Rowan Farmers Are Tops, 1949

By F. H. Jeter, Editor, Agricultural Extension Service, N.C. State College, as published in the Charlotte Observer, June 27, 1949

Rowan is generally recognized as one of the best farming sections of North Carolina. The men who own the land in that county believe in grain, clover, livestock and machinery.

Probably Rowan is more completely mechanized than any other county in the state. There are fine herds of purebred beef cattle, dairy cows, and swine. Poultry is found on almost every farm and there is always plenty of home-grown feed of the highest quality. Rowan has been noted over the years for its Guernsey cattle, but recently its citizens were surprised to learn that the county also contained a top-flight Ayshire herd. This herd is owned by R.W. Edminson of Mt. Ulla. Mr. Edminson has about 75 head of registered Ayshires and is president of the North Carolina Ayshire Breeders Association. P.H. Satterwhite, county farm agent, says that Mr. Edminson recently had his milking herd of 40 cows classified by an official of the association. All the other breeders in the county were invited to witness the grading of the cows.

The Salisbury Kiwanis Club recently bought two registered Guernsey heifers to add to the Rowan Calf Club chain. The two animals were selected from G.A.A. Sparger’s herd and were awarded to Derrell Orbison, Mooresville, Route 3, and Fred Foster, Cleveland, Route 1. Each of the boys will return the first good heifer, at the age of four months, to be given to some other boy or girl. In addition, each boy or girl getting one of these calves under the endless chain plan agrees to provide plenty of food and pasture, and to exhibit the calf at the Annual Junior Dairy Calf Show.

I could inform Governor Kerr Scott very definitely about some of the fine work being done by the civic clubs of North Carolina. The clubs are working with both young people and adults in promoting calf clubs, swine clubs, corn production, sweet potato production, cotton growing, poultry flocks and other activities.

The people of Rowan County are building grade “A” dairy barns and are organizing their dairy work on a sounder basis since the recent slump in the price of grade “C” milk. Eight such barns were built in the county during the late winter and five more were added in April. This makes about 20 to be constructed so far this year. County Agent P.H. Satterwhite says that Rowan farmers are tired of milking for charity and will go into grade “A” production or quit. The most popular types of barns are the six, eight, and 12 stanchion outfits made of concrete blocks. Those who have these barns say they pay in spite of the decreased price for milk.