Rowan County’s first artificially bred calf was born to a heifer owned by W. H. Wetmore and his son, W.S. Wetmore, of Woodleaf. In this photograph, which appeared in the Salisbury Post Oct. 24, 1948, W.S. Wetmore stands on the right, and E. Whitfield Graham, technician for the artificial breeding program is at left, posing with the cow and this first calf born in Rowan by artificial insemination. W. M. West of the Cedargrove Dairy had Rowan’s second calf artificially bred. The Rowan Artificial Breeding Association was organized and began operation Jan. 6, 1948. County Agent P.J. Satterwhite said at the time the group was a nonprofit, cooperative making the services of proven, registered bulls available to all dairymen. Semen for the breeding was purchased from the Southeastern Artificial Breeding Association of Asheville and shipped to Rowan every morning to a laboratory in the courthouse. Dairymen had the choice of Guernsey, Jersey or Holstein breeding.