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PERIODICALS DIVISION
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
W 209 PATTEE LIBRARY riVt -^ J - ,y ‘,
UNIVERSITY PARK PA 16802-1802
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VOL 38 NO. 7
Gordon Hiller, tho now Ponnaylvanla Grange master,
brings a lifetime of experience In dealing with rural affairs to
the state office.
Kreager Farm Is Diamond
In Coal Country
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Staff
FRIEDENSBURG (Schuylkill
Co.) Dairy and cash crop far
mer Ken Kreager, 64, stood staring
at a 15-foot American chestnut
tree.
He discovered it on the edge of a
tree line on neighboring rented
property while driving to and from
a field.
The tree, really a sprout, was
starting to.show signs of disease. It
was apparently drawing strength
from old root stock which has
managed to retain an energy
balance, he surmised.
A living symbol of a lime past,
the root energy of the original tree
(by now very old) allows it to con
tinue pushing out into an inhospit
able world, where it gains just
enough energy from the sun to
store in the roots for perhaps
Re-elected and newly elected directors of Atlantic Dairy Cooperative are, from left,
H. Wallace Cook Jr., Charles E. Schilling, Robert B. McSparran, L. Elmer Vickers,
David N. Roes, Rhelda E. Royer, and Thomas W. Powel.
Four Sections
another sprout which may grow
about IS feet
Then that sprout dies.
The original tree root continues
to survive without reproducing
itself.
It may continue to exist for per
haps another hundred years if the
environment which surrounds it
remains undisturbed.
The analogy to single family
farming is almost inevitable.
The American chestnut tree as a
species is existent, but only in a
vestigial form.
Early European Americans and
European business interests with
abilities in world trade took many
of the tall, straight, strong trees for
structural beams and boards for all
kinds of building construction,
from houses and bams to covered
bridges.
(Turn to Pago A 22)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 26, 1992
Hiller Hopes To Revitalize
Grange With People Orientation
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) —With a lifetime experience
of fanning and working for gov
ernment agencies, including PDA
and EPA, Gordon Hiller, the new
Pennsylvania State Grange master,
brings many personal qualifica
Th e Lancaster Farming office
will be closed Friday, January 1, in
observance of New Year’s day.
Early deadlines for the last week of
December are as follows:
Public Sale Ads—Noon, Thur.,
12/24.
Mailbox Markets—Noon,
Thur., 12/24.
General News—Noon, Tue.
12/29.
Classified Section C Ads—s
p.m., Mon. 12/28.
All Other Classified Ads—9
a.m„ Tue. 12/29.
Ken and Beatrice Kreager flank daughter Arlene in front of their Schuylkill County
Diamond Farm. The pines In the back were planted by Ken’s grandmother. The house
Incorporates the original log home.
Holiday Deadlines
The Lancasttr Faming office
will also have early deadlines for
our Pennsylvania Farm Show
issue. Because of the opening of
the Farm Show late in the first full
week in January, deadlines will be
as follows:
Public Sale Ads —Noon, Mon.,
1/4.
Mailbox Markets Noon,
Mon., 1/4.
General News Noon, Wed.,
1/6.
Clasified Section C Ads 5
p.m., Tue., 1/5.
' All Other Classified Ads 9
a.m.. Wed. 1/6.
Atlantic Dairy
Elects Officers, Directors
tions into his quest to revitalize the
33,000 member rural organization.
Hiller was elected to the highest
office in the organization at the
120th annual meeting held in Wil
liamsport in October. Hiller
received his SO year pin at the
convention.
SOUTHAMPTON (Bucks Co.)
Atlantic Dairy Cooperative’s
board of directors elected officers
for the 1992-1993 fiscal year and
announced the results of director
elections at the cooperative’s
annual meeting.
Robert B. McSparran of Peach
Bottom was elected to his 13th
term as president of the coopera
tive. The Lancaster County dairy
farmer has served on the board for
26 years.
McSparran and his wife. Char
lotte. own and operate a 300-acre
farm and milk a mixed herd of 60
609 Psr Copy
After retiring from his position
as regional director of PDA in the
Williamsport area several years
ago, Hiller used his new-found
time to again become active in the
organization that had captured his
attention as a teenager when he was
president of his local FFA chapter.
In those early years, he was a local
Grange master even before he was
married. He has continued an
active interest in Grange activities,
most recently as pan of the execu
tive committee and has helped with
a national training program for
Grange leadership.
When Gordon and Mrs. Hiller
started to farm, the need for con
tour strips and other conservation
practices created the seeds of inter
est in conservation as a way of life.
For these conservation practices
and his efforts to start a conserva
tion district in Lycoming County,
Hiller won the Goodyear Conser
vation Award.
(Turn to Page A 32)
Guernsey and Holstein cows.
They are in partnership with their
son, John W. McSparran.
Re-elected as first vice presi
dent was Ivo V. Otto Jr. of Carli
sle. Otto has been a member of
Atlantic for 42 years, serving on
the board of directors for 25 years.
He and his family operate a
388-acre farm in Cumberland
County and milk 135 Holstein
cows.
Elected to his sixth term as sec-
ond vice president was Roy W.
Hetrick of Bemville. Hetrick has
(Turn to Pago A2S)
$19.00 Per Year