Photo of children and flowers
For three generations, milking and raising registered Holstein cows continues to be a fulltime job for the Brumbaugh family farm, getting up at 3:30 a.m. every morning to milk the cows. With 115 dairy cows and a milking routine of twice a day, a double-six herringbone milking parlor is used to maximize the throughput of cows, streamlining the milking process. An automatic take-off system is used to remove the milker from the cow when the milk flow reaches a preset level. Once the milk is produced, it is transported to Carlisle, PA for pasteurization and processing into many products. Every other morning, milk is retrieved from the farm. The Brumbaughs have approximately 230 dairy animals which include milk cows, dry cows, and heifers. On average, two calves are born
per week. They raise all heifers and sell the bulls at the sale barn in Martinsburg, PA. With excellent soil quality, the Brumbaughs are able to farm 210 acres (corn, alfalfa hay, and barley). This is fed directly to the cows and stored as silage for use during the winter season. The milk cows average 78 pounds of milk per day, per cow. That’s about 1,584 gallons of milk per day. Providing outstanding care to their cows yields quality milk. It’s like getting a report card when they send milk to Land O’Lakes, the cooperative they are part of in Carlisle. The milk is sampled each time and rated. Often, they receive extra credit. A nutritionist visits the farm at least twice a month to make sure the cows are producing to their potential. Dairy farming is
Photo of the Brumbaugh family Keith and Melissa Brumbaugh, Heather Brumbaugh, Keith’s parents, Dennis and Teresa (holding Thad) Brumbaugh, Faith Brumbaugh, and Melissa’s parents, Lisa and R. Alan Gearhart
the number one industry in Pennsylvania. It is home to 8,500 farms and 555,000 dairy cows. Milk produced in Pennsylvania yields about $1.5 billion in farm revenue every year and is sold to various states up and down the east coast.
Photo of dairy farm
farms, including parents and grandparents, are within close proximity to each other. It means a lot to the Brumbaughs to have an acute care hospital with 24/7 service right in their community. Keith and Melissa’s three children were born at Nason Hospital. They add, “We love having Nason Hospital so close for our family’s care. If there’s an emergency, help is just a few minutes away. We have many friends who work at Nason, and it’s reassuring to see a familiar face when you are in need of care.”
Keith’s grandparents, Donald and Doris Brumbaugh, purchased the farmland in 1968. His mother’s parents, Byron and Delma Over, were also dairy farmers. Keith’s parents, Dennis and Teresa Brumbaugh, work on the farm. Melissa’s grandparents, Donald and Donna Gearhart (a practicing registered nurse at Nason for many years), purchased the farm where she grew up in 1964. Today, Melissa’s parents, R. Alan and Lisa Gearhart farm that land. Melissa’s mother, Lisa (who worked as a laboratory technologist at Nason), was raised on a dairy farm in Woodbury, PA. Lisa is the daughter of Jean and the late Donald Kensinger, also dairy farmers.
Keith and Melissa (Gearhart) Brumbaugh each grew up learning and understanding the responsibilities associated with the agriculture industry, with the expectation of someday becoming farmers. They met at Central High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter, a national youth organization for agricultural science education. FFA is not an extracurricular activity. The program completes a three-part model of education. Classroom instruction is applied to hands-on, supervised agricultural experiences. The organization, founded in 1928, reflects the expanding career field of agriculture. Currently, there are over 500,000 members. The Brumbaughs value the importance of keeping their family close together. Their
Brumbaugh Family Farm Photos: Keith and Melissa Brumbaugh Children born at Nason Hospital: Faith (2003), Heather (2006), and Thad (2008) Pet Dog: Ruger
Nason Hospital logo
Nason Hospital logo