AZO-Lmcntar Faming, Saturday, November 24,1954
Over two centuries in the family for Lime Spring Farm
BY WENDY WEHB
ROHRERSTOWN The more
than two-century-old Lime Spring
Farm predates all the other farms
in this year’s Century Farm
program. But while it’s the oldest,
it’s also probably the most
vulnerable farm to be recognized
this year.
“Unfortunately we are being
forced out of farming,” says Sarah
Ann Stauffer. Miss Stauffer and
her brother Charles have seen
their lime Spring Farm, located
just west of Rohrerstown, diminish
over the years, as land was taken
for the Route 30 by-pass, pipelines,
and waterlines, and as industries
have sprung up around them.
“Costs of farming are going up,”
says Miss Stauffer. “You have a
$30,000 tractor and a $lO,OOO piece
of equipment that you use only
once a year, and it’s impossible to
get a return on your investment
with only 10 acres.”
While the Lime Spring Farm
hasn’t shrunk to 10 acres, the loss
of land is quite serious and her
point is well-taken. Today there
are 110 tillable acres, whereas in
years back there were roughly 175,
recalls Miss Stauffer.
Even though the Stauffers have
rented out the farmland for several
This sizable bank barn at Lime Spring Farm dates back through the generations as
well.
BY WENDY WEHR
MOUNT JOY - The J. Earl
Martin farm is the “youngest” of
the Century Farms this year, but it
has its fair share of history behind
it too. In 1876 Daniel Wolgemuth
purchased the farm, and two
original houses, one stone and one
log, are still occupied today as
living memories of the family
history.
Today, J. Earl Martin Jr., who
was bom and raised on the farm,
and his wife Helen, live in the stone
house, and their son Galen farms
the land. J. Earl Martin, Sr. also
lives in an apartment in the house.
At the ripe old age of 89, he
remembers moving to the stone
house at age seven. The farm came
down through his mother’s family,
theWolgemuths.
Galen took over the fanning
operation in the early 70’s. J. Earl
Jr. says that, “Galen always
wanted to farm, and I always said
I’d help any of my children who
wanted to, because that’s what my
father did for me.”
Of the Martins’ five children only
Galen took up the challenge of
generations, they are aware of the
productivity of the land. Today,
Gary Brubaker farms the land,
and prior to that his father Glenn
tilled the soil. Previous tenants
went on to purchase their own
farms after working for the
Stauffers for a number of years.
Both Sarah and Charles ap
preciate living on the farm now.
And they have fond memories of
earlier days when they visited
their grandparents there. There
are a number of residences on
Lime Spring Farm, and the oldest
dates back to one of the original
owners.
Peter Lehman established the
farm in 1745, following his
emigration from an area in Europe
that is modem-day Switzerland.
The oldest house, where Charles
lives today, was built by Johannes,
or John, Lehman in 1769. Also
standing from those days is what
the Stauffers refer to as the “still
house.”
“I can remember my grand
mother out there with the help
making soap,” recalls Sarah about
the still house. And .Charles
speculates that the building got its
name from the days when whiskey
was the most valuable product to
be made from the farmer’s grain.
fanning. Galen has wanted to farm here so I took advantage of it,”
as long as anyone in the family can remarks Galen.
Helen and J. Earl Martin Jr. take a moment for a photo with
their son Galen and Earl's dad, J. Earl Sr.
is home on Lime v firing Farm dates from 1769, as engraved on the marker between
the upstairs windows. Today Charles Stauffer, co-ownewr of the farm, lives here.
The Lehman’s chose Lime
Spring Farm, as the name
suggests, for the productive spring
that still '•ovides water on the
place.
“There’s always been plenty of
water no matter how dry it gets,”
say Sarah and Charles. In the days
before city water, the people of
Rohrerstown would come out for
water, and local churches would
perform baptisms at the spring.
Sarah adds that her grandfather
told her about the days when the
buggies would be lined up along the
lane, waiting to get water from the
spring.
The lane into Lime Spring Farm
goes under a railroad track.
Charles explained that this was the
original Philadelphia-Columbia
line, which was built to compete
with goods being taken all the way
down the Susquehanna to
Baltimore. The railroad was built
(Continued (rom Page AI)
drought and the avian influenza
epidemic as examples of Pa.
farmers, “surviving almost every
difficulty associated with far
ming.”
Turning to the subject of soil and
water conservation, Scranton said
that the state has recently signed a
contract with the Pa. Association
of Conservation District Directors,
Inc., to earmark $50,000 for
educational programs aimed at
cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.
Funds will be channeled toward
the dissemination of information
concerning nutrient control,
coordination of regional workshops
and implementation of a statewide
Chesapeake Bay conference in
January.
“We want to help farmers
preserve the soil and its precious
nutrients,” the Lt. Governor said.
Other programs designed to aid
the state’s agricultural com
munity, said Scranton, include
strengthening of the Milk Security
Fund and the creation of the $lO
million Family Farm Assistance
Program.
Also featured during the
evening’s program was John H.
Frazier, Jr., chairman of Frazier-
Parrott Commodities, Inc., and a
member of the Chicago Board of
Trade. Speaking on the subject of
future commodity prices, Frazier
noted the importance of oil prices
in regulating the price of nearly
everything else, including ag
commodities. Frazier said that oil
prices have dropped by 40 percent
in recent years, and pointed out
that many experts predict no sharp
increases in the foreseeable future.
The oil situation will tend to
' stabilize agricultural com
modities, he said.
Turning to grain crops, Frazier
so that goods coming down the
Susquehanna could be diverted at
Columbia and taken by rail to
Philadelphia. Sarah remembers
walking with her grandfather
down by the railroad track and
being shown the original stone ties
that were used in those days.
With such a rich history, Charles
and Sarah Stauffer un
derstandably resent the en
croachment of industry and ur
banization on the picturesque and
productive Lime Spring Farm.
One can only hope that through the
Century Farm program and local
efforts for agricultural preser
vation that the historic and
productive farms of Lancaster
County can be maintained for
future generations.
said that this year’s record crop
will not halt an upswing in demand
for the kind of winter wheat grown
throughout Pennsylania.
The speaker said that the corn
market is close to reaching its low
point, and that other uses for corn
such as in the production of alcohol
and sweeteners, will enhance the
grain’s market potential.
Frazier predicts an increase in
the acreage planted to soybeans
next year because of the ease with
which the crop can be planted and
maintained.
Overall, said Frazier, no
runaway commodity prices are
predicted, with most prices
remaining stable or possibly
dipping slightly.
Addressing the problem of the
country’s vanishing farmland, was
4-H member, Greg Musser, of
Elizabethtown, who presented his
talk entitled, “Where’s the
Land?”. Musser called for more
stringent zoning policies, the
establishment of agricultural
preservation areas and deed
restriction programs to insure the
future of our irreplacable far
mland.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold
Z. Musser, Greg is the recipient of
the this year’s Outstanding 4-H
Boy Award, one of the 4-H
program’s highest honors.
Initiated in New York in 1937, the
Century Farm program was
adopted by the Bradford County
Historical Society in 1948. The
program became statewide in 1976,
when thd Pa. Department of
Agriculture assumed ad
ministrative duties.
To date, 844 Century Farms have
been recognized across Penn
sylvania, with Tuesday night’s
ceremonies bringing Lancaster
County’s total to 80 Century
Farms.