84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 1, 2000
On Being a
Farm Wife
(and other
hazards)
Joyce Bupp
With another holiday weekend
upon us, millions of our citizens
will be taking to the highways.
Few developments have physi
cally tied our nation closer to
gether than the interstate high
way system. Via its seemingly
endless stretches of asphalt, we
have the capability of traversing
the country in a matter of a few
days, slowed only by only minor
details like sleep, food, “potty”
and refueling breaks.
Near miraculous, that is, when
one ponders the travails of our
forefathers who headed West in
those Lancaster-built Conestoga
“ship of the prairie” wagons.
(And I always wonder just how
many millions of times those
weary pioneer kids plaintively
whined: “Are we there yet?”)
For getting from here to there,
in a big hurry, our multi-laned
interstates are highly efficient.
But to really see this country,
you'd better get off at the next
exit.
And, take to the “back” roads.
The Farmer and I are die-hard
back road fans. Unless terribly
pressed for time or out of necessi
ty (which is most of the time!),
we will avoid like the plague
those stretches of highway rife
with traffic lights, shopping
malls and suburban sprawl. In
stead, give us a quiet, tree-lined,
scenic, back road, even if it takes
a bit longer.
Back roads in this part of the
country rarely run straight for
more than a few hundred yards.
They wind around hillsides of
contoured fields and twist past
meadows where cows, sheep or
horses laze in the grass. They
make sudden sharp turns, when
old field passageways once sepa
rated property lines or long-dead
trees and fencerows grew. They
pass on intimate terms through
farms, sometimes right
between the barn and F 1""
the house. Often you
can spot a dog of some
sort, sprawled on
porch or in the yard,
keeping watch, a cat
curled up on a win-
dowsill or lawn chair,
even the occasional
chickens scratching in
the gravel road berm.
Streams like to fol
low back roads or
maybe it’s the other
way around criss-
crossing back and
forth many times in
the stretch of a few
miles. Back road trav-
elers may glimpse
of ducks
families
splashing
watch
steambeds,
mini-falls of tumbling
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water cascading over tiny rock
ledges, or enjoy colorful patches
of wildflowers which thrive at
waters’ edge.
Neighbors wave to neighbors
and may pause to share a few
pieces of local gossip for a mo
ment or two along back roads.
Folks are more likely to wave to
passing strangers, at the same
time wary unfamiliar vehicles or
faces passing by. Back roads
rarely have “neighborhood
watch” signs on them, since resi
dents look out for one another
more as a matter of course than
by official designation.
Meandering along a back road
you can spot kids playing a pick
up game of ball or surprise a doe
deer and her fawns nibbling
grass. You might stumble onto a
roadside patch of berries black
raspberry, red raspberry, black
berry available for the picking.
You can spot red-tailed hawks
being harassed by crows, come
upon a crayon-box-colorful flow
erbed in a rural back yard, still
see wash flapping on lines and
kids fishing in farm ponds.
Farmers favor less-traveled
back roads for moving equip
ment and for keeping tabs on
neighborhood agriculture devel
opments. Back road travels
keeps us abreast of cropping pat
terns, building changes or addi
tions, additions of new tractors
or machinery or pickup truck.
New tillage, planting and harvest
ideas can be gleaned or discarded
based on observing neighbors’ ex
periences. And it keeps us all
aware of weed control “skip
pers,” wet spots, plugged plant
ers leaving missed spots, infesta
tions by leafhoppers,
grasshopper, Johnsongrass, this
tle, and hungry critters like
groundhogs and deer.
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One of my very favorite rural
paved-ways is a country drive
near the hunting cabin, on a me
andering little road which tra
verses farms, fields and forest
stands, crisscrosses a wide moun
tain-valley stream, and passes
along well-kept, rustic homes
and nearly hidden hideaways.
It’s called appropriately
Back Road.
For a peaceful way to celebrate
our nation’s birthday, go for a
leisurely and scenic drive on a
rural road, soaking up the green
and the quiet and the beauty and
the rural heritage which formed
a foundation of our nation we
celebrate this weekend.
Treat yourself.
Take a back road.
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Amy Zembower Named Dairy Princess
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD (Bedford Co.)
Amy Zembower, daughter of
Faith and Brian Zembower of
Bedford Valley, was named Bed-
ford County dairy princess at a
luncheon pageant held on Sun
day, June 11 at the Arena Res
taurant.
Amy, a senior at Bedford
High School, has been helping
on the Zembower farm since
she was in grade school.
She was presented with a
check for $2OO from Dorothy
Naugle of the Allied Milk Pro
ducers. The association prom
ised an additional $3OO as her
year progresses.
Former Bedford County
Dairy Princess Amy Mearkle
emceed the event and also in-
troduced Lyneice Chamber- Bedford County Dairy Princess Amy Zembower with
lam, former reigning Bedford dairy maids, from left, Sara Karns, Heidi Zembower, and
County Dairy Princess. Dorje Fetter.
_V/ CLOSED SUNDAYS, NEW YEAR,
EASTER MONDAY, ASCENSION DAY,
WHTT MONDAY, OCT. 11, THANKSGIVING,
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Directions 2 Miles South of Bowmansville,
4 Miles North Of Route 23 Off Route 625
Turn East On Black Creek Road 1/2 Mile
Bedford County Dairy Princess Amy Zembower, left,
was crowned by the county’s last reigning dairy princess
Lyneice Chamberlain.
Since then, the role has been
carried out by dairy maids. Last
year, it was Jennifer Stup and
Cindy Mearkle who fulfilled this
role.
Dairy maids for 2000 will be
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Sara Kams, daughter of Kim
and Patricia Karns, Clearville;
Heidi Zembower, sister of Amy,
Bedford Valley; and Doric Fet
ter, daughter of Barb and Larry
Fetter of Imlertown.