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For 200 years, the McMillen farm is farmed this Indiana County farm
Family members include PatrlcKandJennlfer McMillen. standing. Sitting from
McMillens Celebrate 200 Years On The Farm
RANDY WELLS
Indiana Co. Correspondent
MARION CENTER (Indiana
Co.) A big white-and-blue ban
ner has been hanging across the
side of the red bam on the William
McMillen farm at Marion Center
RD 2 in Indiana County this sum
mer. It proudly proclaims “200
Years, 1795-1995.”
On the Fourth of July about 90
of McMillen’s relatives gathered
at the farm for the family’s annual
reunion. It included the usual reun
ion activities a hayride, hog
roast and home-made ice cream.
But a local television camera
crew also showed up, because the
McMillens were celebrating 200
years of continuous ownership of
the farm stretching back through
seven generations of their family.
When McMillen’s forefathers
came to America in the late 1700 s
they began farming the land along
Wrigden Run in Rayne Township.
Shawnee and Delaware Indians
also lived there, and visited a trad
ing post nearby.
As recently as last spring, John
McMillen, William’s father and
the farm’s immediate past owner,
was still finding arrowheads in the
fields.
In 1984 the McMillen farm was
recognized by the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture as a
Century Farm symbolizing at
least 100 years of continuous fami
ly ownership.
The state does not yet have a
program honoring farms that have
remained in the same family for
200 years. But if it did, the McMil
len spread would be the only one in
Indiana County—and one of only
157 in the state—that would qual-
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ify for the bicentennial recogni
tion, according to Sandy Duncan,
the Century Farm Program coordi
nator in the agriculture
department.
Farms that have been in the
same family for two centuries are
more common in eastern Pennsyl
vania because that area of the state
was settled earlier. Observing 200
yean of family farm ownership is
more unique in western
Pennsylvania.
“You don’t do things like this
every day,” John McMillen said.
Robert Thompson John
McMillen’s great-great-great
grandfather came to America
from Ireland and settled in Derry,
Westmoreland County, in 1773.
Two years later they moved to land
near present-day Marion Center,
and purchased a tract of land from
the heirs of William Penn. During
the next 150 years, the farm passed
down through succeeding
generations.
John McMillen moved onto the
farm in 1946 when it was operated
by his uncle. He purchased the
property in 1950, and ran the farm
until his retirement in 1981.
John’s son and daughter-in-law,
William and Karen McMillen,
now own the farm. They live in the
111-year-old main farmhouse, and
John and his wife Helen live in a
newer home nearby.
William received a degree in
animal science from Penn State
University in 1973 and was work
ing as a district manager for the
Ralston-Purina Company when he
decided to go back to his roots and
take over the family farm.
“It's more than just a job. It's a
way of life,” William said. “And
left are Will
you must have a commitment from
your family.”
In that regard he said he feels
fortunate. Karen, an Omaha
native, enjoys farm life. And their
children, Jennifer and Patrick, are
active in 4-H projects and have
their own chores and responsibili
ties on the farm.
The 132-acre spread lies in three
townships. With leased property
the McMillens actively farm about
200 acres.
It is home to one of only two
registered Jersey dairy herds in
Indiana County. The McMillens
milk about 50 cows and usually
have another 25 young cattle on
the farm.
Com and alfalfa are the main
crops, and everything grown is fed
to the Jerseys to boost their milk
production.
After William took over opera
tion of the farm he upgraded the
milking system. The cows are
milked from stanchions in the
bam, and the milk is transferred
through a pipeline directly to stor
age tanks.
John McMillen describes the
farm’s land as about average for
Indiana County. But over the years
he has seen milk production from
Jersey cows triple, and the pen-acre
production of com more than dou
ble from what it once was. Those
improvements, he said, are a result
of improved animal breeding, bet
ter feeds, agricultural research and
good management of the farm.
He credits son William with
computerizing much of the farm’s
production records, and the busi
ness records of “Home Farm Supp
ly,” a retail dealership of agricul
tural seeds started by the father and
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ten, ai
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son in 1984.
Milk production records for the
McMillen’s cows have been hand
led for years by DHIA, but Wil
liam maintains much of the farm’s
additional information on his per
sonal computer.
For the year ending in October,
his herd average was about 13,500
pounds of milk per cow per year,
with 500 pound of protein and 700
pounds of fat per cow per year.
McMillen is working to
improve the farm’s forage prog
ram to further boost milk produc
tion. This year he began using
wrapped bales to get his hay crops
off sooner.
“I’ve been doing my own breed
ing with artificial insemination for
the past eight years. I’ve been able
to select from six different sup
pliers. That’s helped me a lot,
being able to select the best in the
U.S;”
The farm is a small operation
and William basically does the
work himself with the help of a
part-time high school student, his
family and his retired father who
lends a hand especially at harvest
time.
Home Farm Supply remains a
seasonal business William can
devote time to in the spring when
he’s not so busy. It remains a part
nership with his father.
Making a go of it on the McMil
len spread hasn’t always been
Homestead
NOTES
Mlllen.
easy. The drought of 1988 quickly
comes to John McMillen’s mind
when hard times arc mentioned.
“If I was 18 I’d do the same
thing again,” he said, then quickly
added, “I’d sure make some
changes,” explaining that he’d add
a few more labor-saving devices.
Nationally, the number of fami
ly farms is declining. But William
McMillen can explain why his
family’s farm has survived 200
years.
“It continues to be profitable. It
continues with hard work,” he
said.
There are no plans to enlarge the
farm. Instead, to ensure the farm's
future William will concentrate on
making it more efficient by doing
more of the maintenance himself
and upgrading more of the
equipment
Will Jennifer and Patrick be the
eighth generation of McMillcns to
own the farm?
“That’s a decision they’ll have
to make when the time comes,”
William answered. “Hopefully the
opportunity will be there."
John and Helen McMillen’s
other children are daughter Connie
and her husband Gary Spidcll of
nearby Home; daughter Sharon
and her husband Donald Wild of
Great Valley, N.Y.; son Robert of
Lebanon; and daughter Julie Anne
and her husband Brian Spencer of
Ephrata.