814-L«ncaster Fanning, Saturday, February 3,1990
The Rohrer homestead Is preserved for generations to come.
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
In the center of the living room
stands a frame which holds the
quilt presently being hand
stitched by Grace Rohrer. The
intricate heartburn pattern epi
tomizes the love that Daniel and
Grace Rohrer have shared with
family and friends over the years.
Just as she is stitching quilts to
pass on to each grandchild, she
and her husband have insured that
their farmland will be protected
and used for agriculture by future
generations.
Daniel and Grace Rohrer, of
East Hempfield Township, have
recently donated a conservation %
easement on their historic, 63-acre
Century Farm to the Lancaster
Farmland Trust, the non-profit,
farmland preservation organiza
tion. The Rohrer farm, site of the
well-known Rohrer’s Farm Mark
et, is the first in East Hempfield to
be preserved, and the easement
donation protects the land from
being developed well into the 21st
century. The Rohrers have now
passed the home farm on to their
son Dwight and his wife Rosanne,
the sixth generation of Rohrers to
farm the property. They will con
tinue in the elder Rohrer’s foot
steps.
Daniel Rohrer cited the land’s
history and meaning, as well as its
fertile soil, as some of his many
reasons for donating the easement
“I don’t think I could see it being
developed, knowing the richness
of the soil here...” he said. Lan
caster Farmland Trust president
Daniel Herr, openly expressed his
appreciation of the Rohrer’s gift.
‘ ‘We’re very grateful to have this
opportunity to protect an impor
tant part of the County’s land
scape and the heritage of the Roh
rer family. This easement high
lights the Lancaster Farmland
Trust’s ability to work with farm
The Rohrers hope that generations to come will enjoy the
fruits of the orchard that they have painstakingly nurtured.
Rohrer Family
Preserves Heritage
families and assist with their
transfer of heritage planning, a
process of preparing and a next
generation of Lancaster County
farmers by combining farmland
preservation with estate plan
ning.”
Daniel and Grace Rohrer have a
special love of this soil and for the
63-acre farm that possesses such a
vibrant history. It was this love,
and their concern for the future of
agriculture, that first led them to
consider donating an easement in
East Hempfield to the Lancaster
Farmland Trust.
“I never cease to thrill each
spring,” he said, “seeing new soil
turned, the possibilities of a new
crop. . . that would be the hardest
part of the year, if I was to be
taken away from the land.”
Mr. and Mrs. Rohrer added,
“We know there are a lot of peo
ple in the world who go to bed
hungry every night because their
land was not conserved. We feel
this could happen in America as
well. There is a price the farmer
has to pay preserving his land, but
someone has to take a stand or we
could wind up hungry in genera
tions to come.” The Trust’s
executive director, Alan Mussel
man, added, “With their easement
donation to the Trust, Daniel and
Grace Rohrer have assured that
their heritage will remain intact,
and their home farm producuve,
for years to come.”
The home farm where Daniel
and Grace Rohrer have lived,
raised their children and farmed is
a special place, filled with the his
tory and values of a hard working
family. The first Rohrer farmed
here in 1829, living in a stone
house in the north field that time
and the elements have since
destroyed. In 1876 Daniel Roh
rer’s great grandfather built the
farmhouse in which Daniel and
Grace live today. The original
1829 deed hangs on the family
room wall, the same room that
was once a summer kitchen for
Daniel Rohrer’s ancestors, a room
considered quite modem at the
time as it was actually connected
to the main house. A smoke house
is in the yard, and the old horse
power bam that was used to gen
erate energy to thrash wheat is in
use today. A landmark maple tree,
well over 100 years old, stands
vigilant, looking out over the
orchards that are filled with apple,
cherry, nectarine, peach and apri
cot trees. The old maple has slow
ly decayed over the years, but the
Rohrers have planted a new one
by its side, the farm looks very
much the same way it did back
when the first Daniel Rohrer
turned his first furrow with his
hand plow.
The Lancaster Farmland trust is
a member supported organization
dedicated to preserving farms like
the Rohrers, farms that are an
integral part of Lancaster Coun
ty’s cultural heritage, beauty and
agricultural productivity. Persons
interested in preservation or mem
bership information may contact
the Trust at the Lancaster Conser
vation Center, 128 East Marion
Street, Lancaster, 17603. For
further information please call
293-0707.
Landscape With
Native Plants
LEESPORT (Berks Co.)
The widespread development of
our woodlands and countryside
has resulted in the decimation of
many native plant and wildlife
species. An encouraging trend in
the “green” industry is to re
establish native plants in the home
landscape. The Pennsylvania
Bureau of State Parks, Nolde
Forest Environmental Education
Center, and Penn State Coopera
tive Extension, Berks County, are
co-sponsoring a lecture on land
scaping with Native Plants.
F. M. Mooberry, Director of
Horticulture at Brandywine Con
servancy will speak on Wednes
day, March 7, 7:00 P.M. at the
Berks County Agricultural Center,
RDI, Leesport, Pa. Cost is $3.00
per person. Mail reservations to
Berks Co. Ag Center, P.O. Box
520, Leesport, Pa 19533.
Ms. Mooberry has given many
lectures on re-establishing native
wild plants to the landscape and is
the author of several books on the
topic.
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