J1619C I*^9
VOL. 32 No. 46
Look Out Lancaster Farmers,
A Super Highway
Is ‘Commin 9 Now
BY
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
LANCASTER Most people
agree that something must be done
to alleviate the traffic problem on
Route 30 and 23 in Lancaster
County. The friends of agriculture
are concerned that the most recent
studies by a team of engineers and
Penn Dot officials have largely
ignored the impact of running a
superhighway through the middle
of prime farms that average about
50 acres in size and form the social
and religious core of the Lancaster
County farm community.
The routes most strongly sup
ported by the new study cut right
through the heart of Lancaster
County where horses plow the
holds and power lines are nonexis
At Agribusiness Convention (L to R) Jack Drelbelbis, David Brubaker, Dr.
Bryce Jordan and Michael Zapach. •
President Tells Agribusiness
Leaders New Funding Has
PSU On Positive Note
BY
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
STATE COLLEGE The
president of the Pennsylvania State
University, Dr. Bryce Jordan, told
agribusiness leaders here Monday
morning that new funding for the
state’s Cooperative Extension Ser
vice and the prospect of breaking
ground for a new agricultural and
science industry center at Univer
sity Park next spring has given an
especially positive note to the
beginning of the semester this fall.
Speaking to the 109th Penn Ag
Convention at Toftrees Resort,
lordan reported that in July the
state general assembly and Gover
nor Casey approved a $5 million
increase to the university’s budget
to be applied to the Extension Ser
vice. “This much-needed support
gives new vigor to this university’s
ability to contribute programs
tent. While the burial of a few
1,000 acres of prime farm land in
the concrete ribbon and wasted
right of way is disturbing, the total
economic impact of a disrupted
farm community cannot be
measured.
Allen Musselman, executive
director of the Lancaster County
Agricultural Preserve Board, says
there isn’t anyone in the farm com
munity east of Lancaster that
won’t be affect by these routes. An
interchange in a now more sec
luded area of the county will flood
that area with tourists. And while
farmers with the unique religious
beliefs in Lancaster County do
benefit from on-farm sales, the
overall impact on the community
is potentional very unacceptable.
(Turn to Pago A 33)
among the*various ag industries,”
Jordan said.
As a result of this funding, the
college of agriculture is able to fill
45 vacant county agents’ positions
that had been on hold for lack of
funds, and the Cooperative Exten
sion offices are receiving much
needed technical and operating
support. “For the first time in his
tory,” Jordan said, “the common
wealth provides a larger share of
funding than either the federal or
local sources. And this is not a one
time appropriation, but part of the
permanent funding for the
university.”
Another momentous occasion
for the university came this sum
mer when the federal government
approved a $ 16.2 million appropri
ation for a new agricultural and
science industry center at Univer
sity Park. This came on top of a
(Turn to Pago A2l)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 19, 1987
The Core-Dale Farm of the Roy Thompson family showed the grand champion
Holstein to the supreme champion of the York Fair Thursday. (L to R) Sue
Eisenhart presenting plaque, Rod and Jane Thompson, Shirley Thompson
Trimmer, Roy Thompson and Leo Rutter representing York Fair,
Here she Is, C Mount Haven Chrystan Reta-Red, the senior and grand
champion of the 1987 Pennsylvania Holstein Show for a photo spread and
story of the show. An announcement of the all Pennsylvania winners see Page
Dl4-16.
r our Sections
Eastern Sells Bottling
Plant To Dairy lea
Eastern Milk Producers
Cooperative is selling its fluid milk
bottling plant in Homer, NY to
Dairylea Cooperative, effective
Sept 11.
The facility, which Eastern
acquired five years ago from Kraft
Dairy Group, processes nearly 2
million quarts of milk a month and
employs over 40 people.
With milk volumes down in the
Northeast due to the Whole Herd
Buyout, “we decided that the time
was right to get out of the fluid
milk bottling business and to focus
on supplying milk to other dealers
and manufacturers,” Eastern Presi
$8.50 Per Yeai*
dent Earl Forwood said. He noted
that Eastern markets over 2 billion
pounds of milk a year from its
3,700 member-farmers. About a
quarter of that milk goes to the
fluid market, with the remainder
supplying manufacturers of such
dairy products as cheese, yogurt
and ice cream.
Michael Donovan, general man
ager, added that insufficient vol
ume and lack of adequate return on
investment were major reasons for
selling the Homer plant.
“We tried to expand the busi
ness and develop a profitable oper
(Turn to Page A3B)