Farming, Saturday, May 23, 1992
Elizabethtown Agriculture Project Bolsters Life Skills
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
ELIZABETHTOWN (Lancas
ter Co.) In science fiction sto
ries, it’s called “terraforming”
the process of adopting a hostile
environment to one suitable for
humans.
Much the same can be said for
the work of the entire agriculture
department at Elizabethtown, who
have spent the last half year creat
ing a thriving wildlife habitat and
profitable operation from a farm
that was, at one time, barely
profitable.
Work began last summer to
renovate sections of the 30-acre
Bear Creek Farm, once owned by
Dave Sweigart and sold to the Eli
zabethtown Area School District,
into an educational facility.
A dedication ceremony, honor
ing the nearly 300 students, facul
ty, administration, staff, and vol
unteers, will take place on Wed
nesday. June 3, at 5 p.m. The event
will include a chicken and fish bar
becue as well as fresh salad pre
pared from vegetables grown in
the students’ greenhouse.
Dave Winters plants string beans on the freshman plot at
Bear Creek Farm.
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, one-acre porid at > Bear Creek Farm has been expanded and Includes a doc.
The pond will be stocked, with the help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with min
nows, crayfish, bullfrog tadpoles, water plants, channel catfish, bluegllls, and striped
bass. Here, Gary Swlhart, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, left and Al Martin, Elizabeth
town agiisclence teacher, discuss plans for stocking the pond.
Educational laboratory
“The facility will serve as an
educational laboratory for not only
the agricultural department, but for
the entire school and community,”
said Heather Henisee, president of
the FFA chapter.
Also, the work on the facility
has more far-reaching goals. The
project, part of the Building Our
American Community (BOAC)
activities at the school, rivals the
BOAC Award-winning project
undertaken at the school in 1983
the construction of the Eli
zabethtown Fairground.
‘ ‘We feel this might be a project
that would be worth a good run at
the nationals,” said William Erik
son, agriscience teacher at the
school and FFA adviser.
Much of the school, including
14 ag science classes, has been
involved in the Bear Creek project,
including FFA, agriscience clas
ses, electrical class, wildlife, weld
ing classes, and others. Eriks on
said that he wants every part of the
school to be involved because it
represents “more people involved
abd more agencies involved than
’
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Inues on a water diversion area around the Bear Creek Farm
pond. The department plans to stock the diversion with various plants to help speed
up the wetlands conversion process, according to agrlsclence Instructor Al Martin,
left. At right Is Gary L. Swlhart, fishery assistance project leader with the wildlife
service.
jry Jhart, U.. Fish and Wildlife Service, seated, visited the Bear
Creek Farm to work out the details of stocking the pond as part of the service’s Part
ners In Wildlife program. At right Is Al Martin, agriscience instructor at Elizabethtown.
the fairgrounds project.” Erikson provide a hands-on laboratory for
said the department has been the school,
working with “at least a dozen • 45 freshman agriscience stu
agencies” in renovating the farm, dents worked more than a half-acre
of ground and planted a variety of
vegetables. The students had to
sign a contract to sell the veget
ables with family and friends.
• The ag structures class, under
the guidance of instructor Gary
Gattens, involved various classes
in the construction of a tool shed to
store farm material at the site.
• School welding classes con
structed a pumphouse at the pond
to provide underground irrigation
capability to the farm’s 1-acre
orchard.
• About 25 dwarf applies, 10
cherry, and numerous raspberry
and Christmas trees were planted
Ag activities
Various agricultural activities
comprise the project, including:
• A one-acre pond that has been
expanded and includes a dock. Hie
pond will be stocked, with the help
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser
vice, with minnows, crayfish, bull
frog tadpoles, water plants, chan
nel catfish, bluegills, and striped
bass. The 10 acres of wetlands will
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built up on the half-acre plot at the Elizabethtown Bear
Creek Farm.
last year.
At the pond site, water testing is
conducted continuously. Soon, the
department will begin stocking the
pond with various types of fish and
other wildlife.
Construction continues on a
water diversion area around the
pond. The department plans to
stock the diversion with various
plants to help speed up the wet
lands conversion process, accord
ing to agriscience instructor A 1
Marlin.
Gattens’ ag structures class con
tributed by building the shed, but
he said that the students will con
tinue to develop the area. “We’re
helping to improve the area by put
ting it back the way it was,” said
(Turn to Pago A 29)