A24-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 17, 1987
BY PAT PURCELL
In what is being heralded as a
pioneering effort by a builder and
developer, Lancaster County may
have what is being touted as the
first residential community delib
erately constructed on undesirable
farmland that appears to be unsuit
able for a housing complex.
In Manor Township, on route
999, just west of North Duke Street
in Millersville, Forest Homes Inc.,
builders and E. B. Able Construc
tion Company have joined forces
to establish a 65 unit community
on a site which challenges the
developer with steep slopes, a
ravine, natural springs and bed
rock which has been measured to
32 inches below that surface as
well as protruding from the
ground.
“I had no idea of the steepness of
the slopes you have to deal with
here. I would guess the erosion if
this were farmed would be near 10
tons per acre. This is not going to
be easy to develop, but this is the
way we need to move in order to
preserve our farmland,” said Amos
Funk, President, of the Lancaster
County Agricultural Preservation
Board, at the ground breaking
ceremonies held on Wedensday.
‘This is a whole new approach,"
Funk added. ‘This is a pilot pro
ject If this can be done here then it
can be done anywhere in the
county.”
James E. Huber, Chairman of
the Lancaster County Commis
sioners, commended the work of
the Manor Township Board of
Supervisors to seek waivers to
accomodate the special circum
stances presented by this site. And
Huber challenged other county
government officials to encourage
developers to take this direction.
“These people are pioneers.
Very few have done this in the
past This is an example of respon
sible, creative land use. Farmlands
need not be developed. Preserving
farmland should be the top priority
of Lancaster County government.
And we should encourage deve
lopers to do the same,” said Huber.
Forest Homes Systems, Inc. of
Selinsgrove is building 65 towns
Amos Funk, President of Lancaster Co. Agricultural Pre
servation Board, praised developers at ground breaking
ceremonies for utilizing undesirable farmland for a residen
tial community and challenged other developers ta follow
this pioneering effort.
Pioneering Developer To Build Homes
On Undesirable Farmland
houses and a split-level home on
the site. The model home should
be open to the public before the
new year. E. B. Able Construction
Company of Centreville have
begun work on the site.
Although the difficult construc
tion issues inherent in this site
propose a greater input in dollars
and time, according to Craig L.
Van Kouwenberg, Director of
Marketing for the developer, the
company is banking on the Lan
caster Countians committment to
the preservation of farmland.
Van Kouwenberg said that this
is the company’s first project in the
county and that they want to make
a good first impression. He added
that they would not be making the
effort if they did not think it would
work.
“The site can become the most
beautiful little neighborhood in
Lancaster County. The very prob
lems of construction lend such
character and beauty to the site that
we can have it all. . . rural atmo
sphere, suburban convenience,
urban amenities of public water
and sewer,” said Van
Kouwenberg.
In light of the awareness of all
Lancaster Countians to preserve
farmland he feels that countians
will appreciate the effort his com
pany has made.
“It is the successful marriage of
two of the most prominent driving
forces leading the strong, stable
economic growth for which Lan
caster County is famous: land
development and farming,” said
Scott Jackson, executive vice
president of the Building Industry
Association of Lancaster County.
“A new day has dawned in Lan
caster County. It begins with pro
jects such as this. It will continue
as long as economic growth and
expansion dictates the course for
this county. It will work as long as
the development interests and the
interests of agriculture and all
other vital elements of Lancaster’s
economy can work in concert to
guarantee the county’s rich herit
age will be preserved alongside its
present and future growth.
The steep ravine and rock outcroppings may lend beauty to the homesltes
planned along route 999 near Millersvllle, but lacked beauty as tillable farmland.
Concern For Rural Clean Water
Flows As Federal Funding Ebbs
BY PAT PURCELL
AKRON “How many years
will it be before we have to pay for
water?” was the question James R.
McMullen of the Agricultural Sta
bilization and Conservation Ser
vice asked of members of the Con
estoga Headwaters Project of the
Rural Clean Water Program on
Tuesday, as they gathered for their
coordinating meeting.
The CHP is one of 20 projects
throughout the nation established
to gather data about a growing con
cern, rural water quality. The CHP
is located in one of the most inten
sively cultivated agricultural areas
in Pennsylvania. As a result,
nitrates and phosphorus are the
pollutants which are affecting
water supplies. This project was
initiated to determine the effects of
farming on groundwater pollution.
McMullen, Director of Conser
vation and Environmental Protec-
Drought-Relief Loans Available
The 1987 severe summer
drought has had adverse affects on
the crop production in the six
county area serviced by the York
Farm Credit Service. Farm Credit
recognizes that due to the drought,
many farmers will need to do addi
tional borrowing because of
reduced crop sales and additional
feed purchases.
Duane G. Hosier, Executive
Vice President, of the York Farm
Credit Service announced that a
Special Drought Loan Program
with a loan rate of 7.75% will be
offered for a limited time to far
mers of Adams, Cumberland,
Franklin, Fulton, Perry, and York
Counties.
“Our Board of Directors, con
sisting of solely farmers, under
stands the strain the drought puts
on farmers who are already in
tough economic times. While this
program is not a panacea, it is
being offered in an effort to help
farmers work through this situa
tion,” said Mr. Hosier.
To qualify for this program, far
mers need only review the effects
of the drought on their 1987 crops
tion Division of ASCS, pointed out
that groundwater contamination is
surfacing in many areas of the
country, not only in areas of heavy
industry, but specifically in farm
ing areas. It is of such concern
nationally that Congress appro
priated $5O million in 1980 and
$2O million was added in 1981, to
“develop and test means of con
trolling agricultural nonpoint source
water pollution in rural areas”.
“We must be able to show data
of what is being done with prog
rams being administered,”
McMullen said, “And it is very
important to future funding.”
McMullen praised the Conesto
ga Headwaters project as being
one of the best projects in the coun
try because of the multi-pollution
causing materials involved.
“You are achieving results. You
are reducing nitrates and pho-
and cash flow with a Farm Credit ber 31, 1987.
loan officer. Normal credit qualifi- The York Farm Credit Service
cations and repayment schedules presently provides over $66 mil
will apply. lion m long term Land Bank loans
53,000,000 has been set aside to 1200 borrowers and $35 million
for this loan program and all far- in short term Production Credit
mers are encouraged to apply. -Association loans to 861 borrow-
Loans must be opened by Decern- ers in South Central Pennsylvania.
Lancaster County Holstein
Assoc.
Once again it is time for the
annual banquet of the Lancaster
County Holstein Association. This
year’s banquet will be held on
Thursday, November 5, at 6:45
p.m. at the new Willow Valley
Conference Center, 2416 Willow
Street Pike. A delicious meal of
homemade Baked Ham Loaf will
be followed by reports by the Trea
surer, Auditor, State Director and
State Office, as well as the election
of new officers. We will also be
hearing from our County Dairy
Princess. The well known STONE
MOUNTAIN QUARTET, a
Christian Blue Grass group from
our own Lancaster County, is
sphatcs. In 1986 you reduced the
amount of nitrates in the water by
51.000 lbs. and phosphates by
39.000 lbs. You are showing
results for the money that is being
spent,” said McMullen.
The nutrient management prog
ram, which is administered by the
Cooperative Extension Service
personnel is credited with accom
plishing these significant
reductions.
However, additional funds are
not being appropriated and the $6
million slated for the RCWP have
been cancelled.
“Just because there is no new
funding in 1988 don’t get discour
aged. We do have some reserve
money left,” said McMullen.
However, with the cutback in
appropriations funding will be
tight and results of the present
programs will be the key to future
funds.
Banquet
guaranteed to provide an exciting
evening of entertainment.
Come join us for an evening of
good food, current news from our
association, fun and fellowship.
Cost for the evening is $lO and the
deadline for ticket sales is Friday,
Oct 30. Contact one of the follow
ing people for tickets.
John Howard, John Brubaker,
Loren Zimmerman, Donald Kiss
er, Lowell Brubaker, Phil Crouse,
Rick Hess, Roger Mills, Harold
Shellenberger, Steve Hershey, Jay
Landis, Robert C. Groff, Paul
Welk, Lamar Witmer, Mel Eby,
James G. Kreider, Elam Bollinger,
Nelson Stoner, Nate Stoltzfus,
Chairman.