Episode 10: Matt Brake opens up about pushing forward after a barn fire and investing in fully automated, robotic barn

Duane Stoltzfus of Pennwood Farms LLC in Somerset County, PA shares a glimpse inside their nutrition program, the feeding decisions they make for their 600-cow herd as they crop 2,000 acres, and the return on investment they’ve seen after implementing a feed watch technology system. He also describes the ups and downs of having a digester on their farm and explains the lengthy, but fulfilling, journey their family took to develop a transition plan that provides opportunities for the next generation. 

Too often, we hear about dairies that are exiting the industry or those without a next generation. We don’t always hear how dairy farm families are positioning their operations for the future. In this episode of Cow-Side Conversations, Yvette Longenecker of Penn England LLC in Blair County, Pennsylvania shares how they work to find the sweet spot between growth and profitability. With six partners, about 2,100 mature cows, 3,600 acres, 50 employees and three different facilities, patience has been key when evaluating new projects or expansions. She describes their current building project and how they are working to drive efficiency and better manage milk production and quality. Yvette also opens up about how to navigate a family business during periods of growth, when to embrace opportunity versus stay patient, and how they use benchmarking to evaluate the return on possible expansion projects so they don’t over-leverage themselves.

Managing calves can be a challenge, especially when you’re dealing with the up and down temperatures we’ve had this winter. But getting calves off to a good start can make all the difference in the future productivity of your herd. In this episode of Cow-Side Conversations, Caroline Zimmerman of Dry Creek Farm in Blair County, Pennsylvania describes some innovative approaches her team takes to prioritize calf care and manage their youngstock. She shares her experience working closely with her veterinarian to ultrasound calf lungs and stay on top of pneumonia and other illnesses.  She also talks about how they are using sexed semen to manage their heifer inventories, the transition they made to group housing and auto feeders, and the recent steps they’ve taken to breed beef on dairy. 

January on the farm can be rough for everyone: you, your employees, and your herd. In this episode of Cow-Side Conversations, Justin Risser of Meadow Vista Dairy in northern Lancaster County shares how his team takes it one day, one decision, and one individual at a time. He describes how they try to manage the dairy operation with an individualized approach – from caring for their crops and their cows to making reproduction decisions, managing employees and allowing change to happen between generations. Justin discusses some unique approaches they have taken with dry cow management and the impact those decisions have had on metabolic illnesses. He also opens up about his family’s recent transition process, giving an honest look at farm-level, financial and relationship-driven decisions that went into it. 

“Cheese-making is kind of like farming. There are many different ways to do it well and do it right.” The holiday season is here, and can you imagine having to fill a bunch of orders from last-minute customers looking for the perfect gift? For Pennsylvania dairy farmers in the artisan cheese business, that’s exactly what this time of year can look like. In this episode of Cow-Side Conversations, Sue Miller of Birchrun Hills Farm in Chester County shares how her family is adding value to their small dairy farm (54 acres and 70 cows) with artisan cheese. Sue describes how they manage their herd to produce high-quality milk with an ideal ratio between fat and protein, some of the skills that are critical to her role as a cheesemaker, how they work as a family 7 days a week, and the community and growth opportunities that are forming through the resurgence of artisan cheese across the state. 

As we wrap up Season 3, Jayne Sebright, host of the podcast, sat down with Emily Barge, our podcast producer, for this special bonus episode to reflect on some memorable moments. Featuring conversations with 12 dairy farms from across Pennsylvania, this season included farm-level takeaways and real-time insight on everything from cow/calf care and employee management to transformation, cropping strategies, and farm stress.Thank you to the farmers who have shared their stories and to our growing community of listeners! We kicked off Season 4 this November with an interview with Neil Hertzler of Rock Hollow Dairy LLC. 

With fall harvest wrapping up, many dairy farms are looking ahead to the winter months. For the grazing herds in Pennsylvania, this means moving their herds off the grass. To kick off Season 4 of Cow-Side Conversations, Neil Hertzler of Rock Hollow Dairy LLC in Perry County, Pennsylvania shares how his family transitioned their dairy operation to a rotational grazing model years ago. With 240 milking cows, they are passionate about giving their cows as much grass and sunlight as possible. Neil describes some of the rewards of a pasture-based model, including strong milk production, herd health and longevity, and lower equipment costs. He also opens up about some of the challenges, including weather patterns, moving large groups of cattle, heat spells and lameness. 

Too often in Pennsylvania, we talk about dairy farm families who are exiting the dairy business. In this episode of Cow-Side Conversations, Cory Mellott, Kerry St. Onge and James St. Onge – all middle managers at Molly Pitcher Milk LLC – share the unique journey of how their owners, the Jones family, purchased the dairy farm in 2022. They took an operation without a next generation in line and are taking it to the next level by bringing together a passionate, highly motivated team. Located in Cumberland and Franklin Counties, the team milks approximately 760 cows and focuses on cultivating a team of employees who understand the “why” behind what they do. Cory, Kerry and James share innovative approaches to managing cows between two facilities, building trust with existing employees, completing a heat audit for cow comfort, analyzing benchmarking data, and managing a digester and Air B&B rental house that are on the property. 

What does the expansion decision-making process look like? In this episode of Cow-Side Conversations, Tyler Rohrer of Rohrer Dairy Farms in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania shares how his family made the decision to invest in a 60-stall rotary milking parlor and expand to milk 1,600 cows. From milking more cows in less time to a healthier overall herd, Tyler describes some of the benefits and competitive advantages to their new set-up – while being honest about the hurdles and timelines that are part of any major dairy expansion project.  

For Oakleigh Farm in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, they went from a true, 1950’s era dairy farm to a fully-automated, 21st century dairy operation in less than a year. In this episode of Cow-Side Conversations, Matt Brake of Oakleigh Farm opens up about how a devastating barn fire in 2019 forced them to decide whether they were going to rebuild or leave the dairy industry altogether. Matt shares how their family ultimately decided to invest in innovative technology, including a vector feeding system, robotic milkers, automated curtains and fans, and discovery manure collectors. As the first fully automated Lely red barn in Pennsylvania, Matt describes some of the challenges and learning curves to making this type of investment – and how the technology has helped with labor costs, given them more time to manage at the cow level, and allowed them to focus on herd health and feed quality.