SPOTLIGHT ON DAIRY HERO Curtis Meyers, Greencastle, PA

Located near Greencastle, PA, MyrLawn is a modern progressive dairy. Curtis Meyer, a second generation dairyman is at the helm of this quality milkproducing operation. “Our main reason for getting on the Program back in 2010 was to get our SCC below 100,000 and to get away from antibiotics as much as possible,” he commented. “Just before starting the Udder Program we were dumping out about 30-40 cows’ milk treated with antibiotics from mastitis. That’s a lot of milk that went down the drain every day,” he pointed out. Udder Program results: starting with 160 SCC, 3.6%F, within 4 months the MyrLawn herd of 220 head was down to as low as 78 SCC and improved to 4.0%F! The best news: almost no mastitis. “We are now saving a lot of milk and money on treatment costs. Building immune systems to improve milk quality makes sense, more income, less mastitis and SCC,” states Curtis, “We had tried other popular products before the Program but they didn’t work.” Speaking of work, Curtis hires those who need jobs and trains them mostly as quality milkers or feed mixers. He works hard, often putting in 18 hour days. An innovator, Curtis does on-farm soybean roasting and grows barley, replacing much soybean meal & corn. Knowing SCC is nearly 30% heritable, Curtis started in January 2011 using lower SCS, high fat % sires semen from AlphaGenetics, Inc.: 54H345 Exodus Praises and 54H426 Exodus Price. SCC is nearly 100 & fat now often 4.1-4.3%. He gets almost $28/cwt because of the Udder Program and genetics. He now benefits with over $3/cwt quality milk premiums. Another perk is very little calf scours and losses now. Curtis uses all the Program products; he credits Immu-PRO (which is TMR’ed, plus is in each calf’s milk daily), ID-1, Uddersol, Power Pak + Capsules, & Revitalize Calf Capsules for much of their success. A custom heifer grower raises the heifers who return them to the farm one month before calving, but someday would like to do it completely at MyrLawn. For added income, he raises bull calves and sells them as steers. He studies his farm business and always looks for ways to improve. He shows great love and care for his wife and children and honors and watches over his parents as well. He helps other dairymen by being an AG, Inc. Udder Program distributor, and generously donates to those in need. We are greatly encouraged by Curtis’ success and glad to call him a friend and dairy hero.