A32-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 30, 1999
(Continued from Page A 1)
brother, Henry, likewise joined
the family farm operation after
finishing high school.
Seven members of three gen
erations of the family now help
make up the workforce of this
diverse dairy operation, lofig
recognized in the county for its
dedication to soil conservation
Jack oversees most of the milk
ing responsibilities, while Henry
handles the feeding programs
Jack’s wife, Sandy, does the
bookkeeping Their oldest son,
Andy, 23, handles much of the
crop work in addition to holding
an off-farm job. Sons Shane, 21,
and Tyler, 19, also hold off-farm
jobs and help with farm respon
sibilities as needed
Miller Plant Farms operates
a diverse horticulture enterprise
with roots in the early part of
the century. Dave Miller, who
manages the family business, is
a third-generation in the green
house, produce and retail mar
keting enterprises His nephew,
Steven Slyder, works closely
with him m handling the vari
ous farm operations
This family farm on Indian
Rock Dam Road was established
Miller Plant Farms is York County’s Ag Industry of the
Year. Representing the Miller family’s diverse horticultur
al operation are, from left, Steven and Kandi Slyder and
Diane and Dave Miller.
All Dairy Youth Invited
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Staff
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) All Pennsylvania daily
youth have been invited to attend
the third annual Pennsylvania
Junior All-Breeds convention,
Feb. 12-14 in State College.
Sponsored by the Penn State
University Dairy Science Club, the
All-Breeds Convention was ini
tiated in response to a lack of a
junior convention or comparable
convention activities to what is
available through the Pennsylvani
a Junior Holstein Association.
Some dairy breeds aren't offi
cially recognized or supported
through local organizations, most
other dairy breeds only hold con
ventions directed for all ages of
members, especially adults.
The All-Breeds Convention is
open to any junior (youth) who
owns any breed of dairy cattle.
The announcement of the third
convention was made this week,
too late for the original deadline
for convention registration, and
too late for the original deadline
for hotel registration.
Dale Olver, Penn State dairy
professor and coordinator of Penn
State Extension youth dairy prog
rams, has extended the registration
by telephone until Feb. 3. But the
Dehoff, Miller Families Share York Ag Honors
in 1910, with the first green
house constructed by Jacob
Miller in 1929 to grow trans
plants for his produce business
The transplants were so success
ful that, within ten years, Miller
began marketing them to other
growers
Today’s plant customers
range from other commercial!
vegetable producers in York,
Lancaster and surrounding
counties to thousands of back
yard gardeners who purchase
Miller-grown transplants from
area garden centers and mar
kets In addition, the Millers
raise acres of produce, including
sweet corn and melons, and
market their plants, vegetables,
flowers and fruits at both
Central and Eastern farmers
markets.
In addition to Dave Miller,
his wife Diane, and nephew
Steve Slyder, his parents John &
Betty Miller remain active in
operating this long-established
greenhouse and retailing center.
About a half-dozen other full
and part-time employees round
out the Miller Plant Farm staff.
Also recognized were partici
pants in two ag-outreach pro
grams that have become county
deadline cannot be extended bey
ond then.
Those interested should call his
office immediately (between 8
a.m. and 4 p.m.) at (814)
865-7638.
The Day’s Inn in State College
is serving as convention headquar
ters, although aedvities extend
onto the Penn State Main Campus.
Olvcr has no control over the
deadline for registradon at the
Day’s Inn, and the original dead
line was Jan. 10.
As of Thursday, a spokesperson
for the hotel management said
there were still rooms available,
but the availability was likely to
disapear quickly, as Feb. 14 is Val
entine’s Day.
According to hotel officials,
those interested in reserving a
room need to call 1-800-258-3297
immediately and indicate that a
reservation is being sought in con
junction with the Pa. Junior All-
Breeds Convention.
According to Victoria Ansell,
chairperson of the Junior All-
Breeds Convention Committee,
“the event is designed for owners
of all dairy breeds who are inter
ested in learning about the dairy
industry and having fun.
“Workshops and events, such as
a mock sale, will have a distinct
emphasis on material about all
dairy breeds.”
Chi Saturday, Feb. 13, registra
tion check-in is open again from 8
Registration check-in for the am - to 9 a.m.
Room rates had been $6B per
night for rooms suitable for one to
four people.
The convention is designed to
provide dairy youth an opportunity
to learn, have fun, and socialize
with people sharing a common
interest.
Three generations of Dehoff dairy producers joined in accepting the York Ag
Industry Farm Family of the Year award. From left, seated, are Patti, Albert and
Sandy, rear, Shane, Henry, Jack, Tyler and Andy.
traditions, the Farm Visitation
Day, held annually on the
Sunday before Thanksgiving,
and the Agricultural Exchange,
in which a farmer and non
farmer are paired to share a day
of experiencing each other’s jobs.
Saluted as hosts for the visi
tation day were Airville-area
farm operations H. E. Heindel
and Sons Farm, operated by
Horace and Jeff Heindel, Crist’s
Tree Farm owned by Doug and
Anne Crist, Harry and Beth’s
Bickel’s Alta Vista Farm West,
and Ray Warner, Alan Keeney
and Francine Rexroth, Farmers
Equipment and Supply.
Paired for the ag-exchange
work days were Becky Innerst of
Dun Val Dairy Farm and
Michael Jefferson of York
Crispus Attacks, Richard
Barton, Barton’s Fruit Farms,
with York Suburban High School
guidance counselor Arlene
Schmitt, Senator Mike Waugh,
28th Senatorial District paired
for a workday with Maple Lawn
To Penn State All-Breeds Convention
convention runs from 6-9 p.m.,
Feb. 12, in the lobby of the Day’s
Inn.
From 7:30 p.m. until 9 p.m., on
the schedule arc a pizza party,
socializing and a dance to music to
be provided by disc jockey Kirk
Satlazahn. Lights are to be out at
11:30 p.m.
Attendance at the conference
requires that each youth pledge to
good behavior, and to following a
specific code of conduct. A
parent’s signature is required
along with the signature of the
youth making the pledge.
Those who misbehave or break
the rules are to be sent back home
at the expense of the parents of the
youth and barred from ever partici
pating in another All-Breeds
convention.
Farm’s Gail McPherson, and Pat
Buser, Buser Farms, who shared
career experiences with Jo Anna
Shovlin, aide to state
Representative Stan Saylor.
Keynote speaker for the
event was Pennsylvania
Secretary of Agriculture Sam
Hayes. Hayes noted York
County’s prominence in farm
land preservation programs and
emphasized the need to main
tain food production capability
for the public good. He voiced
concerns that over-regulation
could drive agriculture out of the
state as a foundation part of the
economy and noted that regula
tory measures must be based on
sound economic reason.
“There is nothing wrong with
men and women in agriculture
expecting a reasonable return
on their occupation,” Hayes said,
adding his opinion that many
who are successful in other
career endeavors might find
themselves challenged to man
age a farm as well as they man
age their current businesses.
A dairy bar is to be open from
7-8:30 a.m.
Promptly at 8:30 a.m. vans are
to leave the hotel to transport con
ventioners to the Penn State Agri
cultural Sciences Building (ASI).
A continental breakfast is to be
provided for participants in the
ASI lobby, at 8:45 aun.
Workshops are to begin prompt
ly at 9:15 a.m. and the location
depends on the age level of the par
ticipants. (Specific age distinc
tions were not made in the
announcement.)
The workshop for those who are
junior-aged is to be involved with
the World Wide Web (Internet),
milk products, and a tour of the
Penn State Creamery.
The workshop for those who
qualify as intermediate-aged is to
provide an in-depth presentation
on dairy nutrition, and be a
multiple-part series.
For senior-aged youth, the
workshop is also designed as a
multiple-part series focusing on
dairy cattle reproductive
physiology.
Another workshop designed for
Hayes also caught the atten
tion of the ag-business attendees
when he noted that by February
9, the average American worker
will have earned enough to buy
food for the entire year. By com
parison, that same theoretical
worker would have to work well
into the month of May to pay his
or her next tax bill.
The Secretary praised the
level of food safety m the
Commonwealth, noting that
over one million school cafeteria
lunches were served to the
state’s students, with “not one
food crises in all that time.”
“Agriculture is the founda
tion of this society,” Hayes
reminded the York ag-business
group. “If we want to continue to
live free, we must have a strong
agriculture.”
The Agriculture Recognition
program is sponsored by the
York County Chamber of
Commerce, Penn State
Cooperative Extension of York
County and the York County
Farmers’ Association.
attending parents is to include an
introduction to the World Wide
Web and conducting a mock sale.
Lunch is to include a speaker
panel and is set to run from 12 p.m.
to 2:30 p.m. The topics of the
speaker panel are to be agricultural
careers and/or breeding and mark
eting of daily cattle.
Free time for participants is set
for 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Dinner is set for 6:15 p.m.-7:30
p.m. at the Day’s Inn.
From 8 pan. to 9 p.m. a mock
sale is to be held, followed by a
dance from 9 p.m. until midnight.
Lights are to be out by 12:30 a.m.
On 'Sunday, Feb. 14, a 9 a.m.
brunch is scheduled at the Day’s
Inn with John Rogers, of Bellevil
le, as speaker.
Check-out of the hotel is at
11:30 a.m.
The turnout of the convention is
expected to be good, according to
convention officials.
Students on the convention
planning committee have sought to
increase the depth of information
and hands-on aspects of work
shops for intermediate-aged and
senior-aged dairy youth.