Vol. 46 No. 1
Lebanon City Mayor Parker
Gets Down On The Farm
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Editor
LEBANON (Lebanon Co.)
—The telephone rings. Soon,
Lebanon City Mayor Jackie
Parker and her 14-year-old son
Max head out into the night to
experience the birth of a soon
to-arrive calf.
This was all part of the Leba
non Valley Chamber of Com
merce Farm-City Week job
exchange program, which gives
city business owners and mana
gers an opportunity to spend a
Jackie Parker, Lebanon city mayor, feeds a newborn calf
as part of her farm-city job exchange on the Heilinger Dairy
Farm. The. farm-city program is sponsored by the Lebanon
Valley Chamber of Commerce. Laura Heilinger and 3-year
old Emily help. Photo by Everett Newsmonger, editor
FFA Discovers The Power
At Louisville Convention
LOUISVILLE, Ky. The
editor of Lancaster Farming,
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture (PDA), and a 25-
year sponsor of the National
FFA Foundation were Pennsyl
vania’s honorees at the 73rd Na
tional FFA Convention here last
week.
The annual event’s theme was
“FFA —Discover The Power.”
Editor Everett R.
Newswanger received the Hon
orary American FFA Degree;
Enos B. Heisey, Lebanon, was
the 25-year sponsor; and Eugene
P. Klynott, depety secretary of
agriculture for administration,
accepted the 2000 distinguished
service citation.
The highest honorary award
is given by the national agsocia-
(Turn to Pago A 33)
Four Sections
day on the farm with a local
farmer. This farmer also has a
chance to spend a day on the job
with his exchange business part
ner to learn how the other
half lives and works.
As for Parker, even though
her scheduled day on the farm
was Wednesday, she had asked
Laura and Bruce Heilinger, her
host farm family, to call anytime
a calf was about to be born. And
as all farmers know, calves do
not wait for a convenient time to
be born. That was part of the
Everett R. Newswanger,
Lancaster Farming editor,
received the Honorary
American FFA Degree.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 4, 2000
farm lesson Parker was about to
learn one night last week.
The mayor said she was sur
prised at how easy a time the
cow had and she was interested
in how the farm family helped
the birthing process.
“My major is in biology,”
Parker said. “So I like to be out
doors. But I’m impressed with
just how much work farmers do.
4 They can’t call in sick. The work
doesn’t stop for holidays or if
you don’t feel like getting up in
the morning.
“I was thinking how great it
felt to get up at 7 a.m. and go out
of doors to work on the farm this
morning. But Laura reminded
me that you still have to go look
for the cows even if it is raining
and cold,” Parker said. “Still, I
think it is a great way to start
the day.
(Turn to Pag* A4O)
Lancaster Farming
Celebrates 45th
Exactly 45 years ago today
Nov. 4,1955 —Lancaster Fann
ing appeared in rural mailboxes
in southeast Pennsylvania. Since
then, without interruption, Lan
caster Farming has provided
last-minute farm news, market
and commodity price reports,
agri-industry columns, special
features from farm families, and
advertising to our faithful read
ers. Farmers and agribusiness
rely on our farm reporting every
week. We extend a sincere
“thank you” to all our readers.
Christmas Tree Issue Identification, Addressing
Grower Concerns Occupy New Agent’s Agenda
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
LEESPORT (Berks Co.)
Penn State’s new Christmas tree
and nursery extension specialist
wants growers to understand his
plan.
First, according to Ricky M.
Bates, assistant professor of or
namental horticulture, it will be
important to identify industry
issues “and address them
through research and education,
so we can get answers and rec
ommendations back to you,” he
said.
Bates introduced himself to
more than 50 growers early last
week at the annual Penn State
sponsored Southeast Regional
Christmas Tree Growers meet
ing at the Berks County Agricul
tural Center in Leesport.
Bates, who collaborated as a
graduate student with Lancaster
Farms, a nursery operated by
Charlie Parkinson on the east
ern shore of Virginia, discussed
an array of research, such as
“pot-in-pot” (PIP) production.
PIP uses a container sunken in
the ground, called a “socket
pot” with a second “grow pot”
(Turn to Pago A 39)
Pennsylvania and Lancaster County Poultry Ambassa
dor Rijelle Kraft holds her favorite chicken a Cochin.
She raises fancy fowl on the family farm in York County.
Turn to page B 2 to read more about this energetic high
school senior who has been teaching embryology to ele
mentary school students long before being named poultry
ambassador.
New Christmas tree/hursery specialist Ricky Bates,
right, spoke at the recent southeast grower meeting in
Leesport. Also at the meeting was new Berks horticultural
agent Laura McNutt. Photo by Andy Andrews
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