4
‘Mini-farmer
To Start Co-
(ConUnuid From Pago 1|
those people worked. We
talked about getting feed,
raising crops, where to find a
good vet, or good used
equipment.”
That meeting, Erb said,
opened his eyes to the
potential for a cooperative
organization for mini
farmers. The first public
meeting of the infant
organization will be held at
8:00 p.m., Friday, March 21,
at the Coca-Cola Bottling
Plant in Lancaster, Erb said.
“We hope all the mini
farmers in Lancaster County
can be there. We’ve already
contacted a lot of people we
thought might be interested,
and so far, nobody’s said
they won’t come.” More
information about the
meeting can be had by
calling the Erbs at 717-872-
6272.
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BEFORE YOU BUY, CONTACT
DANIEL H. BYLER
STAR ROUTE 655 BELLEVILLE, PA 17004
Apply your herbicide at the ideal time
in corn:
What, exactly, is a mini
farmer, we asked Erb.
“There’s no official
definition,” he replied, “but
I think of a mini-farmer as
someone with a few acres
who's farming more for self
sufficiency and fun than
profit. We’re not against
farming for a profit, but
there are other cooperatives
for those farmers.
"You know, living out here
has been, really enjoyable.
Our neighbors have helped
us tremendously. Like last
fall, we butchered two
steers. We didn’t know when
the steers were ready to go to
the butcher shop. One of our
neighbors had to tell us they
were ready. We had to learn
a lot about farming, and
they’ve been a big help.
There’s a kind of rural at
titude - neighbors helping
neighbors - that you just
” Hopes
op Here
don't find in town."
Neighbors helping neigh
bors is, in fact, one of the
guiding principles behind the
co-op which the Erbs hope to
get off the ground. Members
would both get and give
assistance in buying, selling
and labor. Some of the ob
jectives which the Erbs hope
to propose at the March 21
meeting are:
- The purchase of bulk
quantities of hay, grain and
other livestock feeds. Also
discussion groups to find out
just what kinds and amounts
of feed would be best to buy.
- Equipment sharing
among members. Items like
balers and post hole diggers
for which mini-farmers
might have occasional use
could be purchased as a
group and shared by all as
needed.
-Labor banks. Erb feels
cooperative members should
be able to contribute hours of
work to help other members
with big chores, like building
a barn, clearing a woodlot,
constructing a pond. Hours
worked would be recorded,
and when a contributor
needed help for one of his
mini-farm projects, he could
make a “withdrawal” from
the labor bank in the form of
time and muscle from his
fellow cooperators. Erb said
the labor bank, if it worked,
would be ideal for
vacationing mini-farmers,
who could go away for a
week or two and know that
their fields and livestock
were being watched over by
another co-op member.
-A monthly newsletter is
planned for all members.
- Ladies auxiliary. Mrs.
Erb said this would be more
like a garden cooperative to
order bulk quantities of
things like seeds, young
plants and household items.
Both Erbs feel that there
could be a lot more people
moving to the country if they
had more encouragement,
and if they could talk to
people who’d already lived
through the experience.
Plus atrazine.
gi
Apply Lasso plus atrazme tank mix as you plant, or after planting, before
corn or weeds come up . with or without liquid fertilizers
Either way, you can plant as soon as your seedbed’s ready—and still
get the early grass and broadleaf control you need
What’s more, your herbicide goes on when the seedbed’s in ideal
condition for herbicide application.
AAtrex is a registered trademark of
Oba-Geigy Corporation
Always read and follow the Lasso label
directions.
One problem is finding
land. Erbsaid ho looked for a
place for eight years before
something came along that
he wanted and could afford.
Housing can be another
stumbling block. The Erb
home today is attractive and
comfortable, but it took nine
months of hard work, before
the move, to make it that
way. Erb works as an ad
vertising representative for
Lancaster Newspapers.
Every day after work, for
nine long months, Erb left
the office and went to the
farm house. He uncovered
the old, square logs, some
with the original white wash.
He scraped floors, he tore
down walls, he washed and
painted and rewired. Much
of the work was done by
contractors, but much more
was done by the Erbs.
“Everybody told us at first
that the only thing to do was
tear down the house and
start over,” Mrs. Erb said as
she sipped coffee in the
comfortable, attractive
kitchen that was formerly
two small rooms. “I'm glad
we didn’t.”
Having found the land,
having solved their housing
problems, the Erbs and their
two daughters, 7-year-old
Lee and 5-year-old Pat,
began their adventure in
country living.
They ripped a jungle of
raspberry bushes from a
pasture. They cleared away
25 years of accumulated
debris and trash from the
barnyard. They cleared
brush and trees out of
neglected, once-tillable
fields. It was hard work.
“But for me, getting on the
tractor at the end of the day
isn’t really work,” Erb said.
“It’s a release. I like to do
it.”
The Erbs have a five-year
plan for their property, and
right now they feel they’re
about two years ahead of
schedule. Their chickens are
providing them with eggs
(“But, they’d be cheaper at
the store,” Erb said),
they’re eating their own
beef, they’re thinking about
milking their goats, and
they’ve got a freezer and a
pantry full of home grown
vegetables.
“Whatever you can do with
tomatoes, I’ve done it,” Mrs.
Erb said. “Stewed tomatoes,
catsup, tomato paste, tomato
Lasso
HERBICIDE BV
Lancaster Farming. Saturday, March 1.1975
juice, relish... ". Last year
they even sold some of their
sweet corn. Erb said they
sold 800 dozen cars of corn -
at 14 cars to the dozen - for
50-ccnts a dozen. It was all
hand harvested, as was the
field corn.
There is nothing in the
five-year plan that calls for
making a profit from their
farming operation. The Erbs
are working only for a way of
life and for a measure of self
sufficiency. They hope their
cooperative idea catches on,
so they can help and en-
THE OLD
KRME«;
It's time for that stir in the forest.
Are your grapevines pruned? . . . Stalin died March 5, 1953
. . . Last quarter of the moon March 4 .. . Maple sap running
now... A\erage length of days for week, 11 hours, 23 minutes
. . . Banks closed March 5, 1933 . . . Nine-tailed sea monster
spotted off Oregon March 4, 1950 . . . Town meetings begin
. . . Patrols looking for dangerous icebergs start out this
week ... He that is warm thinks all are so.
Ask the Old Farmer: I purchased
a device to roll newspapers into
logs for the fireplace, but the
instructions that came with the
gadget called for the rolled
newspapers to be impregnated
with kerosene. That way, if you
keep one in your wood basket,
your living room smells of kerosene. C. L. Cleveland.
Yes, you can bum rolled newspapers without putting any
thing on them, if you do not roll them up too tightly. We have
burned them for years, without kerosene, or a gizmo to roll
them.
to-
Horn* Hint* You will find that 4-eyelet buttons stAy on children s clothing
longer if the thread is sewed through two e>elets first and then fastened
securely before sewing through the other pair of eyelets
OLD FARMER’S WEATHER FORECASTS
New England: Ram to start, then clearing; ram again latter
part but clear and warm by weekend.
Greater New York-New Jersey: Week begins clear and cool,
then light to moderate ram; clearing and warmer by weekend.
Middle Atlantic Coastal: Cloudy and mild with light ram all
week.
Southeast Coastal-Piedmont: Generally fair and pleasant at
first, then some rain; hard rain inland and sleet or snow in
mountains latter part.
Florida: Storm by midweek with hard rain and heavy thunder
storms m south.
Upstate & Western N.Y.-Toronto & Montreal: Week begins
sunny and seasonably cold, then rain in south and 4-6" snow
in north; clear and warm latter part.
Greater Ohio Valley: Cloudy and seasonable to start, then
light ram; end of week stormy with heavy snow m east by
weekend.
Deep South: Showers at first, then clear and warm; heavy
ram latter part in north and east with rain turning to snow
in northeast.
Chicago & Southern Great Lakes: Week begins mild with light
ram, then rain changing to 3-5" snow; snowstorm continues
with 3-5" snow in west and 8-10" in east.
Northern Great Plains-Great Lakes: Cold with intermittent light
snow all week.
Central Great Plains: Fair and warm to start, then showery
with light rain and snow in north.
Texas-Oklahoma: Clear and mild to midweek, then becoming
very warm; end of week warm and clear.
Rocky Mountain Region: Week begins mostly clear and warm,
then showers in north; mild and cloudy latter part and turn
ing colder with flurries in north.
Southwest Desert: Early week clear and hot with highs in mid
-80s; end of week cooler with cold snap in east.
Pacific Northwest: Clear and mild to start in south, then light
rain; end of week partly sunny with light shower.
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courage more people to
follow their lead.
"We like this way of life,”
Erb said, “and we think
mini-farmers like us can
help preserve much of the
farmland around cities and
towns. We can help keep the
developers out of the
country. I’ve been asked
again and again if I'd like to
sell off some of my road
frontage. I could use the
money, sure, but I’m not
going to sell. This way of life
is too important for me to
sell bits and pieces of it.”
MARCH 3-9, 1975
7