Ashland, Wayne dairy herds recognized

WOOSTER, Ohio — Dairy producers from Ashland and Wayne counties came together to recognize top herds and producers during the dairy service unit annual meeting at the Buckeye Ag Museum in Wooster.

Gasser Farms

Gasser Farms LLC received Wayne-Ashland Dairy Service Unit’s Herd Management Award.
Gasser Farms LLC is owned and operated by Virgil, Lois, Aaron, Steve and Nathan Gasser of Creston. For the past three years, the Gassers have received the Smith Foods (Smith Dairy) Outstanding Milk Quality Award. Last year they were nominated for the National Dairy Quality Award and received a Gold Award that was presented at the national meetings of the National Mastitis Council. Their dairy operation consists of 700 cows milked three times a day with a rolling herd average on DHI of 30,549 pounds of milk, 3.9 percent fat and 3.1 percent protein. Their average somatic cell for last year was 88,000.

Other awards

Several other herds were recognized for outstanding production at the herd level as well as for individual cows. Ayers Farm, Ashland County, led the list as the high herd in both counties for energy corrected milk with 33,472 pounds.

The top herd overall for low somatic cell counts was Matthew Zimmerman. Mitch Garver had the top Ashland County colored breed herd with 19,940 pounds of energy corrected milk.

The OSU-ATI Holstein herd was recognized as Wayne County’s top 2X Holstein herd with 30,512 pounds of energy corrected milk, 1,181 pounds of fat and 837 pounds of protein.
Gary Dotterer was recognized as Wayne County’s top 3X Holstein herd with 32,784 pounds of energy corrected milk, 1,195 pounds of fat and 955 pounds of protein. Cantendo Acres/Grazeland Jerseys was recognized as the county’s top 2X Jersey herd with 25,508 pounds of energy corrected milk, 1,070 pounds of fat and 714 pounds of protein, while the Ohio State ATI Jersey herd was the top 3X Jersey herd with 25,648 pounds of energy corrected milk, 1,039 pounds of fat and 735 pounds of protein.

Spring Run Farm had the top Ayrshire herd in the county with 18,732 pounds of energy corrected milk, 740 pounds of fat and 508 pounds of protein. Dotterer had the county’s top Brown Swiss herd with 28,828 pounds of energy corrected milk, 1,079 pounds of fat and 846 pounds of protein. Carlton Zimmerman had the top 2X mixed herd with 22,324 pounds of energy corrected milk, 821 pounds of fat and 640 pounds of protein, while Dotterer had the top 3X mixed herd with 31,660 pounds of energy corrected milk, 1,160 pounds of fat and 924 pounds of protein.

Dianne Shoemaker, OSU Extension field specialist, encouraged producers to take part in the farm business analysis program. She encouraged producers to consider enrolling in the Dairy Margin Coverage program. Ron Amstutz, Wayne County commissioner, spoke about a new corrections facility and looking at agricultural projects that could be used as a way to help people rebuild their lives. Harmony Farms LLC, owned and operated by Phil Neuenschwander and family, of Kidron, will host the dairy tour July 9.

Read about the Wayne-Ashland Dairy Service youth awards:

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