—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 1,1978
34
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More than 800 acres of Adams County farm land
have been purchased by two West German
poultrymen. Facilities for a million-bird egg opera-
(Continued from Page 1)
chased from William Spicer
for $900,000.
Lancaster Farmingvisited
the scene during the middle
of this week and found
Wemer Gross, a graduate
engineer of agriculture from
Grambek, West Germany,
busy removing old barbed
wire fences which had
become lest and entangled in
weeds. Working bare
chested and in shorts, the 41-
year old engineer carried the
tan and muscular build of a
youthful farmer. In ac
tuality, Gross is a consultant
for farming investments and
his work brings him to all
parts of the world. It was he
who selected the Adams
County site for the two West
German poultrymen.
According to Gross, final
settlement had not been
made as of Wednesday af
ternoon, but he felt secure
enough to begin with the
ground breaking. A huge
earth mover stood at the
scene. Several acres of the
gently rolling land had
already been cleared. The
holdup for final settlement
are minor technicalities,
according to Gross, and he
fully expects the deal to go
through.
Final settlement was
made Thursday afternoon, it
was learned.
The two West German
poultrymen who are
bringing their money and
expertise to this country are
Paul Schockemoeller and
Rainer Lammerdmg. Both
have extensive knowledge in
the poultry business and are
reportedly well financed
through a number of
business interests in West
Germany
Schockemoeller and
Lammerdmg have formed a
corporation in Germany
which is known as
AMGRAR Their American
egg farm will be known as
Pennsylvania Quality Eggs,
Inc , according to Gross who
speaks fluent English and is
well acquainted with
agriculture in the United
States He has worked in this
country on numerous oc
r ‘'ans
• poultry farm is
Germans start egg farm
expected to be in full
operation by about next
year, Gross said. Building
permits were issued several
weeks ago, according to
John Schwartz, Adams
County agricultural agent.
The estimated costs of
construction were pegged at
slightly over $2 million.
Hershey Equipment Com
pany, Inc. of Lancaster will
handle the building and
equipment orders. The
Hershey firm handles Big
Dutchman poultry equip
ment. According to Gross,
one of the German
poultrymen handles the
same line of equipment for
European and Mid East
markets.
When completed the large
poultry farm will include 12
chicken houses, each of
which has a capacity of
80,000 birds. Eight other
houses are in the plans for
growing replacement
pullets. Gross hopes to have
enough completed by this
Fall to have at least a por
tion of the farm in produc
tion.
AMGRAR purchased
more than 800 acres of land
and is reportedly looking for
200 to 300 more acres in
order to have a good buffer
zone between their con
centration of poultry
facilities and neighboring
areas. This is not unusual,
says Schwartz, who
specializes in poultry
matters for the Adams
County Agricultural Ex
tension Service. The extra
land will minimize manure
handling, odor, en
vironmental and security
problems. Also, the acreage
will allow for expansion,
should that become feasible.
Current plans are that
AMGRAR will lease the land
to Donald Hershey, owner of
Hershey Equipment Com
pany Hershey, m turn, is
expected to sub-lease the
acreage out to farmers who
will keep the land in
production.
Observers both within and
outside of Adams County are
looking at the German
owned poultry farm with
mixed emotions.
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tion will be constructed on this site. Ground was
broken early this week.
Penn State University’s
Dr. Anthony Stemberger
told an audience in Lan
caster recently that Adams
Countians - in fact all
Pennsylvanians - should
take the German decision as
a compliment. He notes that
the fact they came shows
that they are optimistic
about the future of the
poultry business in this area.
He iunted that local egg
producers should share that
optimism.
While some observers look
at the developments with
suspicion and even fear,
most do not
One poultryman who
spoke at the recent meeting
in Lancaster, at which
Stemberger was the main
speaker, said that local
poultrymen who are good
managers have nothing to
fear from the new com
petition. (For more details on
that meeting, please see
page 98).
The Adams County Far
mers Association is con
sidering the foreign-owned
farm as a “problem” for
now. At a meeting last
month, fear was expressed
that smaller egg producers
in the area would be forced
out.
Schwartz speculates that
the large German-owned egg
farm may hurt smaller
producers in the area. On the
plus side, he believes that
the mcreased demand for
feed will put a good floor
under the Adams County
com market. Furthermore,
it will increase tax revenues
and possibly attract allied
industries. That could lead to
Adams County becoming a
major egg and broiler
producing area such as
Lancaster County. Growth of
HARRISBURG, Pa. - On
August 6, at 10 a.m., the
Zembo Mounted Patrol, a
unit of the Zembo Temple,
will sponsor a horse show at
the Quentin Riding Club,
Quentin, Lebanon County,
Pa.
the industry has already
been significant. Another
advantage Schwartz sees as
a result of the German
operation is that highly
qualified poultrymen will
certainly have to be drawn
into the area. This high
calibre of expertise could be
a real plus for all
poultrymen in the area, he
reasons.
“The change is here, and
we’ve got to leam to live
with it,” Schwartz reported.
“I don’t think we can fight it.
The challenge will be how to
keep the small guy in
business. I believe there is
still a place for the small
producer because the large
fellows won’t mess with local
egg traffic. No matter where
they (AMGRAR) would have
located in the Northeast, it’s
bound to affect the egg
market.
With egg prices being as
low as they are at the
present time, a number of
producers are wondering
why and how AMGRAR
expects to show a profit.
Some reports say the Ger
man poultrymen claim to be
able to produce eggs
cheaper. While that may
well be true due to the firm’s
large volume buying power
and large-scale production,
Penn State’s Dr. Stemberger
may. well have hit on just as
valid a reason when he
addressed poultrymen in
Lancaster last month.
“The time to get into the
egg business is when it’s way
down, not when it’s
booming,” he said. “Build
more houses when prices are
lowest, not when they’re
highest,” he advised. The
two poultrymen from West
Germany appear to be doing
just that in Adams County.
Horse show set
There will be 21 classes in
competition and entry fees
range from $3.00 to $5.00 per
class.'
There will be no advanced
entry requirements and
stalls will be available for a
fee
-- ■?
See your nearest
HOLLAND
Dealer for
Dependable Equipment and
Dependable Service:
AirviHe, PA
Airville Farm Service
Airviile, PA
717-862-3358
Alexandria. PA
McEwensville, PA
Clapper Farm Equipment bon's'ServTce sTTop
814-669-4465 717-538-1362
Annville, PA
BHM Farm Equipment, Inc
R D 1
717-867-2211
Beavertown, PA
Ben H Walter
Beavertown, PA
717-658-7024
Bernville, PA
Stanley A Klopp, Inc
Bernville, PA
215-488-1510
Biglerville, PA
Wolff Farm Supply Co
Biglerville, PA
717-677-8144
Carlisle. PA
Paul Shovers, Inc
35 East Willow Street
717-243-2686
tawissa,
Abraczmskas Farm
Equipment, Inc
R D 1
717-356-7409
Chambersburg, PA
Clugston Implement, Inc
RD 1
717-263-4103
Chester Springs, PA
Nevm N Myer & Sons, Inc
Chester Springs, PA
215 827-7414
Davidsburg, PA
George-N Gross, Inc
R D 2, Dover, PA
717-292-1673
Elizabethtown. PA
Messick Farm
Equipment, Inc
2750 North Market St
717 367-1319
Gettysburg, PA
Ymglmg Implements
RD 9
717 359-4848
Halifax, PA
Sweigard Bros
R D 3, Box 13
717 896-3414
lanover,
Sheets Bros, Inc
Carlisle Street
717 632-3660
Honey Brook, PA
Dependable Motor Co
East Mam Street
215-273-3131
Honey Grove, PA
Norman D Clark & Son, Inc
Honey Grove, PA
717-734-3682
Hughesville. PA
Farnsworth Farm
Supplies, Inc
103 Cemetery Street
717-584-2106
Lancaster, PA
L H Brubaker, Inc
350 Strasburg Pike
717-397-5179
Lebanon, PA
Evergreen Tractor Co . Inc
30 Evergreen Road
717-272-4641
Lititz, PA
Roy A Brubaker
700 Woodcrest Avenue
717-626-7766
isville, PA
Paul Shovers, Inc
Loysville, PA
717-789-3117
.ynnport, PA
KermitK Kistler, Inc
Lynnport, PA
215-298-3270
Mill Hall. PA
Paul A Dotterer
RD 1
717-726 3471
Millville, PA
W O Diehl & Sons
RD 1
717-458-6421
New Holland, PA
A B C Groff, Inc
110 South Railroad
717-354-4191
Oley, PA
A J Noss& Son, Inc
RD 2
215-987-6257
Orwigsburg. PA
PaulJ EichertSSon
RD 1
717-943-2304
Palm. PA
Wentz Farm Supplies, Inc
Rt 29
215-679-7164
Pitman. PA
Marlin W Schreffler
Pitman, PA
717-648 1120
Quarryville, PA
C E Wiley & Son, Inc
101 South Lime Street
717-786-2895
Reedsville, PA
Big Valley Sales & Service,
Inc
PO Box 548
717-667-3944
Rmgtown, PA
Rmgtown Farm Equipment
Ringtownt PA
717 889-3184
pa
Shippensburj
R B Miller, Inc
Shippensburg, PA
717 532-4178
Silverdale, PA
I G 'sAg Sales
Box 149
215 257-5135
Tamaqua, PA
Charles S Snyder, Inc
RD 3
717-386-5945
Waynesboro. PA
Blue'Ridge Fruit Exchange,
Inc
Waynesboro, PA
717-762-3117
West Chester. PA
M S Yearsley & Son
114-116 East Market Street
215-696-2990
West Grove, PA
S G Lewis & Son, Inc
R D 2, Box 66
215-869-2214
Churchville. MD
Walter G Coale, Inc
2849 53 Churchville Rd
301-734 7722
Rising Sun, MD
Ag -Ind Equipment Co, Inc
R D 2, Route 273 East
301-398-6132
301-658-5568
Woodstown, NJ
Owen Supply Co
Broad Street & East Avenue
609-769 0308