Farming, Saturday, March 28, 1997
Dedication To Farming Pays Off
(Continued from Page Al 9)
Mehrle still has the first tractor
he ever purchased: a 1953 Farmall
Super C he bought in 1956. He has
restored it and uses it, but the
proud grandfather says it will be
5-year-old Jacob’s tractor when
he’s ready for it In addition to the
Super C, over time he has invested
in a full line of Internationals, in
cluding a 1955 300, a 1959 340, a
Mehiie’s reflection can be seen In the 3000 gallon milk
tank.
Brosius Outlines Position On Agriculture Research
WASHINGTON, D.C. The
past several years have seen an
erosion of public support for agri
cultural research. While private
contributions to the research effort
have been on the increase, federal
support has been eroded by some
20 to 30 percent during the past
five years,” said Pennsylvania
Secretary of Agriculture Charles
C. Brosius.
“This is a trend that must be
stopped. Food and fiber are essen
tial to all people, and we must en
sure our productive capacity is se
cure.”
In testimony late last week be
fore the U.S. Senate Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry Commit
tee on the reauthorization of agri
cultural research, Brosius said that
the 1996 Farm Bill began the pro
cess of fundamental change in
agriculture. He said the seven-
Brookfield Farms is the home of the Mehrle Ramsburg, Jr. family.
1965 706, a 1972 1066, a 1983
5088, a 1985 86 Hydro, and a
1995 Case IH 7220. He uses a
1990 Ford 276 Bidirectional trac
tor loader to Oil the bunko* silos.
Some of the tractors have been
modified so Mr. Ramsbuig can
operate them more safely and effi
ciently following the loss of his
arm. His sleeve was caught in the
PTO shaft as he was unloading
year phase-down of commodity
programs increases the need for
greater global competitiveness on
agriculture.
“This situation increases the de
mand for sound, progressive agri
cultural research,” Brosius said,
adding that “in the past, public in
vestments in agriculture research
have paid large dividends to socie
ty, and the global, high-tech, en
vironmentally sensitive era we
have now entered requires support
of public research.”
Brosius, a member of the Na
tional Association of State Depart
ments of Agriculture (NASDA)
Agricultural Research Task Force,
told the Committee that the na
tion’s land grant universities must
remain a strategic resource for
agriculture and the general public.
“Publicly funded research is
needed to ensure society’s goals
ground ear com on December IS,
1989. After the accident, “I was
just laying there thinking, what am
I going to do? I could take the left
lane, and do nothing, or I could
choose the rightlane, and manage
and keep active in the farming
operation. And it wasn’t a hard de
cision,” said the dairy fanner.
“Now I have to be careful because
I don’t have good balance,” he ex
plained. Special steps and a plat
form have been welded onto the
706 and the loader tractor that help
Mr. Ramsburg climb in and dis
mount more safely. And spinners
have been added to the steering
wheels of the trucks and the trac
tors. “I decided when I was laying
in the hospital to get two-way
radios so I could keep in touch
with them and they could keep in
touch with me,” Mr. Ramsburg
explained.
It is that kind of thoughtful de
termination that has led Mr.
Ramsburg to excel in farming. He
was recently recognized by Penn
sylvania Farmer magazine and the
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Service as a Master Farmer. The
Ramsburg family was honored in
1986 as Frederick County Farm
Family of the Year. Over the years
Mr. Ramsburg has been honored
with the FFA American Fanner
degree, the MD 4-H All-Star
award, and the Outstanding
Young Farmer award for Freder
ick County given by the Jaycees.
He has been director of the county
Farm Bureau, and director and of
ficer of the Frederick County and
Mid-East DHIA. He is a dairy rep
resentative on the MD Ag Com
mission. a director of MD-VA
Milk Producers Co-op, vice presi
dent of the Thurmont Co-op, a di-
arc achieved. While private and
public research are complement
ary, private research is more nar
row and short term. Public re
search can be more speculative,
broader and longer term. Public
funding ensures that needs voiced
by concerned citizens are
achieved. Items such as a safe and
secure food and fiber system, a
healthy and well-nourished popu
lation, harmony between agricul
ture and die environment, global
competitiveness, and general eco
nomic development can be ad
dressed with public funding. All
of these factors help provide the
quality of life desired by each of
our citizens,” he stated.
According to Brosius’ state
ment, NASDA believes legisla
tion reauthorizing agriculture re
search and education programs
(Turn to Pago A 26)
At Brookfield Far
A special landing and steps have been welded onto this
tractor to allow Mehiie to get in and out more easily. Spin
ners have also been added to all steering wheels, and each
tractor and truck is equipped with a two-way radio for
safety.
rector of Central Mi) harm Credit, lion’s dairy advisory committee,
and vice president of the Dairy and is active in the county Farm
Council of Greater Metropolitan Safety Camp for Kids. The family
Washington. He also serves on the is also active in the Glade United
American Farm Bureau Federa- Church of Christ
.. ■’ ; %r-