A24—Lancaster Famine, Saturday, May 23,1981
BY SHEILA MILLER
FONT ANNA “In the begin
ning when God created man. He
also established a divine principle
that of being a good steward, not
only of money and life, but also of
the soil. After creating man. He
placed him in the garden for a
purpose,” remarks Abe Hoover, a
farmer and Mennomte minister.
After 26 years of milking cows,
first in Lancaster County and then
in Lebanon, and tilling the land as
a tenant and finally an owner, the
Hoover’s beliefs are not merely Sunday
discussions, forgotten during the week.
Throughout his farming career,
he has practiced what he preaches.
Reverend Hoover reflects on his
experiences in stewardship and his
convictions to soil conservation.
Citing the scripture, Hoover
says, “The Lord God took man and
put him in the Garden of Eden to
work it and take care of it. Genesis
2:15”
Adding his personal sentiments,
he states, “I believe this com
mandment is valid for 1981. We
have the privilege and duty to
preserve our soils for the following
generations.
“To be a good steward of the soil
calls for some planning and
sacrifice. It is important to know
what is really happening to our
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Stewardship means sacrifice
for Lebanon farmer.
soils if not properly taken care of
and left go without any planning
and purpose.”
Hoover’s beliefs are not merely
Sunday discussions, forgotten
during the week. Throughout his
fanning career, he has practiced
what he preaches.
As he leans back against his
chair, Hoover beams as he states
he has 10 grandchildren to plan a
future for in farming. “I’m
responsible for taking care of the
land for them,” he says.
Since he began to farm near
Ephrata in the 19505, Hoover
recalls, conservation has been
important to him.
“I always felt it was more im
portant to be stewards than to
domineer the markets. As a tenant
farmer in Lancaster, I recognized
the importance of cover cropping
with rye grass as a soil builder and
retamer even when the landlord
didn’t see it,” he remembers.
After ten years of leasing,
Hoover and family purchased their
own farm m Lebanon County and
moved there in 1964.
As a vivid scene from the past
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moves across hxs memory, Hoover
says, "That first year on our new
farm gave me the conviction to
take care of the soil irregardless of
what I was taught.”
Conjuring up a picture of the
past, Hoover describes what he
saw happening to his new farm
after the first hard ram.
“When I looked out at our five
acre meadow, I saw it was com
pletely under water. All the water
was coming down out of the fields
which were farmed with the rows
running up and down the hills. 1
saw my ground going down
stream.
“I knew then we needed to
change and I was ready to
change,” he recalls.
That year, Hoover signed up
with the Lebanon County Con
servation District for help in
planning the 75-acre farm, plus an
additional 42-acre farm he had just
purchased. Over a two-year tune
span, the •up-and-down-the-lulT"
farming was erased from the
-cropland fields on the farms. In its
“When I looked out at our five acre meadow,
I saw it was completely under water. All the
water was coming down out of the fields which
were farmed with rows running up and down
the hiUs. I saw my ground going down stream.
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place were contour strips, two
grassed waterways, and two
diversions.
“That work stopped the flooding
problem,” Hoover claims.
Over the years, the
“We have the inconvenience of working fields
with curves. If we had put those fields all
in com, we would have had more return
from the farm t over five years. But you
don't look at your pocketbook.
operation grew along with the
amount of land farmed by Hoover
and sons. Even on the rented
ground/ soil stewardship was
practiced despite the sacrifice it
required.
“We worked with our landlords,
and most tunes the conservation
idea was of mutual interest.
“Of course, we'had to sacrifice
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some of the farmland when the
waterways were installed and
there was more hayland with
contour strips. But then you don’t
get soemthmg for nothing.
“We have the inconvenience of
dairy
working fields with curves. If we
had put those fields all in com, we
would have had more return from
the farm over five years. But you
don’t look at your pocketbook. '
“When you work with landlords
and sell them on conservation,
they’ll also benefit they’ll have
the scenery, the landscape, and a
better outlook.”
Along, with the permanent
conservation practices installed on
the crop fields, Hoover explains his
family believes in the benefits of
no-till and minimum tillage in
preparing the 400 acres of com
ground they farm.
Where they remove the com for
silage, he says they generally sow
a winter cover crop; .on the 250
com acres that are picked and
shelled, the stalks are chopped and
used for bedding or blown on the
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(Turn to Page A 25)