Vol. 40 NO. 41
Governor Ridge, President Spanier Highlight Luncheon
Gov. Tom Ridge talks wKh an Amish family on his tour of Ag Progress Days.
First-Time Champion Sweeps Kutztown Swine Show
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
KUTZTOWN (Berks Co.)
Stephanie Manbeck picked up two
first-lime champion ribbons for
herself at the Kutzlown Fair Swine
Show on Tuesday, sweeping the
championship market show with
both grand and reserve.
For grand champion market
swine, Stephanie showed her
243-pound purebred Duroc gilt.
Stephanie said when she selected
the pig from her family’s herd, she
was looking for a pig with a
Editor's Note: This is the
first part of a monthly series
written by an Amish farmer
about the realities of farming
as a business. He writes with
the understanding that he
may remain anonymous.
Introductfam
Because of increasing competi
tion from larger herds, modem
technology and other changes in
fanning, many Old Order Menno
nite and Amish dairy fanners find
it challenging to operate a busi
604 Per Copy
“strong ham and strong upper
body” to show at the fair. Stepha
nie also showed the champion
barrow.
Stephanie, 18, daughter of
Oscar and Sandy Manbeck,
Bethel, helps with her family’s
600-sow farrow-to-finish opera
tion, which is comprised of a lot of
crossbred hogs. She is a freshman
at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr,
studying dental hygiene. She plans
to show at the county 4-H roundup
in October and the state Farm
Show in January.
ness that generates enough cash to
meet family living expenses and
be able to keep the farm in the
family for the next generation
while still maintaining their cho
sen way of life.
This is the first of a series of
articles written to discuss practical
methods that dairy farmers from
the Plain Community use to help
them meet the challenges of the
dairy business. Although aimed
particularly at the Plain Commun
ity, the methods suggested can be
(Turn to Pago A3*)
LancMter Arming, Saturday, August 19, 1995
At the breed show, Ken Wine
bark, show judge from Myer
stown, was impressed with a hog
from the Yorkshire class, a March
gilt that had a “lot of muscle thick
ness and mass.” The Yorkshire has
a “good old expression to loin
end,” a really sound gilt that was
“most complete in terms of overall
style, balance, feet, and design.”
Champion of the breed* was Stephen Wessner, left, who showed his Yorkshire gilt.
At right is show judge Ken Wlnebark.
Aiir Sections
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
ROCKSPRING (Centre
Co.) Gov. Tom Ridge made his
third annual visit to Ag Progress
Days Wednesday during the legi
slative luncheon. The first two
years he was a candidate for the top
office in the commonwealth.
Ridge reminisced to reporters that
agriculture formed the first coali
tion of supporters for him, and he
said it was, in part, a recognition of
his exposure to agriculture and
agribusiness in his home area of
northwestern Pennsylvania. The
Governor was also one of the lunc
heon speakers, along with Presi-
Remsburg New GM
At Mid-East DHIC
KAREN BUTLER
Md. Correspondent
HAGERSTOWN, Md.—A.
Dennis “Denny” Remsburg has
been appointed General Manager
for Mid-East Dairy Herd Improve*
ment Corporation (DHIC), located
in Hagerstown.
A Maryland native, Remsburg
holds a degree in Ag Economics
from Virginia Tech., and has been
associated with the dairy industry
all his life. He worked as a field
'Che champion of the breeds was
shown by Stephen Wessner, 20,
son of Harlan and Barbara Wess
ner, New Tripoli.
Grand champion fitter of the
show was Jill Schick and reserve
was Justin Wisser. Champion
showman was Lynn Lazarus, Jr.
and reserve was Grant Lazarus.
Following is a list of show
525.00 Par Year
dent Elect Graham Spanier, Penn
State University.
“The message we continue to
send to the state is that farming is a
business, and we need to worry
about profitability,” Ridge said.
‘To preserve the family farm, you
need to help farmers make a profit
It’s as simple as that.”
To do this, Ridge said we need to
get workers compensation under
control, change regulatory control,
develop markets, do export promo
tion, and support research and
development He said all these
things need to be done to keep Pen
nsylvania farms the envy of the
(Turn to Pag* A2O)
representative for an AI organiza
tion right out of college. He has
worked extensively in Virginia
and Maryland with dairy records,
and is very familiar with transfer-
records and with cow
pedigrees.
Remsburg is well known to
many through his involvement in
Remsburg Sales Service. The bus
iness was started by his father,
Doty Remsburg, in 1955.
(Turn to Pag* A 25)
placings
KUTZTOWN FAIR
SWINE SHOW
RESULTS
SHOWMANSHIP AND FITTING
FITTING
Class 1; Jason Wisser. 2. Stephanie Man
beck. 3. Lynn E. Lazarus, Jr.
Class 2.1. Calvin Lazarus 111. 2. Leon Hunter
3. Mark J Gelsmger. Class 3' 1. Jill Schick. 2
(Turn to Pago A 32)