A36-Lancastar Farming, Saturday, Juna 11, 1994 Diversification At Heart Of Farm Survival For Award-Winning Sorghum Grower ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff DOYLESTOWN (Bucks Co.) Making the best of dwindling opportunities has beeh the handi work of the SchmaTz Brothers Farm. For the past several years, in which drought has ruled the grow ing season, Dick Schtnalz has made the best of bleak opportuni ties. Instead of growing a lot of acres of com, which requires excellent growing conditions for an optimum crop, he decided years ago to plant grain sorghum which actually loves droughty weather. For his enterprises, Schmalz was recently awarded first place in the National Grain Sorghum Pro ducers Yield Contest for Pennsyl vania. The Bucks County cash crop farmer planted Dekalb 37 for a harvest of 90.52 bushels per acre topping the county and state yields. And the best part is. he used “poor ground,” he said, to grow it, with real droughty type soil. The sorghum, which he sells to the spe cialty bird food market, doesn’t like too much rain. “That’s why I plant it—for those dry summers,” he said. Began to diversify Together with brother, Charles Jr., and Dick’s wife Carole and family including sons Jeff, 31,' Mike, 30, and Brian 32 —Schmalz has been cash crop fanning since serving in the the Army in 1953. Almost immediately, he began to diversify, selling fertilizer, seed com (for Dekalb), and linking up to a variety of custom operator businesses, everything from spreading lime to plowing snow. Schmalz farms 625 acres of entirely leased land. Of those 625 acres. 125 are in com. 100 in wheat, and 75 in soybean. The remainder all 250 acres are in sorghum. He began planting sorghum in 1963. For several years, Schmalz stopped selling after, he said, he lost the market. But he re-entered the market ion 1989, realizing “it’s a good crop for us around here,” he said. “It’s a wonderful hog feed,” said Dick. “It’s going to be the coming crop.” Peak of operation At the peak of his farm opera tion, in the early 19705, Schmalz and his family were farming about Together with wife Carole and family—lncluding aona Jeff, 31, Mike, 30, and Brian 32 —Dick haa been cash crop farming since serving In the the Army in 1953. Almost Immediately, he began to diversify, selling fertilizer, seed com (for Dekalb), and llnk- Dlck and Carole Schmalz picked up the sorghum award at Ing up to a variety of custom operator businesses, everything from spreading lime to the 1993 convention In Nashville, Tenn. plowing snow. Photo by Andy Andnwa 1,500 acres. But because of equip ment and labor expenses, the farm has downscaled. Now, the farm operation sells fertilizer, seed com, and the product from the leased acreage. "Most of the customers I have have been coming for years and years to buy the fertilizer,” said Dick. The main office is on land pur chased from Dick’s father, Charles Sr., a “glazer” (a stained glass craftsman). About S acres are devoted to the grain and seed busi ness, including a scale and the bulk of J&R Supply, a wholesale land scape supply company owned by Jeff Schmalz. Farms disappearing Diversification is necessary in a county in which, because of taxes and a near-depleted agricultural economy, farms and fanners are disappearing at a rapid rate. Where once there were dozens of feed mills and hundreds of farms, now there are a handful of farmers and one mill. At a dizzying rate, houses are replacing the lush, agriculturally rich countryside. Up the road, near one of the farms of which Schmalz leases, houses worth $500,000-$700,000 are being built at a rapid pace. Homeowners from New York, Philadelphia, and Allentown don’t mind the hour- to two-hour com mute time. “I can’t see where they get the money to buy these houses,” said Dick. “They are $5OO-, $6OO-, $700,000 houses. And the young kids are buying them 21- and 22-year-old kids!” Mills gone Increasingly, agricultural opportunities are disappearing in the county. “We only got one feed mill in the whole county,” said Schmalz. “We don’t have any markets. There were a lot of feed mills once, but now they’re just gone.” To blame for the lack of agricul ture are the increasingly high tax es, the lack of major parts and implement dealers, the higher costs of farm supplies, and the uncertain market for cash products from the farm. ‘ ‘The way the prices are coming down every day, I don’t know,” said Schmalz. Can’t hang on “It’s an older population,” said Carole Schmalz. “The people that (Turn to Page A 39) For hit enterprises, Schmalz was recently awarded first place In the National Grain Sorghum Producers Yield Contest for Pennsylvania. The Bucks County cash crop far mer planted Dekalb 37 for a harvest of 90.52 bushels per acre—topping the county and state yields. And the best part Is, he used “poor ground,” he said, to grow It, with real droughty type soli. ' * For Dick, ho ond* up traveling to Lancaster to sell his feed and to pick up all his equipment, parts, and supplies. Dick Schmalz, right, helps customer Ralph Ketterer, Dublin, load fertilizer.
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