With cars driving by at 70mph, it can be a bit loud in the barnyard at Interstate Heifer Care. And yet, that is exactly how Matt Hawbaker came up with the name for his elite heifer raising care operation. Located just a stone’s throw off of I-70 in Clear Spring, MD, Interstate Heifer Care has been home to numerous National Junior Champions and All-Americans from multiple breeds over the last 5 years. And with his first Tag Sale taking place this week, Matt Hawbaker doesn’t have plans of slowing down any time soon.
Matt Hawbaker grew up in Mercersburg, PA, and was involved with showing beef cattle at a young age. “I loved farming from day one,” Matt said. “I knew I wanted to be involved with cattle ever since I was a little kid.” While in high school, Matt met Justin Burdette and Jamie Hartman at the PA Championship Shows, and they became fast friends. After he graduated in 2002, he started on the dairy cattle fitting circuit.
Over the next years, Matt would travel around North America helping some of the industry’s greatest herds. During this time, he also met his wife, Sarah, and relocated to Clear Spring, MD. In 2013, when his daughter Kenley was born, he decided it was time to stop traveling. Another daughter, Hadley, was born in 2016, making the decision to be home even easier.
“I always like working with heifers and like being self-employed,” Matt remarked. With those ideas in mind, Interstate Heifer Care was born. “I started with four or five heifers, and now have 36 between two facilities.”
Matt’s “home” operation is located right off the interstate, with a tree line separating the road from the pasture. “My good friend Chad Umbel really came up with the name name and logo, because of where the farm was,” Matt noted. Matt and Sarah live down the driveway and his in-laws live next door. Matt fixed up the old barn that was already there and has room for heifers of all different sizes. He buys quality hay and gets fresh corn silage from a local beef guy. The heifers also have access to two different pastures with shade and plenty of room for exercise. “I love coming to the barn in the morning and seeing the heifers getting a fill on great hay,” Matt remarked.
And just recently, Matt has remodeled the barns located on a 75-acre farm in Hagerstown owned by his father-in-law, to house more heifers. “My in-laws have given me the opportunity to fix things how I need them to work, and I’m grateful for the chance to do so.”
Once IHC began, it didn’t take long for word to spread. “I’ve met a lot of great people over the years while traveling, and now I have the chance to work with some of their best at home.” And luckily for Matt, his barns have always had enough heifers that he hasn’t had to go looking for more. “I want to provide my clients’ heifer with the best care possible, and I owe it to them to have their animals looking good at all times.”
Matt has learned that open communication with his customers is key. “Some clients are more hands-off, while others are involved in the more day-to-day decisions. Either way, I always value their input, and they value my experience.”
And Matt’s experience is obtaining results for his clients. “I like to keep my head down and get the work done,” he said. “The better the animals look at the show, the more wins you have, the more people talk, and that means a lot in my business.”
The results speak for themselves. In 2015, IHC helped care for Golden-Oaks Sid Charlise and Earincliffe Redliner Sarah-Red, Junior Champions at World Dairy Expo. “I’ve always been good friends with Chris and Jen Hill and have been lucky enough to tie with them the last couple years,” Matt said. “A win for them is a win for everyone in their string.”
In 2017, Interstate Heifer Care owned or boarded 15 Junior or Open All-American nominations in 5 breeds. “That was such an unbelievable year,” Matt said, “The results we got for our clients was just incredible.” And this year was no different. IHC brought home Junior Champions banners at State and National-level shows, in numerous breeds.
Riding high on the success of 2018, the idea for a Tag Sale came to fruition. “A sale was always the goal,” Matt said. “And there will always be people looking for that next special heifer, and we’ve got quite a few for them see!”
The Opportunity Knocks Tag Sale takes place this weekend at the farm in Hagerstown. Along with Matt Kimball and Jamie Black, they have selected a top-notch group of 80 Holstein, Jersey, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and Guernsey heifers ready to compete at any level. “We couldn’t have asked for a better group of heifers and look forward to hosting everyone over the next couple of days,” Matt said.
And there’s no slowing down for Matt after the sale is done. With spring shows just a few weeks away, the work will continue on prepping the next group of potential All-Americans. One thing is for certain, Interstate Heifer Care is here to stay, and keep earning the wins and respect they work so hard for.
For more information about the Tag Sale, click HERE!