Farm Hosts New Jersey Angus Association Reorganization Meeting
DEANNA CUNFER
Carbon Co. Correspondent
PEAPACK, N.J. Picturesque
River Bend Farm, located here
with its wood shingle bams and
black cattle grazing among the
fall colors, was the site recently of
the reorganization meeting of the
New Jersey Angus Association.
Organizers Bob Mickel, Hunt
erdon County Extension Agent;
Howard Hoffman, Cedar Lane
Farm; Dr. John Higgins, Acorn
Embryo; and Come Vogelaar,
River Bend Farm, have visions of
the association becoming revital
ized after several years of inactiv
ity.
Through talking with fellow
breeders and extension personnel,
the organizers believe there is
enough interest to give it a try.
The organizers contacted those
on the last known active mem
bership list and breeders with the
American Angus Association
from neighboring states, several
of which exhibit their animals at
the New Jersey State Angus
Show conducted each August at
the Sussex County Farm Show.
River Bend Farm is home to
herd manager Come Vogelaar;
wife Dawn; and children Case, 5;
Jamie Newer, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Angus Queen
and an American Angus Association junior board director,
checks pedigrees of young heifers at River Bend Farm.
From left, Dr. John Hig
gins, Acorn Embryo, and
Dr. Anne Pierok, senior vet
erinarian at New Jersey
Department of Ag, Division
of Animal Health, discuss
health issues during the
meeting.
Jay, 4; Melissa, 2; and Joshua, 6
months. The farm consists of 240
owned and rented acres and has
a herd that includes 60 cows. The
acreage is all hay or pastureland
with all registered Angus cattle.
The herd includes four bulls
used for cleanup breeding; how
ever, 85 percent of the females
are bred AI or used for embryo
transfer. The operation also has
one full-time employee, Mike
Brown,
Vogelaar, of Dutch ancestry,
was bom in Holland. His father
was a minister. Through his ca
reer travels, the family moved
from Holland to Canada and
eventually to New Jersey.
With a lifelong interest in agri
culture, Vogelaar earned a degree
in animal science froth Cook Col
lege, part of Rutgers University.
He has worked on dairy farms,
became involved with coopera
tive extension, and then learned
about the herd manager position
at River Bend Farm. He has been
at River Bend Farm for the past
six and a half years.
The original herd at River
Bend Farm was started 40 years
ago by the Turnbull family. The
main focus of the farm and oper
ation today is to have all register
ed animals and try to market
purebred animals through the
sale of bulls and females as
seedstock.
Vogelaar said the association
was idle for about the past five
years. During the mid to late
1980 s, quite a few of the larger
Angus breeders of the state that
had been the backbone of the
group sold off their herds.
The association kept active for
a few years after that but eventu
ally interest fell, and the associa
tion has been in limbo ever since.
During the meeting portion,
Vogelaar welcomed everyone,
stressing that the point of the
event was to get the association
back up and going again.
The organizers indicated they
need and welcome all the input
they can get, and were conduct
ing this bam tour and gathering
in an attempt to reactivate, de
cide where they wanted to go
with the association, what needed
to be done to reorganize, and
what general direction the group
Lancaster Farmii
Case Vogelaar, 5, son of Come and Dawn Vogelaar,
disinfects his boots as a biosecurity measure during the
pasture walk at River Bend Farm.
wanted to take.
The group discussed several
upcoming events where the asso
ciation could participate or have
a display to get the word out that
the association has reformed and
is looking for more members. The
group believes there are many
breeders out there that may not
be aware of the association.
Present were visitors and inter
ested breeders from New Jersey
and Pennsylvania and all ex
pressed an interest in keeping the
association active. The group
wanted to concentrate on sup
porting the youth and junior
members. Assisting them is
Jamie Hower, Bethlehem, Pa.
Angus Queen and an American
Angus Association junior board
director.
John Tighe volunteered to be
the delegate representing the
New Jersey Angus Association at
the New Jersey State Ag Conven
tion in Atlantic City in January
2003 with Com Vogelaar serving
as the alternate delegate.
Guest speaker Dr. Anne Pie-
November 9,2002-A23
Saturdi
rok, senior veterinarian at the
New Jersey Department of Ag,
Division of Animal Health, spoke
to the group. Pierok noted that it
is important for breeders to come
together strong not only to have
strength as a group but to have a
voice. Involvement in a group
such as the New Jersey Angus
Association is an excellent way to
become better informed regard
ing animal health issues, she
noted.
Pierok spoke about NJCHAP
the New Jersey Cattle Health
Assurance Program, tailored
after the program in New York'
State to test for and prevent
Johne’s disease. The state offers
free herd testing and develop
ment of herd plans.
Pierok is editor of Cattle
Health News, a publication of the
New Jersey Department of Agri
culture, Division of Animal
Health. To be added to the mail
ing list for Cattle Health News or
to receive a copy of the Johne’s
(Turn to Page A 24)