Bfrlancastar Farmii
Cows And Caring Thrive At Swampy Hollow Farm
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
ATGLEN (Chester Co.) The
wraparound porch on Joe and San
dy Lusby’s farm is the perfect spot
to regain equilibrium after a har
ried day.
The chirping sounds of birds of
many varieties intermingle with
the distant honk of the geese nest-
Most of Sandy’s quilting is done for the church Sewing
Circle, but she finds some time to do some for herself and
friends.
I, Saturday, May 20, 1995
* ~
4fi*
TheLusby family from left, Jessie, Joey, Joe, Sandy, and Rachel keep busy at Swampy Hollow Farm In Atglen.
ing in the meadow pond. A soft
breeze ripples through the green
meadow grasses and skips over the
contoured fields that stretch tow
ard Rt. 41. Atomic whiffs from
full-blossomed trees camoflage
bam smells.
But all the evidence of a busy
farm life remains.
A tractor parked next to two
. , / ' ' ' ' ' *
silos jutdng toward the sky gives for the Swampy Hollow Sweet
evidence of a hasty retreat. A con- Cow.
tented moo escapes from the herd “Growing up I was so proud of
“But I think Ws important for our child
ren to see us giving time in volunteer posi
tions. I hope our children pick up the joy of
doing things for others ”
in the adjacent stone bam.
Bikes of all sizes, fishing gear,
and window screens scattered
across the porch seem surprisingly
in place. The beginnings of a tree
house and a trampoline confirm
that this is a family-oriented home.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Sandy Lus
by announces, “but I had to go for
parts.”
Sandy is a farm wife doing a
busy job that allows her little time
to relax on her porch with its mag
nificent panoramic view.
“Farm wife is an excellent
description for people like me,”
Sandy says. “We’re married to the
farm.”
With 140 acres and 60 Holsteins
to milk in addition to caring for a
husband and three children, life
can become a bit hectic despite
Sandy’s cheery, trim, and
unruffled composure.
The Lusbys own the farm that
Sandy’s parents had farmed. ■
Her dad, John Umble, was well
known for show cows, especially
1 *' \
ss«.
my dad. It was really special to
accompany him to a show,” Sandy
said.
Times have changed. Require
ments for top cows have changed.
With some reluctance, the priori
ties at Swampy Hollow Farm has
changed.
“Some people think you need a full 12
hours between milkings, but I guess I like
my time off too much.”
The family seldom shows cows
today because of the work and time
demand involved. But top produc
ing cows are still a priority. At last
year’s end, the herd’s milk produc
tion averaged 22,535 pounds milk,
878 pounds fat, and 729 pounds
protein.
Lusby said the farm had a com
plete dispersal in 1983, although
Swampy Hollow is still considered
to have one of the oldest herds on
test in the county.
“I bought back some of the cows
and kept some that 1 had started on
my own,” he said. For dairy goers,
the ’B3 dispersal is remembered as
the sale that topped prices every
where in Pennsylvania.
Joe wasn’t raised on a farm. He
was IS years old when he began
working as a hired man fora neigh
boring farmer. *''
After Joe and Sandy married,
Joe worked for an equipment com
pany before fanning with Sandy’s
dad. For awhile there was a three
way partnership with John Umble,
his son, and Joe.
After the dispersal, Joe took
over the farm.
“Sometimes we wonder if our
son will be able to farm even
though he wants to,” Sandy said.”
Fifteen-year-old Joey prefers
farmwork over schooling at LMH,
where he is a sophomore. After
getting up a 4 a.m. to milk cows
and spiking and stacking wood all
day, Joey said, “I love the feeling
of working hard after a long day."
He arises about4:3o a.m. to help
Sandy with morning milking about
three times a week.
“In the evening we try to be out
of the bam by 5:30. Some people
think you need a full 12 hours
between milkings, but I guess I
like my time off too much. We
haven’t noticed any drop in vol
ume and it sure suits our schedules
better,” Joe said.
The family‘believes it’s impor
tant to have activities other than
farming. Because Jessie, 12, and
Rachel, 8, both attend West Fal
lowfield Christian Day School, the
Lusbys are involved in several vol
unteer jobs at the school.
Joe is a school board member
and Sandy chairperson of the hot
lunch committee. She also is a
committee member for the