BMwrcmer Farming, Saturday, June 14, 1997
Len-Lyn Farms Switch From Holsteins To
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
STEVENS (Lancaster Co.)
For four generations the red and
white striped bams on the edge of
Stevens have been more than an
eye-catcher for passerbys.
The striped bams housed the
show winning Len-Lyn Holsteins
of the Crouse family. Embryo
transplants were commonplace.
But in January of this year, the
registered dairy herd was sold.
It was no easy decision for Phil
Crouse who topic over the dairy in
1992. At that time, his dad Galen
wanted more time to concentrate
on his trucking business.
When Phil wasn’t milking or
doing the field work, he helped out
his dad by delivering wood shav
ings to local dairy and poultry far
mers. Trucking and farming
seemed compatible.
In the last few years, the truck
ing business, which also delivers
mulch, boomed while dairy prices
have spiraled downward.
Crouse sold the 80 milking cows
but continues to raise 50 heifers
and SO dairy bulls and crop farm
130-acres with com, soybeans, and
alfalfa.
Phil his brother Neil, and dad
Galen formed a partnership to
operate the trucking business
called Len-Lyn Farms.
Many of the bams are now filled
Adriane and Lane enjoy playing in the wood shavings.
The wood shavings will be baled and sold at the Litltz Area
Mennonlte School Auction held June 27-28. Innovative
Ideas for raising money for organizations continue to crop
up, but baled shavings for bedding is one of the more
unusual items to be sold at the benefit auction.
Music plays a big role In Gail’s life. She teaches piano and
assists in school and church musical programs.
Homestead
NOTES
with sawdust, which Crouse said
farmers often prefer to use for bed
ding because it works well with liq
uid manure systems.
“It’s cheaper than straw, easier
to work with, and absorbs better
than other bedding,” Crouse said.
The partnership picks up shav
ings from logging businesses and
stores the shavings on two sheds on
the farm.
About nine years ago, the
Crouses built a home on the land
bordering the farm. To tend to the
young stock, Crouse takes a short
hike from his yard through a field
to the farm buildings.
The Crouse children, Adriane, 8,
and Lane, 11, attend Lititz Area
Mennonite School.
With the upcoming benefit auc
tion held for the school every year,
the Crouse family wanted to help.
The give-what-you-have con
cept inspired Crouse to donate
baled shavings and mulch from the
Len-Lyn Farms.
The benefit auction will cover
budgeted operating expenses. The
auction is an annual event, but for
Phil and Gail, raising school funds
is an ongoing responsibility. Both
serve on the school finance com
mittee, which is overseeing a
building expansion.
“Groundbreaking for the
$500,000 LAMS addition is sche
duled fi if 1998 if • ha -
80 percent of the projected cost on
hand at that point,” Gail said.
That means $400,000 is needed.
Presently about $270,063 has been
received or pledged. To help in the
fund raising, Gail designed a bro
chure for the building project
Because the community needs
soccer fields, the Lititz Soccer
Club has donated to the fundraiser
for the opportunity to use the fields
during off-school hours. -
Since the Crouse no longer have
the daily responsibility of milking
For many years the. .. anu..
for show cattle and embryo transpi
wood shavings that the Crouse faml
Phil Crouse loads some mulch for delivery that is in demand this season.
Phil and Gall Crouse with children, Adiane, 8, and Lane Crouse raises about 50 head of
heifers and bull calves on the faim.
cows, they have more time to vol
unteer for causes they believe in. In
January, the Crouses went on a
10-day mission trip to Western
Africa. With a group of 27 from the
Lancaster Christian Missionary
Alliance Church, they put a roof on
the African church and helped with
school and community outreaches.
Gail sang with a musical group.
People live in open huts in the trop
ical hot and humid area, but the real
surprise to the Crouses was that the
villagers did not drink milk or use
f
ie sti jrns housed Len-Lyn Holstelns, known
(anting. Now many of the buildings are storage for a
fly delivers to faffh&s to use for livestock bedding.
Bedding
any dairy products.
“They said Americans smell like
spoiled milk,” Gail said.
She agreed that the villagers cnl
indeed emit a different odor than
Americans.
Goats and water buffalo were
prevalent for meat. The village
women seem to do all the manual
labor while the men sat around in
the market place and sewed.
Music plays a large role in Gail’s
life. She teaches piano lessons, and
(Turn to Pag* B 3)
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