by Elizabeth A. Tomlin
Ovaltop Holsteins, Richfield Springs, NY, hosted an open barn/open house for the Otsego-Herkimer-Montgomery (O-H-M) Holstein Club of Central New York on Saturday, March 24.
This is an annual event for the club, with one member hosting the ‘open barn’ each spring. This was the 2nd time the event has been hosted by Ovaltop Holsteins.
“We, the Wolfe family, have been involved in the local club for over 40 years since moving to the farm on Chyle Road in the spring of 1977 from New Jersey,” commented Virginia (Ginny) Wolfe. “This is the second time Ovaltop Holsteins has hosted a Spring Barn Meeting event. In past years we have also hosted the club’s summer picnic, as well as the New York State Holstein picnic and more recently we were a host farm for the 2016 National Holstein Convention, hosted by the New York State Holstein Association.”
Ovaltop has also hosted a number of college and school groups to the farm.
The Wolfe family has been a breeder of registered Holsteins since 1926. Ginny and her husband Howard, and sons Doug and Mike relocated to Richfield Springs in the spring of 1977 from the original Wolfe Century Farmstead in New Jersey.
The Wolfe family’s fifth generation, Ashlyn, Justin, Alexis are now active as Jr. Holstein Association members, with Deanna anticipating her next birthday, so she can also join in.
Ovaltop’s herd of 90 milking age cows and young stock are housed in a tie-stall barn.
Ginny is proud to report the herd maintains a Breed Age Average of 110 percent, including 30 Excellent; 44 Very Good, and 7 Good Plus cows, with a DHIR Average of 26,519m, 3.7 percent 972f and 2.9 percent 772p.
Over the past 40 years Ovaltop has bred 167 Excellent cows, 2 Excellent sires, and developed an additional 27 Excellent cows.
Ovaltop’s herd has received the National Holstein Association Progressive Breeders’ Registry Award for 28 years; placing them among the top 25 percent of registered Holstein herds in the United States.
The Wolfe’s have also been honored as New York Master Breeders and have won an abundance of Premier Breeders and Premier Exhibitor Banners at Holstein shows in New York, New England and Pennsylvania.
Ovaltop bred cattle have also won championship honors and gone on to become All-American show winners.
The herd consists of both Red and White and Black and White registered Holsteins.
“Many nationally known cow families and sires are included as members of the Ovaltop herd, with about 25 percent of the herd going back to the ‘Roxy’ family.”
“The open barn meeting turned out very well, with approximately 100 people attending through out the afternoon,” said Ginny. “Many were members of the Otsego-Herkimer-Montgomery Holstein Club, as well as other fellow breeders from surrounding counties.”
For more information on Ovaltop Holsteins contact Ginny at 315.858.2882.