«-»***ttff*M«w******tt**»*w*M»*s~DlGlT 1660 Z /j/a/
523 P 3 M W S
036034 981031
PERIODICALS DIVISION 04S f iBK^
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY I |||
W 209 PATTE LIBRARY I II L ,
UN IV PARI PA 16802 I U I ~
V 01.43 No. 53
Penn State Dairymen’s Club Celebrates 20th Anniversary
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Staff
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) Prior to the Penn State
Daitymen’s Club 20th annual
meeting held Friday, Nov. 6, at
Celebration Hall in State College,
some of its leaders and members
expressed their gratitude for
opportunities it has provided.
The sentiment expressed was
one noting that while the club's
histoty may not include events and
incidents that would be of particu
lar interest to a broad audience, the
club has become a warm and wel-
Pa. State Grange Sets
Policy, Elects Officers
MEADVILLE (Crawford
Co.) About 500 members of
the Pennsylvania State Grange set
new policy for the state rural and
agricultural advocacy organiza
tion last week at its annual conven
tion in Meadville.
In addition to setting policy, the
organization elected new officers
and heard from a number of speak
ers, including featured speaker
‘Family ’ Extends Beyond Farm, Into The Workings Of A City
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
WYOMISSING (Berks Co.)
About a third of the 410 people
assembled in the ballroom of the
Sheraton Berkshire here Thursday
night raised their hands when
Ernest Heckman, president of the
Berks Farm-City Council, asked
how many fanners were in the
room.
That many and more perhaps
lived the truth when Paul Hoh,
president of the Reading City
Council, spoke directly of his
experiences as the 15th Annual
Farm-City Banquet exchangee.
Just like at city council, working
Lancaster Farming
Now 43!
Forty-three years ago,
Lancaster Farming
began to appear in rural
mailboxes In southeast
Pennsylvania. That date
was Nov. 4, 1955, Since
then, on a weekly basis,
Lancaster Farming has
supplied farm news,
market and production
reports, regular columns,
special features, and
advertising to our grow
ing number of loyal read
ers. Farmer* and agri-
Ihdustry representatives
really depend dhus for
: the farm news each' week.
Four Sections
come extended family of like
interested people.
They said they are glad that it is
has reached its two-decade miles
tone and extended wishes for it to
continue at least another 20 years.
The daily science alumni club of
the Penn State University College
of Agricultural Sciences was
founded in 1977 (first annual
meeting in 1978) and serves as a
consulting group to the College
and as a medium for alumni and
friends of the College to remain in
contact with the College, each
• (Turn to Page A 25)
state Secretary of Agriculture
Samuel E. Hayes Jr.
Among the issues on which
Grange delegates decided its state
policy were proposed state regulal
oiy changes for farms considered
concentrated animal feeding oper
atioflS'XCAFOs); the Food Quality
Protection Act; farm vehicle
registration plates; citizens volun
(Turn to Page A 35)
on a farm often means worlang
across “other families, and other
farmers” in the common goal of
feeding the residents of the
community.
Renee Eckley, president of Limestone Springs Trout
Farm in Richland, holds a large male rainbow trout. As
reported last week, Aquaculture is now considered an agri
cultural enterprise in Pennsylvania. See part 2 of the Aqua
culture story on page A 22. Photo by Vem Achenbach Jr.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 7, 1998
Jeff Hostetter, president of the Penn State DairytViCTTk Oltlb, stands with some the
registered and grade Holsteins that he and his father raise and milk at their North
Annvllle Township farm in Lebanon County. Hostetter and others celebrated the orga
nization’s 20th anniversary this week. Photo by Vent Achenbech Jr.
And the city council, like the
farmer, takes responsibilities for
things that go right as well as
wrong, according to the co
exchangee, John Hix, manager and
$29.50 Per Year
president of Skyline Acres, Inc.,
near Shartlesvillc in Upper Bern
Township.
If the “micromanagement" of
the city of Reading “slipped a beat
on Sept. 12, I guess it was my
fault,” said Hix. “Because if it hap
pened at home, it was my fault,
too.”
Hob’s visit to Skyline Acres left
him deeply impressed with the
modernization and overall “micro
management” of a dairy. What
impressed Hoh the most, he told
those at the banquet Thursday
night, was the “modem dairy farm
with wonderful equipment new
equipment.” That equipment
includes a frees tall bam, a hospital
bam, and a double-12 parallel
parlor.
Hoh took note of the fact that
John's father, Ray, watches city
council on cable TV. “It’s nice to
have a few fans, even in Upper
Bem," said Hoh. But Hoh had a lot
to learn about a modem daily farm.
“I learned that daily farms were
not like my uncle’s farm in Quar
ryville, Lancaster County, with 35
cows.” Cows these days have com
puter chips in their cars for identi
fication and for feeding.
Hoh also learned how one per
son “can milk all 400 cows in sev
eral hours,” he said. “That’s
incredible." He was also impress
ed with the automatic manure
scraper which removes all the
manure to a lagoon.
“Man, do we need something
like'that at City Hall,” he quipped.
Not only was Hoh amazed by all
the computers in use on farms, but
he was also impressed with the fact
600 Per Copy
that, while cooling the milk, the
heat from the body of a cow is
recycled to actually heat the build
ing. The heat transfer technology
“was an amazing operation,” Hoh
said.
Hoh, who was bom in Lancaster
and graduated from the city’s
school system, received a bache
lor’s degree from Denison Univer
sity in Ohio and master’s of divini
ty from the Lutheran Seminary in
Philadelphia. After graduation,
Hoh become pastor of the Christ
Lutheran Church in Glenside. In
1964, Hoh began his term as legi
slator in the state House of Rep
resentatives. After one term, he
became executive director of the
Reading Berks Humanity Council.
In 1969 he joined the Pennsylvania
Northeast Synod of the Lutheran
Church as assistant to the
president.
Hoh returned to Reading in
1975 and became pastor of St.
John’s Lutheran Church. From
1992 until his retirement in 1997,
he was vice president of the Top
ton Lutheran Home. In 1995, Hoh
served his first term as president of
city council and is in his second
term.
Hoh helped prep the cows at the
Hix farm (using iodine and lano
lin) and learned a lot about fly con
trol and feeds. “It was a great dairy
it’s a terrific operation,” he said,
encouraging others to visit
Paul is. married to Mary (Kate),
and they have four children:
Christopher, Robyn, Eric, and
Scott, and four grandchildren.’
John Hix noted that his farm in
(Turn to Page A3O)