V 01.43 No. 22
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Stall
BOILING SPRINGS (Cumber
land Co.) The general public
appreciates and desires farmland
preservation, but not necessarily
for the same reasons cited by most
farmers, according to Ralph Gros
si, president of the national farm
land preservation organization,
American Farmland Trust.
On Tuesday, Gross! was the key
speaker to a group of about 125
people representing a variety of
farmland preservation programs in
Maryland/Virginia Reviews Year,
Honors Young Cooperators
KAREN BUTLER
Maryland Correspondent
HAGERSTOWN, Md. In
spite of a changing business land
scape, Maryland and Virginia
Milk Producers Cooperative was
able to meet the challenges of
1997 and has a vision for the fu
ture, according to John Hardesty,
president Of the co-op. Mr. Har
desty shared Ms optimism with'
dairy produced at die 78lb annual
meeting of the association held at
the Ramada Inn at Hagerstown.
“As your president I am pleased
to report that your co-op had a
successful year, despite the chal
lenges,” Hardesty said during the
business meeting. Challenges he
Fletcher Named Adams County Conservation Farmer
JINNY WILT
Adams Co. Correspondent
YORK SPRINGS (Adams Co.)
The district has a dream.
Harry Fletcher of Reading Township was named Adams
County Conservation Farmer of the Year at the district’s
annual meeting. Photo by Glnny Wilt, Adam a Co.
Correspondent
Four Sections
American Farmland Trust Supports Fainffy jFarming
20 states from California to
Pennsylvania who attended a
regional national convention of
American Farmland Trust at the
Allenbeny Resort Inn and Play
house in Boiling Springs.
The three-day convention
emphasized technical aspects of
preservation programs ranging
from fund-raising possibilities
through directing a portion of real
estate transfer taxes to local farm
land preservation programs, to
programs designed to inform
potential residential urban home
perceived lor the upcoming year
focused on the volatile issues sur
rounding die reorganization of the
industry and tensions between en
vironmental concerns and agricul
ture. Specifically, Hardesty identi
fied three areas Maryland and Vir
ginia could concentrate on during
1998 to ease the transition into the
future and provide equitable re
tuntf*to producers. “Developing
cloasr working relationships with
others, helping other regions bal
ance their markets in terms of sur
plus and shortage, and developing
expanded class I sales in the
South” will be key to a successful
1998, according to Hardesty.
(Turn to Pago A 24)
Those attending the district’s
23rd annual awards banquet in the
York Springs Fire Hall last month
heard about that dream which in-
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 4,
buyers that the property is located
in a farming area and what that
means.
Participants attended a series of
Leonard and Bonnie Jo Greek, Delta, were named Out
standing Young Cooperatora at the Maryland and Virginia
Milk Producers Cooperative Association annual meeting.
Photo by Karon Butior, Maryland Correspondent.
eludes a new building that would
not only house the agency, but
some Adams County offices.
Gary Shaffer of Gettysburg, the
project’s consultant/architect for
the district, explained very early
plans set an estimated cost of the
Surrounded by her lour daughters, Laura-Jean Watson, center, telle how she and
her husband Jeff found homeschooling, 4-H, and God’s wisdom profound In helping
each daughter develop her unique personality. Many In the fanning community are
familiar with Jessica, second from right, who Is Lebanon Fair Queen and the Pennsyl
vania Runner-Up Fair Queen, but her sisters, Joyce, left, Jennifer, and Jacqueline,
right, also excel in leadership and talent. Turn to page B 2 for the Watson family story.
Photo by Lou Ann Good.
workshops me
course of the ynth
speakers representing various
agencies and preservation prog-
building at $2.4 million that would
be funded through a mortgage or
bonds. There would also be a capi
tal funds campaign.
The building is expected to be
32,000 square feet and would be
located on county land where the
600 Per Copy
rams in the various states with
established farmland preservation
programs.
The purpose of the convention
was to bring together active preser
vation leaders from around the
nation to share experiences, with
the goal of better arming the entire
group with ideas to use to further
efforts back home.
Gross! was the key speaker dur
ing the final day of the convention.
He told the group that their pre
sence at the convention indicated
the growth of the farmland preser
vation movement in its short life of
10 to 15 years.
“It’s a very short time,” he told
them, citing a national effort to
protection wilderness afeas that
(Turn to Pago AS 2}
Daylight-Saving
Time Starts
Sunday
Officially, at 2 o’clock Sunday
morning, April 5, daylight-saving
tjpte again makes its debut in pre
paration for summer. Homers
.with livestock, especially dairy
men, will want to make a gradual
change in feeding and milking
schedules to minimize the disrup
tion. To be sure you are on time, set
your clocks one hour ahead Satur
day night before you go to bed.
Almshouse a county home
once stood north of Gettysburg
along Business Route IS.
Shaffer said the current build
ing plans include meeting rooms,
display areas, educational facili-
(Tum to Pag* A 22)