O'°7I f .);:l PI KHiOH At S DIVISION ppmm s f a‘i r. iinjvc rs i rv w : PM1I" LIDRARY UNIV PAlCl' PA Vol. 42 No. 52 David Fink, owner of Heldel Hollow Farm In Germansvllle, Is a large-scale hay producer who serves on the Internation al Market Development Committee for the National Hay Association. See Fink’s work In this Issue's special section, Foraging Around. United Voice Raised For Homestead Exemption EVERETT NEWSW ANGER Managing Editor LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) The Lancaster County commis sioners called a news conference Thursday morning to present united support for a “yes” vote on the Homestead Exemption referen dum that will be on Pennsylvania’s ballots next Tuesday. All the commissioners, Paul Thibault, vice chairman, who con ducted the news conference, Terry Kauffman, chairman, and Ron Ford, agreed that the present method of using only real estate taxes to raise county revenues was unfair and antiquated. They emphasized that if an affirmative vote is not achieved now, the (Turn to Pag* A 22) Lancaster Farming Turns 42! Lancaster Farming began to appear In rural mailboxes in southeast Pennsylvania 42 years ago on Nov. 4, 1955. Every week since then Lancaster Farming has supplied farm news, advertising, market and production reports, regu lar columns, and special features to our growing number of loyal rural readers. Today, farmers and agrNndustry rep resentatives really depend on usfortnefarm news each week. Thanks I Five Sections Fall harvest is well under way, with reports of crop yields greatly varied across the region because of weather condi tions. For example, in areas of south central Pennsylvania, the com crop is almost a total loss, while the southeast part of the state has only 20 to 30 percent lower yields. Maryland also has great variation from county to county. In some fields the stalks were shorter, but the ears filled out, making better silage than normal. For'J. R. Arnold, Jefferson, Md., driving the tractor in the photo, the crop was very poor. In fact, It took the corn planted in the spring a month to sprout, and for most of the Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 1,1997 VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Fanning Staff LEESPORT (Berks Co.) Janet Fishovitz of Free dom was named the Pennsylvania State Granger of the Year Tuesday during the 12Sth All-Granger Ban quet at the Lees port Farmers Market in Leesport. The awards banquet served as the climax of the rural organiza tion’s several days of festivities, contests and events held as part of its historic convention. The banquet hall facility of the livestock and farm products auc tion business was filled by Gran gers from around the state for the Tuesday buffet dinner and awards program. For the days of the state organi zation’s historic 125th anniversary convention leading up to the ban quet, most activities occurred either at the Scottish Rite Cathed ral in Reading, or at The Inn at Reading, which served as conven tion headquarters. Twelve Berks County granges served as convention hosts and used the farmers market site as a Pennsylvania Grange Celebrates 125-Year History $28.50 Per Year change of venue. With the long banquet hall, and six long rows of end-to-end tables, a stage at one end and a buffet line at the other, the site seemed to suit well the 600 members in attendance. State Grange Master William Steel served as master of ceremo nies and welcomed the members, with Jean Hollabaugh providing the invocation prior to dinner. Poultry Accomplishments, Plans Noted LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) At its annual banquet held at Willow Valley Convention Center on Tuesday evening, Lancaster County Poultry Association noted its accomplishments and offered a peep into promotional plans for the upcoming year. Lancaster County Poultry Ambassador Kendra Weaver year the crop was expected to be a total loss. But on lues* day, Arnold was harvesting the com on Joe Long’s farm, and the field was at lebst providing some forage. Of course, it took many more acres than usual to fill the silos. Many far mers have already started to purchase forages In anticipa tion of shortages next spring. The photo was taken along Rt. 180, looking north, Just west of Jefferson, Md., at the Junction of Rt. 383. Jefferson View Farm, owned by Charles C. Smith & Sons, can be seen in the background. Photo by E varan Nawawangar, managing adltor. 60c Per Copy Following the meal featuring roast beef fillets and crab cakes, as well as potato filling (a regional culinary specialty) and other side dishes, the program included a pre sentation from Tom Gajewsld, a staff member for U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, who presented a procla mation from the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing the (Turn to Pago A 32) greeted the 350 members in atten dance. She said, “Small family farms, especially poultry farms, are close to my heart since I come from one.” The 18-year-old daughter of Keith and JoAnne Weaver, who have a broiler operation in Rein beldfit was presented with a $l,OOO S(sffBfership in appreciation for (Turn to Pago A3O)