A22—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, September 22,1984
FLEETWOOD - The Berks
County Agricultural and Hor
ticultural Association celebrated
its 130-year-old tradition last
Wednesday evening at the annual
banquet to “kick-off” the 1984
Reading Fair. Billed as the
“showcase of Berks County
agriculture,” the traditional
Reading Fair is sponsored by the
Agricultural and Horticultural
Association.
The Reading Fair features Berks
County agriculture and each year
honors an outstanding farm
family, an outstanding 4-H boy and
girl, and an outstanding FFA boy
and girl throughout the week of
festivities. At the banquet, the
public got to meet the 1984
honorees as they were
congratulated by state and local
Out standing FFA Vrs
Outstanding FFA honorees at Reading Fair are Mary
McMullen, Elverson; and Jim Heffner, Fleetwood.
Family values bring honors to this Berks dairy clan
BY ROBIN PHILLIPS
Staff Correspondent
BERNVILLE They were
honored for fostering high moral
values at a time when society
needs to witness outstanding
examples. They were praised for
teaching their children respect for
God, country, and fellow man, and
for exerting a positive influence in
their grange, and community.
Selected as the 1984 Outstanding
Farm Family of Berks County,
Wilson and LaVerne Balthaser, R 1
Bernville, and their children,
Tammy, 14; Randy, 11; and Jason,
9, just do what comes naturally.
This fourth generation farm
family continues a family tradition
on their Northkill Creek Farm
owned by Wilson and his father,
With their favorites
shows Miracle, her favorite Brown Swiss heifer.
130-year-old tradition kicks
officials, as well as the previous 28
outstanding Berks County farm
families.
“People are what makes the
Reading Fair great,” announced
Dave Souders, vice president of the
Agricultural and Horticultural
Association of Berks County. Also
stating that for this year’s fair
there will be a ribbon cutting in the
sky by the army parachute team,
Souders mentioned several of the
coming highlights and concluded,
“it will be a great family time out,
and it’s all free.”
The speaker for the evening,
State Sen. Michael O’Pake, echoed
the sentiments of Souders and said,
“I still think you can’t top Berks.”
O’Pake stated that most often
farming, community life and spirit
go together.
Mark. As LaVerne Balthaser
stated when they accepted the
award at the Reading Fair awards
banquet last week, “their support
helped get us as far as we are.”
Both Wilson and his wife credit
their parents, both farm families,
for making available the resources
and teaching them the values for
which they are honored this year.
“When there is corn standing
there like that, you really enjoy it
more,” Wilson Balthaser states,
motioning towards his healthy
corn crop when he is asked how he
likes farming in a depressed time.
“You got to really like it. I’m
going to stay where I’m at because
of the cost of expansion.”
The Balthasers currently milk 83
cows and farm over 650 acres.
“I recognize how important
agriculture is to the economics of a
community,” he continued. “It is
important that we preserve the
family farm for the traditional
morals that is represents. One of
the things that will ensure that
America stays great is to make
sure that the American family
stays good.”
O’Pake stressed that this means
that a respect for God, the law,
morals, honesty, and the fellow
man must be taught in the home.
“These are the values nourished
by the family farm,” he said.
In a society fostering the
"breakdown of traditional
values,” O’Pake concluded, the
family farm is much needed and
valued. He ended his presentation
with congratulations to the 1984
Outstanding Farm Family of
Berks County, the Wilson
Balthaser family, R 1 Bernville.
Wilson Balthaser and his wife,
LaVeme, daughter, Tammy, age
14; and sons, Randy, age 11, and
Jason, age 9, farm over 600 acres
and milk 83 cows on a family farm
in its fourth generation. Members
of the Shartlesville Grange, the
family’s list of accomplishments,
awards, and community activities
earned them this honor of “Out
standing Farm Family”.
They were congratulated by
Albert Boscov, president of the
association as well as aplauded by
the previous farm family winners.
“If it weren’t for our parents that
raised us both on farms, I don’t
think we’d be here,” LaVerne
Balthaser stated when she and her
husband accepted the award.
The family received a plaque
and a check for $600.00. They will
be the grand marshals of the
parade on Monday, at 6 p.m. and
will be honored throughout the
week at the fair.
% JR-
/*-. vs
,
Ik wEs!^
T r n in f
ree generations of Balthasers include, from left, Grace and Mark, Wilson and
Laverne and children, Jason, Randy and Tammy; and West German visitor, Frauke Jens,
at right.
They milk in a stanchion barn
equipped with a pipeline and feed
inside and also at an outside bunk
during the summer.
Even though they employ one
full-time man and one part-time
man, the Balthasers are kept busy
with their many community ac
tivities, and with the 4-H projects
of their children.
The three children raise and
show cows, chickens, pigs, and
turkeys in 4-H. “That’s the best
thing we’re in,” Tammy states
about 4-H. She enjoys showing her
prize winning Brown Swiss
animals, while her brother, Randy,
off Reading Fair
Outstanding
Oley; and Patty
Also honored were outstanding
youth in 4-H and FFA who were
awarded plaques and savings
bonds for their achievements in
their agricultural projects.
The outstanding 4-H girl of Berks
County is a well known individual
for her dairy knowledge and
awards. Patricia Dreisbach, R 3
Hamburg, was selected on her
merit in the National 4-H Awards
Program in the dairy category.
Her major projects include dairy,
wildlife, vegetable gardening, and
veterinary science. She is a
member of the Northern Berks 4-H
Dairy Club and the Tildeik Com
munity 4-H Club.
Patty is the 18-year-old daughter
of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Dreisbach.
She was the 1983 winner of the
Junior Dairyman’s contest held in
Timonium, Md., and a member of
the Berks County Dairy Judging
Three generations of Balthasers .
prefers his pigs. The youngest,
Jason, not sure about what he likes
says that he wants sheep.
The three siblings are involved
in the daily chores and take care of
most of the feeding of the younger
stock and the unloading of hay.
“They’re involved here, but you
got to let them get involved in
activities too. They’re going to
hate the farm if it’s all work and no
play,” Balthaser explains.
Wilson Balthaser took over his
father’s farm in 1977. That was
also the year they installed the
pipeline system. He has also
changed his feeding program for
Outstanding 4-H’ers
of Reading Fair are Kirk Fisher,
Hamburg.
4-H youth
Dreisbach,
team when it won statewide
honors. She serves on many
committees and in many offices
and is currently the national queen
for the Jersey breed.
Kirk Fisher, HI Oley, was
selected as the outstanding 4-H
boy. A Charolais breeder, Kirk is
also very active locally and
statewide in 4-H. He is the 17-year
old son of Mr. and Mrs. Steve
Fisher.
Jim Heffner, Fleetwood, and
Mary McMullen, Elverson, were
the FFA recipients of the out
standing FFA awards. Presented
to them by Harvey Smith, regional
director, they were applauded for
their work in agriculture by their
advisors.
Albert Boscov concluded the
evening by again congratulating
the “outstanding farm com
munity,” and it’s “outstanding
members.”
f
Jo* **
his herd of Holsteins to maintain
his rolling herd average of 15,000
pounds milk with a 3.8% test as
cheaply and efficiently as possible.
“I think I can feed cows cheaper
with high moisture corn and
haylage,’’ Balthaser explains. He
turned to haylage instead of corn
silage and now utilizes about two
thirds haylage and one third corn
silage in his feeding program. No
baled hay is fed in the summer and
the cows have unlimited access to
a bunk feeder filled with haylage in
the meadow. They are fed grain
twice a day and maintain a but
(Turn to Page A 23)