LANCASTER, Pa. — The Lancaster County Holstein Association has planned a Spring tour to several top Holstein herds in northeastern Pennsylvania for Tuesday, March 17th. The group will meet at 6:45 – 7:00 a.m. at Wilson Eberly’s farm, 295 South Farmersville Rd., Ephrata. The bus will pull out at 7:15. A second pick up will be at 7:45 a.m. at Good’s Store in Schaefferstown, just off of Route 501. Tour stops are:
• Joe Pavelski Family Farm. This traditional 50-cow tie stall herd is an exceptional type herd with one EX-95 cow, four scored EX-94 and another four at EX-93. Only three cows are scored below 85 points. The BAA is around 111.8 and the herd average is over 25,000M with 4.3% butterfat.
The Pavelskis feed primarily baleage and a grain mix with a little dry hay. Matt says they breed for type and components. They have some young milking daughters of Dynasty, Cheerful, Alpha and Energy!
• Castlemont Farm. The Castrogiavanni Family has been on the farm for 97 years. It is a 4th generation farm of 600 acres but only 300 tillable. They milk about 110 cows in two long rows of stalls. About half are Red & White Holsteins, five of which have been nominated for Junior All-American honors. Dave said they breed for type and components and it shows. They had 16 new Excellents at their most recent classification and the BAA is 111.4 on 80 cows. They will re-classify a week before the tour arrives. They have three Eye Candy daughters fresh and also some Footprint 2-year-olds. They regularly sell breeding stock – both heifers and young cows.
• Mt-Glen Holsteins. Dean and Rebecca Jackson and their family milk 75 cows in a traditional tie-stall barn. They have about 25 Excellents with a BAA around 111. Dean mentions they have been using aAa for 60 years between he and his father. They have fresh young daughters of Lithium, Golden-Oaks Master, Forrest, Rex PP, and Done Right.
The farm consists of about 1100 acres of which 350 are tillable. They do have extra hay to sell, as well as extra income from the sale of genetics in the form of bulls, cows, heifers and semen. Dean serves on the National Holstein Association Board of Directors and it’s always an inspiration to visit with him.
• Adam and Lisa Sonnen milk 70 cows in a long tie-stall barn. The herd of 100% home bred cows currently includes 22 Excellents with three at 94 points and three more at EX-93. The herd average is over 23,000M with 4.4% butterfat and 3.2% protein. They are milking 11 daughters of Sidekick, eight Addisons and eight sired by Stantons Chief. You may also see a 2-year-old by Hanoverhill Starbuck and a Vincent-View Marvation. The Sonnens bred the “Sonnen Sidekick Kingston” bull at Triple-Hil Sires and they have five sisters to the bull.
The tour will not stop to eat on the way home. Tour organizers will have plenty of food on the bus for lunch and dinner.
The cost of the trip (including lunch and dinner) is $45. Arrival back to Lancaster is anticipated by roughly 8:30 p.m.
Reservations need to be made by calling Jeremy Zimmerman at 717-445-4680 ASAP. Please mention if you will be getting on the bus at Wilson Eberly’s near Ephrata or at Good’s Store in Schaefferstown.
Tour organizer Dick Mellinger expects the bus filling up; so make your reservations early if it definitely suits you to go along. “This is a cowman’s tour – don’t miss it!”
