A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 8, 1995
Lehigh Conservation Farmers
(Continued from Pag* A 24)
every potato of the 70 tons he uses
has to be washed and screened for
the disease.
Help in harvesting and packag
ing some of the potatoes, sold in
50-pound bags, comes from Ste
phanie and Pam, Wessner’s
daughters, and the grandkids. Dia
na said they help hand-harvest a
few acres at the beginning of the
season in iate July.
The past year, Wessner’s son
grew about ’/> acre of peppers and
another VS acre of cabbage. About
8,000 pepper transplants are used
and about 7,000 cabbage trans
plants, according to Diana.
Diana farms with Forrest on the
farm Diana grew up on. A farm,
said Diana, is “a great place to be
raised. There’s no place like a
farm, believe me. I think the world
of it.”
Before retiring from 28 years as
a phone company service techni
cian, Forrest said he would often
sit inside on a rainy day and watch
as “millions of gallons of water”
would run down the side of a hill
near the homestead. He often
thought how much of a ‘ ‘shame we
can’t keep some of that for when
we need it.” So, in 1990, an irriga
tion pond was built.
A year later, in 1991,
looking at an old cow
path gave Forrest a
thought: what if that
area, which always
seemed wet and impos
sible to work, could be
reconstructed and
refurbished for wildlife?
With financial assis
tance and other help
from the Fish and Wild
life Commission, Wess- *
ner signed up to have the
project complete. In all,
about IS acres of wet
land were recon
structed, plants and
bluebird houses were
installed, and wood
ducks were allowed to
propagate.
“It’s blossomed,”
said Wessner.
“There’re ducks every
where. 1 saw four sets of
wood ducks down there
on Sunday. Last year we
sat at least seven hatch
es. It’s great”
The Wessncrs are
working to restore eight
acres of wetlands at
another farm site.
Wessner signed up all
three farms they main
tain under the state’s
farmland preservation
program. The program
has put strong reins on
residential and commer
cial development on
farmland.
Wessner remembers
one day when, driving
up the hill that crests
above the farmstead, he
noticed some sightseers
who happen to have
Arab-type headdresses.
Wessner stopped and
asked if they needed any
help. One said to him,
“Oh, what a beautiful
place you have herel A
wonderful place! We’re
just enjoying the view. ”
Wessner worries that
other countries would
want to invest Jn the
beautiful, hilly area in
the region around Ger
mans vi lie. “I’m
opposed to putting a house on
every hill. People like to build their
house on top of a hill with a great
view, but after they’ve lived there
two years, they’ve lost their appre
ciation of the view. It’s only good
if you visit occasionally. If you
live there, you lose your
appreciation.”
Wessner said he wasn’t opposed
to those who come out and want to
live in a rural area. “I just like to
see farmland stay farmland and
houses built from the city, out”
For his son, who received a
degree in agronomy from Penn
State, Wessner worries that chal
lenges lie ahead, especially in an
area that is becoming rapidly deve
loped. Son Forrest 111 is married to
Jessica, who received a degree in
environmental resource manage
ment (wetlands ecology) from
Penn State.
Many farmers, he said, don’t
want to be forced to adopt one
program or another because of reg
ulations or policy. Regulatory
agencies, in die past, tried to force
fanners to comply to questionable
practices now, there is more
spirit of cooperation among agen
cies and farmers.
‘ ‘They’re not telling me what to
do,” he said. “I believe in most of
the stuff already. We’re only sorry
that more farmers don’t take
advantage of everything we have
offered to us.”
All-Around
Performers
NC+ 3A75
♦ Late Group in
♦ Tall, rugged, medium
bushy plant
♦ Ideal for use in row seeding
♦ Good phytophthora tolerance
♦ Late Group 111 yield trial
leader three years in a row
4% CASH DISCOUNT
UNTIL APRIL 15
NC+ soybean varieties provide consistent
performance under varying conditions. Their wide
area of adaptation makes them ideal for your fields.
See your NC+ Dealer for complete
the NC+ soybean line
Aaronaburg, PA
Blairavflle, PA
Elllotaburg, PA
Halifax, PA
Kempton, PA
Klntnaravllla, PA
Kunkletown, PA
Kulztown, PA
Lebanon, PA.
Lawiaburg, PA
Lititz, PA
Manheim, PA
Mlfflintown, PA
Richfield, PA
Salem, NJ
Thompaontown, PA
Weatmlnater, MO
♦ Very Early Group IV
♦ Medium-thin type, medium
height plant
♦ Very good emergence and
excellent standability
♦ Phytophthora tolerance.
♦ A “must plant" Late
Group m and Very Early
Group IV areas
<s>
irica’s down to
seed company
ITACT YOUR LOCAL DEALEI
DelmerS. Homan
Dennia McConnell
Wayne S. Freeman
Bechtel Farma
, David G. Rice
Wayne R. LlUenberger
Jeffrey L. Barger
Leon B. Weaaner
Clarence B. Mull
Urle C. Yoder
Elvin M. Hurah
Arthur S. Auker
David B. Saner
Samuel E. Knouae
Donald EmW..... ......
Roger L. Saner
R. Todd Lelatar
A farm, said Diana, la “a great place to be raised. There’s
no place like a Arm, believe me. I think the world of H.”
Regarding soil conservation,
Wessner said, “You want to keep
your soil on the farm, because
what arc you going to do without
it? I mean, you’re just going to go
down the tubes (if you don’t). Soil
is the number one consideration,
especially for agronomic craps.’’
The farm Wessner grew up on is
now a part of the Jordan Watershed
Project, a study to see what prac
tices fanners can employ to control
soil and chemical runoff on
farmland.
NC+ 4AIO
Bl4-349-8054
412-248-0785
717-582-2307
717-806-8314
BlO-786-8574
6lO-847-5563
6lO-381-3785
6lO-285-8246
717-885-2037
717-524-7730
717-733-3638
717-885-8827
717-535-8103
717-483-2885
6OO-789-1577
717-535-8307
4lO-848-0528
“People are checking these
streams all the time,’’ he said. “If
the farmer’s not on die ball, he can
be in a lot of trouble in a hurry.”
On his own crops, Wessner said
he staggers the placement of the
potato and soy crops, which are on
highly credible land, with grass or
hay strips to contain the soil.
That’s just one of the problems
potato and other crop farmers face.
“I think if you are a farmer, you
got to worry about one thing or
another. It never leaves you.”
PAUL B ii i M i
SUSPENDED
COMFORT STALLS
For Modern Tie Barns
In
6k
6k
if • Less trampled ieat problems than
f PAUL B. ZIMMERMAN, INC. |
I Call or Writ* For Hours 295 Woodconwr Rd.
S Additional Information Mon. Thru Frl. UtitZ, PA 17543-9165 8
fl And Your 7tos 1 Mil* Watt of Ephrata I
Naaraal Daalar Sat 7to 11 717-738-7365 |
Coated With Baked On Top Grade TGIC Polyester
Urethane Powder After Fabrication
SS-45
-S »
SS-45G
• ...■Xs'Cp
. 4-A - *
*■ ■-%&>*£ 'S,¥m
SS-25
'- **"''''-t v :
SsSSSSSSK JSjDniiEnjj JEBSSSI
Homeowners
Should Test
Soils Too
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
Agriculture Secretary Charles
C. Brosius is reminding homeow
ners and home gardeners to test
their soil before adding fertilizers
to lawns and gardens.
“A soil test may save you some
work, and some money as well,”
Brosius said. “By not adding
excessive nutrients to the soil.
you’ll also help to improve the
quality of groundwater in your
neighborhood and beyond.”
Every year, many homeowners
over-fertilize their lawns and gar
dens. Fertilizers not absorbed by
the soil and plants can seep into the
groundwater or aid up in streams
and other bodies of water. Exces
sive nutrients in water can cause
algae growth, which depletes oxy
gen needed by fish and other
organisms.
Homeowners can save money
by selecting the specific type of
fertilizer that they need to get the
best results. They can also save by
making sure they use the proper
amount of fertilizer.
Soil testing is available through
private firms or with a do-it
yourself kit available from your
county extension offices.
• All welded construction to give many
years of trouble free service
• Stall constructed with 1.9 0.C., 133
wall, high strength tube and 2"
square tube post with 1/4” wall
CHECK THESE
ADVANTAGES OF
SUSPENDED
COMFORT STALLS
• More comfort for cows
• Easy cleaning, bedding & milking
with no rear stall post
• No rust problem
•Adjustabletie rail
• Trough dividers