VOL 26 No. 11
Welcome to
Form Show 81
BYCURTHARLER
FARM SHOW An 8 a.m. start Saturday morning for
hog judging marks the beginning of the 65th annual
Pennsylvania Farm Show
Activities at the Show will continue through Friday,
January 36 for a total of seven days and four nights of
Farm Show action
LANCASTER FARMING’S special Farm Show pullout
.with hour-by-hour listing of show events, floor plan, and
up-to-date exhibitor list begins on page I>-21, but you’ll
want to read all of this largest-ever issue ot the paper for
full Farm Show coverage.
It’s easy to get to the Farm Show from any place in
Pennsylvania The Complex is located just off Interstate
83 at Exit 23 (Cameron Street). Although admission to the
building still is free, parking on the complex’s 60-acre lot
will cost $1 per car
The theme of this year’s Show echoes the state’s ag
marketing program: “Pennsylvania Agriculture—We’re
Growing Better.”
The hog show jumps the official opening of the show
because of scheduling difficulties. Due to the
pseudorabies scare in Pennsylvania, hogmen did not
know until the last minute whether they would be able to
compete at Farm Show When they got the green light,
Saturday was the only time they could be fit into the small
arena.
The grand opening of Farm Show will be held Sunday at
1 p.m in the 7600-seat Large Arena The Governor once
again will be offered the traditional giant snifter of milk
by the state dairy princess Other commodity queens will
be on hand to display their products.
Traditional show-stopper is the naming of the Junior
Champion Steer, slated for 2 30 p m on Thursday, con-
Farm Show Index
SECTION A: Poultry man readies birds for Show, 20,
Faces of Farm Show, 28, Twin lambs at show, 38.
SECTION B: Hogman prepares for Show, 2, Forage
analysis van at Show, 6
SECTION C: Farm Show food stands, 26, Show
changes over the years, 28, Evening events, 36; Mam
exhibit floor, 38.
SECTION D: Farm Show royalty, 2; Navy bluegrass
band, 3, Farm Show pullout, 21, Show Complex map, 22;
Livestock judging, 30.
SECTION E: Commercial exhibits rgady, 14, 1980
parade of champs, 16, More Slfow champions, 26.
Old home week for ‘Mann on spot’
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
HARRISBURG - From
the top tier, he gazed down
acroob the expansive, cir
cular seating to the show
area of the large arena - one
of the physical symbols of
the Farm Show
A few workmen were
putting the finishing touches
to a final grooming ot the
arena’s surface.
But in a few days, that
surface will be churned
constantly by the
heavyweight elite of Penn
sylvania farm livestock,
ranging from the gracefully
lumbering Clydesdales or
Holsteins seemingly
haphazardly splash painted
from a palette with only two
colors to the massive but
docile baby beeves, the
Cinderella animals of the
show.
Slowly, the man’s eyes
move from the arena back
up across the seating, now
vacant and waiting
It's been like old home
week for me,” says Horace
Horace Mann
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 10,1981
eluding the junior market shows. Given the present
economy, the results of Friday’s bidding for the champion
lambs, hogs and steers may turn out to be the real sur
prise one way or the other.
Between the Saturday morning opener and the close
Friday at 4 p m. there will be tons of other farm-related
activities.
The state farm women, FFA members, dairymen’s
association, Christmas tree growers, corn growers, potato
cooperative, maple producers, horse and mule
association, and almost all of the breed associations, will
hold annual meetings. In all, about 30 groups will meet in
conjunction with Farm Show.
Food, at ever increasing prices, will be offered by
members of statewide dairy, poultry, livestock, potato,
honey, mushroom, vegetable, and horticulture
associations as well as some church groups. Those looking
for food for the spirit can find fresh or potted flowers at
the florist association stand
Evening features Monday through Thursday night
range from appearances by the Navy bluegrass band and
Miss Pennsylvania on Monday, through the folk dance
festival Tuesday, the horse pulling Wednesday, and the
3rd annual pony pull on Thursday
About 220 commercial exhibitors will display their
wares, including everything a farmer could need from
giant tractors to nuts, bolts and screws. In between those
extremes will be exhibitors offermg one-stop shopping for
seed corn, dairy parlors, disposable boots, gram bins,
cattle prods, silos, moisture meters, bams, newspapers,
AI service, farrowing crates, manure spreaders, and
more If Farm Show doesn’t offer it, it probably doesn’t
exist
Showmen will be there in force. Over 4000 entries are
registered in the hog, sheep, dairy and beef cattle,
poultry, and horse classes offered at the Show. Exhibitors
will vie for $109,000 worth of prizes in 28 categories.
In addition there will be competition in the corn,
preserves, tobacco, nuts, quilts, window displays,
dressmaking, apples, and all of the other things which
combine to make Farm Show the showplace of Penn
sylvania farming.
Although a lucky few will win ribbons and prize money,
most people attending Farm Show will go home somewhat
lighter in the pocketbook. Still, they will go home richer in
appreciation of the State’s farm industry and better off for
having taken tune to see the 1981 Pennsylvania Farm
Show.
Mann, acting director of the
State Farm Show
What the twinkle in his
eyes and smile in his voice
disguise is that it’s ad
mittedly been a busy and
hectic old home week
T’m seeing a lot of old
friends and renewing
acquaintances, ” he con
tinues.
"Final preparations have
been going real well and it
should be another good
show,”
Although he only stepped
back into the job on an acting
basis a few weeks ago after
an absence of nearly a
decade, Mann views the job
and the Farm Show as he
always has
‘ I’ve always looked at it
from the standpoint of how I
might help improve things,”
he explains.
Primarily, I try to keep
in touch with the exhibitors.
After all, it’s their show We
should always be looking tc
how we can help them bettei
promote our agricultural
industry ”
The acting head, whc
served as director from 1964
to 1972, regards one of the
primary roles of the Farm
Show as an educational tool
for the general public
In this view he tie:
together the director’s last
and the goal of the show.
"We must ask how best w<
can help exhibitors tell thi
story of Pennsylvanu
agriculture and particular!:
the rising costs of productioi
to the public-” -
-•Answering this self-posei
question takes Mann beyom
(Turn to Page A 33)
1200 farmers turn out
for no-till meeting
BY SHEILA MILLER
LANCASTER - The walls
of the Host Farm auditorium
were bulging at the seams
Thursday as 1200 farmers
from Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Maryland, New
Jersey, Virginia and West
Virginia gathered in Lan
caster for the 7th Annual
Mid-Atlantic No-till Con
ference.
Along with commercial
exhibits displaying the latest
in no-tillage equipment, the
farmers heard from experts
in the field on how and why
to practice no tillage.
Donald Damn, Penn State
Extension Engineer talked
to the attentive crowd on
proper herbicide spraying
Residents dissect
Manor land use plan
BY DEBBIE KOONTZ
ROHRERSTOWN - A
land use plan to
keep 38 percent* of, Manor
Township, Lancaster
County, agricultural in
nature was criticized and
challenged by over 70
residents at the planning
commission hearing Wed
nesday evening
The proposed ordinance
restricts development to
three percent of any given
farm or 60,000 square feet
(which ever is greater) at
the time of adoption of the
provision
It also would require farm
buildings be erected a
certain distance from
residential housing
The meeting, which began
as a hearing for residents to
voice their opinions, soon
turned into a chaotic,
divided session with no two
parties agreeing on any two
or more parts of the,
provision
Even the farmers, the
majority of the participants,
divided into at least three
groups
After 44 years service
Max Smith to retire
LANCASTER - "Since I
am completing my 44th year
with our Penn State Ex
tension Service, I have
decided it is about time for
me to retire.”
Pennsylvania’s and
Lancaster County’s Senior
County Extension Director
M. Maxwell Smith told the
Penn State Extension Ser
vice Wednesday of his plans
to retire after two
generations of service to
county farmers.
“I plan to officially retire
as Lancaster County
Agricultural Extension
Agent, and County Ex-
$7.50 Per Year
for adequate weed control.
And Stanley Gesell, Penn
State Extension En
tomologist discussed the
problems and challenges of
controhng the insect pest,
the stalk borer, in corn.
The farmers learned how
lucky they are to be growing
crops in the U.S. in the 1980’s
as compared to Chinese
farmers’ operations.
William Hinton, a Berks
County farmer, author, and
agricultural consultant to
China, told of his work and
experiences working with
the Chinese farmer He
explained how the Chinese
farmer practices various
tillage operations, from no
(TurntoPageA22)
Some farmers outside the
proposed area seemed to feel
that legal problems,
especially heanngs about
cApess.cr, weald be n voided
(Turn to Page A3O)
In this issue
SECTION A: Editorials,
10; Calf essay winner, 17;
Nat’l Southdown Queen, 24,
Elco outstanding farmers,
29; Lancaster tobacco show,
34; FFA tobacco show, 35.
SECTION B: Chester
White director, 2; Infared
forage analysis van, 6.
SECTION C: Homestead
notes, 2; Joyce Bupp, 4;
Home on the range, 6; Kid’s
comer, 11; 4-H year in
review, 14; Farm women to
34
SECTION D: Farm talk,
4; FFA Keystone Farmer
degree winners, 6; Special
Farm Show pullout, 21
SECTION E: Farm
census, 2; Cumberland
DHIA, 5; Franklin DHIA, 8,
Sheepmen to talk research,
10; Upper Susquehanna
DHIA, 12.
tension Director, effective
Saturday, March 28, 1981,”
Smith said.
Smith was only the second
person to hold the top Ex
tension position in Lancaster
County. He followed the late
Dutch Bucher in the job in
1949. Smith started with the
Extension Service in 1937.
Service in 1937.
Smith’s superior, James
M. Beattie, head of the Penn
State College of Agriculture
and Extension Service
Director, said he was
“surprised but not shocked”
(Turn to Page A 32)