A3O-lancaster Farming, Saturday. March 11.199 S
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
MANHEIM (Lancaster
Co.) The value of livestock,
poultry, and the products sold from
these enterprises puts Lancaster
County third in the nation out of
3,100' counties for agricultural
production.
Lancaster is first in eggs and pul
lets raised; fifth in hogs and pigs;
sixth in dairy products; 26th in
broiiers; 69th in cattle, and 951 h in
turkeys. But the county is not even
in the top 100 for total number of
agricultrual acres. Top counties in
the nation have from 1 million to
800,000 ag acres, but Lancaster
County has less than 400,000 acres
of farmland.
With these facts, John Schwartz,
Lancaster County extension agent,
opened the monthy Ag Issues For
um breakfast Thursday morning.
“We are in the top group of ag pro
duction counties in the nation,”
Schwartz said. “But sometimes we
forget just how big our ag scene is
here in Lancaster County.”
The issue this month focused on
the future of ag in the county. A
panel of three farm experts started
the discussion by expressing
observations of the past and pre
sent to make “guesstimates” of
future trends. Alan Bair, Atlantic
Breeders, had dairy; Mark Price,
Lane. Poultry Assn, president, took
poultry, and Gary Dean, Purina
Mills, made observations about the
hog industry. Then the meeting
was opened for a free exchange of
ideas from the 3S farm and ag
industry leaders who were present.
Some of the observations were:
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Meeting Focus:
• History shows the people who
settled here brought their know
ledge of agriculture production
with them, along with a good work
ethic.
• We are close to population
centers and thus close to markets,
but this also brings land pressures
and conflicts with neighbors. The
people we want to sell to are also
those who are telling us what we
can and cannot do environmental
ly, in food safety, and in animal
welfare. In addition, one farmer
pointed out that the close markets
help the processors and distribu
‘Lion King’ Topiaries
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre my topiaries,” Roemmelt said.
Co.) —How many college stu- Roemmelt’s main project dur
dents with an interest in horticul- ing her internship was looking for
ture get to create giant topiaries of ways to improve how topiaries are
lions and water buffalo? Ronda constructed and maintained.
Roemmelt, a senior majoring in "Before I did the internship, I had
agricultural sciences and minor- no idea how topiaries were put
ing in horticulture in Penn State’s together,” Roemmelt said. “An
College of Agricultural Sciences, incredible amount of work goes
got that chance last summer. into it.
Roemmelt was one of 36 stu- “The kind of topiaries we con
dents chosen out of hundreds structed usually were metal
nationwide to participate in the frames covered with sphagnum
horticulture internship program at moss and creeping fig,” she said.
Walt Disney World in Florida. “I experimented with different
She propagated and cared for plants, such as sheet moss, which
tropical plants in the greenhouses has a softer look—like fur. It
and designed topiaries depicting looks more convincing when
characters from the film “The you’re constructing lions and
Lion King.” other animals.”
The topiaries are touring 10 Roemmelt also developed an
major U.S. cities this winter, internal irrigation system for the
including Boston, Los Angeles, topiaries to keep the plants from
New York City and Chicago. “It’s drying out. “This is especially
great, because my name is important for the smaller parts,
included in the display—these are like ears and paws,” she said. “It’s
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Lancaster County Ag Future
tors of food but have little advan
tage to farmers because production
agriculture does not share in the
reduced costs.
• Soils, climate, and water sup
port ag in this area, but nutrient
management laws and water reg
ulations put up blocks to free
expansion of ag when larger herds
and flocks may be needed for grea
ter efficiency.
• The Amish play an important
factor in the county ag community,
providing a stabilizing force both
in land pressures and fluctuation of
cow numbers and production
figures.
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• Farmers are moving out of the S( l uceze is especially hard and has
county, but others arc moving in, everyone womcd. tha w
so the net change seems not to be as once called mortg g
great as in other areas. mortgage cnaundtar
• The ag industry infra-structure «g *e last six months. Faimmg
plays an important role in keeping must be profitable to keep it vab .
ag in Lancaster County. Both the Wc 03,11,0 *°"B cr produce away
need for and the supply of farm our problems. We need a different
inputs such as feed, machinery, approach to ag. Politically we need
credit, and other farm services, to he listening.
provide advanages to the Lancas- * The produccr/farmer must
ter County farm industry not found become more than a lured person,
in other areas. We need to integrate the producer/
While many of the experts sec farmer into the profit centers of the
farming as profitable in the past food chain,
and the future, the present price The meeting adjourned at 9 a.m.
Go On National Tour
almost like a circulatory system.”
Roemmelt set up a drip irriga
tion system similar to the kind
used for potted plants in green
houses, where water is pumped
through tubes to emitters, and vol
ume and frequency are controlled
by a timer. “Disney liked my idea,
so we used it on all the new topiar
ies,” Roemmelt said.
“We installed drip systems only
on the upper half of the forms,”
she said. “Water from the emitters
trickled down through the bottom
half. We had to be careful not to
use too much water, or the topiary
would rot.”
Roemmelt also got experience
constructing landscaping for spe-
cial events, such as Disney wed- “I wasn’t completely sure what
dings and festivals. “For some i wanted to do after I graduated,”
events, we set up plants and Roemmelt said, “But after last
mulched the area,” Roemmelt summer. I’m sure of where I want
said. “After the event, all these to go in my career. I always want
trees, shrubs and mulch had to be to work with plants—they’re fun
removed.” and they’re always a challenge.”
OXFORD, PA MALAGA, NJ
(717) 529-3117 (609) 694-0120
“Before I could help with these
projects, I needed to leant all
about Florida’s native plants," she
said. ‘They sent me around the
grounds at Epcot Center with an
identification book. I learned a
tremendous amount about tropical
plants.”
Roemmelt believes the Disney
internship was a turning point for
her. “Before 1 took this internship,
my horticulture courses were a lot
of work. Now T have an under
standing of plants that makes the
textbook information very clear.
The experience also has helped
me in my job at a florist’s shop,
and I’ve been able to pick up some
olant consulting work.”
Jr