Fawnridge Farms A Family Affair
(Continued from Page A 1)
Besides having strong ties as
siblings, they “have met really
neat kids, and have made a lot of
friendships through farm organi
zations,” she said.
Keith’s parents also help occa
sionally with the milking.
The shared workload has
forced the Treichler children to
be responsible, according to
Keith. “We couldn’t have asked
for better kids,” said Sue.
Along with their cousins, the
Treichler children help to make
breeding decisions, fill silos, stack
hay and straw, drive the wagons,
and milk, among other farm jobs.
The family does all of their own
fieldwork except for crop spray
ing.
Besides farming, the family
spends time together hunting or
fishing. Brittni is ready for her
first hunting season after receiv
ing a gun for Christmas. Fishing
and hunting are other family ac
tivities.
Although dairy farming leaves
little room for vacations (“that
goes with the career,” Sue said),
day trips and recreational activi
ties such as hunting or Ashing fit
the bill for fun.
The family also enjoys a good
working relationship with Keith’s
parents, Feryl and Jane Treichl
er, who live in the farmhouse on
the premises. Besides their help
with the cows and the operation
of the farm, the “revolving door”
according to Sue, of Jane’s kitch
en opens up to reveal a variety
and abundance of baked goods.
“She always has something for
everyone,” Sue said.
Reading fair board members
Feryl and Jane, in fact, had re
ceived the Outstanding Farm
Family Distinction in 1975. Since
the award was introduced in
1956, there have been several in
stances of the second generation
receiving the award.
A Longtime Dairy
Keith and Sue, who are renting
the land and building, are pur
chasing the farm from Keith’s
parents.
The farm has been a dairy op
eration since Keith’s parents
began farming with 10 cows. In
1968, the Treichlers expanded
from 20 to 60 cows. In 1999, re
modeling took place, adding new
stalls, curtains, and general up
grades. Another silo was built
two years ago.
After taking business courses
in high school, Keith worked for
his uncle building new homes for
three years after graduation. He
The calf area is Brittni’s favorite place to work, accord
ing to her mother, Sue. Since this Holstein calf has an is
land shape on its forehead, Brittni dubbed it “Aruba.” The
outdoor hutches, offering sunshine and fresh air, are an
ideal, healthy place to raise the calves, said Keith. The
family raises their own replacements.
later worked part-time for his fa
ther on the farm and drove trac
tor trailer part-time. He later
began work fill] time at the farm
with his father, an operation
which he took over four years
ago.
Sue, a self-described “town
girl” who grew up in Lyon Sta
tion, Berks County, met Keith
through the Virginville Grange.
Attracted to the organization’s
youth events and activities, she
joined at age 14 and later “mar
ried into the farm” by marrying
Keith.
Conservative spending is one
key to a smoothly running opera
tion, according to Keith.
“We don’t like to be in a whole
lot of debt. Make your equipment
last. Take care of everything so
you don’t have to buy new. Pay
attention to the little things so
you don’t get big bills. Don’t
abuse your equipment. Weld it
before something breaks next to
it.”
“Oil and grease everything,”
said Sue.
Another farm managment tool
is the family council meetings
that provide a forum to discuss
decisions about the farm. Since
the children help with making
money, they should have a voice
in decisions concerning manag
ment, say the Treichlers.
“We make the final decisions
but they get their say,” said
Keith.
“That includes calling Bran
don in Vermont,” Sue said.
Brandon, 21, a senior at Penn
State, has been a member of the
Virginville Grange #1832 since
age five. This summer he is work
ing as an intern at ABS Global in
Vermont.
By using the computer to help
make mating selections, Brandon
makes most of the breeding deci
sions, aside from bis brother and
sister’s animals. In the past few
years the Treichlers have put
more emphasis on using high
quality bulls and that has become
evident in the heifers, said
Treichler.
Recently the Treichlers have
begun to flush one of Brandon’s
cows, “Riverdale Brandon
Pride,” his first 4-H animal that
has experienced success in the
show ring and has proven to be a
good producer. “Pride ” was su
preme champion over all breeds
in Kutztown Fair’s 1998 dairy
show. Each of the Treichler chil
dren exhibit their animals in
competition.
The tall-framed animal has
Sue and Keith Treichler and their family milk 55 cows, mostly Holsteins, but also
Brown Swiss, such as “Cherish,” pictured here, and Red and White Cattle on Fawnridge
Farm.
won several bellringer awards
and helped to bring the Brown
Swiss breed into the once-exclu
sively Holstein herd.
Eight years ago Brandon
bought Pride and another calf
from a farm in Juniata County.
Although he purchased the calves
without his parent’s knowledge,
they have since learned to appre
ciate the breed, said Sue. “They
have great attitudes,” she said.
“Most of them are just sweet and
“ nosy,” finished Keith.
Brett, who has an interest in
civil war history, has named his
line of Brown Swiss after South
ern states. The heifer calves have
been named after southern cities
and the bull calves after Civil
War leaders.
The Treichlers have 15 Brown
Swiss cows in the herd.
Grange, Community
Involvement
Keith has been a member of
the Virginville Grange since age
5, and Sue since age 14. They
have not only served as officers
but also on state and national
committees.
Keith, the first prince for the
The farm includes 35 acres of pasture for the cows.
Berks County Grange, was fol
lowed by Brett, who is a state
Grange prince, the youngest to
serve in that capacity.
In addition to all three chil
dren’s involvement in 4-H
Brandon as a leader and Brett
and Brittni as participants
Keith and Sue have served as
Eastern Berks 4-H Dairy Club
leaders for seven years. Sue has
served as a dairy beef club leader
for three years.
Each of the Treichler children
are enjoying their own unique ex
periences in the dairy industry.
A member of the Penn State
Dairy Science Club, Block & Bri
dle Club, and Dairy Judging
Team, Brandon has also served
as a teachers’s assistant for the
dairy animal physiology and re
production class for three years.
He also does the actual breed
ing on the farm when he is avail
able, a task he shares with his fa
ther.
Brett, a freshman at Fleetwood
Middle School, is a member of
the Virginville Junior Grange
#436, which he has been active in
since he was five years old. Brett
is also a member of the Eastern
Berks 4-H Dairy Club, where he
has served in several leadership
positions, in addition to being a
member of Berks County’s Jun
ior Regional Dairy Bowl team.
Brittni, a sixth grader at Fleet
wood Middle School, is the Berks
County Junior Grange Princess
and has been the captain for the
state junior Holstein Dairy Bowl
Team.
Since her mother is busy doing
the registrations and keeping
vaccination, health, and financial
records, besides helping in the
bam, Brittni has shouldered
some of the cooking and baking
responsibilities.
The rolling herd average is
21,005 pounds of milk with 3.85
percent fat and 3.1 percent pro
tein.
Expansion is limited by the
availability of viable farmland in
the vicinity, according to Keith.
One option is to raise replace
ment heifers, which he may look
into in the future, said Treichler.