New Dairy Thrives
(Continued from Page 23)
val is 13.7 months
The herd is fed total mixed rations two times daily
but feed is provided four times daily.
The Hornings have used BST since February 1994.
They have 1.4 services per oreenancv and 1.6 for all
cows, which is considered excellent, according to
Trachte. Lancaster County averages are 2.2 and 2.9
service. The 21-day pregnancy rate is 17 percent com
pared with the county average of 11-12 percent.
In addition to the newly-built barn, two silos, feed
bins, and a manure pit were installed. A dry cow barn
is attached to the new one. Heifers are raised adjacent
to the new barn.
They raise corn and alfalfa hay and purchase
forages from neighboring farmers to whom they are
able to sell manure.
One of the Hornings’ top priorities is to work to
gether as a family. Although their children range in
ages from four to 11 years, each helps out on the farm
in a responsibility they enjoy.
“Destinee loves the barn. She’d rather be there than
in the house. She’s up at 6 a.m.,” her mother said.
“I like helping with milking,” Destinee said. So does
her 9-year-old sister Marcia. Her twin, Monica, prefers
scraping the barn. The younger children like to help
with calf care.
“The farm is a good place to raise a family,” Denise
said. “The farm is a business and needs to be oper
ated as one but to keep it going, we need to take
time away from it.”
The Hornings recently returned from a three-day
camping trip. While they were gone, Lewis and Amy
took care of the herd in addition to their daily care of
the hog operation.
This month the Hornings will have an all-expense
paid trip to Minnesota as Land O’ Lakes young pro
ducers.
Originally the families hope to arrange an every
other weekend off. But the three-times daily milking
schedule makes that unrealistic. “It’s just too much
work for one family,” Denise said.
During a recent open house on the Horning’s farm,
Jay Mylin of Lancaster DHIA said that he is im
pressed by the Hornings’ ability to maintain profes
sionalism and yet operate it as a family farm.
The Hornings’ mission statement is to provide high
quality dairy products at a profit, follow Godly princi
ples of honesty, integrity, and good stewardship, pro
vide a healthy family atmosphere, and be a positive
influence in the community.
When people asked the Hornings why they have
been able to achieve so much success including a high
rolling herd average, they said, “We are trying to do
the best we can do, to make our steps count, to work
together as a family, and to build long-term relation
ships with professionals that can help us live in accor
dance to our mission statement.”
DFA Web Site Hosts Checkoff News
As part of a joint partnership between DFA and
Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), the organization that
manages the national dairy checkoff programs, DFA
producer members can get the latest checkoff informa
tion when visiting the DFA official website at
www.dfamilk.com.
A special link “button” located in the lower right
section of the DFA home page links DFA members to
the latest checkoff-funded promotion and marketing
programs aimed at building dairy product demand.
“We’re excited about this opportunity to partner
with DFA in producer communications,” said Joe
Bavido, director of industry relations for DMI.
According to Agi Schafer, DFA vice president of
communications, DFA’s web traffic is growing and
generating an increased amount of questions from pro
ducers and consumers about dairy farmer-funded pro
motions.
“With that in mind, it just made sense to partner
with DMI to make answers quick and easy to find. It
also gives consumers an access point for dairy promo
tion’s home page information,” said Schafer.
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