Vol. 48 No. 14
Com grower Harry Johnston, McConnellsburg, holds onto “Barley,”
who quickly learns that the truck can take him much further over Back
Run Farm than his 3-month-old legs can. Johnston was the first-place
winner in the three-year average division of the 2001 Pennsylvania Five-
Acre Corn Club Contest. Read about Johnston in this issue’s special
section, Corn Talk . Photo by Michelle Kunjappu
Annual Ice Cream Short Course Serves Up Flavorful Instruction
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Farming Staff
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) Students at Penn State’s
annual Ice Cream Short Course,
conducted Jan. 6-16, quickly
found that the course was no soft
serve.
They received two thick bind
ers which became their textbooks,
did homework, attended lab exer
cises, completed a final examina
tion, and listened to lectures cov
ering ice cream composition,
stabilizers and emulsifiers, rapid
hardening systems, nutritional is
sues, and microbiology.
The extensive work however,
did not deter the 92 students who
came to Penn State from as far
away as Brazil and Jamaica,
along with students from all over
the U.S.
At Convention, Kerrs Receive Virginia Distinguished Dairy Award
Dr. Ray Muriey, left, presents the Virginia Distinguished
Dairyman Award to Donna and Jimmy Kerr of Ameva
Farm, the first-ever husband/wife team to be named a
winner. Photo by Gay Brownlee, Virginia correspondent
www.iancasterfarming.com
Ice-cream producing compa
nies sent representatives for
training, or individuals with an
interest in beginning their own
ice cream business attended the
course, which is conducted every
year.
Michael Popovitch, elected
president of the class, works for
Dean Foods, Toledo, Ohio, and is
a production supervisor for
Frostbite Brands, producers of
ice cream novelties for numerous
companies.
Although Popovitch has been
working in the industry for five
years, he found the formulation
aspect helpful, he said.
Homework several lengthy
problems included formulas
for standardizing mixes.
Christine Law, an executive
pastry chef for Postrio Restau-
Six Sections
rant, San Francisco, attended the
course to gather information be
fore she begins her own business.
Sid Osofsky, Ronnybrook
Farm Dairy, Ancramdale, N.Y.,
and his family operate a dairy
Temple Grandin To Speak At Pork Expo
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) —The 25th annual Keystone
Pork Expo will be combined with
an Animal Handling Conference
on Feb. 4 at the Harrisburg/
Hershey Holiday Inn in Grant
ville. This joint meeting for dairy,
poultry, beef and swine produc
ers is sponsored by the Pennsyl
vania Pork Council and Penn Ag
Industries.
The highlight of the conference
GAY BROWNLEE
Virginia Correspondent
STAUNTON, Va. For the
first time, a husband and wife
team was honored by dairy pro
ducers at the recent 96th Virginia
State Dairymen Association’s an
nual convention.
The Virginia Distinguished
Dairyman Award presentation
went to Jimmy and Donna Kerr
from Ameva Farm in Amelia
County.
Award presenter W. Ray Mur
ley, professor emeritus, Virginia
Tech, said, “It is always a plea
sure and an honor for me to pres
ent the Distinguished Dairyman
Award winner selected from
among your fellow dairymen by
the committee. This year, for the
first time, they chose a man-and
wife team for the award.”
The honor adds to several oth
ers the Kerrs have collected over
the years, such as the W. M.
Etgen Alumnus Award, Out-
Saturday, February 1, 2003
Lancaster Farming’s Grower & Marketer is included this issue,
with features on speciality and exotic crops. Special bonus: a trout
farmer and a review of an aquaculture conference. The issue in
cludes a preview of the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention
in Hershey and producer event news.
100 miles north of New York
City. The family milks 80 cows
and produces and sells milk, but
ter, heavy cream, cheese, yogurt,
and yogurt drinks.
They decided to process and
is the keynote speaker, Dr. Tem
ple Grandin. Grandin is a design
er of livestock handling facilities
and an assistant professor of ani
mal science at Colorado State
University. She teaches courses
on the livestock industry, live
stock handling, and animal wel
fare. She has appeared on 20/20,
48 Hours, Larry King Live, and
has been featured in People Mag
azine, The New York Times,
standing Young Fanners Award
by the Virginia Jaycees, and the
Outstanding Young Conservation
Award.
In 1982, Jimmy and Donna
each were graduated from the
Dairy Science Department of
Virginia Tech.
They then returned to the sec
ond generation dairy farm oper
ated by Jimmy’s parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Kerr.
The Kerrs milk some 160 head
of registered Holsteins and run a
herd average of 23,300 pounds of
milk, 3.7 percent fat, and 3.1 per
cent protein. Somatic cell count is
220,000.
Some 200 acres of Ameva
Farm’s land is reserved for the
com they grow to produce suffi
cient silage. On 75 acres of alfalfa
they harvest hay. Some 50 acres
support other hay crops and 20
acres are used as pastureland.
The Kerrs employ environ
mental practices at Ameva Farm
$36.00 Per Year
sell their own milk in 1991 and
began ice cream production in
1996.
“I want to learn if I’m doing it
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Forbes, and U.S. News & World
Report. She has authored more
than 300 articles in scientific
journals and livestock periodicals
on animal handling, welfare, and
facility design.
Christine Kellett, director of
Penn State/Dickinson Ag Law
Center, will speak on the laws
regulating animal welfare. There
that include a rotational loafing
lot management system with
travel lanes. They are implement
ing the CREP program with cat
tle fenced out of streams, water
ers in lots, and trees planted in an
adjacent stream area.
By introducing very few new
cattle to the herd and by a com
plete vaccinating program on a
regular and routine basis, the
health of their herd is protected.
Jimmy has held the office of
president in both local DHIA and
the Atlantic Holstein Club. He is
secretary for the board of direc
tors in the Cooperative Milk Pro
ducers Association and chairman
of the field days for the State
Holstein Association. He has
twice been a delegate to the Na
tional Holstein Association and
serves as adviser to the local 4-H
club.
In dairy cattle judging, the
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$l.OO Per Copy
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