82-Uncast«r Fartnlng, Saturday, October 19 1991
JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
NEW PARK (York Co.)
Deb Rohrbaugh’s first date with
her husband Alien was a fitting
opening for her career today as a
dairy farm partner.
“He picked me up in a cattle
truck and we went to auction,”
chuckles this York County farm
woman. “We probably dropped
off calves; I don’t really remem
ber.” She does remember that the
end destination of the date,
though, was a game of miniature
golf.
Appropriately, Deb and Allen
first met at an FFA party held at
the Leader farm near New Free
dom, where his father, George,
was herdsman for the registered
Guernsey operation. Allen was
just two when the family began
their 25-year association with the
Leader herd. He grew up there,
helping with the cattle and exhi
biting Guernseys as a York Coun
ty 4-H’er.
Deb spent her childhood in the
Rinely area, where the Hyson
family tended beef cattle and
crops on their general farm. She,
too, was an active 4-H member,
winning county and state awards
in photography and representing
Pennsylvania at Club Congress in
Chicago.
By the time Deb and Allen were
considering marriage, his “num
ber” came up near the top of the
selective service Vietnam War
draftee lottery list Allen instead
enlisted in the Army in 1972, leav
ing within a day of Deb’s own
departure for a 4-H exchange trip
to Canada.
“I cried the whole way there,”
she recalls.
They married after his early
training, with a wedding cere
mony on a Saturday and a depar
ture Sunday for San Antonio
where Allen was temporarily
based. Less than three weeks later,
after another relocation to Fort
Bragg, North Carolina, Deb
received word that her mother had
died.
While the frequent, distant
moves and emotional upheavel of
such sudden changes might have
caused problems for some new
lyweds, Deb and Allen found
strength as a couple to face them
together.
A medic with a paratrooper
unit, Allen also enjoyed working
with the base’s vet clinic and
•h rbaugh and son Scott, 2, take advantage of a warm fall afternoon to operate
some “farm equipment.”
Move Doesn’t Lessen Family’s
Allen and Deb Rohrbaugh, with Scott, are firmly commit
ted to the dairy Industry as a way of life and a lifestyle In
using his animal knowledge in
caring for the clinic’s clinentele,
primarily horses. Deb worked as a
seamstress at the nearby Wrangler
shirt company. They remained at
Fort Bragg until his discharge in
1975.
Early in their marriage, the
Rohrbaughs discussed the possi
bility of Allen’s returning to the
dairy business. But, on their
return, they both landed jobs at
BMY, a large York manufacturer
of armored, motorized field equip
ment for the military. And, they
built a new house near Deb’s
home.
Still, there was “something”
missing in their lives.
“Allen just wasn’t happy work
ing in the factory,” remembers
Deb.
“And, there was no guarantees
that we would be able to keep
these jobs. We were on strike for
awhile, and never could make that
back up. We could have lost job
security at any time,” she said.
The Rohrbaughs began looking
for a suitable farm to rent - and
found one just 10 miles from
home. With the Leader herd’s dis
persal, George, his wife Audrey
and their youngest son Darryl,
were interested in joining Allen
and Deb on a family operation. By
renting the farm and buildings,
and buying their own cows and
equipment, the Rohrbaughs were
able to realize their dream of
dairying on their own.
Located on the Pennsylvania-
Maryland border, the Charles
Birch farm, which the Rohrbaughs
rent, sports a Mason-Dixon survey
marker on the property. The build
ings are on the Maryland side, so
daughter Jill, 10, attends elemen
tary school in nearby Norrisville.
But their mailing address is
Pennsylvania-based.
Despite some seasons of
drought and the recent lowest milk
prices they’ve ever received, Deb
is totally committed to farming
and the dairy industry.
“I can’t remember ever ques
tioning Allen’s wish to dairy
farm,” says this ag supporter and
enthusiast.
“But I did cry the day I left my
new house,” she confesses with a
smile.
Being able to slay home with
their children, Jill and Scott, 2, has
been a family farming dividend
that Deb really appreciates. She
learned to milk, handles the farm
which to raise a family. Absent from the picture Is daughter
Jill, who was attending school.
books, recordkeeping, and runs
errands.
Deb Rohrbaugh has also
become something of a farm acti
vitist, primarily through her work
with the York County and Pen
nsylvania Farmers Associations.
She credits fellow PFA enthusiast
Pat Sueck with spurring her
interest.
“I opened my mouth,” Deb says
of a county farmers association
meeting she attended where a lack
of volunteers for an activity was
being discussed. “I said I hadn’t
been asked to help.”
“I got asked,” she jokes of Pat’s
ability to enlist others to become
involved. She helped at the associ
ation’s annual York farm tour,
then was appointed county
women’s committee chairman.
Local involvement led to partici
pation in statewide PFA events,
including annual meetings and
women’s activities. Deb now
writes, publishes, and mails the
county association’s monthly
newsletter.
“It’s something I can do at
home, and I do like to do it,” she
says of the informative mailings
she handles. “I use items from
here and there, and PFA sends out
materials for newsletter use. It
isn’t hard to find information to
include.”
Since Scott was bom two years
ago, Deb has relinquished some
farm chores, like milking, but con
tinues her participation in farm
and community activities by tak
ing her friendly, outgoing son
along. A recent move by PFA to
provide babysitting services at
state activities has made pardcipa
don for young mothers easier. In
fact, if organizadons want young
people to be involved, this farm
*Mmes{cad
t/nips
woman activitist believes they
need to seriously look at providing
facilities for care of young
children.
“When Scott was six-months
old, I took him along to spring
conference. At the Hershey con
vention, babysitting was pari of
the service. 1 thanked them and let
them know how important it is. I
like to go but can’t unless there u
something like that available,” she
adds.
State activities have been the
source of many friendships,for
Deb, who has become acquainted
with farmers from around, Pen
nsylvania. A few of those familiar
faces will soon become neighbors.
In March, the three families of
the Rohrbaugh’s Deal Holstcins
plan to relocate to a 200-acre farm
in Somerset County. Because land
prices in York County have
become prohibitive for dairying
purposes, the Rohrbaughs search
ed for several years across sur
rounding states for a suitable farm
to purchase.
“Having been with the Army,
we know we can live somewhere
else. We also already have friends
in Somerset County that we’ve
made through PFA,” explains
Deb.
The 125-freestall and parlor
setup is not too different from the
facilities in which they presently
milk, so herd adjustment should
be fairly easy. Computer feeders
are in place, equipment on which
Deb hopes she and her sister-in
law Denise can be helpful.
Denises is presently employed
in computer work with a Mary
land firm. Deb took a 20-hour
introductory course a few years
ago with the York Business Insti-
(Turn to Pago B 4)