Cows

SMITHSBURG - It was a question that stumped many fourth-graders at Smithsburg Elementary School. Which milk product - heavy cream, light cream or buttermilk - can be turned into butter? Students in Richele Gift's class, working in groups of two and three students, learned the answer firsthand April 16. Under the direction of Wayne Buckingham, a teacher with the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, the fourth-graders conducted an experiment called "Cream to Butter. " First, Buckingham passed out maps of Maryland, showing how many cows are in each county.

bonnieb@herald-mail.com McCONNELLSBURG, Pa. - Melvin and Betty Brant had a really good day Tuesday at the Fulton County Fair. While Betty watched, Melvin Brant Sr. accepted the Supreme Champion banner for a 5-year-old Ayrshire named Brant's Homestead Tri-Brittany. "It took me 30 years to get one of these banners," said Melvin Brant, 57. "I've come close before. " To determine a Supreme Champion, the Grand Champions of each dairy breed are paraded around the ring together and the judge chooses the overall champion.

jennifers@herald-mail.com Trenten Smith used a cane to tap his pig, Angelina, on the shoulder. The cane taps helped guide Angelina around the show ring during Class 5 competition, for hogs weighing 240 to 244 pounds, of the Market Swine show at the Washington County Ag Expo. After the competition, Trenten, 13, smiled and held a blue ribbon as friends and family congratulated him. Angelina had won first place in the class. Trenten said he spent about an hour Monday morning washing and brushing Angelina in preparation for the showing.

CHARLES TOWN, W.VA. -- Four cattle were killed during Wednesday's torrential storm in Jefferson County when a barn along Kabletown Road collapsed on the animals, according to the county's emergency manager. The owner of the cattle put the animals in the barn to protect them from flying debris in the storm, Barbara Miller said. When the barn collapsed, three pregnant cows and a young bull were killed, Miller said. Two other pregnant cows that were injured had to be euthanized and two other injured cows were still being assessed, Miller said.

Over the past several weeks, I have been involved in several presentations and countless conversations on the importance of agriculture to Washington County. This is a question that bears discussing and one in which there is no easy answer. For many folks in my position, the answer would be an emphatic “yes,” if only it were that easy. Let’s start with a snapshot of Washington County agriculture. Believe it or not, 39 percent of the land in the county, 114,000 acres, is in agriculture production.

bonnieb@herald-mail.com GREENCASTLE, Pa. - A multitalented Antrim Township teenager took home trophies, rosettes and ribbons from the Franklin County Fair last week. Sarah Signore, 15, excelled not only with her musical talent, but also with her farm-related pursuits. A sophomore at Greencastle-Antrim High School, Sarah sang "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore in the youth talent contest, and won the top prize. "The judges look at tone, loudness and audience appeal," Sarah said.

Last week was one of my favorite weeks of the summer. No, it wasn't my family vacation nor was it the Ag Expo, while they rate one and two on my list, respectively. It was Farm Fun Day Camp. It is hard to believe that a program hatched by a cadre of volunteers and extension professionals has been going strong this long. It is one of my favorites because it combines two of my passions - working with youngsters and introducing people to agriculture. Where does milk come from?

Fish Dying of a mysterious disease? Blame the poor farmers Finally we have some answers to the cause of the Maryland's pfish-steria crisis: It's all the farmers' fault. Well why not, they're easy. Got a pollution problem? Blame the farmers. Got a zoning problem? Blame the farmers. Scared of Alar? Blame the farmers. Just built a split level right next door to a hog farm and now you don't like the smell? Blame the farmer, who's only been there for six generations.

Washington County dairy farmer Art Rhoderick has album upon album of photos of his cows - and for good reason. The success of Rhoderick's Art Acres dairy herd and its impact on dairy herds throughout the world are significant. And they, along with his service to the dairy industry, are the main reasons Rhoderick was inducted recently into the Maryland Dairy Shrine. "Arthur Rhoderick's breeding philosophy has made a tremendous impact in Holstein dairy breed genetics throughout the world," said local veterinarian Dr. Matt Iager, who is treasurer and board member of the Maryland Dairy Shrine.

photo: RIC DUGAN / staff photographer enlarge By LAURA ERNDE / Staff Writer Cows don't do much, but when it gets this hot they do even less, Washington County farmers said. Milk production is down an average of 15 percent due to the heat wave. Cows that normally give 60 to 70 pounds of milk per day only give 50 to 60 pounds during a heat wave, said Boonsboro farmer Craig Leggett. The reason is simple - cows don't eat as much when it gets hot. "Just like you. You're hot and miserable and don't feel like eating," said Gerald Ditto, president of the Washington County Farm Bureau.