BYTRISH WILLIAMS
LANCASTER Mr. Farmland
Preservation, Amos Funk, this
week made a very personal
commitment to farmland
preservation by placing a 25 year
deed restriction on his 89 acre
Marticville farm.
Funk is chairman of the Lan
caster County Agricultural
Preserve Board and semi-retired
fruit and vegetable direct farm
marketer. He has been urging
other farmers in the County to
place deed restrictions on their
farms in order to slow the loss of
farmland to development and
maintain a viable farming com
munity.
“I’ve been very outspoken about
farmland preservation and the
concept of deed restrictions,’’ said
Funk, “many people have
questioned how I can advocate
something and not practice it
myself. So I decided it was time to
make a personal commitment to
agricultural preservation by
placing a 25 year 1 deed restriction
on our farm.”
The deed restriction was for
mally placed on the farm at the
County Commissioners meeting,
Wednesday morning.
Funk has been a pioneer in
farmland preservation and con
servation in Pennsylvania. The
Marticville farm borders the
Pequea Creek and has over 15,500
feet of terraces, constructed to
retain topsoil and nutrients. In 1939
Funk established the first con-
-Stefa,. LANCASTER FORD TRACTOR
W YOUR #1 STOP TO SHOP
For That Little Someone Ctl For Thatßlg Someone
SPECIAL gS
Big Selection of
HANDYMAN HELPERS
A Big Selection Of
LTO
• Riding Tractor Cycle
• Farm Sets
IN STOCK READY FOR DELIVERY...
1210 4WD 2310 Demo TWS2WD 370 A Loader
1210 2WD 4610 Synchro TW2S 4WD 555 TLB
1510 4WD 6610 2WD Both With Cabs 555 TLB Demo
1710 4WD 6610 4WD Demo 3 Year Free Care 755 TLB Cab
1910 4WD 7710 2WD
7710 4WD Demo
Amos Funk makes own farm an ag preserve
servation practices on his
MiUersviUe property, and the farm
served a demonstration farm for
such practices. That property is
now owned by his son, Fred and
earmarked for development on the
county comprehensive plan. In
1951 he was appointed as a charter
member of the board of directors
for the Lancaster County Con
servation District.
“From 1964 to 1969 the loss of
farmland to development in the
county was more than 8000 acres
per year. We were loosing land far
too quickly,” Funk stressed. “I
thought what is the use of saving
the soil if you loose the farm. So I
became involved in farmland
preservation.”
He has worked since 1969 to
develop an equitable plan for
preserving farmland in Lancaster
County and throughout the state.
Funk has studied various far
mland preservation plans and
practices across the country to
glean ideas, and measure the
merit and feasibility of such plans.
A four drawer filing cabinet
overflowing with plans and
documents from other state’s
programs is a testament to his
dedicated efforts.
Realizing that no plan for
preserving farmland could be
successful unless it was acceptable
with all sectors of the community,
Funk has worked closely with
county commissioners and
planners, realtors, and building
contractors. A county com
h_Qv
A BIG SELECTION WILL GO FAST
ile ,
Antique Fordson
TW 26 1/16 or 1/32 Scale
iO
• Tractor Trailers
• Radio Controlled Bronco
Amos and Esther Funk stand strong for farmland
preservation on their 89 acre Marticville farm they placed
under a 25 year deed restriction this week.
prehensive plan was developed.
“We want support for farmland
preservation, not confrontation,”
he explained. “Building and
development is the livelihood to
some people just as farming is to
us.”
As a direct farm marketer, Funk
can appreciate better than most
farmers, the interdependency
between the farm and nonfarm
sectors. A new high density
housing development across the
street from Funk’s Farm Market
W 5 FORD LAWN AND
i GARDEN TRACTORS
Portable
Generators
Roto
Battery Chargers Tillers Pressure Washers
4-WHEEL DRIVE
* 1 FORD TRACTORS AT A
% COMPACT PRICE!
Take a look at the new small Ford diesels
Five models 13-to-3Chp Built like the
JL big ones with many big-tractor features
Including 10- and 12-speed transmissions
live hydraulics 3-pomt hitch 540 rpm
PTO diesel engine efficiency
1983 INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE
Used Local Tractors
Skid Loaders 641 Ford Gas 8000 w/o Cab 4500 TLB w/Cab
CL4O Demo 3500 Ford Ind. 8000 w/Cab 4500 TLB w/o Cab
CL4O Demo 4000 8 Speed 5600 Dual Power 16 H.P. Wheel Horse
CL4S Dsl. 4000 Selecto Speed 2000 Ford 3C41
4600 with Quick 12 HP Ford w/Mower
Loader & Snow Blower
will bring more potential
customers to their door. But too
much development without
planning could severely hinder
their ability farm at the Miller
sville location.
The 25 year deed restriction on
the Marticville farm, zoned rural
residential will allow Funk’s to
continue to supply the more
suburban Millersvillle store.
Funk has pushed the idea of
agricultural preserve districts
Air Compressors
encompassing a minimum of 1000
contiguous acres. A farmers
decision to remain in fanning or
sell to development is highly
governed by what his neighbors do,
Funk points out. Suburban en
croachment makes farming more
difficult.
Only two other deed restrictions
have been put on farms in Lanc
caster County, both in perpetuity.
The first by Ivan G. and Fannie
Martin, Ephrata, and the second
by George and Patricia Baum of
Elizabethtown.
Funk hopes that more farmers
will also place deed restrictions on
their farms, to protect farmland
and the viabilty of Lancaster’s
farming community.
Franklin workshop
ROXBURY The Franklin
County Extension Service will be
sponsoring a dairy reproductive
management workshop on
Tuesday and Wednesday at the
Lurgan lions Club Building,
Roxbury. The objective of the
workshop is to give dairymen
useful information that could help
improve reproductive per
formance in their herds. A wide
range of topics will be covered by
the instructors which include Mike
O’Connor and Larry Hutchinson
from Penn State, Dr. John Simms
from the Burnt Mill Veterinary
Center and James Verga from
Atlantic Breeders Cooperative.
Snow Blowers
Mow fast and easy this season
with a new Ford lawn and gar
den tractor 5 versatile mod
els, 10 to 16-HP 4-season
use with optional attachments
for garden work, yard clean
up. snow removal
Dependable Servlet,
Quality Parts I