Dr. Larry Specht developed dairy herd performance evaluations, modernized dairy data, established All-American antiques show, served as show general superintendent



Dr. Larry Specht
Dr. Larry Specht of Boalsburg, Pa., is the All-American Dairy Show's 2015 Pioneer Award winner. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding will present the award at the show's Dairy Farmer Appreciation Banquet on Monday, September 14, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center.

The Pioneer Award recognizes the work of an individual who initiates new ideas to improve the quality of the All-American Dairy Show.

"Some of dairy farming's most important developments have come from laboratories and research facilities – advances that today seem like they've always been part of the industry," said Redding. "Dr. Specht is a pioneer in many ways, whether in his career of improving the dairy industry, working directly with youth and dairy farmers as an extension agent, or serving the All-American and developing the All-Dairy antiques show. The All-American is a richer experience because of Dr. Specht's contributions to the show and industry."

From his early experience on the Ayrshire breed committee and position as Ayrshire superintendent in 1966, later as treasurer beginning in 1995, and then as general show superintendent until 2004, Specht was an active contributor to the success of the All-American showrings. He also established the All-Dairy Antiques and Collectibles Show in 1997, bringing the only known show of its kind to the All-American and broadening the scope of the show's outreach to dairy producers, antiques enthusiasts and casual show visitors alike.

Specht graduated from Cornell University in 1951 and worked on farms and as an extension agent in New York before furthering his education at Michigan State. He came to Penn State in 1957 and worked with the Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) Association and youth programs before focusing his efforts on the field of dairy cattle breeding. Specht's research helped to develop progeny testing for dairy sire programs, expanded the AM/PM system of production testing, and introduced the publication of an international report for dairy sire comparisons. He retired from Penn State University in 1996, remaining actively involved in dairy organizations and maintaining his strong support of the All-American Dairy Show.

Specht's research has benefitted dairy cattle breeders of all sizes and interests to benefit. His work in transitioning DHI data from inefficient punch cards to an automated, searchable recording system accelerated the speed at which data could be shared and decisions be made on the farm. Building on that work, Specht encouraged artificial insemination (AI) organizations to expand their progeny testing programs and introduced sire/son genetic comparisons along with other AI innovations to speed up the rate of genetic progress on dairy farms of all sizes in the area he served.

The research and development portion of Specht's career was quite different from his first job description at Penn State: to simply "work at the Pennsylvania Farm Show."

Dr. Specht and his wife, Elizabeth, have six children. He remains active in the dairy industry, assisting with the work of local farms. He has a new-found passion for researching the history of the polled gene in dairy cattle, which will accompany his published work on the history of the red and white gene in Holstein cattle.

Specht was recognized as the All-American's Image Award recipient in 1996, as the National Dairy Shrine Pioneer in 2008, with the Pennsylvania Dairymen's Association Extension Award in 1986, and most recently as an inductee into the Pennsylvania Dairy Hall of Fame at the 2014 Pennsylvania Farm Show.

He joins past Pioneer Award winners Patti Hushon of Red Lion, York County, in 2013; Robert Heilman of Richmond, Virginia, in 2010; and Dr. Carl Brown of Birdsboro, Berks County, and Janet Stiles of Boonsboro, Md., in 2006.

The All-American Dairy Show features 22 shows in six days in addition to the nation's only all-dairy antiques show. Last year's show featured nearly 2,800 animals and more than 1,300 exhibitors from across the nation. For more information, visit www.allamerican.state.pa.us
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10.10.2015