Dairying is a family tradition for North Texans |
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By LYNN MONTGOMERY |
East Texas Edition |
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January 5, 2005 - Milking for a Cooke County family is a family tradition ... one that spans three generations. Since 1948, the Fuhrmann family dairy, near the small North Texas town of Lindsay, has withstood all the pressures of the dairy industry. �When I built the dairy in the �50s, there were dairies in nearly every family. Now, there are less than 20 dairies in the county,� Erwin Fuhrmann said.� Erwin and Clara Fuhrmann settled on their little spot of heaven almost 60 years ago. The couple produced 11 children. Two of their children remain on the dairy; and some live in the area or have moved out of the county. The Fuhrmann farm, like many dairies, began by producing Grade B milk. In 1959, they upgraded to Grade A and continue today producing the Grade A product. Erwin, 82, and Clara, 79, can still be found helping on the dairy. The first of two milkings for the day begins at 4:45 a.m., with “Grandpa” arriving by 5:30 a.m. at the original three-stall dairy parlor he constructed. It takes around three hours for all the 75 cows to be milked. Son Ted, and son Arnold, his wife Cecilia, and grandchildren Crystal, Amber, Cletus and Abe, round out the dairy family. All are actively involved in the daily operation, from feeding heifers and bottle calves to the milk production chores. Arnold and Ted raise crops on over 600 acres for the cows, which includes soybeans, barley and milo. Raising crops is Arnold’s main job during the majority of the year. The cows are fed a high-moisture grain. The high moisture comes from the grain being harvested a little early, according to the family. The four grandchildren are also well known in the show ring. They exhibit Holstein (of course) and Hereford cattle.The Hereford angle comes from Cecilia, who grew up on a registered Hereford operation near Lawton, Okla. Exhibiting the cattle is lots of fun for the four teenagers. Crystal, 18, enjoys it so much that she missed her junior prom to go to a show. The four also have names for all the milking herd and they have their favorites: Crystal’s - Darla, Amber’s - likes them all, Abe’s - Bo, and Cletus - Blackie. When not on the dairy, the four grandchildren are involved in other activities, especially 4-H. �All the kids know how to sew,� Cecilia said about their achievents gained from the youth development club. They also are members of the 4-H dairy judging team and Amber, 17, had the top score at the state dairy judging competition this past year. Cletus, 16, is interested in beekeeping. He has 13 hives and has won the state bee contest with an essay. All four have set their sights on going to college and pursuing an agricultural position, but, according to the family, Abe, 14, will “more than likely continue the (family dairy) operation.” The Fuhrmann Dairy is a unique experience to watch as the generations work together in harmony to “earn everything we make.” |
