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Best in show: Morrisons Cove Dairy Show a summer tradition for over 70 years

By Linden Markley 6 min read

MARTINSBURG -- According to local farmers, friendly competition and camaraderie are the name of the game at the Morrisons Cove Dairy Show, where youth and adults have been showing off the area's top dairy cows for more than 70 years.

This week's show is a summertime tradition that also offers visitors an opportunity to learn more about where their milk comes from and the importance of the dairy industry.

For over 70 years, the show has been held in Morrisons Cove. The cattle barns and milking parlor are near another summer staple, the Hershberger Pool at Morrisons Cove Memorial Park.

Cows are judged within their breed and age and win based on their milk-producing ability and physique, participants said.

"It's all about showcasing the animals," said Tammy Stultz of Williamsburg, who was helping prepare cows for competition. "From the moment they come to your farm or are born on your farm, you work with these animals all the time."

Though Garrett Stonerook of Martinsburg is typically busy working at Stoney Hollow Jerseys farm, the Morrisons Cove Dairy show is also an opportunity to socialize with other farmers and teach children the ropes.

He has been attending the show for over 30 years and tries to be a mentor to the younger competitors.

"A lot of the kids look forward to the fairs all year long," Stonerook said. "It's rewarding the kids for their hard work throughout the summer."

Preparing a dairy cow for a show never stops, Stonerook said. Not only must the cows be washed and clipped, but a lot of work goes into practicing leading and making sure their diet is perfect. He said the show is about finding the best representation of each breed, which then helps the farmers promote their animals for breeding and commercial purposes.

For handler Allie Hileman, 20, of New Enterprise, dairy cow farming is a way of life. She has worked on farms and competed at shows almost her entire life and said she loves both the social and competition aspects of the show.

"I really like the people it connects you with," Hileman said. "And I'm extremely competitive."

On Wednesday morning, she competed with Chirp, a red and white Holstein cow that took home the first place ribbon from her class. Hileman said she will always be in the ag industry, as she recently married a dairy farmer, and plans to keep the tradition alive for future generations.

"It's so fun to get into," Hileman said. "I'll definitely pass it on to someone else."

One of the biggest goals of the show is to educate the community on the importance of the dairy industry, said Elyse Dilling, the 2023 Blair County Dairy Princess. Crowned on May 21, Dilling will spend the next year representing farmers at fairs and shows like the one at Morrisons Cove. She also visits schools, churches and festivals to advocate for the dairy industry and educate children on the value of milk.

"Nowadays, it is so important that we are still involving children and teaching them the nutritional importance of dairy," Dilling said. "Kids need to know where their food comes from."

Dilling helped hand out ribbons and trophies to the winners of each class and congratulated the handlers. She did not grow up with a dairy background but said she finds it very important to advocate for the industry and its farmers.

"Everybody in this industry is so down to earth and passionate about what they promote," Dilling said.

The farmers and handlers spend the week of the show preparing the cows, which requires most of them to camp on site or stay nearby. Handlers of all ages work throughout the week to take care of the cows, washing them and milking them daily.

Grace Burket, a competitor, plans to use her love for animals by pursuing a career as a veterinarian. She is continuing her pre-veterinary education at Penn State University Park in the fall, but for now, she keeps busy working on her family farm in East Freedom and competing. Burket has been showing cows since she was 8 years old, the minimum age at most shows.

"As soon as they let me in (the ring), I started right away," Burket said. "Once you get hooked on shows, it's hard to stop."

Like many in the area, Burket's high school, Claysburg-Kimmel, no longer offers a Future Farmers of America program, so she had to compete in 4-H throughout her career. Now 20, she said it is difficult to see her friends competing with FFA, where the age limit is 21, but she still enjoys the competitions on her own.

Burket competed on Wednesday with Pearla, her Lineback dairy cow, which is a relatively new breed to the Morrisons Cove show. She also helped out with the children's classes on Tuesday and said she has enjoyed watching her niece interact with the cows.

"I found myself teaching her how to show," Burket said. "It's a lot of fun."

Attendance at the Morrisons Cove Dairy Show is not what it once was, according to Beck McGee, treasurer of the Dairy Show Committee. She has also been attending the show all of her life and said over 350 animals used to be entered each year. Just over 150 animals are competing in this year's show, though the number remained steady from last year. She said many local farms have gone out of business over the years, which has hurt attendance at dairy shows.

McGee said there is an opportunity for growth by educating the public at the dairy show. In the evenings, there are pie and ice cream socials and sales and dairy judging contests, which attract more of the wider community, McGee said.

"I think it's a definite promotion of the dairy industry," McGee said. "We try to draw in people from the community."

Stonerook of Martinsburg said that although the numbers are dwindling, the remaining farmers are working hard to keep the industry going. He said he plans to keep showing at Morrisons Cove for as long as he can.

"The people that have stayed with it are committed to the industry," Stonerook said. "They really, really love their cows."

Mirror Staff Writer Linden Markley is at 814-946-7520.

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