Page 16—Dairy of Distinction Supplement to Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 31,1993 Beth Miller Cumberland Co. Correspon- dent NEWVILLE (Cumberland Co.)- Richard G. Mains has won many prestigious farming awards over the years and now he has another honor to add to that list. His farms in West Pennsboro and Penn Townships have been picked for the coveted Dairy of Distinction honor. Mains, who runs the sue farms in his operation in partnership with his son, Richard Jr., is proof of what hard work and intelligent planning can bring. Mains showed his talent for farming early when he enrolled in the two-year Agriculture Manage ment Program at Penn State Uni versity after graduating from Car lisle High School in 1954. He fin ished the course in one and one-half years. Richard Mains with calves that will keep his Dairy of Distinction operation going in the future. Master Farmer Now Has Dairy Of Distinction After finishing at Penn State in 1956, Mains’ father, Norman, who is 86 and still walks to the farms every morning, offered him a three-way partnership with his brother. „ His career with the farms, which all touch, grew from there. “AH our equipment is bought and paid for. A lot of people can’t start up in small farms because it costs a lot to start up,” Mains said. “You can make good money because of the high prices, but if things get bad you fall big.” By 1970, the Mains’ were milk ing one of the biggest herds in the county. Mains in fact started milk ing in one of the first parlors in the area. They still are milking in a parlor they built 23 years ago. Their herd average production hps risen from 12,000 pounds in 1970 to an average of 19,000 pounds today, Mains said. Mains owns 750 acres and rents Since the Dairy of Distinction program began in 1987, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, hundreds of dairy farmers have applied to have their farms recognized as a “Dairy of Distinction”. Those attractive farms that were honored to receive the colorful farm sign are truly an advertisement for their industry not only to their neighbors, but to those who pass their farms. This is the purpose of the prog ram: to be a point of pride in promoting the source of the state beverage milk. However, the executive committee recognizes there are many more farms that would merit the designation if only they would submit an application to the program. Also, there are those farms that entered in the past that have truly improved the appearance of their farms and would now qualify. But no one else can enter for you. Mr., Mrs., or Ms. Dairy farmer, this is a self nominating program. Only you can take the initiative to com plete the application and send it in. We encourage you to participate in 1994. It will make us all proud to see more farms strive to become a “Dairy of Distinction.” Thank you again to all our hard-working volunteers on the commitees for making the program successful the past seven years. EDITOR’S NOTE: 1994 application forms for Dairy of Distinction will be available after January 1,1994. Forms are distributed by American Dairy Association and Daily Council, Inc., 239 Schuyler Avenue STEIOS, Kingston, PA 18704-3329. And will also be printed in various farm newspapers. another 200. The main farm has been in the Mains family since 1832. The original farmhouse was involved in the Civil War when Conferate soldiers stayed there on their way to Carlisle, and the fam ous Battle of Gettysburg, Mains said. The Mains’ milk 150 cows and raise 200 young cattle for replace ments. They employ one hired man full-time to help with the operation. They grow most of the feed for the cattle - com, alfalfa, wheat, barley and soybeans. Mains said they roast their soybeans. The Mains’ sell the com they don’t use and they sell wheat also. They have no plans to expand their operation at present. Mains said. The Dairy of Distinction honor is just one of the awards Mains has won for his expertice in farming. President Baker’s Message Richard Mains stands with one of the non-milking cows at his Dairy of Distinction farm. Another major honor was awarded to him in 1991 when the Pennsylvania Farmers Associa tion bestowed the Master Farmer Award on him. His own father had won the same coveted award in 1969. Richard Jr. also seems to be fol lowing in his father’s footsteps since, like his dad, he also is a gra duate of the agriculture course at Penn State. Two of Mains’ three daughters are in fanning also. Richard Sr. is active jn farming beyond the boundaries of his own farms as well. He is a member of the Pennsyl vania Dairy Promotion Board and a state director in the Pennsylvani a Farmers Association. In addi tion, he is promoting agriculture security areas in the townships where his farms are located. Mains said he is trying to sign easements to preserve all the farms for farming use. So far, two Dan Baker President, Pennsylvania Dairy of Distinction Program farms are signed in, he said. His other activities include being a session member of the First United Presbyterian Church for 15 years. Mains said he and his wife, Shelby, try to travel in the winter. They have managed to make it to 40 of the SO states so far, he said. Mains said his operation also includes one of the area’s most .colorful landmarks, the “reddest bam in the county.” The barn ended up being painted a Chinese red, he said, because Richard Jr. kept teasing him about all the buildings on the operation being painted white with green trim. So Richard Sr. said he started calling around, saying he would paint the bam the brightest red he could find. He did, a very bright red. “It’s an eye-catcher,” Mains said. “A lot of people drive by and take pictures.”
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