Holstein Field Night Draws Big, Hopeful Crowd

Dave Lefever
Editor

LEOLA, Pa. — “You’ve got to be optimistic in this business,” said Frank Regan.

The crowd of more than 400 people who gathered for Lancaster County Holstein Club’s field night last Friday on Steve Lantz’s farm surely understood what the guest speaker from Regancrest Farm was talking about. Even though milk prices are about half of what they were a year ago, it was hard to find negative words among the large group of Holstein enthusiasts gathered for food, fellowship, fun — and inspiration.

Regan mixed words of encouragement with a history of his family’s Regancrest Farm in Wisconsin, particularly the development of the Dellia cow family that has produced some highly influential bulls such as Durham, Dundee and Diehard.

Regan told how he first discovered Dellia in 1989 when she was a 2-year-old, but he didn’t have the money to buy her. However, he didn’t let go of his dream of owning the wide-rumped cow full of dairy character that would eventually score Excellent-95 and become such a prolific brood dam. He was able to buy her privately in 1991.

Another cow family that has been successful for Regancrest Farm is the Barbie line.

“You never know when that kind of cow can have that kind of impact on your dairy,” Regan said.

Developing genetics in the herd can be a way to diversify and add income, especially when milk prices can’t be counted on for profitability, Regan told the crowd.

“It’s rough getting up in the morning knowing you probably won’t make anything on your milk,” he said. “But maybe you’ll have a heifer born that’s going to be your next Dellia.”

Speaking briefly about genomics, Regan predicted that the dairy industry would find out in “the next couple of years if it’s real or not.” Genomic enhanced evaluations are bull proofs that include information directly from an animal’s genetic code, or DNA.

“If it is (real), it’s the best thing since sliced cheese,” he said.

Host of the field night Steve Lantz, Winross Holsteins, has had success in his own right breeding some exceptional cattle. His herd of 64 registered Holsteins posts a BAA (breed age average) of 105.9 with two Excellent and 22 Very Good cows.

One up-and-coming star in Lantz’s barn is a 2-year-old Shottle daughter classified VG-89. Beside Shottle, other sires Lantz has used successfully include Deuce, Dundee, Goldwyn and Durham.

Lantz took over the dairy operation from his father 19 years ago. He credits his father for passing on an interest in breeding high-quality cows.

“We’re just trying to breed some good cows here and trying to pass something down to the next generation,” Steve said.

Lantz has been able to boost farm income by selling heifers off his farm. He said he sold about 15 last year.

The field night included a cow judging contest with Regan as judge, and a fun auction of donated items, including two Holstein embryos from a Shottle daughter that sold for $300 each. Altogether, the auction brought in about $2,100 for the club, according to Amy Savage, treasurer.

Participation in the Lancaster County Holstein Club has been growing. Savage said attendance was up about 100 from last year’s field night. Club members said people traveled from as far as New York, Maryland, New Jersey, and Belleville, Pa. to this year’s event.

Nelson Weaver, a dairyman from Manheim who hosted the annual field night back in 2003, said about 160 people attended that year — a good bit less than half of this year’s number.

This year’s event “was the best field night Lancaster County has had in 15 years,” Weaver said. Increased attendance also means greater support from local agribusinesses. Weaver said that