— Lancaster Farming. Saturda;
18
History and
(Continued from Page 15]
politicians are carrying it.
We have to work through our
legislators, to let them know
what we need, and what’s
best for the country.
“And yet,” he mused, “do
we know what’s right? Do we
know what’s best for the
country and for farming?”
To answer his own
question, Hoffman cited the
writings of Leibnitz, the
German philosopher and
mathematician who in
vented the calculus.
“Leibnitz said there is
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perfect knowledge and
imperfect knowledge, and
that intuitive knowledge is
perfect while abstract
knowledge is imperfect.
People who farm have in
tuitive knowledge of far
ming, and they know what’s
best for fanning. I think we
need more farmers helping
to make regulations for
agriculture.”
Soil erosion and animal
runoff are two aspects of
farming which are coming in
for more and more govern
ment regulation. As both a
I—^
111
C. B. HOOBER & SON
INTERCOURSE. PA
768 8231
COPE & WEAVER
NEW PROVIDENCE, PA
786-7351
R. S. HOLLINGER & SON
113 WEST MAIN ST
MOUNTVILLE, PA
285 4538
July 20. 1974
Land
farmer and a former
technician for the Lebanon
County Soil and Con-’
servation Service, Hoffman
has more than a passing
interest in soil conservation
techniques. His land was in
contour strips since before
hp bought it, and he has since
plowed in his own diversion
terrace. To further reduce
his soil loss and fuel
requirements, last year he
switched to minimum till
planting equipment,”
Hoffman said. “This year I
disced my fields first, then I
double-cropped corn in
wheat stubble for silage.
Last year I did the same
thing in barley stubble, and
it was the best barley
planted com I ever had. My
soil didn’t seem to dry up as
much with minimum till.”
Hoffman grows com, hay
and small grain on his
largely Duffield soil. What
does he think of the Penn
sylvania Department of
Environmental Resources
requirement that all Com
monwealth farms must have
implemented conservation
plans by July 1, 1977? “I
don’t see how they’re ever
going to make their
deadline,” Hoffman said. “I
don’t think they’ll be able to
get all the farms laid out by
then. They won’t even come
dose.”
About the increasingly
stringent environmental
regulations, Hoffman said,
“You can’t put people in
bottles to protect them.
We’ve got to find a point of
equilibrium. If we go over
that point, we’ve got
pollution. And if we go under,
we run the risk of not
producing enough food.
His interest m the in
teractions between
agriculture and the rest of
society led Hoffman to apply
for - and get - a Kellogg
Foundation Fellowship. The
fellowship, awarded to some
60 Pennsylvania residents
annually, is administered
through Penn State’s Rural
Leadership Development
Program, and calls for
program participants to
meet at various times over a
period of two years.
Some of the meetings last
for a few days, some for a
week. All are aimed at
probing the problems and
potentials of life in rural
Pennsylvania. “Ive been
very happy with my ex
periences m the program. I
think it’s helped me,
especially in speaking before
groups. I’ve learned a lot
from the other participants
and the instructors, and I
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Hoffman is a full-time
dairyman, with 50 Holsteins
on DHIA test. He’s a
member and former director
of the Cleona Milk Producers
Cooperative. He’s also a past
sectretary-treasurer of that
organization. He’s a
Lebanon County director for
the Pennsylvania Farmers
Association, president of the
Lebanon County Extension
Association and a member of
a number of historical
societies.
As a man who grew up not
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wanting to farm, Hoffman
has put an awful lot of en
thusiasm into the job of
being a full-time farmer.
Has he any regrets? “Ab
solutely hot,” is his quick
reply. “You can't find a
better living anywhere, nor a
better place to raise
children. I don’t regret a
single thing about farming.”
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