BM'Lancnter Farming, Saturday, April 8,1989
BY LOU ANN GOOD
LANCASTER—You’ve heard
of the Ag in the Classroom prog
ram, a nationwide program to
teach students about agricultural
But do you know the woman
behind the Lancaster County prog
ram that reaches 4,000 students
annually?
Behind the semes Jane Eshel
man busily coordinates schools,
volunteers and materials as the
educational director for the prog
ram. Although her name is not
widely broadcast in the program’s
efforts, Jane is no ordinary
volunteer.
She is a first lady. No, she
doesn’t live in the White House.
But, she is the first lady to own a
car dealership on the Eastern Sea
board. She is the first lady to
become a school director in Penn
Manor school district, and she is
the first coordinator for the county
Ag in the classroom program.
Married to Guy Eshelman, a
beef and potato farmer. Jane sums
up the pressures that face a two
career marriage by asking: “How
did we both end up in businesses
that are risky, require high over
head and a big investment?”
The answer to that question is
simple. Her father owned the deal
ership, which she naturally
became involved in as a bookkeep
er, and she fell in love with a far
mer.
When Jane, who had always
lived in a town, first contemplated
marrying a farmer. She was
apprehensive. Today she reports,
“It wasn’t nearly the adjustment
that I expected it would be. I didn’t
have time to get lonely because I
continued working six days a week
at the dealership.”
That required 45 minutes twice
daily in commuting time from their
Lancaster farm to New Holland.
After five years of marriage, the
Gshelmans had their first child,
Guy Jr. who is now 27 and a doc
tor. After his birth Jane worked
parttime, one day in the office and
the other days she worked on
bookkeeping from her home. She
continued this pattern after Yvon
ne, 24; and Susie, 18; were ban.
During her children’s school
years, Jane was asked to serve as
treasurer of the school district.
This position led into an eight year
stint as school board director. Jane
sums up her credentials as a
mother with students, a property
owner and interested in education
as the best combination for a
school board position. She said, “I
wanted to give my children the
best education for my tax dollars.”
After completing her eight year
tom. Jane continues ha position
as a Republican Committeewo
man. She said, “I don’t consider
First Lady Enjoys Challenges
myself a politician.” She does
encourage others to vote and
explains the ballot to others.
Jane became more and more
involved in Peiffer Pontiac admi
nistration. When her father died
suddenly in 1977, she was forced
to make a decision regarding her
father’s dealership. She and her
brother-in-law applied for the
agency. Jane recalls, “My brother
in-law knew the mechanical end,
and L the administration end—that
makes us a good combination.”
But the responsibilities of farm
ing 300 acres and operating a car
dealership demand a competitive
business sense. Jane said, ‘Tann
ing always seems to be in a reces
sion.” But the *79 recession
affected car dealerships much
harder than farming. Many dealer
ships dissolved during that period,
but, although a struggle. Peiffer
Pontiac pulled through.
Perhaps because she had been
affiliated with the school board,
the PA Young Farmers Associa
tion asked Jane to coordinate the
Ag in the Classroom program.
Hesitant because she wasn’t
entirely sure what the new prog
ram entailed, Jane committed her
self to a two year term because “I
wanted to do it right and I knew it
would take at least two years.”
It’s five years later and Jane still
heads the program that she
believes in one of the most active
in the nation.
When she first assumed the
responsibility in 1984, she
received a two-day training period
at the state level.
“Many of the ideas suggested at
the state level I knew would not
work in our district since I was
familiar with the district’s require
ments,” Jane recalled.
She outlined a program that she
thought would work in the Penn
Manor school district, designated
as a pilot program, and she con
tacted the school (ward president
and was told, “Jane, if you think
it’s a good program, go ahead and
do it.”
The program was mandated by
the principal. The first year was a
learning experience.
Jane said, “We gave teachers an
evaluation sheet Their response
was positive but showed that
teachers would have liked lesson
plans to expand upon.”
The following year, Jane had
lesson plans developed. She also
incorporated a workshop for teach
ers and a resource directory listing
contact persons to assist in answer
ing questions by phone or through
presentations. Even teachers learn,
Jane reports that one teacher pre
viously thought potatoes grew on
trees.
Jane has a committee that helps
organize the event that provides
instruction in five school districts
during the fall and nine during the
spring session.
Although she delegates as much
as possible. Jane admits the hard
est part is finding agriculture per
sons who will present their story.
The committee often cons their
own family members into becom
ing involved in the program and
Jane is no exception. Her husband
has been very supportive of the
program by visiting classrooms to
explain vegetable growing.
Jane said the program needs
committee volunteers who will
contact five farmers to make pre
sentations. It’s a responsibility that
can mostly be hSndled from the
phone since the school is already
set up. They especially need some
one in the Elizabethtown area. If
interested. ’ contact Jane at 717
872-7507.
Jane teaches volunteers how to
present their agricultural story.
She said, “After a person partici
pates one time, they enjoy it and
continue their involvement”
A farmer’s busy lifestyle that is
so dependent upon the weather
required some modifications to the
program. The Call sessions now
begin in November and ends in
early April since that time is gener
ally less demanding for farmers.
Each school hears five different
topics that are tailormade. Usually
they include dairy, sheep, beef,
poultry, and swine. Options
include FFA presentations, flower
farming, fruit growers, or horses.
“We use agricultural people
from the district to present the top
ic,” Jane said. Each presenter has a
handout such as chips from Char
les Chips, a box of chocolate milk
from the presenter’s dairy, a cow
eraser or pork roll samples.
Jane and her committee also
LANCASTER Five Lancas
ter County basketmakers will par
ticipate in Baskets, Baskets,
Baskets, an exhibition of Lancas
ter County basketmakers at The
Market House Craft Center April
9 through May 26. Hours for the
exhibit are 9 a.m. to noon, Mon
day through Friday.
Included in the exhibit
Barbara Bonfanti, Lititz, who
makes traditional reed baskets,
Nantucket Lightship baskets and
coiled pine needle baskets.
Karen Boyd lives in the Mil
lersville area, and makes tradition
al styles of reed baskets.
Sue Keeney, Lancaster, who
makes a traditional style melon
basket with split flat reeds and a
variation of melon basket made
with grapevine. She uses both
dyed and natural colors in her
baskets.
Susan Kelleher from Mount
Joy, makes traditional hand-split
white oak baskets. She also uses
other hand-gathered materials to
make her coiled rye straw baskets
and honeysuckle vine baskets. She
demonstrates traditional basketry
at Landis Valley Museum.
Sylvia Lehman, Elizabeth
emu. it’s hubs
YOU CAN MK.
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JaneEshe
female school board director at Penn Manor High School,
the first woman car dealer on the eastern seaboard and the
first to head the county Ag in the Classroom program.
participate in exhibits at the Farm
Expo held at Lancaster Square,
Park City Farm-City week and
other agriculture education efforts.
Jane and her husband are part of
the corporation (governing body)
of the Lancaster Bible College and
they are active at Calvary Church.
Of her many involvements, Jane
said, “You need to like what you
do or the work is pure drudgery.
There are lots of rewards and
sometimes real pain, but I feel we
have been blessed of the Lord. We
have a good life and our children
bring us much joy.”
She credits the farm for playing
an important role jn child develop
ment “The farm demands that far
mers be proficent at many things
such as masonry, welding, and
Baskets, Baskets,
Karen Boyd (left) shows one of her reed baskets to a
consumer.
town, creates original contempor
ary baskets constructed with
vegetable-dyed reed and a variety
of nontraditional fibers such as
wool, feathers, beads and hand
made paper. Color and texture are
interacting elements in her
baskets.
Baskets
IK
management; children leant these
skills. They leant to stick at a job
until finished Our children, who
are all strongly academic, apply
that same work ethic to studying."
Jane, herself, has never had col
lege education, which she so
strongly advocates. She said “If I
had had the opportunity, I might
have earned a CPA or a law degree
or maybe become an interior
decorator. I can see myself doing
all three. But who knows, how my
life would have turned out then?”
She added “All the positions I
held I never sought They just
came my way. As a woman, I’ve
never felt discriminated against.
I’ve always managed to do what I
wanted. It’s a good life.”
The Market House Craft Center
is located in the lower level of
Southern Market Center at the
corner of S. Queen and Vine
Streets in downtown Lancaster.
The entrance is down the steps on
the Vine Street side. For more
information, call 295-1500.