The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-06-19
Many Valuable
Herds Owned By
Local Dairymen
Guernseys, Shorthorns, Jer.
seys Among County's Big
Milk Producers.
(By Staff Writer)

become one of North Carolina's
first ranking counties in the num-
Der of milk cows. And as result
of this profitable industry Ashe
farmers have greatly increased
their incomes and have made
marked improvements in their
homes and farms
With approximately 1000 cows
now being MIXED in Ashe county
there are a number of valuable
dairy herds developed in recent
years. Others are in the dairy
business on a smaller scale to sup
p1ement their farm incomes and
few are the farm families in the
county which do not have cows
enough to provide sufficient milk
for their own needs.
A Big Income
Not many years ago, Ashe like
several other western counties
had lumber as it's chief source of
income. But with the diminishing
supply of this natural resource,
Ashe citizens have turned their
attention to the development of
the livestock industry and par
ticularly dairying for which the
county is so we'll adapted with its
blue grass and white clover. And
today a conservative estimate
places the county's annual income
from dairy products at around
100000. But this is only the be-
ginning; for the dairy industry is
in its infancy here.
One of the biggest factors in
the development of the dairy in
dustry in Ashe county is the
Kraft Cheese plant opened here
in 1929. The opening of this plant
meant the establishment of a
standard home market for the
farmers of this section. With
$4,000 plant at West Jefferson
and serving around $50 patrons
the Kraft plant uses from 10000
to 10000 pounds of milk daily.
Recently the Coble Diaries OF
Lexington and the Carnation
plant at Ga1ax have established
routes in the county and offer the
farmers additional markets for
their milk.
c. J. Rich, Ashe county farm
agent who has been squarely be-
hind the development of the dairy
industry points out that it not
it not only means a steady income
to farmers; but that it brings
about big improvement in the
pasture lands and the entire
farm. For dairy farmers buy
grass and clover seed, use lime
and phosphate and in many cases
are building silos, better barns
and improving their homes.
Rich Hill Farm
On the North Fork of New Riv-
er, Gwyn B. Price, a pioneer Ashe
county dairyman, owns Rich Hill
Farm. Mr.. Price was the first man
in the county to secure a pure
bred Guernsey bull and he is now
carrying 40 to As pure bred
Guernseys on his 160-acre farm.
For some time he has been CO.
operating with the North Caro-
lima Experiment Station in run
ming a real test of pasture max
ing and fertilizing and as result
is getting his grass land where it
will carry one cow per acre.
Mr.. Price who started the ope-
ration Of a grade-A dairy four
years ago has the only one OF this
type in the county and delivers
on an average of around so gal
Ions Of milk per day. This in
cludes the grade-A Golden Guern-
sey raw milk, Tactic acid butter
milk, cream and chocolate milk.
Mr.. Price started out with
Guernseys about Is years ago.
One Of the most recently &C.
quired and probably the second
largest pure bred Guernsey herds
in the county is that Of p. T. Nc
Neill's in the Obids section. With
in the past year Mr.. McNeill has
purchased a number Of regis
tered females and has a young
herd numbering more than 20.
Improved Equipment
Walter Pennington, Of Nathan's
Creek, one Of Ashe county's out
standing dairy farmers who has
had the distinction of being chos-
en- the best demonstration farm
er in the county has 871s acres in
his home place and milks IA Jer-
sey and Guernsey cows. Mr.. Pen
nington is one of the many pro-
gressive farmers who has used his
dairy income to improve his farm.
He has an attractive brick home,