Startup Farm Earns Double Supreme, Premier Exhibitor Banners

Charlene M. Shupp Espenshade

Special Sections Editor

MESHOPPEN, Pa. — This year will be remembered as a year of change by the Deome family of Montrose.

Earlier this year, the family parted ways with the farm they had been employed at for several years. It left the family, particularly son Matt Deome, 18, with the difficult question, what to do with his cows?

The high school senior secured a farm loan, found a barn to rent and is now running a dairy, Premier-View Farm, with the support of his family.

On Saturday, the decision to run a dairy got a little sweeter as Deome led his 4-year-old Holstein cow, Long Brook Norman Polly-ET, into the center of the ring to collect the Brent Cook Memorial Youth Supreme Champion Award and Robert Parr Open Supreme Champion Award.

The family was also recognized with the Holstein breed’s premier exhibitor banner.

“I like any breed as long that it is good,” judge Mike Weimer said before announcing the winner of the supreme awards at the Kiwanis Wyoming County Fair on Saturday last week.

He said judges have two things they look at when selecting a supreme champion — how close does a breed champion comes to its breed ideal or what cow could best compete at the national shows.

Weimer gave the nod to Deome’s cow.

“The Holstein has a great udder and could go on to the bigger shows,” he said. “She’s a quality, quality cow.”

This is Matt Deome’s second show this year with Polly, the first was the Northern Tier Holstein Championship Show, where she also won her class. He is debating taking her down to show in the youth show at the All-American Dairy Show.

Deome’s Jerseys also performed well with the grand and reserve grand champions of the youth dairy show.

The award comes at a time when the dust is settling down on the farm move and the family is getting its herd moving in the right direction.

The farm move happened in May. For Matt Deome, this is a blessing and a chance to chase his farming dream.

“This was a giant leap of faith,” he said about striking out on his own.

His parents, Chuck and Amy, have spent most of their dairy career managing herds, starting out on a farm in Brookfield, Mass., before moving to Pennsylvania a few years ago to manage a herd in Luzerne County.

Matt Deome said he was amazed on how things fell into place. The first challenge was to find a farm to rent — a chance call to the Thompkins family, which had dispersed its herd last fall, provided him the opportunity to rent a barn.

He speaks highly of the profit team that was organized as he started the farm and said he appreciates the advise from the different members.

The team meets monthly to discuss issues and help keep everyone focused on farm goals.

“Everyone is on the same page at the end of the meeting,” he said.

Matt Deome might be the “in charge” of the farm, but he holds his father’s dairy experience in high esteem, saying his dad, Chuck, brings a “wealth of knowledge” to the operation.

The farm ships to Reddington Dairies in New Jersey. Its combined Jersey/Holstein herd production average is 60 pounds per cow per day with a somatic cell count of 56,000.

So far, Matt Deome said, the fact that the dairy is profitable is an important feat for a young dairyman who does not want to borrow much money in the early days of his farming career.

The farm has 90 cows, heifers and calves to date. Deome would like to purchase more cows this winter to continue to expand the milking herd.

He said he wants high type cows that milk and is not interested in genomics, although that is the prevailing trend in matings.

Deome and his father do most of the milkings. His sister Sam, 16, helps out. And his mom, Amy, is training a team of Red and White oxen for parades.

Other family members include sisters Emily, 13, and Hannah, 6, and brother Brian, 15.

The other goal on Deome’s list, graduate from high school as he wraps up his courses through the Pennsylvania Cyber School.

The other grand champions at the Wyoming County Fair were Ayrshire, Sunny Acres TSB Bridget owned by Mackey Wright; Brown Swiss, Lay-Tin Leader Aspen exhibited by Miranda Cayea-Neville; Guernsey, Jon-Ann Yogi B Honeysuckle exhibited by Kyle Bonavita; Jersey, Ty-Ly-View Excite Frosty exhibited by James Greenwood Jr.; and Red and White, Elm-Park Jenny Craig-Red exhibited by Jared Brooks.

Youth champions were Ayrshire, Bonnieshade Bal’s Breeze owned by Richard Sharer; DJ Prelude Cutie-ET exhibited by Richard Sharer; Guernsey, Jon-Ann Yogi B Honeysuckle exhibited by Kyle Bonavita; Hevan Scent Black Raine exhibited by Matt Deome; and Red and White, Elm-Park Jenny Craig-Red exhibited by Jared Brooks.

A complete list of results follows:

Open Show

RED AND WHITE

Spring calf: Michael Greenwood

Winter calf: Abby Hirkey

Fall calf: Carley Sherwood

Summer yearling: John Brooks

Spring yearling: Carley Sherwood

Winter yearling: Carley Sherwood

Fall yearling: Laura Brooks

Junior Champion

Carley Sherwood

Reserve Junior Champion

Carley Sherwood

Dry cow, 3 and 4 years old: Jim Garner

Senior 2-year-old: Douglas Brooks

Junior 3-year-old: Michael Greenwood

Senior 3-year-old: Jared Brooks

4-year-old: Michael Greenwood

Senior Champion

Jared Brooks

Reserve Senior Champion

Michael Greenwood

Grand Champion

Jared Brooks

Reserve Grand Champion

Michael Greenwood

Premier Breeder

Greenwood Farm

Premier Exhibitor

Weeosey Dell Farm

HOLSTEIN

Spring calf: Samantha Ely

Winter calf: Douglas Stewart

Fall calf: Matthew Deome

Summer yearling: Douglas Brooks

Spring yearling: Douglas Stewart

Winter yearling: Jermany Rabe

Fall yearling: Matthew Deome

Junior best 3 females: Hirkey Farm

Junior Champion

Joseph Pavelski

Reserve Junior Champion

Samantha Ely

Dry cow, 3 and 4 years old: Danny Hoover

Dry cow, 5 years and older: Matthew Deome

Junior 2-year-old: Alex Bonavita

Senior 2-year-old: Douglas Brooks

Junior 3-year-old: Douglas Neville

Senior 3-year-old: Matthew Deome

4-year-old: Matthew Deome

Senior Champion

Matthew Deome

Reserve Senior Champion

Alex Bonavita

Grand Champion

Matthew Deome

Reserve Grand Champion

Alex Bonavita

Best Bred and Owned

Alex Bonavita

Dairy herd: Matthew Deome

Produce of dam: Douglas and Miranda Neville

Dam and daughter: Matthew and Amy Deome

Supreme Champion

Matthew Deome

Premier Breeder

Hirkey Farm

Premier Exhibitor

Matthew and Amy Deome

Youth Show

RED AND WHITE

Spring calf: Emma Sherwood

Winter calf: Abby Hirkey

Fall calf: Carley Sherwood

Spring yearling: Carley Sherwood

Winter yearling: Carley Sherwood

Fall yearling: Brooke Arnold

Junior Champion

Carley Sherwood

Reserve Junior Champion

Carley Sherwood

Senior 2-year-old: Douglas Brooks

Senior 3-year-old: Jared Brooks

Senior Champion

Jared Brooks

Reserve Senior Champion

Douglas Brooks

Grand Champion

Jared Brooks

Reserve Grand Champion

Douglas Brooks

HOLSTEIN

Spring calf: Samantha Ely

Winter calf: Alex Bonavita

Fall calf: Matthew Deome

Summer yearling: Joseph Pavelski

Spring yearling: RaeAnne Carpender

Winter yearling: Jermany Rabe

Fall yearling: Matthew Deome

Junior Champion

Samantha Ely

Reserve Junior Champion

Douglas Brooks

Dry cow, 3 and 4 years old: Amanda Hirkey

Dry cow, 5 years and older: Matthew Deome

Junior 2-year-old: Alex Bonavita

Senior 2-year-old: Douglas Brooks

4-year-old: Matthew Deome

Senior Champion

Matthew Deome

Reserve Senior Champion

Alex Bonavita

Grand Champion

Matthew Deome

Reserve Grand Champion

Alex Bonavita