A44-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 18, 1997
Producer Creates Quality
(Continued from Page A4l)
recently completed. The
facility incorporates 2,800 sows,
marketing about 56,000 pigs
annually.
Using the 2,800-sow system
allows the.company to use split
sex feeding and phase feeding
programs better. Hostetter noted
that split-sex and phase feeding
works better when the ages of the
animals are closer together.
Elements of good neighbor poli
cies providing a low-cost, pro
fitable facility, and using sound
public relations are tools that
the whole industry needs to use
more of. according to Hostetter.
Ever since the lagoon spill that
happened several years ago in
Noth Carolina, which stirred lots
of controversy over the manage
ment of manure storage sites, the
industry has been on the alert to
protect themselves from legisla
tion that could seriously hurt swine
farm viability.
The North Carolina
incident “made it out to
be that we’re all bad
people we’re just
hoodlums that are just
trying to make all the
money we can and we
don’t really care about
what we leave behind,”
Hostetter said. “In fact,
we’re producing food,
we’re trying to provide
good jobs, good fami
lies. and have good peo
ple around us.”
Scott Bailey, an
employee of Hostetter
Management who over
sees several units in
Lebanon County, agree
s. More so than ever, the
industry must leant to
communicate with farm
neighbors in terms of
manure management
and providing solid
neighbor relations.
Bailey recently
received the Pork All
American Award at the
World Pork Expo in
Indianapolis, Ind. in
June this year. Bailey,
who grew up in New
Holland, said those in
the industry, to survive,
must leant to be “pro
active” while adopting
all the technologies
needed “as they become
available.”
fiailey recently
reviewed the Laurel
Ridge liner system site.
Bailey, treasurer of the
Lan/Chester Pork Pro
ducers. said the Laurel
Ridge site, an old
SOO-sow unit, was con
verted to a 1,400-sow
unit in 1995. A lagoon
system was installed the
same year. The liner
system uses 15-20 foot
wide 60-mil plastic lin
ers, stretched light
alongside the banks, and
the whole lagoon is
fenced. Capacity is
close to a million
gallons.
More and more,
according to Hostetler,
the industry will be
under attack by environ
mentalists. The business
“will continue to be
challenged by environmental
groups. And there will be continu
ous suggestions about different
kinds of legislation, different kinds
of permitting, suggestions that will
challenge large commercial ani
mal units.
“One of the most important
things we can do is participate in
environmental programs,” he said,
including the Environmental
Quality Assurance Program con
ducted by the National Pork Pro
ducers Council. It is something the
whole industry needs to participate
in, according to the swine facility
manager.
Hostetter recently relocated the
business headquarters to Lititz, to
be more centrally located for the
employees, which number about
SO. The business receives all its
feed from an Elizabethtown-based
feed mill. A nutritionist, Dr. Dick
Peacock, Lititz, manages the feed
programs for Hostetter Manage
ment at all locations.
But quality remains key to
the product and to the
environment
“We want to do more a$ a com
pany to establish a high standard,”
said Hostetler. “Our philosophy is
to produce a quality product that
people want to eat but not at the
risk of raping the environment and
not at the risk of our natural resour
ces. That’s all part of a good
program.”
A LESSON
WELL
LEARNED...
LANCASTER
FARMING’S
CLASSIFIED
ADS
GET RESULTS!
Ag Secretary Appoints
PDPP Board Members
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
Pennsylvania Secretary of
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recently announced new appoint
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The six appointees will each
serve a three-year term from Oct.
1, 1997 through Sept. 30, 2000.
'' airy farmers reappointed to
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Diebold, Altoona; Harold M.
Shaulis, Somerset; and Robert F.
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