B2>Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 2, 1993
Reviewing the Old,
(Continued from Page A 1)
Barbara said the area offices
served as a liason between 12 states
in the Northeast and Washington.
“We had to make sure the informa
tion got out and was followed. If
people had questions, we needed to
get answers.”
One of the most mind-boggling
issues was learning to deal with
employee problems. “It’s a lot dif
ferent in government than dealing
with employee problems in private
industry,” she said. “Long, drawn
out procedures take time. Equal
employment opportunity laws give
everyone the opportunity to pre
sent their cases and appeal. It’s a
real learning experience.”
..Another area that required dili
gent study was , the acroymns,
which every government agency
has.
“It was like learning a new lan
guage. It was one of the first things
I really needed to leam otherwise I
couldn’t understand what I was
reading,” she said.
In all, Barbara said it was a chal
lenging year. ‘The neatest part of
the whole job was to meet all the
people in state and county offices.”
“I have been able to hang onto my cows that’s the
Important thing,” said Becky Crombert of Chester County.
A vow made years ago came to fruition for Naomi Bupp
with successful sales from the Farm Women cookbook,
which she funded. ,
Barbara said that she owes a lot
to her husband and sons, who had
told her, “You’ve been here for us,
now it’s your turn to do something
you want to try.”
The Gumbines own a 150-head
purebred hog and 125-head Dorset
sheep operation on their 125-acre
Myerstown farm.
“Adjusting to life in Washington
was wonderful. It was similar to
college life. It taught me to be inde
pendent and function on my own. I
enjoyed my time in the city. There
was always so much going on.”
She said, “I have no regrets. I
would do it all over again.”
Since the New Year brings
installation of the newly elected
president, Barbara assumes that
her politically appointed position
will end on January 20.
Although Barbara was disap
pointed by the election results, she
said, “This is what makes govern
ment work. I can’t be upset. I knew
when I accepted this position that it
would last one or five years,
depending on the election. 1 have
accepted that this is it. I look for
ward to another opportunity, pos
sibly in four years.”
Looking Forward To The New
Jim, left, and Gene Schopf experienced a successful year with their produce and
capon business enough to encourage them to expand their operation.
one of the recipients who benefit- house, but I added a downstairs
ted from the scholarships. bathroom and laundry. If the time
Of the hard work required, the comes that I need to live on one
70-year-old Bupp said that she was floor, my house will be
accustomed to it. Her husband had wheelchair-accessible. I’ve lived
died at 61 years of age. Bupp did here for 47 years, and I want to stay
not want to sell her farmland. She here,” she said,
established her own drapery and Of her outlook for the future,
slip cover business, which she con- Bupp said, “No cookbook lasts
tinues on a part-time basis. forever. This will run its course
This year, she added an addition eventually. Everybody says,
to her house. “It’s already a big (turn to Page B 3)
During the next year, Barbara
hopes to stay active in agriculture.
Her immediate plans are to sell real
estate. Long-range plans arc to
remain involved in Pennsylvania
politics.
For Naomi Bupp, 1992 brought
unbelievable success to the “Soci
ety of Pennsylvania Farm Women
Cookbook.” Bupp masterminded
the cookbook for die Pennsylvania
Farm Women Society, which was
nine years in the making. Because
the organization did not have the
money needed to invest in such a
large project, Bupp emptied two of
her personal savings accounts and
borrowed $12,000 for a total of
$17,000 because she believed in
die project.
She thought it would take five
years to sell 2,500 copies, which
she needed to order for the first
printing and to break even with the
money invested. Now, the cook
book is in its sixth printing with a
total of 15,000 copies sold.
The biggest changes for her dur
ing this past year relate to her
involvement with the cookbooks.
She said, “I tout cookbooks
everywhere.”
It also has been a time
consuming project. “If I was not
semi-retired, I could not have done
this because it needs to be top
priority all the time,” Bupp said of
the required mailing, bookwork,
and trips to the bank. “Because the
cookbooks are not tax exempt, I
need to pay taxes monthly.”
Bupp is thrilled that the project
was so successful. “My dream was
that the cookbook would not be so
expensive that older farm women
could not afford to give cookbooks
to their children and grandchildren
for gifts. It has served the purpose
that I originally wanted.”
Profits from cookbook sales are
earmarked for the Society of Farm
Women’s scholarship fund.
Bupp said that it was really the
scholarship fund that inspired her
to undertake the cookbook project
“Years ago, my daughter 'got a
$3OO scholarship from the Farm
Women. I vowed'that somefiow,
sometime, I would replace that
money plus the amount for another
scholarship,’’ she said.
This year, her vow came to frui
tion when cookbook profits
enabled Farm Women to award six
$l,OOO scholarships.
‘The scholarships enabled some
to’attend college that could not
have otherwise,” Bupp said. In
fact, her own granddaughter was
ios Funk has retired from the Ag Preserva
tion Board and the Conservation District Board after
decades ofservlce, the 81 -year-old plans to work in the bus
iness he started as long as he can navigate.
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