tv PARP PA 1680 Z V 01.44 No. 51 Chester County Farm-City Tour Orchard: Unscathed By Drought, Challenged By Floyd ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff AVONDALE (Chester Co.) Early in the pumpkin growing sea son, the Rosazza family saw a good thing coming. Though the conditions were excessively droughty, the farm had enough water to keep the vines healthy and vibrant and disease pressure low. The fall season looked promising. Along came Hurricane Floyd. In one day, 11 inches of rain fell. The Rosazzas feared the worst: molds and tots could spoil the established five acres and five varieties of the Halloween favorite. Tom Rosazza saw what tolls heavy rains could take on the vine plants: about a 30 percent loss in the fields, but with the balance sur prisingly harvcs table. Yet the Rosazza’s Glen Willow Orchards, located in the White Clay Watershed, have survived natural disasters in the past The -past growing season is behind them and it’s time to press apples into cider something they wifi be doing when visitors visit their orchard on Saturday, Nov. 6 as part of the Chester County Farm-City Tour, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Glen Willow Orchards will be one of five sites, including a sheep farm, a dairy, and a mushroom The 4-H Lancaster County Meats Judging Team is heading for national competition in November. Coach Jeff Craig is surrounded by team members, from left, Derick Bol linger, Radeli Peters, Ryan Donough, and Jimmy Zimmerman. Turn to page A2B. Photo by Lou Ann Good. Four Sections farm, as part of the Farm-City Tour “open house.** Glen Willow Orchards, founded in 1955, was one of the Farm-City sites years ago. The family has par ticipated several times in the event, noted Tom Rosazza. This week the Rosazza family was busily preparing for the busiest time of the farm market season: the week before Hallo ween. The farm market had about five tons of pumpkins on display, arranged near the farm lane, noted Steve Rosazza. The pumpkins are selling for about 95 cents a piece and more, or about 25 cents a pound. Pumpkins can weigh up to ISO pounds. The farm, home to about five acres of pumpkins (including about an acre of pick your own), employs family and and additional three full-time, noted Tom. Part time employees number about 10. The pumpkin acres are rotated from sweet com to control diseases and arc planted the first three weelp in June. Harvest starts mid- Septdbber and continues until Halloween, Steve said. This year the devastating effects of Hurricane Floyd have been felt not only in North Carolina, claim ing huge crop and agribusiness los ses, but also in Avondale. With the (Turn to Page A 22) Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 23, 1999 This week the Rosazze family was busily preparing for the busiest time of the farm market season: the week before Halloween. The farm market had about five tons of pumpkins on display, arranged near the farm lane, noted Steve Rosazza. The farm is one of the sites of the Chester County Farm-City Tour Nov. 6. Glen Willow Orchards will be one of five sites, including a sheep form, a dairy, and a mushroom farm, as part of the Farm-City Tour “open house.” From left, Steve, Ron, and Tom Rosazza. Photo by Andy Andrews $31.00 Per Year Continuing the Boyd family legacy, Sarah Boyd, front left, receives the Superior Achievement Award at the annual Lancaster County 4-H Recognition Night. Turn to page B 6 for more about Sarah, pictured here with father Kerry, behind her, mother Deb, and brother Gerald, in back. Photo by Lou Ann Good. 60c Per Copy
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