K 15 (S U V) t r -
I i r ■
JH 11999
■ UNIV .
Vol. 44 No. 9
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Stall
EPHRATA (Lancaster
Co.) Goodbye 1998.
It has been a year filled with
unexpected meteorological, politi
cal and business events that con
tinue to challenge logic, reason
and belief.
Review and Opinion
In other words, it has been a year
full of historic extreme.
All the while, the events of the
year were tempered with constant
reminders of the complexity and
Penn State’s Ag College Dean
Reviews First 18 Months
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) - “More than anything in
Pennsylvania agriculture you find
the attitude that we are all in this
together,” said Robert Steele,
dean, Penn State College of Agri
cullural Sciences. “We were trying
for years to accomplish this kind
of partnership in Wisconsin.”
Steele was speaking in a per
sonal interview late last month
about the progress he has seen at
Penn State since he became dean
Tom Marsh Jr. relies on the expertise of M & M Zook Farm,
Gap, to provide Farm Show stock. Marsh and his father,
Tom Sr., look at two dozen feeder pigs before choosing four
or five that look like potential champions. Read more about
Tom as he prepares for Farm Show on page A 22. Photo by
Andy Andrews
Five Sections
Historic Extremes Define 1998
degree of interdependency
between human beings and their
real environment
The real environment is the total
sum of everything that surrounds
and affects humans, including
other humans.
The environment is not just that
portion characterized so often by
special-interest groups as consist
ing of splendorous landscapes,
wildlife, pristine watersheds and
uninhabited mountains and plains.
From unusual space missions, to
meteor showers and comets, to the
global destabilization of econo
mics and the continued consolida
tion of businesses and coopera-
of the College of Agricultural
Sciences 18 months ago. He came
here from the University of Wis
consin, Madison, where he was
associate dean for research, Col
lege of Agriculture and Life Sci
ences, and executive director of the
University of Wiconsin’s Ag Ex-
Station.
“In Pennsylvania they ically
stick together,” Steele said. “For
example the Dairy Futures Stake
holders. This has grown so much
over the last three years, where
(Turn to Pag* A 25)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 2, 1999
lives, it has been a full year.
Make no mistake, this and the
preceding years are years of histor
ic importance.
Just as the turbulence of the
years immediately prior and after
the signing and ratifying of the
Some girls play with dolls, but Regina, 6, and Rebecca Grover, 4, find cows in their
playhouse more to their liking. While Butch and Donna Grover milk 200 Holsteins in
Bernardson, Mass., the sisters pamper the Jersey cows. “The cows will do anything
for the girls,” Butch said of the curious Jerseys who went into the doll house to look
around then calmly came back outside. “It’s not much different forming up here than
in Lancaster County,” said Butch. “Once forming is in your blood, you don’t want to do
anything else.” Butch’s grandfather started farming with seven milking cows and
three horses. Over the years, the form has been expanded to include 750 acres, 200
milking cows, and 150 young stock. The family sent this photo as Christmas greetings
to Lancaster Farming. We thought our readers would enjoy it also.
Farmers Share Bond No Matter Where They Live
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Firming Staff
BERNARDSftN, Mass.
’‘Fanning up here is not much dif
ferent than in Pennsylvania,” said
Philip Grover, better known to
New Englanders as “Butch."
“I like to milk cows. Ilikc to
raise crops, and I like to watch ani
mals grow. I figure everyone who
farms onfus own Has his own opin
ions abdUt the way things should
be dohs. That’s why we’re
fanning-—because, we like to be
independent*” Butch said..
The Masttachusettes farm near
the border of Vermont was pur
chased in 1912 by Butch’s
grandfather.
'That first winter, grandfather
milked seven cows and had three
horses. Now my brother Paul and I
formed a corporation and milk 200
cows, have about ISO head of
young stock, and 750 acres,”
Butch said.
Most of the expansion was com
pleted in recent years. The farm
had been increased to about 30
cows in 1925. It stayed about the
same size until Butch and his
brother finished school in 1963.
Then the bam size was increased to
milk 60 cows.
$29.50 Per Year
United States Constitution only
marked the beginning of a new
direction for people, it is apparent
that the events of this current per
iod of years will be looked back
upon as years during which much
was discussed, reviewed, revised.
About nine years later, the
brothers added a 100-cow frees tall
bam to the stanchion bam. A few
years later, they built a milking
parlor and added another frees tall
bam for 75 cows. The stanchion
bam was converted into a heifer
bam.
From all of us at Lancaster Farming
Special Pages, Advertising/News
Deadlines For Farm Show Issue
The Keystone Farm Show is scheduled for this week in York (we
have a section of advertising messages for you), and the Pennsylvania
Farm Show will run the following week. The first up-to-date Pennsylva
nia Farm Show exhibitor lists, meeting and judging schedules, and Farm
Show complex layout, are found in this issue too. Next week is our
annual Pennsylvania Farm Show issue with features of farmers going to
exhibit, advertising messages, schedules and building layouts. We, like
experimented with, and reconsid
ered by people around the world as
they sought a new way of living
with each other.
All of this activity has been hap-
(Turn to Pag* A 26)
Over the years, the Grovers
have purchased the land from 13
farms in the area that were sold.
They left the owners have the
houses. Most of the land is adjoin
ing. “The farthest we travel is five
(Turn to Pag* A 32)
(Turn to Pago A 36)
60C Per Copy