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Vol. 45 No. 7
Ralph Heffner, right, receives the Charles E. Cowan award
from the Pennsylvania Dairymen's Association president Frank
Orner. Photo by Everett Newswanger, editor.
Bud Koch said his father was a stickler for clear ground and nicely sheared Christ
mas trees. Fraser firs make up half of the 600 acres farmed near New Ringgold. The
Koch family, including Buddy’s brother Gary, owns about 500 acres and leases
another 100 acres or so. Photo by Andy Andrews
Families Honored at
Mifflin Farm-City Banquet
GAIL STROCK
Mifflin Co. Correspondent
MCVEYTOWN (Mifflin Co.)
It takes all types of business
es to get food from the farm to
the table. That’s why the Mifflin
County farm-city committee
honored one farm family and
one trucking family at the
Mifflin County farm city ban
quet held at the Penns Valley
Christian Retreat Center near
McVeytown.
The William and Karol
Wmgert family from McVeytown
received the Mifflin County
Farm Family Award, and the
Marvin and Elaine Smith family
of Smith Trucking in Strodes
Mills was recognized as the
Mifflin County Business Family
of the Year. Later in the pro-
Four Sections
gram, Darren and Caryn
Peachey accepted a Century
Farm Award.
William and Karol Wingert
farm two dairy farms and two
crop farms along with their
daughter, Bethany, sons
Brandon and Ben, and Ben’s
wife, Amanda. Ben and Amanda
milk on one of the McVeytown
farms while Brandon serves a
crop manager Bethany helps
wherever needed and is active in
the Mifflin County 4-H Dairy
Club. The Wingerts milk 190
Holsteins.
Dave Filson, Mifflin County’s
extension director, presented the
award to the Wingerts. He called
farming a very honorable profes
sion and said that we can obtain
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 18, 1999
Heffner, Oliver, Reibson Named At
Dairymen's Banquet
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Editor
GRANTVILLE (Dauphin Co )
- A prominent dairy taimer, an
educator, and a distinguished
dairy women were honoied
Wednesday night as part of the
Pennsylvania Dairymen's
Association's annual awards
banquet The event was held in
conjunction with the
Pennsylvania Dairy Futures
Conference with 235 dairy
industry leaders m attendance
Ralph Heffner, a dairy farmer
from Pine Grove, received the
‘Five Crazy Weeks’ Comprise Christmas
Tree Farmers’ Time, Energy
Peach View Farm joins the ranks of Century Farms in Mifflin County. Accepting the
award are from left, back, Caryn and Darren Peachey, owners and Daren's parents,
Avonelle and Marvin Peachey. In front, Allyson and Chase Peachey. Photo by Gail Strode,
Mifflin Co. correspondent.
Chailes E Cowan award tor
superior management capabilities
and outstanding leadership
qualities He manages the family
corporation, and is a thud
generation dairyman on the
family farm He is a graduate of
Penn State University and the
University of Delawaie
Undei his management, Jersey
Acers Farms, Inc , has grown,
becoming more diveisitied, and
has embraced new technologies
Two sons, Kent and Kail, both
giaduates of Penn State are in the
family corporation Daughtei,
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
NEW RINGGOLD (Schuylkill
Co.) When it comes to growing
quality Christmas trees. Marlin L.
(Buddy) Koch Jr. remembers how
much his dad was first a pioneer
and second, a stickier.
Marlin Sr. was one of the first in
the area to grow the popular Fraser
fir trees. He also was a stickler for
properly sheared and shaped trees
with a clean, cut bedding, for the
wholesale business.
To cany on the tradition of trees
during the holiday season for the
Koch family, they’ve had to
endure about two years of drought
something Fraser firs can’t
tolerate.
Deadlines Set For
Holidays, Farm Show Issue
Lancaster Farming has scheduled special sections in the next sev
eral weeks, up to and including the state Farm Show. In addition,
because of the holiday schedule, new deadlines have been established.
$31.00 Per Year
Kristen, is a large animal
veteimanan who works toi the
vet clinic which selves the taim.
and daughter Kann, is a
microbiologist in Maiyland
The dany herd ot 100 Jeisev
cows and 90 heiteis has achieved
a pioduction average ot more than
J6,000m 590 p The family faims
s°o acres Three hundred titty
acies are used for production of
forage toi the dairy held
A taim roadside market is
managed by Ralph's wife, Annie
According to Buddy Koch, the
Frasers, in half of the 600 acres
fanned near New Ringgold, are
native to North Carolina, brought
up to the farm about 25 years ago.
“They need more tender loving
care than other trees, such as the
Douglas firs or blue spruces,” said
Koch.
Consumers enjoy the layered
look, he said, with silver under
neath. Frasers make perfect dark
green Christmas trees that people
prefer to place gifts underneath.
The firs hold needles longer than
other trees, but “are the toughest
trees to grow,” Koch said.
The Frasers prefer a northern
slope, well-drained soil (no wet
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