A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 5, 2000
(Continued from Page A 1)
at the York Expo Center.
In his acceptance of the fami
ly farm award, Emerson Knaper
credited strong religious beliefs
with giving them encourage
ment and strength to persist as
stewards of the land The
Knaper farm, located near
Dallastown, was acquired in
1850 by Emerson’s great-grand
father, Henry Knaper, an immi
grant from Germany, and has
remained in Knaper ownership
by descending generations
Emerson Knaper was born
and raised on the family home
stead. He began helping on the
farm when he was just a boy He
and Ruth, a farmer’s daughter
from Red Lion, married in 1944
The first few years of their mar
riage was spend on the original
family farm, until 1949, when
they purchased a farm from his
father That remained their
home until 1978, when they
added a new house that over
looks the original property.
Nina Knaper-Grove, their
daughter, her husband Les, and
sons Jamie and Travis Reid now
own the Knaper farm. It is
cropped to hay and pasture and
supports a herd of beef cattle.
The Reid twins have been active
in the county’s 4-H programs
and livestock exhibiting. A sec
ond daughter, Susan Dutrey, and
her family operate a farm in
Clark County.
Ag industry awards winners
Jim and Miriam “Mim” Walte
myer farmed grain and potatoes
for several years before opening
their own John Deere equip
ment dealership in 1986.
However, they evolved into the
equipment side of agriculture
much earlier, in the mid 19705,
when they began doing repairs
for farm neighbors in their own
farm shop.
“If you’re honest with every
one, you don’t have to remember
what you said,” Mim Waltemyer
said as she summed up the busi
ness philosophy by which they
have always operated The cou
ple, married for 42 years, still
work together every day operat
ing the equipment business and
continuing to farm 100 acres of
crops.
The Waltemyers also board
about 20 horses and enjoy rid
ing, though the dealership and
farm keep them too busy most of
the time to saddle up their own
mounts
A special award went to Alan
and Denise Taylor, Delta, for
Alan’s outstanding representa
tion of York County and
Pennsylvania in the American
Farm Bureau Federation’s ann
ual discussion meet speaking
competition. Alan was selected
earlier to represent Pennsyl
vania at the Federation’s recent
meeting in Texas.
The son of Donnell and Peggy
Tayor, Alan and his three broth
ers are still involved in the fam
ily’s 130-cow dairy operation.
Alan acknowledged that grow
ing up in a family of four sons
gave him some early practice in
holding his own during din
nertable discussion meets.
The Century Farm of Daniel
and Thelma Baugher, Brod
becks, was recognized as the
county’s latest addition to the
prestigious listing of farms that
have remained in a family for at
least 100 years. Sponsor of the
Century Farm recognition is the
Pennsylvania Department of
Knapers Named York Family Of The Year
Agriculture, which designed the
program to acknowledge the
importance of longevity of farm
ownership and the state’s rural
traditions.
Six ag operations in the
southern part of the county were
saluted for serving as Farm
Visitation Day Hosts. The
Chamber’s annual Farm Visit
ation is always held on the
Sunday prior to Thanksgiving,
when participating farms open
their door to the public for this
educational event.
Farm Visitation Day partici
pants for 1999 were the Ameri
can Seed Company, owned by
Mike and Wanda Rishel, Troub
led Acres Goat Farm, Thomas
and Rosemary Sprenkle, Twin
Pines Farm, Robert and Jeanine
Ilyes, Swamp Fox Farms, Joseph
“Brud” and Laura McCabe, the
Utz Family Farm of Brian and
Donna Utz, and Glatfelter’s Tree
Farm, P. H. Glatfelter Company.
Recognition was extended to
three teams of farm-agribusi
ness representatives who ex
changed a day of work with one
another. The exchange teams
were Greg Whitecomb’s of White
comb’s Produce and 196th Dis
trict Representative Todd Platts;
Joyce Bupp, Bupplynn Farms,
who traded a day of work with
Kent Ketterman, Peoples’ Bank/
Codorus Valley Corporation; and
Bill Buser, Buser Farms, who
shared work days with Larry
Hicks, columnist for THE YORK
DISPATCH.
Speaker for the Chamber’s
ag-salute was Tony Schiano,
president and chief executive
officer of Giant Food Stores, Inc.,
headquartered in Carlisle. Giant
Food Stores, Inc., headquartered
in Carlisle. Giant Foods is owned
by Ahold USA, a world food con
glomerate, and operates 150
stores in six middle-Atlantic
states with $3.5 billion in retail
sales annually.
Schiano noted that, though
Ahold operates around the
globe, the philosophy is to recog
nize local marketing and focus
on local interests, while enjoying
the purchasing and distribution
synergies of large scale econom
ics.
(Turn to Page A2B)
Jim and Miriam “Mim” Waltermyer received the York
rork County Parks and Ellie Chamber of Commerce’s recognition as Agribusiness of-
Shoemaker, volunteer, were honored during the’ Chamber the Year for the John Deere equipment dealership. .
of Commerce awards presentations for their efforts to I
restore into operation the historic Cross Milt.
Alan Taylor, with his wife, Denise, Is the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau discussion
meet winner, and recently represented the state at national competition in Texas. '