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The
milking herd increased and roads were improved so the truck came to the
dairy to pick up the milk. The first tank purchased to hold milk was a
600-gallon stainless steel tank that a neighbor told Jimmy they would
never fill.
Jimmy
managed the milk parlor, the milkers, clean-up, etc., while Scott
handled the outside chores including replacement heifers, baby calvings,
feeding the cowherd, haying, etc. The small 600-gallon tank, the one
that they would never fill, was joined by two more small tanks, which
were all filled. By the late eighties, they were milking 1100 cows two
times a day in a double eight parlor essentially 24 hours a day. Another
milk tank was added, this time a six thousand gallon one! Due to not
being able to get proper labor to fill the requirement of the dairy,
nearly 800 cows were sold in 1994. They continued milking approximately
300 until 1997 when approximately 370 cows and heifers were auctioned
off. The dairy operated until 2002 on a much smaller scale. In 2002 the
remainder of the cows were sold. The parlor and the equipment is still
there as a reminder of the long hours, hard work, and the family that
built it from 12 cows in 1927.
Jimmy
and Scott have slowed their work schedule considerably, but they are
still up early tending to the outstanding commercial Angus herd that has
evolved from Brahma X Holstein heifers bred to Angus bulls. Breeding
bulls were purchased from Twin Valley and Gardiner Angus (Kansas) with
close attention paid to EPDs. This attention to detail shows in their
replacement heifers.
Scott
and Frances have four grown children who will all return to the farm
when they retire from their careers. Jimmy, who is single and available
by the way, was mentor as well as uncle to Bonnie who raises registered
Angus with her family. Travis lives and works in Atlanta, Tina is a
veterinarian at LSU, and Becky and her family live in Shreveport.
The
Browns have been loyal to the Fayette Co-op branch of AFC. They have
been patrons since the 1950s. They purchase everything from fertilizer
to feed and minerals there. They use AFC 13% Cattle Pellets with Bovatec
on all their calves; and when you look at their replacement heifers, you
can see the results. Scott and Jimmy also use Crystalyx BGF 30 to
supplement their brood cows. They rely on Lamar at the Fayette Branch of
AFC and his crew for information, help, and all of their operation’s
needs.
Lamar
and I would like to thank Jimmy, Scott, and Mrs. Frances for their
hospitality, stories, coffee, patronage, and inviting us back for lunch.
We are really looking forward to that because according to Scott and
Jimmy, Mrs. Frances makes the best turnip greens and cornbread around.
Don
Linker is an Outside Salesman for AFC. |
