New York Dairy Farmers Tour Southeast Pennsylvania (Lancaster Farming, Nov. 18, ’06). “About 50 dairy farmers from New York state northern Pennsylvania joined a bus tour hosted by Monsanto Dairy in southeastern Pennsylvania Nov. 9-10. . . . scheduled stops included Ralph and Crystal Moyer’s Mor-Dale Farms in Berks County, featuring a 100-cow herd with a rolling herd average of 30,000 pounds.

Feed quality is important to them (Hoard’s Dairyman (Nov. ’06). Hoard’s Dairyman 56th Annual Round Table featured four dairy farmers from around the U.S. who “share their strategies for getting high-quality corn silage and hay silage stored, harvested, and fed out.” Mercer Vu Farms –The Hissong Family, Mercersburg, PA. is one of the featured dairies. “A land base of just over 1,000 acres makes up the principle forage base for Mercer Vu Farms. . . . Mercer Vu is a family corporation with parents Ron and Judy and sons Rick and Rod. They have 1,400 cows that are averaging 26,500 M, 980 F, 785 P, and 150,000 SCC. The average herd age is 4 years at last calving.”

Safety First: Is it practiced on your farm? is the “Dairy Business” feature in Hoard’s Dairyman (Oct. ’06). Dr. Charles E. Gardner of Cargill Animal Nutrition Consulting Service (PDMP Silver Investor) writes, “The sad truth is that farm accidents occur far too often. Learning of one is always upsetting; yet they are so common that we tend to accept them as unavoidable. We need to change this paradigm. Farm accidents are avoidable, but we need a different mindset to bring improvement. . . . What can you personally do to reduce risk on your farm? I strongly urge you to do your own ‘safety audit’ today. Don’t put it off. Simply take time to walk through your operation and look for dangerous conditions. Make a list of what you need to do to correct them. Many will take little time or money, yet will improve safety significantly.”

‘Digesting’ for Cash: Three Pa. Farms Awarded Energy Grants (Alternative Energy, Lancaster Farming, Oct. 21, ’06). Checks for federal funding for renewable energy projects were presented to Brubaker Farms of Mount Joy, Reinford Farms of Mifflintown, and Bortnick Dairy of Conneautville. “The three grants issued totaled $794,100 and will generate more than 600 kilowatts per year of electricity, according to USDA.” Members of the Brubaker and Reinford families “will be building methane digesters on their farms.”

Mifflintown Farm Goes Green with Digester Plans (Alternative Energy, Lancaster Farming, Oct. 21, ’06). “When the Reinford family received their grant from USDA Rural Development, it marked a benchmark in a project that began more than two years ago. The idea came to Bret Reinford while at Hesston College studying business administration. Bret, now 20, started looking into the idea for a methane digester as a way to help reduce odor from the farm’s manure and an opportunity to reduce energy costs and possibly sell electricity back to the grid. . . . The Reinfords milk about 330 cows at their Mifflintown dairy farm. Hopes are with the addition of a methane digester to their expansion plans, they will be able to become more environmentally friendly and utilize their manure for green electricity.”

Premise ID Concerns Aired (Lancaster Farming, Oct. 21, ’06). Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff hosted a town meeting in Morgantown after his recent Harvest Tour. “The hot topic of the evening was premise ID, a farm identification program that is being implemented in the state. . . . (T)here were several strong concerns about premise ID and the effects that the program could potentially have on smaller farmers. . . Steve Hershey, a diary farmer from Lancaster County . . . said he understands both arguments. However, Hershey said he is highly concerned that ‘disease can be transmitted easily at fairs and community events without any knowledge of disease transmission.’ Hershey said he sees the premise ID process as a pull and push between the government and respective industries. Unless both parties are involved, he said, the process will not work. Hershey also added that ‘consumers are asking for traceability’ and farmers need to be accountable for their food-source animals.’”

What if a terrorist targeted our agriculture? by PDMP education member Terry D. Etherton, distinguished professor and head, Department of Dairy and Animal Science at Penn State, appears in Hoard’s Dairyman (Sept. ’06). “Intentional introduction of biological agents that target food production in the U.S. would create fear, societal chaos, and have a destabilizing effect on the economy and the functionality of government. No elaborate delivery would be needed for such an attack. Samples of infectious material obtained or cultured from infected animals or carcasses are all that would be needed. Deadly, contagious diseases are still common in a number of countries and easy to get. . . . It is not easy to answer the questions of how bad an agricultural bioterrorist event would be in the U.S. However, it is clear that it would be potentially devastating to agribusiness and likely challenging to national security. A huge challenge remains to find ways to reduce the likelihood of an attack and the subsequent impact on society.” Read the complete article in a slightly different format on Dr. Etherton’s blog at http://blogs.das.psu.edu/tetherton/?p=3.

Open minds keep business going is the front-page feature in Farmshine (Aug. 25, ’06). The color photos and article feature the father-and-son team of Mike and Allen Behrer of Willow-Behrer Farms. The Behrers “manage to keep business going and growing by watching costs and adopting new ways. Mike’s father, John, had 12 cows when he got into the dairy business in the 1950’s. These days, Allen is in charge of two production facilities that are home to 800 cows. They’re located in the Spruce Creek Valley of northcentral Huntingdon County, PA.” This front-page story continues inside the paper as the PDMP feature.

Making the right decisions will keep you in business writes PDMP Education member Bradley J. Hilty, in Hoard’s Dairyman (Aug. 25, ’06). “Always keep the profit equation, Profit = (Volume x Price) – Expenses, in mind when you make decisions. Recognize that decisions that impact one factor in the equation can also impact others.” Hilty makes several recommendations, including, “Do not ignore income: . . . finding the next 2 to 5 pounds of milk in your herd is a great way to improve cash flow. . . . Evaluate your feeding program: . . . income over feed costs, as opposed to feed costs per cow per day or per hundred pounds of milk, is the most appropriate measure to evaluate your feeding decisions. . . . Look at labor management strategies. . . . Reduce supply inventories. . . . Evaluate capital purchases: . . . look at the potential payback period of each. . . . If the payback period is longer than it will take you to repay the loan needed to purchase the asset, put it off until milk prices improve.”

Two-Top Holsteins were the surprise in Shippensburg (Farmshine, Aug. 18, ’06). “A newcomer became the big winner at the Southcentral Pennsylvania Championship Holstein Show . . . on August 12th. Well, perhaps not a true newcomer, but their herd never stood out like this before. Chester and Marcus Martin and Family of Two Top Holsteins, Mercersburg, were named Premier Breeder. Along the way, they won first places in the best three females and produce of dam classes. Adding significantly to the trophy case at the Martins’ was Chevy Martin, who won senior, grand and best bred and owned honors in the junior division of the show with her senior 3-year old, Two-Top Kite Kearsten-ET, a Kite daughter.”

Twelve more farms earn Dairy of Distinction Award (Farmshine, Aug. 18, ’06). “Twelve dairy farm families were honored on Tuesday afternoon with the Dairy of Distinction Award given annually by the Dairy Farm Beautification Program. Pennsylvania Ag Secretary Dennis Wolff presented photos of the farms to each family that attended the ceremony held at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days. Farms and families receiving awards included . . . Two Top Holsteins, Marcus and Chester Martin, Mercersburg.”

Two Top Holsteins, Mercersburg, Franklin County are featured in the special “2006 Dairy of Distinction Winners” in Lancaster Farming (July 29, ’06). “Brothers Marcus and Chester Martin and their families manage a herd of 250 Holsteins, mostly registered. They grow corn and alfalfa to feed the herd on the 300-acre home farm and an additional 500 rented acres.”

Hey, look at Pennsylvania (Dairy Herd Management, July ’06) Editor Thomas Quaife recounts meeting with Don Risser. “The Rissers are indicative of a new attitude in Pennsylvania. They believe the Keystone State is a great place to dairy, and they are obviously bullish about the future by wanting to expand. A state that was stuck in the doldrums has reversed course and is now headed upward again in milk production.”

Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont agree to cooperate (Farmshine, June 16, ’06 and Lancaster Farming, June 17, ‘06). Photo in both publications: Don Risser, Meadow Vista Dairy, Mount Joy, PA, is one of the dairy industry representatives at the signing. “The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the three states at the summer conference of the Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture “is designed to make the region’s dairy industry more competitive. . . . The three states represent the vast majority of dairy farms in the Northeast with 25 billion pounds of production. . . The MOU agreement specifically outlines a process to identify and coordinate state goals and resources, including the creation of a tri-state board, which will focus and prioritize initiatives in research, public policy, marketing and public relations.”

Dairy Days a fun-time for children (Farmshine, June 23, ’06). “The Farmshine Newspaper staff joined crowds of children and adults of all ages last week at Oregon Dairy’s Family Farm Days. . . the three-day event provided a fun and hands-on outlook on aspects of agriculture and environment in Lancaster County. . . . Family Farm Days was a great opportunity within Lancaster County to recognize June as Dairy Month. Those interested in more information and photos from the event can visit the Family Farm Days link on Oregon Dairy’s website: www.oregondairy.com/familyfundays.asp.

Tiara Just Another Hat For Centre County Dairy Princess (Lancaster Farming, June 10, ’06). “Miranda S. Ulmer, the 18-year-old daughter of Daniel and Penny Ulmer of Bellefonte was crowned the Centre County Dairy Princess. . . . She presented a skit about wearing the many hats of the dairy industry where she showcased not only the dairy farmer but also the veterinarian, dairy hauler, seed salesman, nutritionist, dairy plant operator, and grocery store personnel.”

Minor is Pennsylvania’s Best (Lancaster Farming, June 10, ’06). In a photo on page B4, “Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff congratulates Bev Minor, who Gov. Edward Rendell recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business during an awards program in Harrisburg recently. Minor owns The Springhouse, a retail country dairy store, restaurant and catering service in Washington County.”

Profit teams make good things happen (Farmshine, May 12, ’06) This article is the third in a series focusing on Pennsylvania’s profit team pilot program. Don Risser and the Meadow Vista Farm Profit Team are profiled. “The Meadow Vista Farms profit team began meeting in March of 2005; however, the Rissers have been working with some of its members as far back as 25 years. Some of the valuable benefits the Risser family has observed include the added value of accountability a profit team brings to the operation; their assistance in helping the family set a direction; and the resources and ideas that the team members bring to the table.”

Wet bed bad for bovines (Farmshine, May 19, ’06). “Hot, humid weather is just around the corner. Providing a clean and dry environment to control somatic cell counts is a good way to boost net farm income this summer. . . . Rohrer Dairy Farms in Washington Boro, Pa. has been treating their bedding with Sani-Bed for more than a year. . . . ‘It’s a great product for keeping the bedding dry even a day or two after we put it down,’ notes Tyler Rohrer. . . . ‘Our somatic cell counts are, by far, the lowest they’ve ever been,’ he adds. . . . Rohrer Dairy recently completed their new dry cow facility last fall, and now they are seeing even lower SCCs.”

Milk, sun . . . use your head (Feedstuffs, Apr. 24, ’06). Columnist Trent Loos writes, “I have been on a mission for quite some time to get the actual facts on rbST. . . . As fate would have it, I met just the resource I needed on a recent trip to Penn State University. Dr. Terry Etherton . . . has worked on the public risk of somatotropins for nearly 20 years and said, without hesitation, ‘There is no human health risk related to (producers) using rbST.’ . . . rbST has no biological activity in humans, and the human gut actually digests the protein into 191 amino acids that have no biological activity.”

Dairylea Board of Directors Names New CEO (Farming, Apr. ’06). PDMP Silver Investor Dairylea “named Greg Wickham the cooperative’s chief executive officer. . . . Wickham has been responsible for overseeing Dairylea’s daily operations since he assumed the position of general manager in 2004. . . . He also serves as general manager of Dairy Marketing Services and chief operating officer of the Northeast Area Council of Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. Additionally, he is on the board of directors for the National Livestock Producers Association and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.”

Wis. Ag Secretary Leads ‘Ultimate Farmland Preservation Tour’ (Lancaster Farming, Apr. 15, ’06). “A busload of about 50 Wisconsin ag producers, township supervisors, and other public officials visited . . . the Luke Brubaker Farm near Mount Joy. . . . The tour examines the efforts of farmland preservation programs throughout the U.S.”

Wis. Ag Secretary To Visit Brubaker Farm (Lancaster Farming, Apr. 8, ’06). “Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Rod Nilesestuen will visit the Luke Brubaker Farm . . . The Wisconsin secretary of agriculture is visiting to learn about the success of the Lancaster County Farmland Preservation Program and apply these principals to a new farmland preservation program in Wisconsin. The success of the Lancaster County commissioners’ efforts to obtain funding for the farmland preservation program has made the program a national model. Included will be a tour of the farm.”

Oh the Places YCs Get to Go (Pipeline, MD & VA Milk Producers, Feb. ’06) recounts the year Carol and Byron Graybeal, Graywood Farms, spent as Maryland & Virginia’s Outstanding Young Cooperators for 2005. “Byron oversees operations at Graywood Farms along with his partners: his father Steve; uncle Joe, his sister Lisa and her husband Frank. The staff works together to cover when someone has to be away, especially when both Byron and Steve, who has served as Maryland & Virginia president since 2002, travel across the nation to represent the cooperative and the dairy industry.”

They grow and feed high-quality alfalfa (Hoard’s Dairyman, Feb. 25, ’06) interviews the partners in Valley Heritage Farm, Tyrone, PA, a producer member of PDMP. “Valley Heritage Farm began last year as a business partnership between three young families with strong dairy ties to the area. Prior to that, Dave and Janet Hileman successfully operated the dairy for nearly 30 years. Today’s partnership includes: David Hileman who serves as general manager; John Black, the financial manager; Todd Lewis, human resources manager; and Dean Kohler, operations manager. Hileman serves as president of Genex Cooperative and the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania. The herd, located in central Pennsylvania, is housed in multiple free stall barns and milked in a double-6 herringbone parlor.” In the article, the Valley Heritage team says, “Our goal is to feed 50 percent of our forages to our cows as alfalfa. On our farm, it takes 180 acres to accomplish this with normal 7-ton-per-acre yields. We evaluate alfalfa stands in spring and generally rotate into corn following the stands fourth year of production to take advantage of the nitrogen credits from alfalfa and other yield advantages corn gets following up alfalfa.”

Dairy Summit Banquet Honors Producers, Industry (Lancaster Farming, Feb. 4, ’06). “A Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) honor was also provided. Dave Hileman was honored for his many years as president of the program. Logan Bower, president of PDMP, honored Hileman with a spice chest.”

Handling conflict: What happens when agreements fail? Is the “Dairy Business” column by PDMP Silver Investor Dr. Charles Gardner, D.V.M. in Hoard’s Dairyman, Feb. 25, ’06) “Conflicts between family members, when no one person is the boss, can be particularly difficult to resolve. . . . In summary, it is worthwhile to try to resolve conflict with compromise by both parties. This is most likely to happen if both focus on the facts and not criticize the people. . . . The worst approach is to simply complain about situations or behaviors that will not change and allow the business problems to eventually destroy the personal or family relationship.”

Common Threads, a column in Hoard’s Dairyman (Feb. 25, ’06) is written by PDMP Producer Member Marilyn K. Hershey, Ar-Joy Farm, Cochranville, PA. Marilyn writes about her interactions with the couple who run the jewelry store where she took a ring to be repaired. Looking through the jeweler’s ‘magnifying eye’ she could see the effect her dairy chores have had on the ring her husband, Duane, had given her. “My occupation was obvious, down to the tiny spec of straw sticking out from under the diamond. It looked like the ring had been twisted in a vise, dragged through the barnyard and the emeralds poked out with a pitch fork.” The jeweler’s wife expressed interest in Marilyn’s work. She says, “The more I explained, the more intrigued she became. . . . There we were, two ladies with two very different occupations, but we still found some common interest in each other. Both of us work side by side with our husbands, are passionate about our occupation, and enjoy a good laugh.”

Wanner elected president (Farmshine, Feb. 17, ’06).John Wanner, partner with his father Alfred and brother Matt in PDMP member Wanner’s Pride N’ Joy Farm, “was elected president of the Lancaster DHIA Board of Directors for 2006.”

The Rissers of Meadow-Vista Farm in Lancaster County: They’re tuned to keep the family tradition going is the second in a series of articles in Farmshine (Jan. 20, ’06) on “the decisions and activities of a multi-generation dairy farm family as they chart a course for the future.”  Part One of the series “offered an observer’s view of the Meadow Vista Farms profit team in action. . . . The next part of this ongoing series will look at the ingredients that make a profit team work.”

PDMP and Farmshine working together is the full front-page article in Farmshine (Jan. 6, ’06), including a large photo showing PDMP president Logan Bower, Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolfe and Gary Heckman, director of the Center for Dairy Excellence. “With the goal of bringing more information to more people, the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) will have a weekly feature page in Farmshine for all of 2006. “PDMP President Logan Bower, who farms near Blain in Perry County, had this to say about the new arrangement: ‘This weekly feature in Farmshine opens the door for PDMP to communicate in new ways with dairy producers throughout the state.”

Christopher Brubaker wins scholarship (Farmshine, Jan. 6, ’06). “ExxonMobil recently announced the winners of its 2005 Mobil Delvac Agricultural Scholarship program, a unique initiative through which three students pursuing degrees at an accredited U.S. agricultural college earned $4000 to help further their education. One of the three winners was Christopher M. Brubaker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Brubaker of Lititz, PA.  A freshman at Penn State’s main campus, he is majoring in environmental resource management. He was an honor student and star athlete at Warwick High School in Lititz.”

Tours can be path to improve your dairy (Farmshine, Jan. 6, ’06) reports on the tours the PDMP Board of Directors took of Fair Oaks Farms, Fair Oaks Adventure Center and Seven Hills Dairy in Indiana. According to Jeff Harding of Monsanto Dairy who fostered the board’s trip, “The trip’s goal was to see progressive, forward-thinking dairy businesses and take in an inspiring display of dairy promotion.”

Members In the News: 2006 | Members In the News: 2005