76 (ancaitpr Farming. Saturday Oct 2. 19/0 & A ; .v Dale has 12 acres of potatoes as part of his farming operation Siegfried talks about star farmer competition By JUDY MITCHELL Berks Co. Reporter MERTZTOWN - Dale Siegfried appears to be a man of few words, but his words were obviously well chosen when he came up against the intensive questioning of a panel of agriculture experts in Springfield, Mass., recently, to capture the title of 1976 Eastern Regional FFA State Star Fanner. Home on the farm in Mertztown R 2, the quiet, softspoken young man did not remember the 15-rmnute, rapidfire questioning of the educace pop sapecy JB ending tool ana equipment mm onta / 12th & Spring Streets Reading (215) 376-3896 OPEN FOR BUSINESS ALL THE EQUIPMENT YOU NEED FOR REPAIRS - REMODELING CONSTRUCTION TWO OTHER CONVENIENT LOCATIONS ACE RENTS RENTALS UNLIMITED 720 N. Prince St. 940 Cornwall Rd. Lancaster, PA Lebanon, PA PH: 717-393-1701 PH: 717-272-4658 “We Rent Most Everything” seven judges as particularly unsettling Commenting on his experience in Springfield, he simply recalls that “it was fun ’’ Dale does not display the kind of outward agressiveness one might expect of a competitir, but rather a kind of quiet assurance. With that assurance goes a firm sense of responsibility and future direction. Described as “in dustrious” by his former agriculture instructor,, Ben Newcomer, Dale has come a long way in farming since he enrolled in Vo-Ag the beginning of his ninth grade year at Kutzlown Area High School. Having started with one dairy calf, three acres of corn, and a quarter-acre garden, Dale now runs a major farm operation which includes 16 head of breeding swine, 152 head of fat hogs, 13 head of fat cattle, and 59 turkeys. He has 12 acres in potatoes, 87 acres of com gram, 51 acres of wheat, 16 acres of oats, and 15 acres of soybeans and wheat which was double cropped. Asked what he thinks the officials look for first in a regional star fanner, Dale’s immediate response is “record keeping.” Although it’s apparent by his tone that that particular aspect of farming is not exactly lus favorite, Dale has earned a number of FFA honors for project bookkeeping, in cluding a gold medal in the FFA State Record Book contest; and his diligence in the area of record keeping most certainly aided him in the submission of a 20 to 30 page application which - -u. : 5 - *'*' v T . i ' •"“, ■ ,V- ' V- #r\ f - -■ -■ M . jr~■ -i*, **- ! 1 - • * • ,-. :•’ ::v- v ;,. *'■- ■ •-'-" ’ ■■‘»*- -' s "• ■LV'- . sc f w >} <L ' Does the work of five machines mower, windrower, conditioner, rake, shredder MILLER'S REPAIR RDI Bird in Hand, PA Gibbons Road Phone |7l7[ 656-7G13 Dale holds the desk plaque he competition in Springfield, Mass, received as Regional Star Farmer at recently. proceeded his appearance m Springfield Dale recalls that much of the questioning in Springfield centered on how he got started in farming and on his future goals. According to Dale, his swine operation, Roadlet Farms Registered Yorkshires, began with a Sears Roebuck sponsored chain pig awarded him in 1972. In four years, he has turned that single animal into an efficient swine business that is currently the most important aspect of his total farm operation. As for his future goals, Dale seems to know exactly where he is going. He already has primary responsibility for the operation and management of the Siegfried family farm and at the end of this year, when his parents move off the farm, he will take it over completely and eventually buy it from his parents, if his plans are completed. Dale’s active interest in FFA and community affairs • together with the honors he has accuxnmulated also v ini influenced his recent vic tory', and he attributes his success and ac complishments to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Siegfried, who have guided and directed him in HOG PRODUCERS! 'Get Top Price for Your Hogs at Sold in sorted lots the auction /ay See them weighed and sold and pick up your check SALE EVERY MONDAY 8:00 A.M. NEW HOLLAND SALES STABLES, INC. n , Phone7l7-354-4341 Dady Market Report Phone 717-354-7288 Abe Diffenbach Manager wl " w -«-■ _ r *rtO ' If ' ORKSHIRES rr 1/k n Bleed ET FARM meqfrieo managing the farm, and to his advisors at Kutztown, Mr. Donald W Remert and Mr. Ben Newcomer, who greatly contributed to his knowledge and un derstanding of agriculture. ■*
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers