HONEY BROOK, Pa. — The Chester County Holstein Club offers its annual spring tour to all members and friends. The date is Wednesday, March 17, with pick-up available in Honey Brook and Parkersburg. (See end of article). “We invite you to join us for an exciting day of education and fellowship. We plan to visit the following five farms in Lycoming County and surrounding areas,” states Duane Stoltzfus.
• Adam and Lisa Sonnen have a top herd of 60 cows in a tie-stall setup. Two EX-93 Sidekick daughters as well as daughters of Addison, Chief, McDonald-P, Hancock, and Lutenant await your inspection.
• Cogan Sky Farm, owned by Ken and Keith Martin is home to over 200 cows, housed in a WeCover free stall barn. Five cows are Excellent, with two at EX-92, and about 70 are scored Very Good. They’re happy with their milking Parfects and Gamechangers. They’re pretty heavy on No-Bull sires, as well as some of Blondin.
• Mt-Glen Farm is the home of 230 Excellents to date. Owned by Dean and Becca Jackson, their focus for a long time has been on breeding balanced functional cows. In addition to using their own bulls — which they have done a lot of over the years with great success — they’re also using some sires from Blondin, No-Bull and Triple-Hil. Dean is currently serving as a national director for Holstein Association USA.
• Rainy Day Holsteins is owned by J.K. and Sylvia Lapp. Eighteen cows are Excellent in this conventional tie-stall herd. A few highlights being are an EX-94 America, an EX-93 Sidekick and an EX-92 Luster-P. Some bulls being used include Bullseye, Dropbox, Dynasty, McDavid-P, Hinge, Hastoric, and Advancer.
• Heart & Soul Holsteins is home to 40 cows milked in a tie-stall barn. Of them, 12 are Excellent, including several scored at EX-94. Cherry Lor Lad Ripple is on the farm with many descendants. Herd owners Doug and Jennifer Boop have had much success in showing their cows over the years. Current service bulls are predominantly from Blondin Sires.
Pick-up places, etc.: The first will be at Mervin Stoltzfus’ farm, 3677 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, at 6:30 a.m. The second pick-up point will be at the Parkesburg Walmart at 6:45.
Lunch will be provided on the bus and the tour will stop for an evening meal on the way home. The anticipated time arriving back in Parkesburg is 8 p.m.
The cost for the tour is $20 per person. Reservations are required. RSVP by calling either Tom Herr – 7171-304-7119 or Levi Esh – 717-344-7967.
