Lebanon County Vegetable Grower Says . • •
“Farming Is
“Today there is a better future
in farming than there ever was.
You can’t be a pessimist and
expect to succeed.” Those words
of advice come from Dan
Hogeland, who owns and
operates a 230-acre crop and
vegetable farm near Newman
jstown, Lebanon County.
Dan, a three-time recipient of
state awards for having the
higest yields of potatoes per acre,
has most of his land in corn, but
100 acres are devoted entirely to
raising cucumbers, .carrots,
pumpkins, and potatoes. He also
grows some barley and wheat as
cover crops. This year he har
vested nearly 700 tons of carrots
from 33 acres, and 15 acres of
potatoes yielded 729 bushels per
acre.
Asked whether he has any
special fertilizer requirements
for his vegetables, Dan says
“No,” commenting that he uses
about 70 tons per year on the 230
acres. It is broadcast, plowed
under, applied in the row, and
top-dressed, depending on par
ticular conditions and needs. “As
with anything else,” he says,
“you have to know what you’re
doing.” Dan lists mineral
deficiencies, plant diseases,
insects, and the weather as some
of his major management
problems. Irrigation is a must, he
says.
When it’s time to bring the
vegetables out of the field, ef
ficiency and speed are of prime
importance. Dan admits to
having had some problems with
men and machinery. “You can’t
afford to have your equipment
break down when there are ten
men on the payroll, and you can’t
afford to have the picking crew
spend their time at the local bar
while the crops rot in the fields,"
cautions Dan.
He explained that he quit
raising tomatoes' because of
unreliable help. Nevertheless,
many human hands are needed
on a vegetable farm. Only the
carrots are harvested by'
machine. Every year the same
crew of migrant workers comes
up from Florida. Although Dan
has a potato harvester, he prefers
to have the picking and sorting
done by hand. “The harvester
bruises them too much”, he
explained. Concerned about
having good quality vegetables,
Hogeland also limits the use of
his two 5-ton self-unloading bin
wagons. He says that carrots can
take the mechanization, but his
other crops can’t.
Except for carrots, which are
contracted to Campbell’s Soup
Company, Hogeland’s vegetables
are sold on the open market.
Cucumbers, for example, are
washed, graded and treated with
hot wax before shipment to the
produce center in Philadelphia.
There they are picked up by
brokers who send them to Ten
nessee; Louisiana, Arkansas, and
even overseas to units of our
armed forces.
Dan has been active in farming
all his life, but has been in
Lebanon County for only six
years. His former Bucks County
farm now has houses and stores
sprouting on it, rather than
vegetables. Born and raised near
Lewistown, Montana, Dan can
make some good comparisons
between farmlands. He has high
praise for the productivity of soils
in southeastern Pennsylvania,
Better Than Ever”
Lebanon County vegetable grower Dan Hogeland, thinks
"farming is better than ever”. He’s shown here recently
sorting part of his current potato crop.
and believes that those who seek
new farmlands further west are
kidding themselves. “The West
offers a slower way of life,” he
comments, “but not better far
ming potential. Also, you don’t
have the markets.”
The Hogelands’ farm has a
history dating back to the days of
William Penn. Dan says the place
had been owned by the Kalbach
family for 165 years before he
purchased it 6 years ago. The
thick-walled stone house dates
back to the early 19th century and
has been appropriately and at
tractively restored by the
Hogeland family. A particular
eye-catcher is the huge, original
fireplace in the kitchen.
Dan and his wife, the former
Millicent Kay, have four
children. Danny the oldest, is a
1973 graduate of Eastern
Lebanon County High School. He
was vice-president of his FFA
chapter last year and has also
served as chaplain. He is
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currently vice-president of the
E.L.CO. 4-H chapter. Like his
Dad, Danny sees a bright future
for those who go into farming.
Jerry, 15, and twins Bill and Bob,
age 9, are also active in 4-H and
on their father’s form.
The family is thankful for. the
opportunities that have come
their way, and Dan believes
strongly that the most efficient
and most productive business on
Earth is the American family
farm.
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from minimum
15