056034 330 P 4 — S-OIGIT I6BGZ
PERIODICAL' nr., 06 3000 *** _
PENN STATE U ° IVISI °N »** _
~UNXV PARK PA 16802
V 01.45 No. 38
MICHELLE RANCK
Lancaster Farming Stuff
MOHRSVILLE (Berks Co.) This year marks the 4sth Year for the “Out
standing Farm Family” award sponsored by the Reading Fair. Applicants
were evaluated on criteria such as involvetnent in agriculture and the
Grange plus other farm family hobbies , sports and recre
ation, civic, fraternal, community and school involvement, recordkeeping
and farm managememUaoSf£Bt.
Pass in
dustry ffillitfmißbv stnaH city,
add
higt§£yi throrfWbustllng
towil, ind cdlfimfe beyotidthe
residential' houses Ilium
street. Here; tucked in a tunnel
of green-leafed corn lining the
Bruce, Laura, and Emily te their Penn
sylvania farm two years ago. hosted a farm
tour during the national Brown Svwfti Convention. Photo by
Mlchollo Ranek <
Pennsylvania Hbsts
Convention Showcasing
The Brown Cow
MICHELLE RANCK
Lancaster Farming Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The Brown Cows of the
dairy business received tbpir due
recognition at the recent Na
tional Brown Swiss Convention.
Hosted by Pennsylvania this
year, the conference ran from
Wednesday, July 12 to Satur-
Hay Tiilv I^S
Wednesday’s activities
eluded a visit to H. E. Heindel
and SorisFrontLbio Swiss dper
ationplus agotf outing.
Thursday’s tours took partici
pants to Gettysburg, Hershey
park, or a Lebanon-arca farm
tour, followed by a banquet and
ambassador contest.
After breakfasts with Ken
Bailey, Betty Groff, and Re
becca Sonnen Bube speaking on
Friday morning, participants at
tended a national business meet
ing and leadership elections
« * , M «'• M *'♦ 4
Four Sections
Troutmans Named Outstanding Berks Farm Family
road, lies Reu-Hel farm, a place
of peace next to the neighboring
highways and businesses.
The htohrSvllle farm is a
third-generation establishment,
begun in 1945 by Reuben and
Helen Ohlinger, the “Reu” and
(Turn to Page A 22)
before an award luncheon and
C On^l^^ity'^the^ convention
culminated with a national
registered
At tee Chaster County 4-
H IpaltNpMteiiatte LovaH,
Judya. and Bllia Walton
with »ar crand champion
ataar. Saa story
*’*'*’*'*'*’** *'»'*'*.» **
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 22, 2000
Scott, Connie, Jason, Eric, and Douglas Troutman are Reading Fair’s Outstanding
Farm Family. Besides maintaining their Berks County dairy, the family is involved, in
j|M«ommMn%,fnii, and athletic organizations.
Stoner Family Passes Corporation
To Second, Generation
JAYNE SEBRIGHT
Lancaster Farming Staff
MERCERSBURG (Franklin
Co.) Experts say that a farm
should first be a business and
then a way of life. The Stoners of
Franklin County have been op
erating their farm as a corporate
business for the past 30 years.
In 1970, mothers John, Jay,
Gene, Herb, Bob, and Dave in
corporated the family farm that
their parents, the late J.W. and
Carrie Stoner, began in 1942.
Then, early this year, the broth
ers transferred the corporation
to the next generation of
Stoners.
Now cousins Tim, Todd,
Alan, Mark, Steve, and Kevin
Stoner operate the 575-cow
dairy and farm 1,600 acres. Tim
serves as the president of the.
corporation and is responsible
for feeding the cows and keep
ing records.
His brother Todd serves as
secretary/treasurer and handles
herd health, along with adminis
tering vaccinations, drying off
cows, and trimming feet.
Alan, Steve, and Kevin do a
lot of the milking. Everybody
helps with the crops.
The cousins and their families
work on the farm, along with
some of the original partners.
Bob and Dave still work full
time on the farm, while John
and Jay are part-time employ
ees. Nobody outside the family is
employed on the Stoner farm,
which uses the prefix Hijos Hill.
“Httos” is Spanish for sons.
Tne herd averages 21,000
pounds of milk on two times a
$32.00 Per Year
and 3.7 percent fat. They have
about 600 heifers and ship their
milk to Maryland and Virginia
Milk Producers Cooperative.
They milk their herd in a
double sixteen herringbone rapi
d-exit parlor that was built in
1992, along with a 500-stall free
stali bam. In 1998, the Stoners
added a dry cow barn to the rear
of the milking center to care for
dry and other special needs
cows.
On Tuesday night, the Stoners
hosted an educational seminar
for other Franklin County dairy
producers. The educational
seminar is held once a year and
The second generation of Stoners to take over the family
corporation, from left front are Tim, Todd, and Mark. Back,
from left, are Steve, Kevin, and Alan.
600 Per Copy
coordinated by Cooperative Ex
tension. County extension agent
Phil Wagner asked Tim if they
would host the seminar this year
and focus on their new dry cow
and special needs area.
The dry cow and special
needs areas are housed in one
building. One area houses dry
cows in freestalls, and another
area provides bedded pack for
the prefresb cows. Calving pens
are kept bedded for fresh
cows. There is also a hospital
area and a four-stall milking
parlor where the Stoners milk
(Turn to Page A 25)