I—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 3, 1965
• Young Formers
(Continued from Page 1)
co High Schools. The pro
gram at each school is super
vised by a teacher of voca
tional agriculture, with each
school permitted considerable
leeway in developing its pio
gram to meet the needs of
farmers in its area.
How do Lancaster County
young farmers compare with
other areas? A survey of
young farmers in the mid
west revealed a severe lack
of training in economics and
farm management according
to Noble Clark, farm manage
ment expert and former as
sociate director of the Agr.
Bxprt Station at the Univer
sity of Wisconsin. Clark re
ported ’that most of those
farmers had had little or no
systematic instruction in busi
ness aspects of farm opera
tion. Considering the size of
the investment needed by to
day's farmers, Clark says
thaut infinitely more manager
ial skill and judgment are
neleessary for success than
was true a generation ago,
and this will be increasingly
true in the future. Our look
at the local YiFA program
suggests that they are well
•n the way toward acquiring
the needed skills and knowl
edge for success. Most of the
county YIPA members are
high school graduates, some
with vo-ag training, some
without. But they have a com
mon goal to acquire great
er agricultural knowledge.
This is the basis for the state
association motto that stresses
the relationship between
“youth” and a willingness to
learn. Although some of their
•lasses are held during the
day, most are m the evening.
The subject matter of the
classes (ranges from short,
•nenshot studies to intensive
aeries on one subject such as
livestock marketing, land use
management, or qualify mdMc
production.
To gain a (better under
standing of the YFA activi
ties and goals to the county,
Lancaster Eanming consulted
teadhers to each of the six
schools involved in the pro
gram. Several teachers felt
that, to addition to the formal
•lasses and the on-farm phase
of the program, just the act
of getting together regularly
mi discussions with fellow
memlbers who shared the same
problems was very helpful.
One teacher reported that
many of the older, staMished
farmers in his area were
harder to enroll in the pro
gram than new men moving
into the area. Many of the
latter were attracted by the
spirit of participating in lo
cal activities and welcomed
the chance to get better ac
quainted with neighbors who
were to the same (business.
One teacher commented that
“on-farm instruction is a ma
jor phase of the young farm
er educational program. Teach
ing done on the farm of the
learner has the advantage of
a setting where needs are most
readily recognized and where
the interest of the fanner is
keenest The teacher of agri
culture visits each student a
minimum Of ten hours per
year, to at least five visits.”
Hie various county groups
h*d some joint, meetings as
in the case-Of thfclr recent live
stock series which covered
marketing and -buying live
stock. Several teachers express
ed an interest in -seeing more
fiVflto cooperative meetings,
•pinion was divided, however,
m the merit of an active coun
ty organization Some felt the
state YFA was sufficient.
Most of the Young Farm
er grasps meet in their local
- * ti It- > » ft
USDA Reviews
Opportunities In
Farm Recreation
Farmers can raise incomes
by operating recreational fa
cilities but they have to plan
carefully, says a report is
sued by the U S. Department
of Agriculture.
The report, by UISDA’s
Economic Research Service,
looks’ at reasons for the suc
cess or failure of 12 types of
outdoor recreation business.
The report is based on a sur
vey of 254 enterprises in New
England, Ohio, South Caro
lina, Aikansas, Missouri, and
Oregon.
Some recreational enterpris
es such as children’s camps,
minnow farms, shooting pre
serves, and dude ranches can
support an operator and his
family. But these businesses
usually require the full-time
efforts of at least one work
er and an investment of over
$50,000, the report points out.
'Satisfactory returns for
part-time effort are more fre
quent in picnic areas, camp
grounds, vacation farms, hunt
ing areas, and guide services.
Usually, these can be run in
addition to farming. Most re
quire a capital investment of
less than $15,000, the report
states.
Some findings on three of
the enterprises analyzed:
Picnic areas Success usu
ally depends on nearness to
population centers. Most peo-
high school agricultural rooms
once a week over the winter,
although this is not a rule of
the organization and field trips
often replace the regular class
room meeting. From March to
November an effort is made to
get together monthly. Some of
these meetings are social, such
as an annual picnic, etc.
If you are young in age, or
just young in heart, and are
interested in learning more
about the changing field of
agriculture with other farmers
who share many of your pro
blems, why not consider talk
ing to your local vo-ag teacher.
If his school doesn’t offer the
Young Farmer Program per
haps your interest could help
get one started.
DAIRYMEN'
CATTLEMEN
Here’s the answer to your
MANURE PROBLEMS
MANURE DISPOSAL
SYSTEM
Saves Thai—Sevee
Fir aoaplato informitt— m the
B&ftr WAT DISPOSAL STvftlf write to; ’
CALEB M. WENGER
* B. D. 1, Drnmore Center KIB-2116, QCABEYVILLE, PA.
>«A, foJIs >
pie picnic within an hour’*
drive of their homes. Fre
quent, often daily, trash col
lection is a must. Substantial
investments in improvement
of picnic grounds with drink
ing water, playground equip
ment, toilets, and other equip
ment often do not pay oft be
cause of lack of customer
volume.
Riding stables The mar
ket looks promising. Horse
back riding is expected to
rise nearly 50 percent be
tween 1060 and 1976. The ma
jor problem riding stable
operators face is getting li
ability insurance at reason
able rates. One solution is in-,
corporation to limit liability.
Live bait production Col
lecting earthworms, crayfish,
and grasshoppers does not
pay very well. Neighbors of
fer too much competition.
Minnow production formerly
was a small enterprise on
many farms. Now it takes
great technical skill and large
amounts of capital. Success
ful operators have over 50
one-acre ponds per employee.
Ponds cost $750 to $l,OOO
each to build:. Production and
marketing problems of min
nows are as serious as those
for most farm commodities.
The public is fickle in its
desire for recreational facili
ties. Operators have to change
and upgrade their facilities
frequently. The report advis
es a rapid depreciation sched
ule on 'most recreational
facilities.
Three-fifths of the enter-
SEE THE NEW
GANDY
Mounted Potato
Special
Systemic Insecticide
Applicator
AT
LESTER A. SINGER
Lancaster County’s Only,
Dealer Specializing In
Sprayer Sales and Service '
RONKS, PA. 687-6712’
•> •:< •> •;• »•;• •;•>;
jWR. ?
Gruber Nomed Chapter
Star Farmer At ETown
FFA Annual Banquet
Donald Gruber, Elizabeth
town High School senior, was
named as Chapter Star Farm
er at the sth annual FFA
Parent-Son Banquet. Gruber,
chapter treasurer, also receiv
ed the dairy award.
Other award winners were:
Ed Nye, Star Green Hand;
James Schwanger, electrifica*
prises surveyed showed a
prqfit. Most of the businesses
returned less than $lO a day
__ to the operator and family
‘.labor.
The report cites four ma
jor causes of meager returns
—small size of the enterprise,
low use in relation to peak
capacity, short season, and
use only on weekends.
cm fltui' ... th« hybrid
that lives ap to
Every year, more and more cribs and bins are filled
to overflowing with modern Crib Filler corn.
Every year, Crib Filler Hybrids are growing
bigger yields and profits, under widely varying condi
tions of soil and weather.
Every year, leading farm managers are selecting
Crib Filler Hybrids to achieve outstanding com
production.
Phone or come in and ask us for the Crib Filler
Hybrid specially bred to fit your specific need. When
you plant . . . when you harvest, you too will find:
There’* a profitable difference In . ~
GRIB RllElhl
_ ... F. M. BROWN’S
V -SONS, INC.
Sinking Springs
" WEI. MILL
Denver
KIRKWOOD FRED
& GRAIN
Kirkwood
tion; Donald Hcnhey, public
speaking; Leon Rtttt, Wit re
cord book; Samuel Myers, John
Ness and Peter Geredi were
made honorary chapter mem
bers.
Gcrerd, the speaker for the
evening, is a native of Ceylon.
He illustrated farm life in his
country with films. Gererd was
piescnted with an oiTicial FFA
jacket by Dale Border, chap
ter news reporter. The jacket
was a gift from the junior
and senior classes. The sopho
more class awarded him an
official notebook and an hon
orary degree pin. These l were
presented by Donald Hershey.
Representing the freshman
class, David Garber presented
Gererd with a tie pin, cufflinks
and an FFA tie,
Following the meeting the
chapter’s new station wagon
was exhibited in the Ag. room,
along with the boys’ projects,
for the fathers to examine.
its name !
HYBRIDS
MUSSER’S- MUJL.
- '
WEAVER’S FIX-IT
RD. 1, New Holland
SHOP