A32-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 9, 1991
Dairy Of Distinction Farm
(Continued from Pago Al)
eggs in one basket,” said Robot
R. Gehman.
Gehman said he believes that,
sometimes, “when hog prices are
high and milk prices drop off,
we’re not hurting that much,” he
said.
The farm owes much of its suc
cess to hard, persistent work
and credit from the Lord, said Ade
line. “If the farmer does’t get the
rain and the sun, your work does
no good. It’s the Lord that gives
you the increase.”
Robert Gehman worked on a
dairy and beef operation when in
high school. It was his experience
working for his uncles on their
dairy farms that helped him start
his own dairy business. In addi
tion, Adeline grew up'on a dairy
farm (50 acres, 12 cows) in Dublin,
Pa., near Doylestown.
Comprises 160 acres
The Marwell Dairy comprises
about 160 acres (about 110 till
able). They also farm an additional
900 acres with cash crops in vari
ous locations nearby.
The dairy has 80 milk cows
(most grade Holstein) and about 70
young stock. Milking times are
5:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., from a
. -<ag
of grade Holstein on the Dairy of Distinction farm.
HighYeld
AC RM: I#2 - I#6
1 You can expect top performance from this
stress tollerant hybrid. It offers exceptional late season stand
ability, and is well-suited to continuous corn or crop rotation
operations. Moves South well as an early hybrid, and should
be planted at higher populations to maximize its high per
formance potential.
N 5729 SUo.
If you like 55340 maturity you’ll find this new hybrid is
taking over as the yield and standability leader in the East.
It delivers top yields carried on stalks with outstanding
strength. N 5729 is a medium tall hybrid with semi-blocky
ears. Has excellent staygreen, with somewhat slower
drydown.
Because You’re In Business To Grow Northrup King
BROOKLAND
MILLS, INC. ISENBERG
McVeytown, PA 17051 Alexandria, PA 16611
(717) 899-4772 (8140 449-9323
“K™ WCHARD H.
Grantee 17028-9650
(717) 845-0910 Columbia, PA 17512
' (717) 484-2483
HAKES FARM &
SEED SERVICE
Red Lion, PA 17356
(717) 244-2754
HORACE HEINDEL
& SON
York, PA 17402
(717) 244-3780
tiestall to a milking pipeline.
Gehman uses a total mixed
rations (TMR) system formulated
by F.M. Brown.
The DHIA herd average is
17,600 pounds of milk; 675
pounds of fat; and 578 pounds of
protein.
Raises hogs
The farm also raises about 1,100
hogs a year. They are sold locally
through Leidy’s Meats. The swine
are obtained from a local farrow
ing house with 60 head.
They also raise 800 capons for
retail and wholesale markets.
The Gehmans also raise about
60 acres of gourds and about 15
acres of spaghetti, butternut, and
acorn squash, in addition to 115
acres of ornamental pumpkins.
(The pumpkins are maintained
planted, cultivated, and fertilized
for Dan Shantz, a wholesaler.
Shantz then harvests them when
they are ripe.)
Gehman said the family also
maintains an 80-acre field for the
St. Francis Academy, a Catholic
organization in Bethlehem, and
helps harvest a peach orchard and a
vineyard.
Lot of farmers
4 ‘On my mother’s side, there are
GORDON SCOTT V SHIPMAN WAYNE FEED
STEPHEN J.
FNYDER
Elizabeth villa, PA 17023
(717) 342-8735
LARRY & GARY
MENSINGER
Nescopeck. PA
(717) 379-3244
WARRIORS MARK , CAROVAILINC KNISELY'S AG
GENE MILLER FEED CENTER LARRY BOWER CENTER. INC.
Catawlua. PA 17820 Warriors Mark, PA 16877 173250249 Unden, PA 17744 Carlisle, PA 17013
(7)7) 799-5740 (814) 432-6490 (717) 334-2104 (717) 323-3544 (717) 243-2233
Turbo tville, PA 17772
(717) 449-4133
SUPPLY
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(717) 243-4121
SOMERSET
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Somerset, PA 15501 Womesldotf, PA 19567
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a lot of farmers,” said Gehman.
“And I just always wanted to
farm. I can’t see people who go to
college and don’t know what they
want to do! I knew what I wanted
to do when I was 10 years old.”
Gehman said that he knew if he
wanted to be a dairy farmer, he
needed some “first-hand
experience.
‘ ‘I mean, I took the ag course in
school, you didn’t learn a whole
lot You got some book knowledge
but not that much hands-on experi
ence,” he said.
Gehman said, in those days, it
was a lot harder to farm. “Those
were the days before stable clean
ers and silo unloaders,” he said.
“And I started a quarter after four
in the morning and worked till
6-6:30 at night with about a 15-mi
nute break for breakfast and, at
most a half-hour break for lunch.
And that was six days a week.”
Every third Sunday he would have
off in the afternoon, but would
have to work every Sunday
morning.
Combined knowledge
But the combined knowledge
and experience of keeping a farm
helped in obtaining Dairy of Dis
tinction recognition.
“Our farm sits back from the
road,” said Adeline. “But we try
to keep the grass mowed on either
side of the macadam lane.
‘ ‘ What happens on a farm is you
tend to not have time to take care of
it. It can be very easily neglected,”
she said.
Adeline said that Robert “is of
the calibre that it’s not fun working
on a run-down place. It’s no fun
farming it Some farms never take
time for painting buildings or put
ting in windows.”
Appearance up
According to Adeline, the gen
eral appearance has been kept up
outside the farm as well as in.
“I like to say one thing about
my husband, which I think a lot of
farmers can leant,” she said. “He
JOHN C SNOOK
Mffllnburg, PA 17844-9552
(717) 944-0957
WAYNE FofIIPMFNT ELWOOD HARER
FEED SUPPLY ““''Sina/Sm 77 ®
DiMtuto, PA 17019 n)7\ 1.U.M70 (/i/J
(717) 432-9423
always bought things for the
house, not only for the farm. He
will always buy a refrigerator or
something before I even ask for it
A lot of farmers don’t spend
money for anything that’s in the
house, because everything has to
go into the farm. And that makes
dairy fanning a lot more fun.”
Adeline said that the family
•bert, S
feeder trough on the Marwell Farm.
BEDFORD
FARM BUREAU
Bedford, PA 15522
(814) 423-4194
To get the most from
com dollar, you car
Northrup King hybrids
sistently come on strr
top yields, even under ‘
• ditions. And Northrup '
hybrids to match your
really put stock in. Northrup King
BRUCE B. GAMBLE LEON
& SONS OBERHOLIZER ,
Concord PA 17217 East Earl, PA 17519
(717) 349-2570 {717)564-0*32
JOHN D. CASSEL
pa H 036 W'NFIRFARM LYN-LEE FARMS
(717) 666*6022 Centre Hail, PA 16828 State College, PA 16001
(614) 564*9270 (414) 256*1253
cares about the appearance of the
farm. “Not just making a living,”
she said. “It’s no fun living in a
run-down place. We know some
farmers who never take time to
clean up junk or anything. And
there’s no joy in farming that way.
“This earth is God’s. You
should take the best care of it you
___ i»
can.
dog, Heidi. From left, Barry;
ts.
RHOADS THE AGRONOMY
MILLS INC. CENTER
Seflngsgrov*. PA 17870 Thompionfown, PA 17094
<717) 374-8141 (717) 83S-61S1
KENNETH E ZURIN CYRIL SHAFFER
Ml Joy. PA 17552 Ddmotta. PA 17017
(717) 198-8734 (717) 758-4346
'brids.
J RICHARD
BOMBER6ER
Lebanon, PA 17042
(717) 949-3442