Cows like to feel pretty, too, so Clayton Wood clips their hair several times a year. “It’s especially important to clip in the spring to get her winter hair off so she’s cooler in the summer,” said Clayton.

A production history for each cow hangs above her stall and is regularly updated. Many dairy farmers monitor a cow’s production levels to make sure she’s healthy; a drop in production can indicate illness.

Penn Gate cows eat a balanced meal of corn silage, grain concentrate, and mixed alfalfa hay. Do you know a fully grown cow can drink a bathtub full of water every day?

Calves are housed in individual “condos” and are fed milk by bottle. As calves grow they are fed timothy hay and corn silage.

Clayton Wood is proud to contribute to his family’s tradition of rearing excellent cows and producing quality milk on their Adams County, Pa., Penn Gate Farm. Currently a sophomore at Cornell University, Clayton is laying the foundation for a successful career in the dairy industry.

Penn Gate Farm: Gateway to Pennsylvania Dairy

Name: Clayton Wood

Farm name: Penn Gate Farm

Family: Grandfather Robert Gitt; parents Steve & Chris Wood; brother Corbin Wood

Location: Adams County, Pa.

Clayton Wood had the childhood most boys dream of: easy access to tractors, acres of land to roam, and an abundance of materials to build forts. Growing up on a dairy farm in Littlestown, Pa., also instilled in Clayton a strong work ethic that has proved valuable in the academic world.

A sophomore animal science major at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., Clayton has already completed internships with the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence and most recently with the Pennsylvania Farm Show as a press intern.

“I value the connections I’ve created with other dairy farmers and the role I have in society,” Clayton said. “Putting food on people’s tables is pretty cool, and I like working with the cows.”

Firm Foundation

Penn Gate Holsteins was founded on the Pennsylvania-Maryland border in 1960 by Robert Gitt, Clayton’s maternal grandfather. “Grandpa saw our farm as either the gateway into or out of Pennsylvania so he named it Penn Gate,” Clayton explained.

Penn Gate’s 50 cows are milked twice a day, everyday. The milk is marketed to Land O’Lakes cooperative, which is owned by more than 5,000 dairy farm families across America. “We always aim for the highest quality milk from our cows,” Clayton said.

The Woods do all of the farm work themselves, with no hired help. “We do it all, from milking cows to landscaping and maintenance,” Clayton said. His father, Steve, grew up on a dairy farm in Manassas, Va., and now owns Penn Gate with his wife Chris. Steve monitors the cows’ health, formulates the feed ration, and administers the breeding program. Chris oversees the farm’s financial side of the business, from cutting checks to preparing taxes. Chris’s father, Robert Gitt, is the resident handyman.

“He’ll turn 80 in July and I can’t get him off the farm,” Clayton fondly said of his grandfather. “He loves fixing everything we break. Corbin, Clayton’s brother, pitches in around his school schedule and extracurricular activities. During college breaks, Clayton can be found milking and feeding cows, making breeding decision, and preparing their superior cows for dairy cow exhibitions.

A balanced diet is an essential element in producing high quality milk. Working with a dairy nutritionist, the Woods monitor production and quality levels to make sure the cows are receiving the right combination of feeds. Each day the cows are fed a combination of corn silage, grain concentrate and mixed alfalfa hay. An average Holstein cow, the predominant breed at Penn Gate, weighs 1,400-pounds and can eat 90 pounds of food each day. The cows wash down their robust meals by drinking almost a bathtub full of water daily.

The carefully formulated feeding plan is supplemented by daily access to lush green pasture, as long as the weather cooperates. “They usually go out to pasture during the spring, summer and fall,” Clayton said. “For health reasons we keep them in the barn when it’s raining or snowing.” Nestled inside the barn during inclement weather, the cows lounge on beds of clean straw while staying warm and dry.

A Strong Showing

“We’re very involved in the show ring, it’s one of the things we’re proudest of,” Clayton said. In addition to local dairy shows, such as the South Mountain Fair in Ardentsville, Pa., the Woods have exhibited at the “triple crown” of the dairy industry: the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pa., World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., and North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky.

“Premier breeder is my favorite award to win at any show because it reflects the quality of your whole herd,” Clayton said. Clayton and Corbin have been participating in dairy shows since they were old enough to join 4-H. Their success in the show ring has created a new business opportunity for the Woods, who use the Internet to market their cows’ genetics and have sold embryos internationally. Their Web site, www.penngatefarm.com, has garnered more than 14,000 hits since its inception in 2002.

The Woods’ dedication extends beyond the farm gate. Chris volunteers at the Brethren Home Community several days a week. Longtime members of 4-H, the Wood brothers have participated in dairy judging, dairy bowl and public speaking competitions. Clayton is the current president of the Pennsylvania Junior Holstein Association. Both Corbin and Clayton are high school athletes; Clayton currently plays flanker on Cornell’s rugby team. He’s also a member of Alpha Gamma Rho, an agricultural fraternity, and recently was accepted into the Meinig Family Cornell National Scholars, an elite program that trains Cornell’s student leaders.

“There are a lot of opportunities in the agriculture industry today, and I am evaluating all of my options,” said Clayton, who is considering a career in dairy policy or may continue the family dairying tradition.