Columbiana-Mahoning dairymen among state’s top 5 percent

SALEM, Ohio — Four dairy farms in Columbiana and Mahoning counties achieved “elite” status as herds in the top 5 percent of farms on test with the statewide DHI Cooperative.
Smith Vale Farms, Lowmiller Farms, Doug and Marty Dye, and Grammer Jersey Farm each received DHI Elite awards during the Columbiana-Mahoning DHI annual meeting March 28 in Salem.
Third in state. Smith Vale Farms, which is ranked third among Holstein herds in the state, received elite awards for milk, butterfat and protein production and was the two counties’ top herd for all three components. The farm’s 2007 herd average, based on 133 head, was 30,317 pounds of milk, 1,045 pounds fat and 928 pounds protein.
Grammer Jersey Farm, owned by Bill Grammer, is ranked fourth among the state’s Jersey herds and received an elite award for butterfat production, with a 647-head herd average of 19,664 pounds milk, 967 pounds fat and 688 pounds protein.
The farm also had the top-producing individual Jersey in the two counties, with energy-corrected milk production of 30,933 pounds, 1,353 pounds fat and 802 pounds protein.
The Dale Lowmiller farm, ranked 15th among the state’s Holstein herds, received elite awards for milk and protein production, with a 2007 herd average of 29,307 pounds milk, 991 pounds fat, and 869 pounds protein.
A Lowmiller Holstein also topped the two-county list for production, producing 37,868 pounds of milk, 1,455 pounds fat and 1,079 pounds protein.
Doug and Marty Dye received an elite award for butterfat production, with a herd average of 24,800 pounds of milk, 1,052 pounds fat and 736 pounds protein.
Also at the top. Two other Columbiana County Jersey herds are ranked in the state’s top 10. Pine Hill Farm, owned by Scott Lindsay, is ranked seventh, with production averages of 18,636 pounds milk, 911 pounds fat and 653 pounds protein, on 452 head. Wayne Herron’s herd is ranked ninth, with production of 17,451 pounds milk, 899 pounds fat and 636 pounds protein on 113 head.
Other awards. Showalter Farms received the local DHI’s Most Improved Herd award, with an increase of 133 pounds fat and protein.
Bricker Farms received the Top Quality Herd award, with an average somatic cell count of 68,000.
The Smith Vale and Grammer herds received recognition as the top Holstein and Jersey herds for energy-corrected milk. Bricker Farms was recognized as the top Ayrshire herd, with an ECM average of 19,232 pounds. Bill Kornbau received the award for the top mixed herd, with an ECM average of 16,632 pounds.
Individual cows. In addition to the Lowmiller and Grammer cows, top individual cow production awards went to: Bricker Farms, with the top Ayrshire, producing 18,819 pounds milk, 679 pounds fat and 570 pounds protein; Bill Kornbau, top Brown Swiss, 20,989 pounds milk, 759 pounds fat and 620 pounds protein; and Martig Farms, top mixed, 26,643 pounds milk, 901 pounds fat and 846 pounds protein.
DHI update. Bill Grammer, who serves as the local DHI president and as a state director, updated members on program changes, including the co-op’s ability to now print reports at its Wooster lab, which will give producers a faster turn-around, consolidate mailings and save a little bit of money.
Grammer also said the state co-op now has a mobile meter unit on the road to provide on-premises calibration.
(Editor Susan Crowell can be reached at 800-837-3419 or at editor@farmanddairy.com.)