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TOM AND BARBARA VOSSLER – OWNERS AND OPERATORS |
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BACKGROUND: |
Situated four miles west of Gettysburg on sixty acres of rolling farm
land overlooking South Mountain, Mountain View Farm was originally
contained within the 43,500 acre Manor of Maske established in the
mid-1700’s by William Penn. Lying within eyesight of the
 Gettysburg
battlefield of the American Civil War, the farm was probably occupied
by elements of the Confederate Army during the first week of July
1863. In the mid-twentieth century 111 acres of the present and
adjoining acreage came into the possession of Roy C. Carbaugh who
operated a dairy on the land.In 1999 the Vossler’s purchased the remaining sixty acres of the Carbaugh farm and began preparations for the present day beef cattle operation. The first task was to move and rehabilitate a 110-year-old bank barn and build a new residence.  Then
new pastures were established and fenced. Finally the first dams of
the present purebred Simmental herd were acquired and the cow-calf
operation is now in full production.Since inception, Mountain View Farm bred progeny have been sold to beef cattle producers in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New York and Pennsylvania. Because of the limited acreage on the farm and nearby summer pastures, the Simmental herd at Mountain View Farm will remain small in numbers but the focus is on quality animals with the best possible genetics. There is little room for experimentation or mistakes. Dams and sires are carefully selected to insure an elite calf crop each year. Moreover, the smaller herd enables close attention to detail with each and every animal. In this way consistent production of top-flight representatives of the Simmental breed is assured.  After spending thirty years as an Infantry Officer in the United States Army, Tom decided to extend his Army learned work ethic into raising cattle. He and Barbara settled in the Gettysburg area and established Mountain View Farm. With nineteen household moves in thirty years, they are proud to claim the states of Georgia, Texas, Washington, Nebraska, Maryland, New York and Virginia as their home at one time or another. While operating the farm and tending to the cattle herd occupy the majority of their time, Tom also works part-time in the summer months as a Licensed Battlefield Guide on the  Gettysburg
Battlefield. Those who have toured the battlefield with Tom know of
his ability to portray the battle through a soldier’s eyes, while
giving due recognition to both Union and Confederate forces. Barbara
works off the farm as a real estate agent when she is not helping with
those chores necessary to maintain a healthy cattle herd. Tom is Vice President of the Pennsylvania Simmental Association, and he currently serves as a director of the Pennsylvania Cattleman’s Association and the Pennsylvania Beef Council.  Tom
and Barbara are also involved in committee work at their church and in
preservation work on the Gettysburg battlefield and adjacent
Eisenhower Farm. They have two grown sons, Andy who lives in Western
New York State with his wife and two children and Kurt who works in
the Camp Hill PA area. |
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BREEDING AND CALF MANAGEMENT: |
| Given our facilities and management philosophy, we have two calf crop cycles a year, one in the late winter/early spring and one in the early fall with the herd dams scheduled to give us a 50-50 solution each cycle. This division of work and effort then follows thru to the other calf management activities: vaccinations, weaning, halter breaking, breeding of the first calf heifers, etc. All calves, heifers, bulls and steers, undergo ultrasound carcass data collection within the 300 to 440 day window prescribed by the American Simmental Association (ASA). |
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CALF PRODUCTION: |
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MARKETING: |
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Our animals are sold principally at national level sales such as the Gettysburg Stars and Stripes Sale which is held annually the 2nd Sat. in May on our farm here in Gettysburg. We will be selling at the Virginia Beef Expo sale and also the Pennsylvania Simmental Fall Harvest Sale and Spring Expo Sale. Private treaty sales are welcome. Please call and come by our farm and make us an offer we cannot refuse. |
