C2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 15,1980
Farm woman
speaks up
far farm
organizations
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
“I think agriculture is changing and people have started
to realize that farms are necessary and important, and
have become more concerned about the problems of
farmers.”
These are the words of Naomi Spahr, one Lancaster
County farm woman who believes in speaking up for what
she behves in - agriculture and the family farm.
She expresses her beliefs through her involvement in
several farm organizations, and although she and her
husband J. Robert moved off their dairy farm about a
year and a half ago, she finds herself more interested and
involved than ever. She explains it by saying she has more
time to participate now than when she lived on the farm.
They now reside at 2848 Lititz Pike, Neffsville.
Farming is still her number one interest since her
husband and son James are farming in partnership And
she adds, “In the busy season I helpout in the field.”
Naomi grew up on a dairy farm and for the 32 years they
have been married she has been involved in farming.
Explaining why she speaks out on agricultural issues
and why she feels other farm women should, Naomi says,
“For too long we have been willing to take whatever they
gave us. We need a profit to continue. Men can do a good
job as well as women, but they don’t have the time.
Women take an interest in their business and know the ms
and outs as well as a man. As long as women know what
they’re talking about and can make people understand
about farming they can do a good job.”
She added that she thinks women are getting involved
younger, which may be a reflection of young people
fanning on their own at an earlier age.
Naomi said she’d like to see more farm wives become
active in organizations like Penns Agn-Women, a group
which she helped found. She is also a member of its
national counterpart, American Agn-Women, and she is
enthusiastic about the educational thrusts of the
programs of the two organizations.
With Amencan Agn-Women holding its convention in
Hershey this past week, Naomi became mvolved in
planning and organization of the program. Speaking
before the event, she said, “I’m excited to see things fall
into place. We have an excellent program planned, and
I'm waiting to see the others' reactions. It is basically an
educational convention so wekeep favors to a minimum.”
'V - ‘ W
One of the few hobbies
she has is caring for her
"jungle” as she refers to
an area of her living room
which features a great
many plants.
There is one day of touring, the Naomi worked closely
with tour committee chairman Marian Brenneman
working out the details of the tour to Lancaster County for
the approximately 200 people.
Naomi pointed out that fanners’ wives across the
country have a lot in common, despite the differences in
individual operations. “A lot of tunes we talk pnces when
we’re together,” she states.
At one convention, Naomi and her husband became
friendly with a farm couple from Washington state who
couldn’t believe that they could make a living on the 70
acres they were farming at this time. Naomi said, they
found that we’ve learned to use every little comer - it’s our
Dutch hentage.”
She recalls that Penn’s Agn-Women got its start on the
tnp home from an American Agri-Women convention m
Kansas City. She was traveling with York Countians Ethel
Gross and Gad MacPherson and Naomi “We
thought maybe we should start a chapter in Penn
sylvania.” They did, and she credits Gad and Ethel with
the success of the fielding organization.
“It is a coalition of women from other farm
organizations. Our goal is to strive for something we all
r <uv
Naomi Spahr jks
over the minute book of
the National Farmers
Union, an organization in
which both she and her
husband J. Robert are
active. This farm woman
believes in being in
volved in agricultural
issues.
feel is important and to come to a common interest and
need. We all work together,” Naomi relates.
She said they plan to look at larger issues in farming,
and get involved in them “even though something may not
be our own problem. We would work to help others,” she
states.
The organization, formed in 1977, is m its fourth year,
but is not growing by leaps and bounds. Naomi says, “It’s
hard to keep growing. A lot of people think it is just one
more meeting to attend. Many farm women haven’t found
out what we’re all about. It’s not just what one person
wants. We work together. I would like to see more women
interested in it.”
A member of Farmers Union, Naomi pointed out that
Penns Agri-Women boasts members from each of the
major agricultural organizations in Pennsylvania.
The Spahrs have been members of the National Far
mers Union for a tune which Naomi describes as “long
already.” Although it is not as high in membership as
some others, Naomi says, “I like Farmer’s Union because
women are not an auxiliary, but are a part of it. We go to
the state convention as delegates, we have some women
as county presidents and we have had some attend the
national convention as delegates
“We like their policies. We worked very hard for the
milk security fund. ’ ’
Naomi is secretary-treasurer of the Lancaster County
unit and a member of their legislative committee.
She says she enjoys very much working on the policy of
the Farmers Umon with legislators and others. “I’m still
learning, but you do feel you have some say m the system
We discuss different aspects of things ”
Naomi thinks it’s fine that there are so many different
organizations with differing viewpoints. “This is the way
it should be. If we can discuss and can understand each
other a little better, the outlook will be better,” she says
She stresses how important she feels it is for farmers to
be informed of what happens around them. “They need to
know what is happening with their zoning boards. I often
attend meetings just to listen and to know what’s hap
pening.”
How does Naomi keep up with the issues and form
opinions’ She said, “I read a lot of different publications.”
Naomi admits to having mixed feelings about the land
use question. “I am concerned about agricultural
districts. What will happen when the farmer really doesn’t
want to be in it? We need a way to keep land in farming,
but I don’t know how to do it.”
She pointed out that Farmers Union policy advocates
working at the problem through inheritance taxes and
capital gams taxes, much like the suggested Haverstick
plan While acknowledging that she feels this plan has
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