Subordinate Grange winners were, in alpha*- betlcal order. Fort Granville hi [ Mifflin Qiunty. Middletowh in I Bucks Comity, SchneelcsviOe in The Martzes turn the cows outside for exercise as often as weather conditions allow. grow faster, requiring more at tention to foot care. The family keeps a close watch on hooves and trims them as needed, with out having to rely on outside help. “We’ve only had a hoof trimmer in once,” he said. Other keys to good cow care on Winterspring Farm are keep ing the animals off cement and allowing them to exercise when ever possible. When it comes to choosing sires, the ones that produce good feet and legs are first pick, Jamie said. “If a cow can’t walk, she can’t milk,” he said. Sires are chosen from various sources, including semen sup pliers in Canada and the U.S. Semen is stored on the farm, as Jamie has been breeding cows by AI since 1980. Several regis tered bulls are also kept as “clean-up” breeders and for breeding some of the heifers. The Martzes use sand for bed ding in the freestall barn. Sand does not heat up like other types of bedding such as wood shavings, Bill said. The result is less bacterial growth and a generally cleaner environ- ;y, and Virginvillc natty. The Middle- ionated more than iocal fire depart top three Pomona Centre County, ihampton. and rthuraherland- Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 27,2001-A43 ment for the cows. The sand also sticks to the hooves, preventing slippage on concrete. Winterspring Farm cows pro duce an average of about 62 pounds per day, with milkfat generally at about 3.9 percent. Typical somatic cell counts (SCC) in the milk run about 250,000. Swallow said that he is work ing with the Martzes to lower the SCC even more. According to the DQA Center, Winterspring Farm pro vides daily milk to nearly 6,000 people, via the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Coop erative where the milk is shipped. Swallow said that the Five- Star recognition will help assure those people they are buying a quality product. “It increases the confidence level of the consumer,” he said. The DQA program was formed to increase public aware ness of milk quality issues and is funded by various private indus tries and milk producers. Its ad ministration is funded in part by grants from the Environmental Protection Agency. Recognition officer of wk tty GeoqK :r Coun» ear went 3 '..ofßeaw iier of «
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers