VOL 33 No. 38
New State Grange Master Selected
HARRISBURG—
After nearly a decade as Master
of the Pa. State Grange, Charles E.
Wismcr, Jr., a dairy farmer from
Montgomery County is retiring “to
Charles Wismer
Land Conference:
Stop Treating Our Soil Like Dirt
BY LOU ANN GOOD
ELIZABETHTOWN (Uncaster)
Lancaster is at a crossroads.
Will it preserve its farmland or will
it allow development to run
rampant?
The planners for the Und, Eth
ics, and Community Values con
ference held at Elizabethtown Col
lege, on July 21 to 23, believe the
county’s agriculture and spiritual
roots have been largely responsi
ble for its fertile beauty. Now eco
nomic growth threatens to destroy
it.
Countians have diverse values.
Some want to retain its virgin rur
alism while others claim commer
cialism must continue for econom
ic growth.
Is it possible to solve the prob
lem when these two opinions are in
direct opposition to each other?
“Yes,” Douglas Weidman, pres
ident of Uncaster Design Com
munity, told more than two
hundred people who attended the
three day conference. “We must
get below the emotional levels to
RCMA Plans Diversion
MOUNT JOY The first day
of September may be diversion
day for Farmland Dairies if RCMA
can get its present plan to action.
At a meeting here Monday even
ing, Edgar King, Manager of Cus
tomer Relations, outlined the plans
to divert enough milk away from
Farmland Dairies in one day to
break the resistance to over-order
pricing by the New Jersey-based
milk handler.
Up to now Farmland has suc
cessfully resisted RCMA’s effort
to obtain full over-order premiums
by paying its own premiums to
farm shippers. These premiums
exceedßCMA’s payments to date.
Four Sections
return to the farm.”
According to Wismer, “I find
that my children have grown up
and moved away. While they were
William Rlngler
collectively come to a vision.”
He believes that Lancaster is
having a midlife crisis. And that
countians possess a frontier men
tality of squandering resources.
‘The problems underlying envi
ronment problems are basically
arrogance, ignorance and greed,”
said Calvin DeWitt, professor of
environmental studies at the Uni
versity of Wisconsin.
Heifer Shot In Pasture
PEQUEA (Lancaster)
Unknown to the fanner, a light
caliber bullet (maybe a .22 or .222)
grazed the head of a 1,000-pound
bred Holstein heifer one night last
week on the Daniel Metzler farm
on Douts Hill Road. Metzler first
noticed that the heifer, which
freshens this fall, was not feeling
well. Uter he noticed that one eye
was not focusing correctly?
When the veterinarian was
called, at fust the only indication
of the problem was a low-level
fever. But upon closer examina-
In addition, because RCMA did
not previously divert all milk from
Farmland at the same time, Farm
land has replenished its milk supp
ly by adding new shippers and
expanding its farm pickup area.
But officials at Monday’s meet
ing were hopeful that this new tac
tic would cause Farmland to nego
tiate with RCMA before the Sep
tember 1 deadline.
RCMA, government officials
and media representatives seemed
to outnumber the relatively few
farmers that attended this meeting
at the Country Table Restaurant.
But officials outlined a plan to con
(Turn to p«g« A 29)
Lancaster Farming, Salußlay, July 30, 1988
home 1 could depend on them to
help tend the 135 milk cows and
220 acres of land. Now that they
are gone, I find that the farm
requires more of my time than I
can give and still remain Master of
the Grange. I came from the farm
to be Master. And I leave the Mas
ter’s Chair to go back to the farm. I
worked only for the Grange and I
will work to serve the Grange in
any way I can.
During Wismer’s tenure as
Master of the 115 year old; 42,000
member, family farm organization
he initiated many new programs,
among them were: Lifetime mem
bership program; 800 telephone
number; State Deaf Committee;
Grange Day in Harrisburg; 26 new
subordinate Granges established;
20 reactivated subordinate
Granges; First Master to serve on
Board of Overseers University of
(Turn to Pago A 23)
to instill a sertse of responsibili
ty, he turned to the Bible, which
teaches that God is owner of the
earth, not people who are short
term occupants of the land, and
that human beings are responsible
for earth keeping.
He said, “Dominion is steward
ship.” Conflict often enters into
deciding exactly what dominion
(Turn to Pag* A 25)
lion, they found swelling around
the head and a healing scar both
where the bullet entered and exited
the head.
Metzler said it looks like some-
(Turn to Pag* A 39)
Rbwraygen Creek Linnan Jean, exhibited by C.E. Hubbard, continued her history of
showring dominance with the York Holstein senior and grand champion honors.
Reserve went to Woodbine Farms with Woodbine Valiant Marty. From left are Dairy
Princess Sue Eisenhart, C.E. Hubbard and his champion, George Knight 111 handling*
the reserve, and judge Creedin Cornman.
500 Per Copy
National Ag Secretary, Richard Lyng (left). and Penneyl
vania State Ag Secretary, Boyd Wolff.
Gov. Sends Ag Secretary
To Washington
HARRISBURG—Gov. Robert
P. Casey this week asked U.S. Sec
retary of Agriculture Richard E.
Lyng to issue a federal drought dis
aster declaration for the entire suye
of Pennsylvania.
“Every county in the state has
experienced damage from the
1988 drought to the degree that
places our state’s largest industry
York County Dairy Show
BY JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
Kowraygen Creek Linnan Jean
added another jewel to her crown
of show-string wins last week
when she was named senior and
grand champion of the York Black
& White Show on July 21 at the
York fairgrounds.
Owned and exhibited by C.E.
Hubbard of New Cumberland, the
winning aged cow is scored
EX-90. Her latest completed lacta-
$lO.OO Per Year
at risk.” Gov. Casey wrote in a let
ter to Lyng.
Gov. Casey said the declaration
would represent a first step toward
Pennsylvania agriculture
[from the current crisis.
The designation would make qual
ified Pennsylvania fanners eligible
for low-interest loans from the fed
(Tum to Pago A 29)
tion, at 5 years 10 months, 365
days, totaled 28,671 milk and
1292, with a 4.S percent fat test
Though now a 4-H “graduate”
Hubbard has exhibited the Creek
daughter to numerous state and
national junior and open class
awards.
Judge Creedin Comman of Car
lisle praised her dairiness, tre
mendous body capacity and well
balanced udder, and noted that she
(Turn to Pag* A 34)