Winners in the second annual Pennsylvania Dairy Summit Forage Analysis Competition were announced at the 2015 Dairy Summit held in Lancaster, Pa., on February 4 – 5. Entries for the competition, which included six classes of forage analysis, were collected December 1 – 31, 2014, with forage analysis conducted by the Cumberland Valley Analytical Labs in January.

A panel of three judges met in late January to identify three winners in each category to be announced at the Dairy Summit, with the first prize receiving $1,000, second prize receiving $500 and third prize receiving $250. This year’s panel of judges included Dale Zimmerman with Cargill Animal Nutrition, Rick Lawrence with Interactive Consulting, and Ron Moore with Hoober Feeds.

During the judging process, the judges evaluated the chemical analysis, visual appearance and yield data for each sample. For all categories, the chemical analysis carried 65 percent of the score, while the visual appearance accounted for 25 percent and the yield data for 10 percent.

Sponsors for this year’s contest included Alta Seeds/AdvantaUS, Ecosyl Products, Inc., Hubner Seed Co., King’s Agri Seeds, Lellemand Animal Nutrition, and Cumberland Valley Analytical Services. Winners in each of the six categories included:

Baleage, sponsored by King’s AgriSeeds:
· First Place: Vista Grande Farms, LLC, the Bitler Family, Fleetwood, Pa.
· Second Place: Bloss Farms, LLC, Jeff Bloss, Wapwallopen, Pa.
· Third Place: Pleasant View Jerseys, Doug Martin, Chambersburg, Pa.

BMR Corn Silage, sponsored by Alta Seeds/AdvantaUS:
· First Place: Jobo Holsteins, the Hess Family, Gettysburg, Pa.
· Second Place: Y-Run Farms, LLC, Ron, Glenn and Gary Kline, Troy, Pa.
· Third Place: Vista Grande Farms, LLC, the Bitler Family, Fleetwood, Pa.

Convention Corn Silage, sponsored by Lellemand Animal Nutrition and Hubner Seed Company:
· First Place: McWilliams Farm, Clyde & Charlene McWilliams, Somerset, Pa.
· Second Place: Walmoore Holsteins, Inc., Walt Moore, West Grove, Pa.
· Third Place: Mountain Breeze Farms, Jonas Stoltzfus, Schuylkill Haven, Pa.

Forage Sorghum:
First Place: Apple Valley Creamery, the Stoner Family, East Berlin, Pa.
· Second Place: Mountain Breeze Farms, Jonas Stoltzfus, Schuylkill Haven, Pa.
· Third Place: Happy Hollow Dairy, David Hunsberger, Mifflintown, Pa.

Grass Haylage and Small Grain Forages:
· First Place: Y-Run Farms, LLC, Ron, Glenn and Gary Kline, Troy, Pa.
· Second Place: D & S Dairy, Delmar Weaver, Lykens, Pa.
· Third Place: Vista Grande Farms, LLC, the Bitler Family, Fleetwood, Pa.

Perennial Legume Haylage, sponsored by Ecosyl Products, Inc.:
· First Place: Bloss Farms LLC, Jeff Bloss, Wapwallopen, Pa.
· Second Place: Brewer Farms, Kevin and Jeff Brewer, Banger, Pa.
· Third Place: Vista Grande Farms, LLC, the Bitler Family, Fleetwood, Pa.