Left: Cessna Brothers farm, Below: Buck Cessna’s family, L-R Tyler, Dana, Buck, Molly Photos provided by Cessna family
Family Affair N
For the Cessna family, working together is not only a way of life, it’s a recipe for success. -By Rose Morian
In time, two of Buck’s brothers, Clinton and Craig (who was ewly elected President of the Pennsylvania Holstein only five years old when they started the dairy), have gotten Association, Wayne (more commonly known as Buck) Cessna involved in the dairy farm, making a second generation of may now hold the official position of leader, but as with his Cessna brothers working together, as is also the case with the home farm of C-Cove Holsteins, it’s easy to see he works sawmill. Another of Buck’s brothers, Howard, maintains the well with others. Pulling up the driveway at C-Cove the most Cessna Brothers beef herd. Altogether, Cessna Brothers now has prominent feature is the stunning, long, barn that is well taken 13 or 14 partners in the business-enough that it couldn’t be care of and over a century old. The next would be the beautiful narrowed to an exact number without taking extra time to count Standard Collie that greets you with the same good nature as each member. his owners, no barking or growling from this one, just a gracious The brothers work together on the dairy in all things, some welcome. And while Buck may have been the initiator of the specializing in one thing or another, but all being capable of C-Cove dairy herd, the farm is truly a family doing whatever needs done. Craig and Buck usually affair with a rich heritage. We’re a family milk together, while Clinton prefers to feed and C-Cove Holsteins started in 1987, after business and we bed, but they are all aware of what’s going on with Buck had graduated from an Ag Tech course at Potomac State, part of West Virginia actually still get along. the ration, cows, calves, and crops at any given time. Buck’s wife, Dana, picks up milking if they’re University. Buck’s father had eight siblings, We work together shorthanded, and their kids, Tyler and Molly, are three of which went together in partnership every day, and then also involved. Tyler works off farm now, but is at the with him to form Cessna Brothers. Cessna Brothers had a sawmill and a beef herd, we hang out together. farm most weekends to lend a hand any time they are short of help. Molly is also involved on the farm, and when Buck graduated from the Ag Tech can usually be seen in the showring, and designs course, he spearheaded the partnership’s entrance into dairy cattle. When asked why he chose to continue any ads the family uses. Molly got started designing the farms ads after seeking out a contest to participate in while attending his education through the Ag Tech course, Buck said that he the Pennsylvania Junior Holstein Convention. She enjoyed the knew he wanted to branch out and pursue something outside of experience so much that she started designing the ads for the the sawmill and beef businesses. After Buck graduated, Cessna cows she knew and loved, something she plans to continue Brothers bought 50 registered Holsteins and started milking on the property where they currently farm, which they were able to doing in the future. It was 1992 when Buck and Dana first entered the dairy buy piece by piece as the prior owner decided to sell it. As one of eight siblings himself (with six brothers and one sister) it was not cow show world, exhibiting two Holstein March calves at the Bedford County fair. Buck had grown up showing beef steers, a surprise when others from the family joined Buck on the farm. and had enjoyed the competition aspect of it, as he had while
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SUMMER 2022 PA Holstein Profiles 11
