A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 14,1990 A Nice (Continued from Page A 1) farm have a good impression of the source of their dairy products. Besides having a farm “that was a nice-looking farm when my parents managed it,” said Gary, there was little else they had to do to win the award. A panel of judges visited the farm and took pictures. All Gary had to do was fill out a few forms and wait for the results. -<y jg up to his Dairy of Distinc tion farm with daughters Laura, 8, left and Shell, 6. A caution sign warns visitors that “kids & kats at play.” POURED SOLID Far Left: 1-Million Gallon Circular Manure Storage Tank Far Right: 2 Silage Pits In-Barn Manure Receiving Pit 300’ Long Manure Pit For Hog Confinement All sizes available Round or rectangular Place Judges consider clean and attractive buildings and surround ings and figure these into the final selection. The qualifications indi cate that fencing and feed areas should be in good repair, and unnecessary items such as trash piles should be removed. The Stoltzfus farm was one of eight farms in District 20 honored in Pennsylvania. Other farms 17 Years Experience In Pouring Concrete Manure Pits! Take the questions out of your new construction Call Balmer Bros, for quality engineered walls. included Dalton and Vickie Biehl, in Kutztown; Promise Land Dairy, Perkusie; Delaware Valley Col lege, Doylestown; Dale Hoover, Lebanon; Vincent and Juliet Wag ner, Myerslown; Lester and Mar ian Zimmerman, Myerstown; and Junge Farms, New Tripoli. Gary attributes the honor mostly to “a nice location here, back off the road a nice distance,” he said. “It’s a nice place to have a family, away from the main road.” Gary doesn’t think his family did anything in particular to win the award. ‘ ‘I don’t know if we did anything differently,” he said. “We try to keep the place up. We’ve always tried to keep the place looking nice over the years. ’ ’ One of the things, besides regu lar mowing and maintenance, was the installation of a liquid manure holding tank on the farm in 1982. Construction Of Partially In-Ground Liquid Manure Tank - 400,000 Gallons 425,000 Gallons Invest in Qualit CONCRETE WORK, INC. Gary Stoltzfus provides a cool drink of water to his Holstein calves during a recent hot afternoon at his farm In Elverson. Nice location CONCRETE SYSTEMS - It will last a lifetime. Dairy manure and waste water is pumped once a day into the 400,000-gallon capacity tank. There is enough storage for nearly five months. The manure is spread in the fields in the spring and fall —either disced or chiseled into the soil. In 1982, Gary went into partem ship with his father, Marvin. In the spring this year, Gary bought his father’s share of the partnership, including all the dairy cattle and equipment. “My parents still own the farm, but we do all the manag ing,” he said. Work rotated In cooperation with his father and one hired man, Paul Ranck, the work of milking the cows is rotated every third weekend, to give Gary and the others a chance to be with their families. ‘ ‘I guess I always enjoyed work ing with dairy cattle,” said Gary. “Sharon will sometimes help milk, or my daughter Laura will help milk once in a while, if I need Gary is usually up at 4 a.m. Milking is twice a day, 6 a.m. and again by 6 p.m. They’re usually in bed by 9 p.m. The farm has been in the family several generations, said Gary. “I like farming,” he said. “I don’t know where else Td go to buy land at this price for what we have.” Start out farming These days, Gary said, you couldn’t start out farming on your own. “1 wouldn’t be farming, I guess, if it wouldn’t be for my parents, in this location anyway.” Gary enjoys the recognition and is happy that the honor “gives the public a good image of farming. “There are some nice farms out here. It gives the farmers a good name when they see a farm like this.” CONCRETE PUMPING SERVICE AVAILABLE * X »:? :r > Mixer And* Boom Trucks 243 Miller Road Akron, PA 17501 (717) 733-0353 6:30 AM - 3:30 PM (717) 859-2074 After 6:00 PM
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