Berks Extension passes in review
BY ROBIN PHILLIPS
Staff Correspondent
LEESPORT Over 200 “friends
of the extension association” at
tended the 70th Annual Meeting of
the Berks County Extension
Association held last Monday
evening in Bern Township. Taking
advantage of the spacious, newly
completed 4-H Community Center,
the banquet-meeting featured the
extension staff and the highlights
from the variety of the programs
that they carry out each day.
“This is the finest extension staff
in the state of Pennsylvania,”
Herbert A. Wetzel, Berks County
extension director, began the in
troductions. With a staff of seven
county agents and home
economists and four nutrition
aides, the Berks County extension
service is able to provide
programs in livestock, hor
ticulture, farm management, 4-H
in the city and country, dairy
education, nutrition, home
economics, and many, many more
opportunities to members of the
community. Wetzel and the staff
went on to explain the highlights of
their programs.
Beginning with pomology,
Wetzel used a slide presentation to
explain the modem methods of
growing apples. George Hekman,
general manager of Ontelaunee
Orchards, Leesport, also helped to
explain many of the procedures
and problems that apple growers
are faced with.
“Our number one problem is
marketing,” Hekman stated. “We
know how to grow them, now we
must learn how to sell them.” “We
have to do more promotion,” he
told everyone present.
“Agriculture is still the number
one industry,” he continued.
Working with the extension and
cooperating with Penn State in
various research projects, Hek
man also assists in conducting
educational classes for the com
munity, “I always support the
Kenneth Schlegel and Sandra Christman receive plaques
for their service to Berks Extension Board of Directors.
extension as much as possible,” he
concluded.
Clyde Myers, the county agent
concerned with dairy and
livestock, continued the program
with several of his featured
programs conducted this year. The
hoof to rail, sheep carcass
evaluation program proved to be
well attended and very helpful to
sheep producers according to
Myers. A stray voltage eradication
session was also conducted on
many of the county farms and
included electrical experts
assistance to solve the problems.
Myers also organized the farm
city activities which increased this
year to include farmer
businessmen exchanges, and a
farm-city banquet-meeting to be
held in November. His in
volvement with the local Chamber
of Commerce and many county
farmer groups also lead to an
educational film presentation show
at many meetings and schools to
enhance farm-city relations.
Computers, brassicas, and
management were discussed by
Harry Schaffer, farm
management agent. William
Zollers, Guernsey dairyman from
Rl, Mertztown, also assisted
Schaffer with a slide presentation
explaining the brassica test plots
conducted in the County.
Zollers planted turnips on his
dairy farm and experienced good
results in feeding them to his
milking herd. “We did find there
was an increase of six pounds of
milk per day during the period of
this feeding,” Zollers reported. “It
has a real use..”, Schaffer stated.
He said that current research
involving brassicas and sorghum
sudan grasses also looks very
promising and told farmers that
complete results and data will be
available from his office in the
future. This was the second
season of brassicas in Berks
County and the test plots involved
approximately 120 acres in eight
demonstration plots.
Horticultural programs were
briefly outlined by Judith Stoudt,
homegrounds and horticultural
agent. In her presentation she
featured the horticultural therapy
program being conducted at the
Hamburg Center. Utilized to teach
basis life functions through the
care and nuturing of plants, the
therapy program currently in
volves 11 client-patients, and the
success is encouraging according
to Stoudt. She also outlined
Master Gardener program.
Master gardener, Margaret
Ebeling, Reading, explained her
progress because of the program.
Ebeling was instrumental in
teaching vegetable gardening to
inner-city Reading homemakers.
Gail Malsbury, president of the
Berks County Cooperative Ex
tension Association, presided over
the business meeting. She
presented plaques for their service
to the extension to Kenneth
Schlegel and Sandra Christman,
members of the board.
Distinguished Service awards
were also presented to Herbert
Wetzel, extension director, and
Diane Brown, southeast regional
program director.
“Herb has been very mfluentioal
here in Berks County,” Clyde
Myers stated as he presented
Wetzel with the Nittany Lion
award. Wetzel has served Berks
County for 24 years.
Claudia Cross from the Penn
sylvania Association of Extension
Home Economists, was on hand to
present Diane Brown with her
Nittany Lion plaque. Brown’s
regional programs focused on
helping families manage their
available resources. She designed
and implemented workshops and
TV spots and also provided
statewide leadership in planning
and evaluating them for use by
other home economists.
Evening entertainment was
provided by the Kutztown Area
High School chorus and “Berks
Extension in Review” was enjoyed
by everyone.
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CLASSIFIEDS!
Clyde Myers presents Herb Wetzel “Nittany
for distinguished service to Berks Extension.
aßudj 3 Ci-ok presents Diane Brown with plaque for
distinguished service in Berks County.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 20,1984—A37
nn Horst or Luke Hibshman
, Hog, Poultry, Horse, *
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