Ashland Co. dairy producers honored

JEROMESVILLE, Ohio – Ashland dairymen were recognized for their accomplishments during the 2006 Ashland County Dairymen’s Banquet at Hillsdale High School.
Outstanding production. Earning top honors for outstanding production were Robert Brightbill, Clair-Lyn Holsteins and U-Dean Farm.
Brightbill was recognized as the county’s top three-times-a-day herd with 28,053 pounds of milk, 848 pounds of protein and 956 pounds of fat.
Brightbill is also ranked in the top 5 percent of dairy herds across the state for his herd’s milk and protein production.
Clair-Lyn Holsteins was recognized as the county’s top twice-a-day herd with 25,837 pounds of milk, 783 pounds of protein and 985 pounds of fat.
They are also ranked in the top 5 percent of dairy herds across the state for fat and were recognized as the county’s most improve herd for milk, with an increase of 1,822 pounds of milk over last year’s production.
U-Dean Farm was also recognized as the county’s top twice-a-day herd for protein with 25,420 pounds of milk, 783 pounds of protein and 891 pounds of fat.
Ayers Farm was recognized for being ranked in the top 5 percent of the dairy herds in the state for milk with 27,871 pounds of milk, 801 pounds of protein, and 910 pounds of fat.
They were also recognized as the county’s low three-times-a-day herd for somatic cell count and the top three-times-a-day Holstein for milk with 39,749 pounds of milk.
Improvements. Harold Mong was recognized for having the county’s most improved herd for protein with 24,059 pounds of milk, 859 pounds of fat and 737 pounds of protein, an increase of 66 pounds over the previous year’s protein production.
Other high three-times-a-day herds included Glenn Mutchler with 24,867 pounds of milk, 911 pounds of fat and 753 pounds of protein; Idyl Wild Farm with 22,669 pounds of milk, 721 pounds of protein and 838 pounds of fat; and Harold Swain with 16,121 pounds of milk, 606 pounds of protein and 816 pounds of fat.
Other high twice-a-day herds include Daniel Eichelberger with 23,847 pounds of milk, 724 pounds of protein and 859 pounds of fat; Harley Heffelfinger with 23,139 pounds of milk, 739 pounds of protein and 812 pounds of fat; Richard West with 22,630 pounds of milk, 692 pounds of protein and 844 pounds of fat; Harpster Enterprises with 22,493 pounds of milk, 690 pounds of protein and 929 pounds of fat; and Cletus Garver with 16,967 pounds of milk, 614 pounds of protein and 818 pounds of fat.
Harpster Enterprises owned the top twice-a-day Holstein for milk with 35,780 pounds of milk.
Breeds. The top Brown Swiss for milk and protein was owned by Idyl Wild Farm with 35,083 pounds of milk and 1,113 pounds of protein, while the top Jersey for milk with 22,100 pounds of milk was owned by Cletus Garver and the top Jersey for protein with 775 pounds of protein was owned by Harold Swain.
Mohican Forty was recognized as the county’s low twice-a-day somatic cell count herd and also had the top Ayrshire for milk and protein with 20,020 pounds of milk and 610 pounds of protein and the top Milking Shorthorn for milk and protein with 19,800 pounds of milk and 676 pounds of protein.
High lifetime production awards were also presented to Ayers Farm Inc., Idyl Wild Farm, Norman Leininger, Glenn Mutchler, Falling Star Farm and Harley Heffelfinger.
Other news. During the banquet, the county recognized the junior fair dairy exhibitors as well as the supporters of the dairy productions auction at the Ashland County Fair.
Kathy Davis, Brian Funk and Kevin Spreng were elected to a three-year year term on the Ashland County Dairy Service Unit’s board of directors.
Members of the dairy service unit also approved the revision of the group’s bylaws.
The change defines the group’s nonprofit status, eligibility for membership and the duties of the directors.