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WZO9 PATTE LIBRARY T
V 01.45 No. 35
Bob and Sharon Hess ffrm with their family near Mar
ietta. This year, the no-till'corn Is doing well. Bob is hold
ing Ethan, 3. In front is Travis, 7, and Philip, 4. Photo by
Andy Andrews
No-Till Com Did Well In Drought;
This Year, Promises Good Yields
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
MARIETTA (Lancaster Co.)
Last year about this time, Bob
Hess remembers watching corn
on fields throughout Lancaster
County begin the slow, agoniz
ing process of drying up.
A promising, wet spring
turned into a drought disaster,
with millions of dollars in crop
loss.
But he was surprised. Hess,
who finishes about 5,200 hogs on
As Pennsylvania FFA president, Jimmy Mullen oversees
the state’s 147 chapters with 80,000 members. Turn to
page B 6 to read how this college sophomore overcame a
disappointing loss last year and how agriculture has influ
enced his career choice. Photo by Lou Ann Good
FOur Sections
a wean-to- finish format for
Hershey Ag, used 100 percent
no-till on rented ground.
As a result, he was able to fill
both silos with com silage and
high-moisture shelled corn read
ily. Sometimes, he saw 138 bush
els of corn per acre way above
the average for most farms.
The key? Simply no-tilling the
ground kept the soil from heat
ing and readily evaporating the
precious moisture. The residue
(f urn to Pag* A 33)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Julyl, 2000
Tour Of Weaber Mill Reveals Importance
Of Timber To Pennsylvania Economy
MICHELLE RANCK
Lancaster Farming Staff
ANNVILLE (Lebanon Co.)
“The only way you can pass
the forest on is to use it. You
can’t keep it,” said Galen
Weaber.
Weaber, president and CEO
of Weaber Inc., welcomed sev
eral members of the news media
to a tour designed to showcase
Pennsylvania’s hardwood and
timber industry. The tour was
not meant to showcase Weaver
but highlight hardwood produc
tion, forest resources, the impor
tance of hardwood renewability,
and how the wood resources are
utilized.
Weaber, Inc., founded in
1941, is a two-generation, fami
ly-owned business. Weaber Inc.
employs more than 500 people
and covers 170 acres. The day
included a summary of the
timbering business from indus
try representatives, a tour of the
mill, and a visit to two local har
vesting sites.
The Industry
Representatives from several
industry organizations also
joined the tour. For example,
Paul Lyskava represented the
Hardwoods Development Coun
cil, a bureau within the Pennsyl
vania Department of
(Turn to Pago A 22)
This is the moment readers who entered our dairy recipe drawing have been waiting
for. Pictured are Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Lori Connelly, right, and State Alternate
Rebecca Kilgore drawing the names for the prizes. Turn to page B 7 for a listing of the 27
winners. Photo by Lou Ann Good
Money Made Available For Plum Pox
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Editor
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The
U.S. Department of Agriculture
is providing up to $13.2 million
to compensate Pennsylvania
fruit growers who must destroy
$32.00 Per Year
Recently Weaber Inc., a large-scale wood harvester and
manufacturer, hosted a tour of the mill and nearby timber
ing sites. Here Chief Forester Dennis Brehm points out the
wedge method used to directionally fell the trees. The
stumps are cut as close to the ground as possible to utilize
the best lumber on the tree. Photo by Michelle Ranch
trees infected or exposed to the
plum pox virus. This news came
Thursday, from a release that
originated in the office of vice
president A 1 Gore. The only way
to control the disease is to de
stroy trees infected or exposed to
600 Per Copy
the virus.
“Plum pox potentially could
devastate the United States’ 1 8
billion stone fruit industry,”
Gore said. “These growers de
serve support because they have
(Turn to Page A 29)