Faith, Farming Inseparable For Ammons
(Continued tram Pag* A 1)
contour strips, and have installed a
waterway and a limited access
area. Because of extensive spring
development, both pastures offer
watering troughs.
Bill and Helen Ammon’s 325
acre Dairy of Distinction includes
two farms with 175 tillable acres
and the rest pasture and woodland.
Bill estimates they plow only
about2o percent of their com acres
and no till the rest
In 1948, Bill’s father bought a
neighborhood farm. The “home”
farm, where the Ammon’s live
with son Mike, 22, and daughters
Ellen, 20, and Christine, 19,
remains a short drive around the
flat fields to their second farm.
The second farm houses their
70-cow herd of registered Hols
teins in a stanchion setting in a pic
turesque landscape the historic
Pennsylvania Canal, with three old
locks, runs the complete length of
the second farm.
Bill Ammon and son k yearling calves
embryo transfer heifer bom on the farm.
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The 20,000 pounds of milk herd
avenge provides a respectable
start for the fifth generation
Mike Ammon.
" Mike’s really into pedigrees,”
Helen exclaimed. Mike said that
concentrating on the numbers
seems to be the best way to make a
herd profitable while maintaining
the current herd size. He said the
choices of pedigree promise to
improve quality and ultimately
make more money pa cow.
“Our main focus is to develop a
herd of registered cows that are in
demand. We’d like to become
more aggressive with our embryo
transfer program,” Mike added.
Mike said he shies away from
showring animals who may not
necessarily be bred for production.
He said he breeds for production,
sound functional type, and popular
pedigrees high indexes.
Mike stepped into die role as
herdsman with full approval from
his father. “They really work well
mm
agri
systems
The home farm of the Ammons aits along the bottom lands of the Juniata River and
has good soil and moisture.
together,” Helen said. Bill man
ages the crops and machinery and
“loves to watch the com come up! ”
his wife laughed.
Helen helps finish up die mom-
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ing milking. The men start millring
around 3:30 a.m. or 4 a.m., going
in for breakfast around 6:30 a.m. In
the afternoon, they milk torn 3
p.m. to 5:30 pan.
When not at college, Christine
prepares supper for the family and
Ellen helps at the bam. Ellen is
enrolled in the secretarial program
at Lancaster Bible College. Christ
ine attends Harrisburg Area Com
munity College studying Food
Service Management
Mike earned his way to districts
a couple of times through the 4-H
dairy club. Ellen and Christine
both entered cooking projects in
4-H. Mike finds time for church
league softball and both father and
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Uncaatar Firming. Saturday, Juna 13, 1902421
GAIL STROCK
Mifflin Co. Correspondent
Gail Stock, Mifflin County’s
news correspondent, has been
writing for Lancaster Forming
for 2/4 years.
Living in Belleville on their
27-acre farm with husband Den
nis and sons Evan, 8, and Aaron,
4, Gail keeps busy juggling writ
ing (including a newsletter for the
Mifflin County Fanners’ Associ
ation), kids’ activities, church
*«■
7:304:30
Sal. 7:30-11:30
commitments, household chores,
gardening and other outdoor
activities.
After graduating from Penn
State University with a degree in
Agricultural Economics and Rur
al Sociology. Gail traveled
throughout the United States and
Canada (Alberta) with her hus
band while he tested prototype
combines for Sperry-New
Holland.
son are avid hunters.
While raising their children. Bill
and Helen said they held firm to
two beliefs always attend
church together and always eat
supper together.
“That should be a goal for
everybody get your family
together at suppertime. I think
that’s real important,” Helen said.
“Even if you’re arguing or fight
ing,” Bill chimed in.
“We’re always in church
together.” Helen said. They are
members at the Wesley Chapel
Methodist Church in Strodes
Mills.
Helen echoed what farm wives
have known for generations
the farm is a great life for raising
children. “Even farm lads have a
lot of struggles and temptations. It
takes a lot of prayer. But I think
farm kids have a tremendous
advantage over other kids because
maybe they’re busier (working at
home) and have less temptations.
That doesn’t mean they can't get
into trouble.”
Bill said, “We do a lot of work.
Even though we’re working, we
have more hours together (than
other fathers and their children).”
The Ammons joined the Fellow
ship of Christian fanners after see
ing the organization’s Farm Show
display booth.
"They get groups of farmers
together and go to different coun
tries to build churches. It’s really a
good organization. We'd like to do
that some day.” Helen said.
Each generation of Ammon’s
seems to follow the next as ste
wards of the soil just as one season
follows the next, each enduring an
occasional wind of change.
Last year’s wind of uncertainty
came in the form of a drought.
Helen relfected, “I shouldn’t
have worried because there hasn’t
been a season yet where there
wasn’t a harvest. The Lord’s
always provided the harvest. And
you gotta believe He always will.”