Cooperators Honored By Frederick Soil Conservation District
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KAREN BUTLER
Maryland Correspondent
WOOOSBORO. Md. The
Frederick Soil Conservation Dis
trict held its annual cooperators
banquet here at the Woods boro
Activities Complex. Awards were
presented to three farm families
following a social hour and din
ner.
The cooperator of the year
award is granted by the conserva
tion district to a cooperator who
has shown a continuing commit
ment over a period of years to con
servation of their land. Generally
the cooperator has installed best
management practices to limit soil
erosion and improve water
quality.
This year Steve Cassis, Whis
key Ridge Farm, was honored as
cooperator of the year. Cassis rais
es feeder cattle on his him near
Libeitytown. He rotationally graz
es about SO head on 12S acres.
‘Tm trying to plant warm sea
son grasses to graze all year,” he
explained.
Cassis purchased his farm in
1988 and became a cooperator
shortly thereafter. The cropland
acreage on the farm had been en
rolled in the CRP program by its
previous owner, and is in perman
ent cover.
Almost '/ of a mile of Ling
anore Creek borders and runs
through the farm. Riparian buffers
have been enhanced by fencing
out the livestock. Troughs have
been installed and are gravity fed
by springs.
The Raymond Keilholtz Mem
orial award is granted each year to
the cooperator who has installed
the most effective variety of prac
tices, accomplishing soil conser
vation and improving water qual
ity within a two-year time period.
Winners of this year’s Ray
mond Keilholta Memorial Award
are James and Louise Ship and
family, Teabow Inc. The Stups
purchased their original home
farm near Walkersville in 1965
and since that time have added
three mote farms to their dairy
operation. Jame Stup became a
district cooperator in 1981. In
1995 Stup retired, but his wife
Louise still keeps the books for the
400-cow dairy.
Son James is farm manager, and
his wife Terrie manages the
calves. Daughter Melissa Jarvis
manages the dairy, and her hus
band Larry Jarvis Jr., is feed and
breeding manager.
Over the years Teabow, Inc. has
established many conservation
practices, including conservation
tillage and crop rotation, grassed
waterways, troughs, diversions,
and an animal waste storage struc
ture. They have implemented a
nutrient management plan, fenced
out a stream that runs through the
farm, installed stream crossings to
allow access to all pastures, and
utilized fall cover crops.
The Take Pride In Frederick
County Award goes to a farm that
has well-executed best manage
ment practices installed with prop
er maintenance. The conservation
district is interested in overall ap
pearance of the farm and the co
High School
Agricultural
Education
operator’s promotion of water
quality practices.
This year the Take Pride In
Frederick County Award went to
Larry and Judy Piggs, Leighcastle
Holsteins. The Riggs purchased a
farm in Union Bridge in 1987 and
have expanded their operation to
include 42S acres. They have
grown the milking herd from SO
cows to 130, and raise 100 re
placement heifers.
Judy is responsible for calf care.
Franklin Burner, from whom the
Riggs purchased the original hum,
is employed on the farm and is re
sponsible for the crops.
Ted Wolfe also works for
Leighcastle with their fertilizer
program. The Riggs have four
children; Christina Crum, Andy
Riggs, Carolyn Riggs, and Chad
Hylan.
Leighcastle has installed a
spring development and trough,
700 feet of subsurface drainage,
an ag waste storage structure,
2,500 feet of fencing, and conser
vation tillage and cropping sys
tems. In 1993 they started using
field strips to protect the soil from
erosion.
The Take Pride In Frederick County Award was pre
sented by Dwight Dotterer, supervisor of the Frederick
County Soil Conservation District, to Larry and Judy
Riggs, Lelghcastle Holstelns. From the left are Dwight Dot
terer, Judy and Larry Riggs, and Jesse Burall, chairman of
the Frederick Soil Conservation District.
Animal Housing Expo Nov. 18-19
NORTH CORNWALL (Leba
non Co.) Northeast farmers can
Icam more about how to remodel
and expand their livestock, dairy,
and poultry facilities at the sixth
annual Animal Housing Expo,
Nov. 18-19 here at the Lebanon
Fairgrounds.
The Expo is sponsored by Penn
State Cooperative Extension and
various agribusinesses. Hours arc
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.
Designing and constructing ani
mal housing facilities is a major
financial commitment It is some
thing that may farmers will do
only once or twice in their fanning
career. Thus, it should be done
right the first time.
The building and remodeling
decisions farmers make today will
have a significant impact on how
competitive their business will be
in the years to come. It will affect
the health and productivity of their
herd or flock, worker output, publ
ic relations, cash flow, and farm
profits.
Farmers should take time to
look at a lot of different facilities
and talk to a lot of people before
they make major remodeling and
expansion decisions. The Animal
Teabow, Inc. was honored with the Raymond E. Keilholtz Award. Roger Troxell,
vice chairman of the Frederick Soli Conservation District, presented the award. From
left to right are rear, Roger Troxell, Larry Jarvis Jr., Melissa Jarvis, Louise Stup,
James Stup, Jimmy Stup, and Jesse Burall, chairman of the Frederick Soil Conserva
tion district. Center row: Stephanie Jarvis, Crystal Stup. Front: Andrew Jarvis and
Adam Stup.
Housing Expo helps fanners in the
Northeast accomplish this by pro
viding them an opportunity to:
> Visit with approximately 40
different commercial exhibitors
who can supply the products and
services they might need.
• Hear presentations by
nationally-known and local exper
ts and producers.
• Observe a variety of educa
tional demonstrations and
exhibits.
• Share ideas with other farmers
in attendance.
This year's program features
swine topics Nov. 18 and dairy
topics Nov. 18-19.
Primary speakers include John
W. Ferry, a veterinarian and finan
cial consultant from Belleville,
N.Y. and Lany Jacobsen, agricul
tural engineer from the University
of Minnesota. Panels of dairy pro
ducers will share their remodeling
and expansion experiences.
John Ferry’s presentations on
Nov. 18 will focus on “Expansion
Preparations” and “Planning the
Expansion Project and Working
the Plan.” On Nov. 19 he will
focus on “Managing the New
C. Ellis Hood, left, treasurer of ths Frederick Soli Conser
vation District board, presented the Cooperator of the Year
Award to Steve Cassis of Llbertytown. On the right Is Jesse
Burall, chairman of the Frederick Soil Conservation district
board.
Facility” and “Getting the Best
Performance Out of Your Two-
Legged and Four-Legged
Employees."
Larry ‘Jacobsen’s presentation
will focus on “Wean-to-Finish
Production.” John Chapman of
White Oak Mills will talk about
“Three Site Swine Production”
and “Finishing Swine on Your
Dairy Farm." D.L. George from
Hatfield Quality Meats will
explain “The Autofom Carcass
Payment Program,” and a panel of
pork producers will share their
BREAKING MILK RECORDS!
Lancaster Farming Carries
DHIA Reports Kach Month!
thoughts and experiences.
Producers who want to expand
or remodel their facilities and
become mote efficient, and agri
business people who are interested
in animal housing facilities and
equipment should reserve the
dates of Nov. 18-19 and make
plans to attend.
For more information about the
Expo and about exhibit details,
contact Expo Chairman Dan
McFarland, Penn State Coopera
tive Extension, York, (717)
840-7408.
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