Vql. 44 NO. 24
Flooding, Soil Erosion In The Distant Past At Troutman Farm
The Troutmans including Franklin, Franklin’s son, Luke, and Franklin’s dad,
Ralph were recognized recently with the 1998 Outstanding Conservation Farmer
Award from the Berks County Conservation District. Photo by Andy Andrew*
Royalty named at the Pennsylvania Jersey Convention
are from left, Heather Yurkanin, alternate Pennsylvania
Jersey queen; Crystal Rassau, 1999 Pennsylvania Jersey
‘jueen; and Corissa Coolbaugh, alternate Pennsylvania
Jersey queen. See story pags A2O. Photo by Carolyn Moyer,
Bradford Co. correspondent.
Issue Highlights
New Methods , Laneways
This issue of Lancaster Farming Includes Foraging
wound, a special quarterly section dedicated to the forage
Qfower and grazier, with information supplied by the Pen
nsylvania Forage and Grassland Council (PFGC). Included
I s a feature on the Kress Simpson farm, attempting to adopt
nnovative methods of forming, especially grazing. Also
included are news about how to construct laneways, the
PFGC president’s message, and Information from the
fecent state PFGC conference.
Five Sections
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 17, 1999
Pa. Milk Marketing Board Sets
First-Ever Floating Premium
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The Pennsylvania Milk
Marketing Board (PMMB) on
Thursday set its first-ever floating
over-order Class I premium.
The PMMB is an agency of the
state that has oversight of the dairy
“Llama Lady” Flo Harniah of Log Cabin Llamas, Ephrata, is one of 40 exhibitors at
the Eastern Llama and Alpaca Festival to be held at the Lebanon Expo Center off Rt. 72
on April 24-25. More information about the upcoming show, which offers educational
and fun activities for the whole family, is on page 89. Photo by Lou Ann Good.
$29.50 Per Year
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
WOMELSDORF (Berks Co.)
Soil maps don’t always tell you
everything you need to know about
a farm and what can be done on it
to save soil.
Nothing in the books faithfully
describes one Berks conservation
farm.
Nowhere does it say that the
Retland Farm, owned by Franklin
Troutman, sometimes has to
endure a troublesome northwest
wind that can chill in the spring,
throw dirt around in the fall, and
can sometimes move the soil all by
itself.
And nothing can describe the
frustration the Troutmans felt one
Is There A Packing House
In Future For Regional Growers?
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Vegetable growers may some
day have an alternative way to
market their vegetables.
For many growers, local auc
tions have been the way to sell pro
duce. For large-scale growers, or
for times when the auctions are
industry with the mission to ensure
that consumers and farmers are
protected for fairness in their deal
ings with milk.
The PMMB audits and licenses
dairy businesses and holds bonds
of forfeiture to cover farmer los
ses, should a business that received
milk declare bankrupcty, for
600 Per Copy
day in June 1993 when five inches
of rain fell in one day, creating
havoc with terraces and sabotaging
newly constructed waterways.
The rainwater “beat up the
waterways, flooded them and
came over the banks, and washed
out the waterway that year,” said
Franklin.
Two years ago, the Troutmans
decided to “write their own book,”
in a manner of speaking, on man
aging soil on the farm, construct
ing long storage terraces on the
back side and running under
ground pipes to carry the water
away.
Since then, huge rainfall hasn’t
been something to make them lose
(Turn to Pago A 32)
literally flooded with product in
the heart of the season, packing
houses such as the ones to
market Jersey Fresh tomatoes
could be an alternative that could
also be a blessing for regional
auctions.
Proposals for the packing house
and information about what pack
(Turn to Page A2B)
example.
It also has the authority to set
minimum retail, wholesale and
processor prices, and set a mandat
ory bonus called an “over-order
premium” to be paid to Pennsylva
nia farmers whose milk gets pro
cessed in Pennsylvania, and then is
(Turn to Page A3O)