Open House and Dairy Tour Series
The Center for Dairy Excellence will host its third annual "Open House and Dairy Tour" series across the state, showcasing three dairy farm families in Lancaster, Mifflin and Somerset County. These Open House and Dairy Tour events are open to anyone to attend. Each will feature a tour of the farm, a look at the farm's best management practices, and a review of programs offered by the Center for Dairy Excellence to help dairy farms thrive in Pennsylvania.
All three events are held from 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Dates, locations and other details are listed below. Each event also includes a picnic-style lunch. Participation is free, but pre-registration is requested. Please call the Center for Dairy Excellence at 717-346-0849 to register.
Tuesday, July 13
Central Manor Dairy, LLC
Owned by the Harnish Family
3731 Blue Rock Road
Washington Boro, Lancaster County
John H. Harnish purchased the farmstead in 1943, and in 1986, his sons John and Jim formed a partnership to take over the business from their father. In 2007, they formed an LLC with John's son Steve. Jim's son Andy joined in 2009, and John's youngest son, Joel is employed on the farm. In 2009, the Harnishes built a compost bedded pack barn for 48 milking cows and 24 dry cows. They also built a new swing-12, 70-degree Westfalia-Surge parlor. They now milk 190 cows and farm 230 acres, and they do custom harvesting for many of the neighbors.
Woodedge Farm
Owned by the Kauffmans
7950 East Back Mountain Road
Reedsville, Mifflin County
Recognized as a Dairy of Distinction, Woodedge Farm is owned by Rod Kauffman, his wife Gloria, and their three children Dustin, Ashlee and Eric. Rod is the third generation on the farm, purchased by his grandfather in 1950. Rod joined the partnership with his father in 1986 and took over the business in 1998. Last year, he expanded from a 62-cow tie stall barn to a 126-cow open front freestall barn, so his oldest son Dustin could work on the farm. To facilitate the expansion, Rod added an eight-cow, step-up, walk-through parlor in the old stanchion barn.
Thursday, July 29
Zylstra Dairy Farms, Inc.
Owned by the Zylstra Family
1161 Geiger Road
Friedens, Somerset County
After growing up and dairying on a farm in California, Andy Zylstra and his wife Ronica, with their four boys, Tanner, Cory, Spencer and Riley, headed East in search of a better dairy infrastructure. They moved to Somerset County in 2008, where they now milk 480 cows on a 198-acre farm. The cows are milked three times a day in a double-pin, rapid-exit, parallel parlor and housed in freestalls bedded with digested manure from a neighboring farm. Recently the Zylstras built a 75-cow special needs barn.