Dairy Farm

The Maryland Dairy Industry Association will once again honor farms across the state as part of a statewide dairy farm beautification program. This is the fourth year for the Maryland Dairy of Distinction program.  So far, 20 dairy farms have received the distinction The award gives recognition to dairy producers for maintaining well-kept farmsteads. Farms nominated for the award will be judged during spring and summer and winners announced at the Maryland Dairy Convention in February 2013.

A hay barn on a dairy farm on Rohrersville Road (Md. 67) was destroyed by a fire Wednesday afternoon. Nobody was injured, said Troy Lloyd, assistant fire chief for the First Hose Company of Boonsboro. Myron Martin, owner of the farm, said he was on his way back from chopping hay 2 miles away when his wife, Janet, called to tell him about the fire. “It was pretty much engulfed in flames when I got here,” he said. The 75-by-50 foot barn was a total loss, according to Lloyd.

HARRISBURG - In recognition of their efforts helping dairy youth, Dr. Carl Brown of Birdsboro, Pa., and Janet Stiles of Boonsboro, received the Pioneer Award at the All-American Dairy Show here last month. Through their work, the Junior Dairy Management Contest was added to the All-American Dairy Show in the 1980s. The contest created "the ultimate challenge in dairy cattle judging, feed and nutrition knowledge, breeding and genetic evaluation, and dairy industry understanding," according to a news release from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Carol DeBaugh of Boonsboro was crowned Ag Expo Queen as the annual weeklong fair got under way Saturday night at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center. Carol, the daughter of Matt and Tammy DeBaugh, will be a sophomore this year at Boonsboro High School, where she is treasurer of the school's Future Farmers of America chapter. She works on her family's dairy farm, where she cares for calves and helps milk the herd of registered Holstein cattle. At the fair, she shows her dairy, swine and market lamb projects.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Malorie Rhoderick of Mt. Airy, Md., recently received a $1,500 national scholarship from Dairy Farmers of America. She was one of five winners selected from more than 200 applicants. The daughter of Wayne and Lucinda Rhoderick is a junior at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., where she is majoring in dairy science and minoring in professional writing. She grew up on a registered Holstein, Milking Shorthorn and Brown Swiss farm and has been successful in both exhibiting and judging dairy cattle.

Three South Hagerstown High School seniors made a memorable arrival at the school prom on May 13 when they rolled up in John Deere tractors owned by Rocky Spring Farms. Thomas Homer Shank, 17, drove a 1978 Model 4430 tractor. The son of John and Sharon Shank, he played football and lacrosse for four years at South. He is employed by Frederick Seibert & Associates. Jeremy Christopher Gross, 17, drove a 2002 Model 6220 tractor. The son of Barb Gross and Lee Gross, he was on the wrestling and lacrosse teams for four years and the football team for three.

Maryland health officials say laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of the illness-causing bacteria, Campylobacter jejuni, in two unopened samples purchased from the Family Cow farm in Chambersburg The number of people in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and New Jersey stricken with illness after consuming raw, unpasteurized milk from the same farm has risen to 37, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed Thursday. Pennsylvania officials said their tests for bacteria in samples had not yet yielded results.

andrear@herald-mail.com WILLIAMSPORT - Like four generations of Wiles women before her, youngster Rachel Wiles does her part to make her family's dairy farm successful. At 7, she's already responsible for feeding and watering the farm's calves - and recently helped deliver her first bovine baby, says Rachel's mother, Becky Wiles. Rachel also has watched her mother juggle her work on Futuraland 2020 Holsteins Farm with her duties as a wife and mother - an experience Becky Wiles hopes will shape her daughter into both a nurturing and self-sufficient woman, she says.

If you go... What: Washington County Board of Zoning Appeals hearing on special exception to allow a kennel on agricultural property at 21168 Millers Church Road When: Wednesday, 7 p.m. Where: 100 W. Washington St., Hagerstown, Room 227 WASHINGTON COUNTY -- A kennel operation described by Humane Society of Washington County Executive Director Paul Miller last year as a "puppy mill" is the subject of...

Five Tri-State area students are among the 11 who are pursuing careers in the dairy industry and who have won scholarships from the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association. "We are compelled to help future dairy leaders achieve their education goals," said co-op President Steve Graybeal of Peach Bottom, Pa. "Education opens doors and we're thrilled to help these 11 talented students on their way to successful careers within the industry. " This year, the cooperative awarded five $1,000 scholarships.

The Maryland Dairy Industry Association will honor farms across the state as part of a statewide dairy farm beautification program. This is the fifth year for the Maryland Dairy of Distinction program. So far, 25 dairy farms have received the honor. Farms nominated for the Dairy of Distinction Award will be judged during spring and summer. Winners will be announced at the February 2014 Maryland Dairy Convention. All Maryland dairy producers are invited to submit an application for the award.

When Kathy Bishop's relatives came to Chambersburg from Pittsburgh, she wanted to give them a taste of country living. She knew the Franklin County Fall Farm Fun Fest at Cedar Pine Farms would be the perfect way to introduce her family to farm life. Ernest Rotz and his son, Milton, opened up their third-generation dairy farm at 592 Pine Stump Road in Chambersburg to more than 1,000 visitors on Saturday. Bishop's sister-in-law, Nancy, said when she first arrived in Franklin County, she had to roll up the windows in her car. “I said, 'What is that smell?

From Garbage to Garden - Composting Workshop - Today, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Extension Environmental Educator George Hurd and Master Gardener Jane Krumpe will teach participants how to create their own garden gold from kitchen scraps and yard waste. The workshop costs $10. Call the Penn State Extension Office at 717-263-9226 to register. Strong Women fall classes forming - three locations: Mont Alto, Pa. - Mondays and Wednesdays, through Oct. 17, 9 to 10 a.m.; Shippensburg, Pa. - Tuesdays and Thursdays, through Oct. 11, 9 to 10 a.m.; and two sessions in Chambersburg, Tuesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 11, 10 to 11 a.m., and Thursday through Oct. 17, 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. To register, call the Extension office at 717-263-9226 or send an email to Cathy Walker at cvw5226@ag.psu.edu.

Fourth of July a time to reflect on America's strengths To the editor: There once was a man who had a dream to build a dairy farm. He started by buying just a few dairy cows, and after many years of hard work and wise business ventures, he and his family became very successful. His sons and daughters worked with him, they employed many others who needed jobs and all went well. Then one day, a very educated and intellectual young man came to the door of the farmhouse.

The Washington County Farm Service Agency reminds area dairy producers of program eligibility requirements for payment under the Milk Income Loss Contract program. Colleen Cashell, county farm service executive director, said dairy prices might mean potential payments in the coming months, so all dairy producers need to be aware of the program requirements. Dairy operators enrolled in the program should notify their local county office if there have been any changes to their dairy operation.

The Maryland Dairy Industry Association will once again honor farms across the state as part of a statewide dairy farm beautification program. This is the fourth year for the Maryland Dairy of Distinction program.  So far, 20 dairy farms have received the distinction The award gives recognition to dairy producers for maintaining well-kept farmsteads. Farms nominated for the award will be judged during spring and summer and winners announced at the Maryland Dairy Convention in February 2013.

Is agriculture an economic engine, a part of national defense or is it just producing food? I guess it depends on your point of view. However, I would say it is all three. How can it be, you say? First, let's look at agriculture as an economic engine. According to a report from the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force Economic Development Committee, when a dairy farm spends money locally, it creates a multiplier effect more than two times the original dollar. In other words, for every $1 a dairy farm spends, roughly $2.50 in wages and related business transactions is contributed to the local economy.

Maryland health officials say laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of the illness-causing bacteria, Campylobacter jejuni, in two unopened samples purchased from the Family Cow farm in Chambersburg The number of people in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and New Jersey stricken with illness after consuming raw, unpasteurized milk from the same farm has risen to 37, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed Thursday. Pennsylvania officials said their tests for bacteria in samples had not yet yielded results.

A hay barn on a dairy farm on Rohrersville Road (Md. 67) was destroyed by a fire Wednesday afternoon. Nobody was injured, said Troy Lloyd, assistant fire chief for the First Hose Company of Boonsboro. Myron Martin, owner of the farm, said he was on his way back from chopping hay 2 miles away when his wife, Janet, called to tell him about the fire. “It was pretty much engulfed in flames when I got here,” he said. The 75-by-50 foot barn was a total loss, according to Lloyd.