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Vol. 39 NO. 50
For Promoting Conservation, State Honors Manheim Farm Family
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
In the so-called "good old days,"
Bonnie Swan remembers how the
steer feedlot wall had a hole in it so
the runoff would run out into a
stream which fed into a spring, car
rying manure.
Routinely, farmers would use
starter fertilizer whether the crops
needed it or not
Sloped land would carry sheets
of soil downward, often depositing
it into a small area of wetlands on
their Rapho Valley Farm.
But, thankfully, those days are
far behind. For efforts to stem soil
erosion and to keep their land
viable and profitable for farming,
the Swans Jere, Bonnie, and
sons Eric, 10 and Tyler, 8 were
honored with the slate Agway/
Conservation Farmer of the Year
recognition recently at the Pen
nsylvania Association of Conser
vation Districts (PACD) annual
awards banquet in Greensburg.
The Swan family (honored as
outstanding cooperators with the
Grobei* he. Presents A Modern Veal Raising-Facility
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
NORTHAMPTON (Northamp
ton Co.) The most modem
veal-raising facility in the United
States was presented to the public
Wednesday, as milk replacement
manufacturer for veal calves,
Grober Inc., held a ribbon cutting
ceremony at its newest research
Berks Extension Reports Year’s Accomplishments , Goals
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
LEES PORT (Berks Co.)
About 170 people attended what
Steve Krupa calls the “annual
shareholders meeting" held at the
Berks County 4-H Community
Providence Acres Provides New Home For Abma Family
Providence Acres, owned and operated by Shawn, Dorothy and Henry Abma, is a
Dairy of Distinction located in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania.
609 Per Copy
district in March of this year)
maintain about 167 acres on the
home farm (about 148 tillable) and
rent additional land, for a total of
300 tillable acres. Tliey finish out
about 1,200 head of hogs and
about 360 head of beef heifers each
year.
For more than six years, since
the Swans joined the Lancaster
Conservation District, the Rapho
Valley Farm family has worked to
preserve and protect soil and nutri
ent quality on their farm.
In an interview with Lancaster
Farming, Jere remembered, years
back, when something had to be
done to stop the manure from get
ting into a half of an acre of wet
lands on the farm. When they
experienced a real ‘‘‘gully
washer,” said Jere, “we were hav
ing trouble with manure getting
in.”
Following Jhe footsteps of his
father, Earl, Jere began imple
menting no-dll practices, which
comprise about 30 percent of the
total crops grown on the farm, to
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farm near Bath.
Representatives of the veal
industry, officials from the state
Department of Agriculture and
others interested in the veal indus
try attended the event, which
included a tour of the 360-stall
Blue Mountain View Farm
facility.
Grober Inc., founded In Canada
Center on Monday night
Krupa, president of the board of
directors, was referring to the
Berks County Cooperative Exten
sion Association 80th annual
meeting, which reports on the
activities of the extension, elects
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 22, 1994
For efforts to stem soil erosion and to keep their land viable and profitable for farm
ing, the Swarrs from left, Eric, 10; Jere; Bonnie; and Tyler, B—were8 —were honored with
the state Agway/Conservation Farmer of the Year recognition recently at the Pen nsy I
vania Association of Conservation Districts (PACO) annual awards banquet In
Greensburg. Photo by Andy Andrews
m 1974, specializes in veal feeds
and in manufacturing milk replac
ers. It has since become interna
tional and has a headquarters not
only in Canada, but in the Lehigh
Valley, about seven miles from the
site of the new research facility.
On first glance, the facility
appears to be nothing out of the
ordinary it could well be a
new board members, and recog
nizes those who make the program
successful.
Newly elected to the board were
Becky Stubbs, Annamarie Schick,
Ted Bowers, and Thomas Versa
gli. Ralph Sanner will replace an
180-foot, by 82-fool red-sided,
modem dairy bam.
But closer inspection reveals
that it is much more than that.
The layout of the building is
such that the center is the feed stor
age, mixing and distribution
center.
Projecting out from the center of
the single-story building is a load
ex-officio member.
Evalina Bonilla was presented
with a Nittany Lion statue for her
25 years as an adviser for the
Expanded Food and Nutrition
Education Program (EFNEP).
As an adviser Bonilla has taught
CAROLYN N. MOYER
Bradford Co. Correspondent
EAST TROY (Bradford Co.) —
God is in control.
These simple words printed on a
chalk board greet all visitors to the
Abma farm and serve as a simple
testament to a faith that allowed
45-year-old Henry Abma, his wife,
Dorothy, and their youngest son,
Shawn, to make a move into
unknown territory.
That unknown territory not only
meant moving to a new location,
but also starting a totally new
career.
“We moved on May 26, 1981
from Wyckoff, New Jersey. The
farm we came from was a poultry
and a truck farm operation. It was
called Abma’s Farm. There we
raised chickens and we had a big
farm store that we used to sell pro
ducts to the public. There were
also retail and wholesale routes,”
said Dorothy.
The idea to move was sparked
mainly because of a deteriorating
Five Sections
mg dock that is outfitted with a
moveable gate system so that the
2,000-pound containers of feed
can be offloaded, or a shipment of
calves can be brought in or trucked
out with the least amount of stress
to handler and animal.
Extending out on either side of
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hundreds of women who lived in
housing projects, mushroom
growing areas, and low-income
housing how to cook nutritiously.
Through her efforts, many mothers
were able to reclaim children who
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egg market It became cheaper to
buy eggs and the egg routes them
selves were falling off. In addition,
Henry’s two brothers and their
families were also active on the
farm.
“We decided- it’s time .we
move,” said Dorothy.
So the family started doing their
homework. They contacted farm
accountant Duane Mattocks
through a mutual friend and he
helped them every step of the way.
“We wanted to know what we
needed. We had the money to buy a
farm, but we wanted to know how
much money we needed to buy our
cows, your spring needs and all,”
said Dorothy.
“My husband had looked for
almost 10 years for a farm. We
really wanted to be beef fanners
but we realized that we couldn’t.
We always looked in this area. He
circled a spot on a map, and right in
the center is where we landed,” she
said.
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$21.00 Per Year