A2O-Lanct*ter Firming, Saturday, Octobar 22, 1994
For Promoting Conservation, State Honors Manheim Farm Family
(Continued from Pago A 1)
stop erosion.
As a result, the wetlands are “in
a lot better shape than they were,”
said Jere.
“My dad was conservation
minded,” he.said. “He’d always
leave places where he’d lift the
plow and leave waterways when
he fanned and things like that so
the soil didn’t wash.’*
Jere purchased the farm from his
father in 1981. Since then, he has
installed a circular, raised,
480.000- manure storage
structure (1990). Also, the Swans
have installed 800 feet of water
way, 2,350 feet of subsurface
drainage, 1,223 feet of pipe outlet
terrace, 635 feet of underground
outlet, arid 1,630 feet of diversion,
according to district records. He
cover crops with rye (no-tilled)
and grows (on the home farm) 130
acres of corn, five acres of soy
beans (no-till), eight acres of
tobacco, eight acres of wheat, and
five acres of meadow grass. Only
the tobacco ground gets plowed.
Some of the other ground is mini
mum tilled with straight teeth on a
chisel and about 40 percent of the
ground is cover-cropped in strips.
One of the biggest challenges
the Swans faced was what to do
with the manure from the hog and
beef operations.
The farm has about a 'A mile of
stream which begins at a spring on
their farm and ends on a spring,
also on the farm. “We’re right
next to a small stream,” said Jere.
“It’s determined that the small
stream goes underground. So it
was important. We had to do
something. We wanted to do
something. So that’s how the man
ure storage came about.”
The storage structure, with a
480.000- capacity, is emp
tied twice a year. The structure was
completed with cost-share money
available through the Chesapeake
Bay Program. The manure is
chisel-plowed into the ground in
the spring and the fall.
To save money and to reduce
nitrate problems, the Swarrs
reduced the amount of starter fer
tilizer and sidedress nitrogen used
on the com.
“We quit using starter fertilizer
for com eight years ago,” said
Jere.
“Most people just routinely
used it,” said Bonnie.
Some of the com is sidedressed,
if necessary. Mostly, the com is
chiseled to allow oxygen to get to
the roots and improve aeration.
A lot of heavy rains caused
some significant erosion on a lot of
county farms this year. Jere said
there were some places in the
township that dirt accumulated on
The farm has about a Vi mile of stream which begins at a
spring on thelr.farm and ends on a spring, also on the farm.
“We’re right next to a small stream,” said Jere. “It’s deter- .
mined that the small stream goes underground. So it was
important. We had to do something. We warned to do some
thing. So that’s how the manure storage came about”
roadways that had to be plowed
off. Also, the rivers and creeks
were muddy in July and August
The only problems with some
erosion were with the tobacco
acreage because of the convention
al moldboard plowing. But the soil
in the other acreage held up despite
heavy stormwater pressure.
In the future, Jere said he wants
to add more terracing, either gra
dient or piped out “That’s kind of
my long-term conservation plan.
There’s always things you can
do.”
Jere said the award recognizes
those who have undertaken steps
to not only install conservation
techniques, but to promote those
efforts. “They give the award to
promote conservation. It’s part of
the program to sell conservation. I
view it as though I’ve been
appointed as kind of a spokesman
for conservation.”
As a spokesman, Jere has
already appeared on two television
programs about conservation,
including a guest appearance on
Blue Ridge Channel 11 (“Face the
Issues” with Bobßrenneman) and
on a “Day In the Life of the Bay,”
a special documentary with Chan
nel 2 (Baltimore). The Swarrs
served as host to Millersville Uni
versity Students and to students
from an earth science course at
F&M College. (Jere said students
conducted water tests on the pond,
stream, and well, and found the
nitrate levels well within safety
limits.) Also, Rapho Valley Farm
hosted a group of conservationists
from Czechoslovakia and Jere has
spoken to the Lancaster Chamber
of Commerce.
Jcrc has been happy with the
attitude of the Lancaster Conserva
tion District toward the farms in its
jurisdiction. “The conservation
district has a more gentle, kinder
approach. They’ll work with you.
If there’s a problem, they’ll warn
you about it. They’ll help you find
a solution.’’
What worries Jere is the
encroaching rules and regulations
coming down the pike as a result of
environmental litigation and
how those rules and regulations
will affect farming.
Jere said the regulations will
become more stringent. “But I like
the way the county conservation
district approaches” the regula
tions, he said, working as much as
they do for the farmer’s particular
concerns and interests. “If we get
to the point we’re over-regulated,
that’s not good. Maybe some peo
ple would say we’re there now.
The regulations should equal the
amount of environmental protec
tion we need.”
In the future, Jere, left eaid he wants to add more terracing, either gradient or piped
out. “That’s kind of my long-term conservation plan. There’s always things you can
do.” Inspecting the terraces Is Jere’s wife, Bonnie.
- c.r 'TWWP*'
The storage structure, with a 480,000-gallon capacity, is emptied twice a year. The
structure was completed with cost-share money available through the Chesapeake
Bay Program. The manure is chisel-plowed into the ground In the spring and the fall.
Buttermore’s
DAVID HIEBERT
Westmoreland Co. Correspon-
dent
MUTUAL (Westmoreland Co.)
Though showers dampened the
opening three days of the West
moreland County Fair, a one-day
count of 8,100 at midweek set a
one-day attendance record for the
fair, held at the county fairgrounds,
in Mutual.
Total attendance peaked in 1991
at 78,000, and, despite the record
one-day attendance, totalled
71,000 this year. According to Don
Fretz, fair director, “The showers
came at a most inopportune time.”
However, attendance at the
dairy shows was strong.
In the open Holstein competi
tion, J.W. Buttermore, of Ml
Pleasant, showed an aged cow to
capture grand champion title.
James McQuaide, of Slickville,
showed a 4-year-old to win the title
of reserve grand champion.
In the youth division show,
Kathy Hudson, of New Alexandri
a, showed the grand champion, a
summer yearling, on her first time
exihibiting cattle in a show.
The youth division reserve
V .... .
Champion
grand champion was shown by Eli
zabeth McQuaide, of Slickville.
In the Jersey competition,
Robert Lydic showed the senior
and grand champion, while Brad
Miller showed the reserve senior
and reserve grand champion
From the left, J.W. Buttermore holde the hatter of his
grand champion Holstein, while James McQuaide shows
hie reserve grand champion.
< 1 * :
: r p*
: :
■»'* '
Cow
Aged
Holstein
animal.
The junior champion Jersey was
shown by Joy Vance, while Janet
Vance showed the reserve junior
Jersey.
Dairy show judge was Dwight
(Turn to Pago A2l)
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s > *i