Berks Farm Family Makes Mark on Dairy Industry

Younkers Named Berks County Grange Farm Family of the Year

Charlene M. Shupp Espenshade
Special Sections Editor

FLEETWOOD, Pa. — For the Younker family of Kirbyville Holsteins, the list of accomplishments in the dairy industry is impressive for a family that only got their start in dairying in the 1990s. Since starting their dairy farm, the farm has marketed its cattle around the globe. From Germany to Japan and across the United States, the farm has sold heifers, embryos and contracted bulls at bull studs.

This week, the family will be honored for their farming accomplishments as the 2008 Berks County Farm Family of the Year. As members of Fleetwood Grange, both Jim and Sue noted that their fellow Grange members have been encouraging them to complete their farm scrapbook for the contest. The Berks County Pomona Grange sponsors the award. The family will be recognized at the Reading Fair banquet and the Reading Fair.

Jim and Sue started farming in 1995 when they purchased the farm and cattle, in addition to the few cows that Jim had at his parents’ farm. Jim said his parents thought he and Sue were crazy for giving up their town jobs and stable hours for the long hours and challenges of farming. However, for both, getting back onto the farm was a goal.

“The challenge, to see if I could do it, to try and be successful” was the reason for Jim’s commitment to wanting to start his farm.

The farm is home to about 80 cows and 75 heifers. The herd consists of registered Holsteins, with the exception of their son Joel’s Brown Swiss 4-H dairy projects. Herd production is at 25,000 pounds of milk, 950 fat, and 800 protein, milking two times a day.

A key to the farm’s marketing is their embryo transfer work. “We get a lot of international visitors, we do a lot of embryo work, selling bulls and embryos.”

Genetics is something Jim has always had an interest in, starting the farm’s marketing off with a cow he purchased several years ago. That cow family has grown in size and has paid dividends to the family well beyond the bulk tank.

The family just hosted several prospective buyers from Germany interested in purchasing from the farm’s genetic pool.

“We have got a couple of bulls that are in A.I., we market six to eight bulls a year to A.I.,” he said. Several cows in the barn are on contract with bull studs.

The studs the family is working with include Select Sires, Genex, ABS, and Semex. The farm also has several international contracts for bull studs in Germany and France.

The farm’s embryo sales include about 20 annually. Most of the sales are focused out of two cows on the farm.

In addition to marketing the farm’s cows through genetics, they also compete in the show ring. Jim noted that the main reason for showing is for their two boys, Andy and Joel. Shows included in the farm’s busy schedule are the county, regional and state 4-H dairy shows, the Holstein Championship Show, several Berks County fairs and the All-American Dairy Show.

“It’s a lot of work, it’s not just the week of the fair, but an everyday thing,” said Jim on the level of commitment needed to prepare quality show cows.

Showing requires taking the cows off the farm for exhibition. In contrast, the farm’s genetic marketing brings the potential buyers to the cows.

Show ring success has come for both boys. Andy’s 4-H career had a rough start that blossomed into a banner year. His first 4-H calf project died suddenly after only one fair. The family was left scrambling for a new project option. A search of the home herd did not find a suitable calf. The same happened as they spoke with other farmers. Finally they looked back at his first calf, now a 2-year old cow, and wondered if freshening had mellowed the animal for him to safely show her. The family soon launched into a banner year of blue ribbons and champions, leading to winning a collection of grand and supreme champion awards at the local fairs, 4-H shows, championship shows and placing second in the state 4-H show. Since it was the year of the flood at the Farm Show Complex, a champion was not selected and the All-American Dairy Show was canceled. Since then, Andy’s show career also includes earning a trip to Louisville and a youth junior champion award.

“It was pretty cool,” Andy said of winning at Louisville.

Not to be outdone, Joel has had his own success in the show ring with his Brown Swiss. While his father and brother are dedicated Holstein breeders, Joel has found enjoyment in showing Brown Swiss and likes the fact that he is different from the rest of the family. Last year, the family purchased a Brown Swiss for the show string. The heifer began to have a successful run at the local fairs, but the family did not place too much emphasis on the wins because of the show level. However, when they started to compete at the regional 4-H show and then at the state show and All-American and repeated their success, the family took notice. When the heifer’s breeder offered to take the heifer to the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. last year, they agreed to ship the heifer out for him to show.

Jim said the shock came when, after the show, he received a phone call telling him that the calf placed third in her age class out of 33.

The Younkers believe they have been blessed to have pursued their farming dream and have their own farm. In the early days, Jim said his parents played a key role.

Jim is also involved in the dairy community spending time assisting with the Berks County Dairy Judging Team, as a 4-H leader and president of the Berks County Holstein Club.