Conservation Is Survival To Berks Co, Dairyman
4
BY JACK HUBLEY
ROBESONIA When Lester
and Harriett Gelsinger bought
their 166-acre Berks County farm
in 1950 their ultimate goal was to
hand the place over to their
children in better condition than it
was when they bought it. "
“This was the eyesore of. the
community,” says Gelsinger,
recalling the 20-foot-wide fen
cerows that zig-zagged aimlessly
across the fields and the big patch
of sky where the bam roof was
supposed to be.
Because chainsaws were even
less common than the money it
took to buy them in the 19505,
Lester attacked the fencerows with
handsaws and began contour
plowing and strip cropping in an
era when soil and water con-
Combining a Diamond Reo cement mixer chassis with a
pull-type manure tank, Harold built this tank truck that
moves dairy manure from a 170,000-gallon storage structure
to fields.
j33j SALUTE TO THE DAIRY FARMER WITH THESE SAVINGS
•Ait
rmmiA
HEAVY DUTY BALE CARRIERS
3000 lb. Bale Fork
MODEL F-3000 $199.99
1500 lb. Bale Fork $149.95
POULTRYMEN&
DAIRYMEN
25W-40W-4000 hrs.
Lightbulbs 9Re
OO ea.-Case Lots Only
f \ 60W-75W-100W-5000 hrs,
ea.-Case Lots Only
mVoT -Brass Base
V blit Of To 5 Tims Unfit
Thu Otimr/ U§ht Bulks
TWINE
l&Mint
9,000 Ft
BALING WIRE
servation was still a revolutionary
idea. Even in those early years
Gelsinger realized that farming
successfully in Berks County’s hill
country north of Robesonia means
keeping the soil in place. “If you
have erosion, you’re losing your
farm,” he emphasizes.
Instead of losing his farm, Lester
Gelsinger added to it. Starting with
166 acres and 13 cows nearly 30
years ago, he now owns 400 acres,
rents another 500 and runs his
crops through his 110-cow dairy
herd. If conservation doesn’t pay,
it can’t be proven by Lester
Gelsinger’s track record.
In recognition of his stewardship
efforts Gelsinger was named
Berks County’s Outstanding
Conservation Farmer last year,
and this year the National En-
$99.99
BALING TWINE
• 1-9
• 10 or More
HEAVY DUTY KORY WAGON GEARS
KNOWN FOR TRUE TRAILABILITY
• Rugged Dependability
• Maximum Stability
• Short Turning Radius
• Auto Type Steering
• H.D. Tapered Roller
Brg.
Model Ton Wheel Size
5566 5 5x15-5 Bolt Std. 389.95 359.95
6672 6 6x15-6 Bolt Std. 439.95 389.95
6872 8 Bxls-6 Bolt H.D. Adj. 539.95 489.95
6072 10 Bxls-6 Bolt H.D. Adj. 639.95 589.95
FLY BAITS
New Improved Golden
Marlin Sugar Bait
The most spectacular fly bait ever 1 It works where
other baits won't
5 it. $12.99
. $15.49 Per Bale
. sl4.99 Per Bale
100 Lb. Box $36.99
Knee-deep in no-till alfalfa. Lester Gelsinger believes „ at soi
have played a key role in the success of his Berks County dairy farm
dowment for Soil and Water
Conservation chose him to be
Pennsylvania’s representative in
the annual National Conservation
Farmer-Rancher Awards program
sponsored by the DuPont Com
pany. The award recognizes
farmers for distinguished ac
complishments in the area of soil
arid water conservation. Within the
next several months 10 finalists
will be picked from the state
nominees, and of these, three will
receive $lOOO cash awards.
The Gelsinger operation has long
since outgrown Lester’s and
Harriett’s ability to cover all
bases. Their son Ernest, a Penn
State graduate with a degree in
dairy nutrition, takes care of the
dairy herd, and son Harold ser-
Made PRICES AS Anrn nr
In USA LOW AS
Price Sale Price
Tongues
HIGH TENSILE FENCING SUPPLIES
High-Tensile Wire T*
12 l z gauge, Class3Galv vy-jp»y
4,000’ per coil, Made mU S A 200 000 PSI
180.000 p S i. $55.99 $69.99
FW2-3 12‘t> Gauge Crunping Sleeve
$12.49 Pack of 100
Strainer Handle rzs
$4.79
In-Line Strainer
vices, rebuilds or builds nearly
every piece of equipment that sees
duty on the farm. Ernest and
Harold, along with their brother
Michael and Lester’s grandson
Keith, all pitch in when it’s time for
field work.
Although Gelsinger’s con
servation practices date back to
the 50s, (he won his county’s
contour plowing contest in 1956),
he points out that it was the
equipment advancements of later
years that allowed him to coax the
full potential from his land. In the
late 1960 s he bought a John Deere
sidehill combine that gave him the
ability to harvest no-till com on the
steeper, more remote parts of his
farm.
But his no-till program really
YOUR HEADQUARTERS FOR
MOWER REPLACEMENT PARTS
$
• Sickle Bar Cutters
• Mower Guards
• Full Line Of Parts &
Accessories For
'juk Mower
Conditioners &
Windrowers
GORDON’S
VAPONA® DAIRY CATTLE SPRAY
Ready-to-Use
For control of house flies, face flies, stable flies,
horn flies mosquitoes and gnats Can be used in 1 iSuimvul
hand mist sprayers, walk through mist sprayers
foggers and overhead mist sprayers on dairy and I
beef cattle 1
1 Gal. $4.95 5 Gal. $19.99
$79.99
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, June 27,1987-A25
gained momentum about five
years ago when he bought his 17-
foot Tye no-till drill. “The cover
crop is the main thing,” says
Gelsinger, adding that he tries not
to let land lie idle over the winter.
This year’s corn crop was planted
into rye at the boot stage when it
was about three feet high.
Since the Gelsingers have no
need for the rye, they kill it with
paraquat, leaving all the organic
matter to be recycled. “It keeps
the soil soft,” observes the
dairyman. The family also no-tills
soybeans, double cropping them
into barley stubble.
Even though most of the corn,
alfalfa, wheat, barley and
soybeans are no-tilled, applying
(Turn to PageA26)
4” Tube
Insulator
Wraparound 3>
Insulator $10,89 Pack
Type “W” Insulator
.39 ea
Tension Spring
$4.19
water conservation
$10.89 Pack of 200