*4o—iawostr Fanwinf, Saturday, July 5,1980 LANDENBERG Farm expansion always brings its share of problems. It’s to be expected. But Tom and Charles Wilkinson of Wilkinson Farms, Landenberg, Chester County, can do without some of the unique problems they’ve ex perienced recently. In a little more than a half decade the youthful brothers have turned a four generation family farm into a vast operation that in cludes three dairy units, milking herd of more than 400, some 600 head of ad ditional stock and 4,400 acres of owned and rented land. But back to their problems. Recently, 16 were found to be missrx c rom pasture. If that wasn’t bad eno metropolitan newsp- pers and the Associated Press got a hold of the story and turned it into something that reads like a script from a poor class “B” Western. An “enterprising” nudcity reporter from the Philadelphia Bulletin was particularly melodramatic tJSSZZ “* s F *• 4 - Overall view of the Wilkinson home farm, with dry cows seeking out afternoon shade on rolling hillside, includes two barn units with 150 free stalls each at m wrumowme um* WHITE WASHING with DAIRY WHITE DRIES WHITE - DOES NOT RUB OFF EASILY -NO WET FLOORS - IS COMPATIBLE WITH DISINFECTANT AND FLY SPRAYS - WASHES OFF WINDOWS & PIPELINES EASILY ALSO BARN CLEANING SERVICE AVAILABLE WITH COMPRESSED AIR To have your barn cleaned with air it will clean off dust, cob webs & lots of the old lime This will keep your barn looking cleaner & whiter longer MAYNARD L. BEITZEL Witmer. PA 17585 717-392-7227 Barn spraying our business, not a side-ime Spraying Since 1961 HIGH PRESSURE WASHING AND DISINFECTING POULTRY HOUSES Farm expansion brin m his discription of the situation. He delighted in using words like rustling, posses, fence riding and cayuse. “Why, we don’t even own a horse,” Mrs. Tom Wilkinson said. Her husband pointed to the gun on the back-window rack of the farm pickup. “And this is for stray dogs, with which we have having more of a problem.” But disregarding the journalistic field day the non-farm press has been having, the problem does exist that the Wilkinsons had 16 heifers stolen recently. The 12 open and four bred Holstein heifers, all iden tified grade animals, were first noticed missing the week of May 14. They were not reported missing for about a week or 10 days while a search was made. The open heifers were taken from an 80-acre section of pasture that in cludes some woodland. The bred heifers were in an adjoining pasture. A dirt road runs between the two areas and the thieves * „ AND VEAL PENS. J * * * V*" 'i * ' f F ' may have loaded them into a truck at that point. The heifers are part of the replacement stock that the Wilkinsons are raising for their continuing herd ex pansion. They milk at three different farms and total stock numbers about 1,000, including a milking herd of more than 400 and 600 more heifers, calves and bulls which are also being raised. Of the 4,400 acres in the operation, some 3,000 are tilled. Cropland includes wheat, soybeans, com and hay. The wheat and beans are marketed, along with any com that is not fed. Mulch hay also is harvested and sold to area mushroom growers. The bulk of the milking herd is kept at the home farm, where two bam units contain 150 free stalls each. The herd is divided by production into the units. The herd average at Wilkinson Farm Umt. 2, the longest on DHIA, now stands at about 16,000 lbs. The total Wilkinson operation covers quite an area. A younger brother. 2* * < left and original barn just to the right of central tree. Farm is located a few miles southeast of Avondale, Chester County. (Pmc wood constructed feeders ... a model and size to fit every hog feeding need plus stainless steel bottoms Braces ,or pen p,r„„o„,ng „„ £ Waterproof construction -«■ wed as | ar g e Trough divii End channels trough drain Rain shield Trough lids Dram channels s uni This is large rolling pasture from which bred heifers were recently stolen or Wilkinson Farms. Total stock numbers about 1,000, including milking herd calves, heifers and steers. Lou, has a custom har vesting operation. Another older brother operates a dairy farm near Gettysburg. But it troubles the Wilkinsons when they’re called ranchers and the operation is called a spread. “We’re farmers and we work on farms,” they em phasize.—DA Metal ends (standard on all Pax feeders) e problems v> 'V- A** - -‘V v ““ **■ , THOMAS FARM 1 construction CVCTCIIC 1110 feed spoilage 0I O I LlflO, IflU. 'vV' | iv“V { CLIP*4 mail to "" THOMAS FARM SYSTEMS, INC. J 2025 Horseshoe Rd , Lancaster, PA I Please call Abou ! Name I Address id pulls 1 Cit : all corners I State jj’hone “““ * 1 “ *“ **" mmm «m> mm aaa —• mm «V 2025 Horseshoe Rd. 7 Lancaster, PA 717-299-1706 Zip ~ * 1% i. r H-7/5
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers