Nothing But Black & White

By Sarah Thomas

Few and far between have been able to see how the dairy industry has shifted and changed over the years. Through those tough times, tough people are a result. Although it didn’t happen overnight, Tim Cummings of Sidney, Ohio is one of those people.

Born a son to first generation dairy farmers, Frank and O’Guerta Cummings, Tim got his start with Holsteins from birth on his parents’ farm, 7 Gables Farm. They had a hankering for show cattle and Tim would soon follow in their footsteps. As a young kid, he remembers riding in a twoton truck to Waterloo, Iowa to show cows or to Canada to buy some more.

“I don’t know anything but black and white,” Cummings said. “I’m a tried-andtrue Holstein guy. My dad, Frank, served as state Holstein president and my mom ran the National Holstein Futurity for 37 years.” He even remembers governors and other figureheads making their way to the showring to present the award for the National Holstein Futurity winners.

Cummings lived for those two weeks at the Ohio State Fair growing up. “I loved seeing everyone and staying up all night in the barn playing cards,” he reminisced. “I even remember seeing Pinehurst where everything was painted grey, and they brought the biggest bulls I had ever seen in my life.” Also at the fairgrounds was Pat’s, a restaurant that Cummings remembers as a highlight. “If we had enough money, you could get mashed potatoes, roast beef on bread, and a glass of milk all for a dollar and quarter! It was thrilling!” he stated.

Living for those sweet moments is something easily done by Cummings. In and out of the showring has proved him tough and resilient. Twenty years ago, his wife, Yvonne lost her battle to leukemia at age 41, which left Cummings widowed with eight-year-old twins, Cole and Olivia. “It is hard to raise a girl without their mom,” Cummings solemnly stated. “My kids have been the soul of my life and I was lucky to raise them in the barn.”

Between losing his father and wife within two years of each other, Cummings had no choice but to focus on the good. He and his kids moved back to the farm with his mom and helped her milk until she passed in 2005. “I hugged and kissed my mom on the cheek every day,” Cummings said.

As far as his lifestyle up until the cows were sold in 2010, Cummings said, “We would milk, go play basketball, and go home and eat. I wouldn’t trade farming, milking my cows, and raising my twins for anything else.” When milk prices got down and his children grew older, it became harder and harder to keep up after milking for 50 years of Cummings’ life.

As fate would have it mixed in with everything else in Cummings’ world, he met Nathan Thomas of North Lewisburg,

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The National Holstein Futurity is a prestigious award and winning had been a goal for Cummings for decades.

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Ms Triple-T SW WB Payton-ET captured the 2021 National Holstein Futurity for partners Damon Bertke, Triple-T and Cummings.

Ohio at least 25 years ago. Thomas came to a county fair and there was a heifer in discussion that Cummings didn’t want to sell. That encounter led to a lifelong friendship. “Nathan always did well, and I admired that,” Cummings said. “It’s even better that he got Jenny. She saved him!” he chuckled.

The group has had a plethora of cattle together including junior champions at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and Grand Champions in Ohio. One cow that holds a special place in Cummings’ heart is Ms Beautys Black Velvet EX-95. She was the first place five-year-old at the 2021 International Holstein Show and went on to be named the 2021 All-American five-yearold.

To have a futurity winner has been a goal of Cummings since he thought he had a contender in 1961, he said, “I’ve been beatin’ on that door forever since!” As someone who had cows place second five separate times in the futurity, 2021 marked a special moment for Cummings when Ms Triple-T SW WB Payton-ET captured first in the futurity. After buying in on her as a milking yearling at the Triple-T Tag Sale with Damon Bertke and the Triple-T

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