Mercer Vu Farms Inc. has a 55 plus year history at its location just west of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.  Glenn and Mae Hissong purchased the home farm from James Karper in 1949.  Mr. Karper bottled and sold milk locally.  His milk bottles can still be found being sold for top dollar  at local sales.  Glenn and Mae started with 7 cows and by 1960 they had purchased a neighboring farm and were milking 60 cows.  In 1964 their son Ron had graduated from high school and in 1971, along with his wife Judy, they formed a partnership.  In 1972 the farm started an expansion, which included a new freestall barn and a double 8-milking parlor.  The herd grew to 100 cows and in 1980 Ron and Judy bought out the partnership and became sole proprietors of the operation.  Soon after they purchased another neighboring farm and the herd grew to 120 cows. 

 

    In 1993 Rick, Ron and Judy’s oldest son, joined the operation after graduating from Penn State with a degree in Agricultural Mechanization.  Soon after in 1996 the farm began a fairly aggressive plan for expansion.  A new 207 stall slatted floor freestall barn was built as well as bunker silos.  The herd grew to around 200 cows.  In 1998 their youngest son Rod returned home to the operation after graduating from Penn State with a degree in Dairy and Animal Science.  In 1999 a sub S corporation was formed making Ron, Judy, Rick and Rod Hissong owners of Mercer Vu Farms Inc. 

 

    Soon after the farm began focusing on milking cows and started to have their heifers custom raised and the cropping done by custom operators.  Freeing up facilities and barns allowed Mercer Vu Farms Inc. to add more cows pushing cow numbers to around 450 milking cows.  In 1999-2000 with facilities overcrowded and the newly formed corporation looking for ways to support three families and continue success for the next generation, Mercer Vu Farms began looking at the possibility of expanding the dairy operation.  In the summer of 2000 financial projections were started and planning began on what elements would make up the dairy.  In the spring of 2001 the decision was made to progress with the expansion.  The permitting process was started along with finalizing details of the expansion.  As a part of the expansion, plans were made to educate the community and public about the expansion and in the winter of 2001 the website was launched.  On April 16, 2002 the final permits were approved and construction began on the new facility.  Construction continued through the summer and on November 1, 2002 the first cows were milked through the new facility.

 

 

 

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Construction of milking parlor, summer 2002

Erection of freestall barns, summer 2002

Mercer Vu  History

Glenn and Mae Hissong in 1943.  They got married and started farming after Glenn returned from service in WWII.

In 1949 they purchased the home farm.