Vol. 20 No. 22 Students enrolled in the Grassland Environmental FFA have been avid participants in many conservation projects. Philip Ogline, (right) Environmental FFA Aids Area Conservation Work by: Melissa Piper For the past two years, the members of the Grassland Environmental FFA Chapter have been actively participating in many conservation and ecological projects aimed at improving the natural resources and wildlife refuges in the nor theastern portion of Lan caster County. The organization, which is the first in the State and one of the few such groups in the nation, is advised by Phil Ogline and Cheryl Rousseau, agriculture instructors at Garden Spot High School in New Holland. County Land Judging Event Won by Ephrata Although it has been said that two heads are better than one, several members of the Cloister FFA proved that five minds working together can be quite suc cessful, as evidenced by the team’s victory at the annual County Land Judging contest held April 8. Ephrata’s team effort earned enough points to give them a sohd victory. Garden Spot followed in second place with Solanco placing third and Penn Manor fourth. Other county schools par- ticipating included Elizabethtown, Pequea Valley and Lampeter- Strasburg. In individual competition, Kerry Boyd, Ephrata Rl, - agriculture instructor at Garden Spot discusses a student’s (Mike Hart man) seedling project. As the environmental aspect of FFA is somewhat different from the familiar programs involved in actual production and processing, Lancaster Farming asked Ogline to explain how the program had come into existence. “While working with some Bth grade students,” Ogline stated, “I found out that there was a good deal of interest in agriculture but from a different angle then production - more towards ecology and conservation.” “Many of the youngsters although living in a rural setting were living in a rural Cloister and Elvin Hayard, New Holland R 2 - Grassland tied for first place in the compition. The youths will be receiving a plaque from the Lancaster Soil Con servation Service for their efforts. Other individuals placing in the top six, included: Leslie Groff, 211 S. State St., Ephrata - Cloister;. Bobby Patterson Morgantown Rl - Grassland; John Crantz Quarryville - Solanco and Kenneth Wicker Holtwood R 2 - Solanco. The competition was held on the Harlan Hoover farm near Elizabethtown with the Elizabethtown FFA chapter serving as coordinators of the contest. Serving The Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania Areas Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 12, 1975 non-farm atmosphere either on farms but not farming or the suburbs.” Ogline went on to explain that more leisure time coupled with the increase of farm size but the decrease of actual farms had put much of the population in the rural non-farm class. And while the youngsters living in these conditions were interested in agriculture it was from a different point of view. “The environmental ag program helps to give (Continued on Page 26] York Hort Club Member - Leader by: Melissa Piper When Jeff Roth joined 4-H eight years ago, he was hoping to become an active member of a worthwile organization and that is exactly what the York County 4-H youth has done. Jeff, who is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Roth, Spring Grove Rl, has worked diligently in many fields of 4- H making his project and activities records quite outstanding. As projects, Jeff has tired a little of everything in cluding doing work in beef, entomology, geology, leadership, tractor, automotive and health projects to name just a few. He is a member of the Thomasville 4-H Community Club, the York 4-H Hor ticulture club and the York County Council. Jeff has held many offices of leadership including teen leader work and is presently president of the York County 4-H Council. Top Conservationist Puts Ag Plans First by Dick Wanner “Conservation Districts in Pennsylvania are facing a major decision,” Benny Martin told Lancaster Farming last week. “Districts will have to decide how much of their resources they’re going to commit to urban work. I personally think they should be spen ding most of their time on agricultural work.” Martin is Pennsylvania’s State Conservationist, and oversees all operations of USDA’s Soil Conservation Service (SCS) m the Com monwealth. Like all SCS people, Martin is an em ployee of the federal government. His Harrisburg office is , in the Federal Building, across town from In This Issue FARM CALENDAR 10 Markets 2-0 Sale Register 68 Fanners Almanac 8 Classified Ads 32-43 Editorials 10 Homestead Notes 42 Home on the Range 49 Organic Living 57 Junior Cooking Edition 50 Sale Reports 75 Farm Women Calendar 53 Heritage Home Tour 54 Jeff has not only been active in project work but has played an outstanding role in 4-H activities. Jeff has been a State Winner in Demonstration contests and has been a Keystone Winner in citizenship and agriculture. He has attended 4-H Leardeship Congress, 4- H Leadership school and State 4-H Days. His local club has awarded him honors in outstanding work in rabbits, baby beef, horticulture and achievement along with being selected the out standing 4-H boy in 1973. One of Jeff’s favorite projects has been hor ticulture and the young man has helped'‘to organize the first county wide hor ticulture club in York County. When asked how he had gotton interested in the project, Jeff explained “I attended a national Junior [Continued on Page 24|l the offices of the Penn sylvania Department of Environmental Resources (DER). DER is the agency which administers Pennsylvania’s environmental laws. All DER people are state em ployees, the laws they administer are state laws, and the funds they spend come from the state treasury. That agency is charged with insuring that Pennsylvanians of present and future generations have a clean, healthy and safe environment. DER regulations affect just about every municipality, business and farm in the state. One DER goal is to keep sediment - water borne soil - out of Pennsylvania streams. Their figures in dicate that about half the sediment in the state’s waterways come from farmlands, while the other half is carried by runoff water from earth moving projects such as road building, housing develop ment, and sewer con struction. In order to clean up the streams, DER has set a number of deadlines for controlling erosion. The deadline that most concerns farmers is the July 1, 1977, deadline for the im plementation of con servation plans on their farms. In light of recent Jeff Roth Jeff Roth, Spring Grove Rl, has been an active 4-H member for the past eight years. The York Countian is currently serving as president of the York 4-H Council. $3.00 Per Year hearings by Reo. Kent Shelhamer’s Pennsylvania House Agriculture Com mittee, that deadline is almost certainly going to be moved back. Nevertheless, DER will still have the legal authority to set erosion control standards, and to decide what date farmers and other landowners must meet those standards. For the past 40 years, farmers have been turning to SCS for help in controlling erosion. SCS assistance has always been offered on a purely voluntary basis. Farmers have asked for help and they’ve gotten help. SCS [Continued on Page 20) Benefit Auction Slated The Annual March of Dunes Benefit Auction has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 22 beginning at 6 pun. and will be held at the Green Dragon Farmers Market and Auction. John E. Martin is Chairman along with Adam H. Zimmerman as co chairman. Contributions of New and usable items will be welcomed. Please bring items anytime after Tuesday noon. For further in formation call 717-733-3511.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers