A2O-LancaaW Panting, Saturday, July 22, 1995 Vanishing Acres: Despite Development Pressure, Farmers Find Ways To Thrive Part 2 of 3 Editor's Note: In part one of the Vanishing Acres series, far mers spoke about their experi ences when dealing with residen tial neighbors. In part two, far mers learn to deal with and profit from the challenges. It has become increasingly diffi cult for agriculture to remain a way of life in communities such as Lancaster County. Due to rapid growth, many organizations talk of preserving farmland as part of our landscape without thought to pre serving the economic nobility of farmers. \ Jeff Stoltzfus Adult Farmer Instructor Eastern Lancaster County Ressler admits that choosing to develop land is ‘more profitable than the difficult, uphill production battle that keeps the land in production Sprawling residential develop ment that destroys farmland imposes a net financial loss on the coffers of local communities, inhi biting their ability to, among other things, fund quality school sys tems, according to a new analysis of three Minnesota towns recently released by the Land Stewardship Project and the American Farm land Trust.... Farmland protec tion may be financially beneficial not only because of its contribution to the lax base, but also because it holds down property tax valuation. Excerpt From “Farmland And The Tax Bill: The Cost Of Community Services In Three Minnesota Cities” The Land Stewardship Project St. Croix, Minn. In a 13-year span, between 1982 and 1995, about3o,ooo acres have been lost in Lancaster County . Farmland is being lost at a rate of 2,000 acres per year. ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Fanning Staff LANSDALE (Montgomery Co.) —Like the saying, Fred Seipl knows how to turn a lemon into lemonade. p i “SIMPLY the BEST * 1 t4M Rf WTS IWUaT*iSBffVX<. <VI flfc iwtfT i «li Nmw 9 liiwMwtUr^a “The whole time emphasis has changed,” said Fred Selpt. In the past, farmers wor ried about timeliness, management, and many other business considerations. Pro duction and profitability were forefront. But development pressures have given far mers additional worries. Seven yean ago, feeling the incessant pressure of development take away land he used to rent, apd trying to figure out how to compete against the giant Philadelphia milk processors. Fred decided to open up an ice cream parlor. The Towamencin Township dairy fanner saw how successful it was with the crowds. Even while losing farmland rapidly, Seipt saw how many people enjoyed ice cream. Two years later, at the sugges tion of his son, Matthew, Seipt spent $1.2 million to construct two miniature golf courses, a batting cage, and a driving range to round out the dream* of an “entertain ment farm.” The “lemonade strategy” worked. Now, business at Freddy- Hill Farms is booming, with no end in sight Before Jacob and Joe Stahl built a poultry layer operation in Lititz in 1979,as part of the arrangement the farmers were required to grow a cash crop. Instead of tobacco, Jacob Stahl decided to grow toma toes —lO acres of them—in addi tion to a large variety of vegetable crops. the market is there. Instead, of where there appeared nothing but constant development pressure and nearly mindless urban sprawl, with help from son Joe, Stahl is able to market vegetable crops to hundreds of neighbors. Regularly, those driving to and from work are customers of the small truck farm, which also houses about 60,000 layers. Also, the Stahls are paid to do custom mowing work in fields owned by the housing developers. Tim Fritz, who farms part-time with his father Harold and brother Jack near Bridgeport, east of Lan- ffXil John Valkovec, Klecknersvllle, right, farms mors than 500 acres, Including a great deal of rented land In various locations. In the late 1980 s, Valkovec saw farmland being lost to development at a rapid rate. “We saw that they were selling everything around us," he said. “We got scared.” At left Is Tom Morgan, technician, Lehigh Val ley Crop Management Association. Tim Fritz, who farms part-time with his father Harold and brother Jack near Bridge port, east of Lancaster, has learned to make the best of steadily encroaching develop ment. Houses are close to his farm. caster, has learned to make the best of steadily encroaching develop ment. Some land was sold to the East Lampeter Township to be used as a park. In essence, at least that part of the farm is “pre served” and will remain green. The rest has been converted to a productive grazing system. Fritz ‘We saw that they were selling everything around us * he said, ‘We got scared,* said the grazing system is not only good for the cows and farm profi tability, but also good for com munity relations. “Our location in an urbanizing area has a lot of influence of what’s possible,” said Leon Ressler, Lan caster County’s ag environment agent who deals with farm/urfoan interface issues. Ressler admits that choosing to develop land is ‘ ‘more profitable than the difficult, uphill production battle that keeps the land in production. ‘What do you do?* said Anita. *I mean , I hate the developers , I hate what they f re doing...,* "People don’treally understand that,’* said Ressler. "They see open space with a romantic feel ing. They don’thave a real concept about the level of activity neces sary to maintain the economic structure to maintain that open space.” Rapidly, the county (which accounts for 25 percent of the state’s total agricultural produc tion) is losing farmland to develop ment In a 13-year span, between 1982 and 1995, about 30,000 acres have been lost in Lancaster County. According to Tom Daniels, director of the county’s ag preser vation board, in 1982, the county’s farmland numbered4l7,oooacres. In 1995, about 388,000 acres are devoted to farmland. Farmland is being lost at a rate 0f2,000 acres per year. In 38 of 41 townships, there are about 310,000 acres in ag zoning. Strasburg township will be adopting ag zon ing this year, according to Daniels. Selling the property to develop ment can be a heartbreaking deci sion. For many farmers, that simp ly isn’t the option, despite enorm ous market losses. For the Stahls in Lititz, they admit to feeling the pressures as more layer contracts are dropped. “The egg business is such that they don’tneedany more houses,” said Jacob. “The unfortunate thing is that they don’t need any more eggs-” (Turn to Pago A 22) i
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