A2O-Lanca»ter Farming, Saturday, February 8, 1997
Ruth and Sterling Raber operate 308 acres owned, 627 rented on this grain and
100-sow farrow-to-finish farm in Orefield, Lehigh County.
Six Master Farmers
(Continued from Page A 1)
Management Association for crop
consulting. Their heavy wet soils
average about six tons per acre of
alfalfa-ryegrass hay, 110 bushels
of com per acre for grain, 18-20
tons per acre of com silage, 48
bushels per acre of soybeans, and
45 bushels per acre of wheat. Most
years they grow all the feed they
need.
David is a member of the Bucks County Holstein Club, Pen
nsylvania Farm Bureau, and Bucks County DHIA. Sharon
serves on the Bucks-Monlgomery Dairy Promotion Commit
tee and served a term on the county Farm Service Agency.
• Conrad and Patricia Langenfelder, Kennedyville, Md. A
little more than eight years ago, Conrad “Dutch” Langenfelder
and wife Patricia uprooted their fourth-generation Maryland
farming family and transplanted it to the Eastern Shore. The
move took almost a year to complete.
Now, the operation includes a 2,300-acre cash grain opera
tion (1,478 acres owned) and a 180-sow farrow-to-finish oper
ation which produces 3,600 hogs a year. The farm includes
children Jennifer Debnam, Bill, and Kristen Nickerson.
Dutch’s responsibilities include overall management, mark
eting with DTN, crop spraying, hauling, and repairs. Patricia
takes care of bookkeeping, straw baling, and assisting in the
farrowing house.
Jennifer, a graduate of Virginia Tech, returned to the farm as
swine operations manager after five years as a loan officer.
Kristen, a Wesley College and an accountant, relumed full
time to work in the pork operation. Bill handles the crops,
including planting, combine operation, and scouting.
The Langenfclders have two years of yield data from the on
the-go yield monitor. This year they plan to start using the data
and global positioning system field mapping equipment to
more closely manage field nutrients.
All their farmland is under conservation and nutrient man
agement plans. Reduced tillage is used on more than 75 per
cent of their crop acres. Their per-acre yields have averaged
141 bushels of com, 50 bushels of soybeans, 35 bushels of
double- crop soybeans, 80 bushels of wheat, and 100 bushels
of barley.
In 1993 the Langenfclders were recognized as the county’s
Soil Conservation Cooperator Family of the Year. Pat was the
first woman to be elected county Farm Bureau president in
Maryland. She served two terms on the Maryland Ag Commis
sion. She was also appointed to Ken County’s Comprehensive
Plan Oversight Committee. She has been an officer of Mary
land Farm Bureau Women and the state Pork Council Women.
She also served as past president of Maryland Ag Week.
Dutch has been a county Farm Bureau president and has
served four terms on American Farm Bureau’s Swine Advis
ory Committee.
He’s a past president and is treasurer of the Maryland Pork
Producers.
• Wayne C. McGinnis Farm, White Hall, Md. McGinnis,
who was graduated from the University of Maryland and
became a high school physical education teacher and sports
coach, purchased a 260-acre farm in 1963. Along with the
purchase included 50 registered Angus cows and a new tractor.
McGinnis farms with Harriet and children Anne McGinnis-
Joncs, Jay, and Brett. The farm size is 1,420 acres with 1,060
acres in crops and a 160-cow Angus cow-calf operation.
The farm size increased so that, in 1989, they were farming
more than 1,500 acres. McGinnis, who has used only
performance- tested bulls on his herd, produces 365-day steer
calves averaging 700 pounds each.
All are vaccinated and back
grounded over winter at the farm,
then sold as heavy yearlings.
McGinnis plans to cut back to 100
cows, convert some leased ground
from forages to row crops, and
expand the grain operations.
The McGinnis Angus Farm and
■u
/ ...
4* '/
Mehrle H. Ramsburg farms with wife Themla on this
775-acre farm, 245-cow dairy in Thurmont, Md.
Maryland Cattlemen’s Associa
tion, and Maryland Grain Produc
ers Association. He is heavily
involved in ag land preservation
efforts.
• Jack, Wilma and Dwight
Mickey, Chambersburg. Since the
19705, Dwight Mickey has dedi
cated himself to keeping Shatzer
Fruit Market a viable, growing
business. Included on the opera
tion are his parents and business
partners, Wilma and Jack Mickey.
They farm 60 acres.
In the 19605, the Shatzers who-
lesaled 90 percent of their fruit and
retailed 10 percent. It’s the oppo
site today, with most of the pro
duce sold through their on-farm
market.
Wilma’s parents milked cows
on the farm until 1955. The present
market was built in 1950. Wilma
and Jack assumed control in 1972
and continued the gradual move to
retailing. Dwight joined the opera
tion full-time after he was gra
duated from Shippensburg Univer
sity in 1981. A three-way partner-
(Turn to Page A2l)