A36-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 3,2001
Fruit, Vegetable Convention
Honors Grower Accomplishments
(continued from Page A 1)
county.
The Lerew family, including
Ben, Tom, Terry, and Jim
Lerew, was on hand to receive
the award during the Mid-
Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable
Convention banquet Tuesday
evening at the Hershey Lodge
and Convention Center.
Lerew said he was “just really
proud” to be a part of the associ
ation. “Last year was tough,” he
said, “one of the hardest years of
mine.” One hundred and sixty
acres of peaches had to be taken
out of production because of the
virus.
“They say, though, that the
hardest years are the best,” said
Lerew, who recounted his oldest
son Tom’s battle with leukemia.
Lerew introduced Tom and the
rest of his family, including
Tom’s brother Ben and Jim’s
wife, Terry, to more than 300
growers and ag industry repre
sentatives at the banquet.
Lerew commented about the
“super officials” of Pennsylva
nia, whom he described as “kind
and polite and loving” about the
situation and the indemnifica
tion program. “I got paid for all
the peach trees,” Leryv said.
Roger Wood, president of the
National Peach Council (NPC),
also cited Lerew for his work on
several SHAP committees and
Rudy Grab, Bausman, left, was honored by Bill Troxell,
executive secretary of the Pennsylvania Vegetable
Growers Association Tuesday evening at the Mid-Atlantic
Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Hershey. Photo by Andy
Andrews
The trade show was lively Tuesday, opening day of the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegeta
ble Convention in Hershey. Photo by Andy Andrews
offices of which Lerew has been
a part of.
State Secretary of Agriculture
Sam Hayes Jr. commented on
the $1.7 million put toward hor
ticultural research and promo
tion programs.
“We can’t get it done unless
we take our light from under
neath our bushel baskets and tell
our story,” said Hayes, “and tell
the world.”
Also honored at the banquet:
• Grower Award and life
membership honors from the
Pennsylvania Vegetable
Growers Association was pre
sented to Rudy Grob, Bausman,
who worked at Funk’s Farm in
Miltersville for 48 years. Grob
was honored with the annual
award for lifetime membership
at the convention. Grob has been
on the board of the growers asso
ciation since 1958. He was secre
tary-treasurer for 13 years. Grob
said that Amos Funk, Millers
ville, and Paul Rowe, helped
found the association.
• Carroll R. Miller Award
from the National Peach Coun
cil was presented to Dean Polk.
Miller was founder of the Peach
Council about 50 years ago,
noted Wood of the NPC, who
presented the honor. Polk, on
the faculty of Rutgers Coopera
tive Extension Service, was cited
Strife’s Orchard, Harrisburg, represented by Joe Strife, left, was honored with the
Farm Show Best Bushel of Apples Award. And Shatzer Fruit Market, represented by
Dwight and parents Wilma and Jack Mickey, Chambersburg, were honored with the
Pennsylvania Best Roadside Market Exhibit at the convention. Photo by Andy Andrews
for his work with New Jersey
peach growers on effective IPM
and crop management pro
grams. About 8,600 acres in
New Jersey have effective IPM
practices in the state, making
use of the latest technology.
• Outstanding Fruit Grower
Award from the New Jersey
Horticultural Society was pre
sented to Daniel Haynicz, Mon
roeville, N.J. Haynicz manages
250 acres of peach and apple
trees and soybeans and other
vegetables and markets them at
Orchard View Fruit Stand.
Haynicz told those at the ban
quet that “I will do anything for
the fruit industry to make it
better than what it is.”
• Pennsylvania Farm Show
Awards. Dwight Mickey of
Shatzer Fruit Market, Cham
bersburg, won for best roadside
market exhibit. Best bushel of
apples honor went to Strite’s Or
chard, Harrisburg.
• The SHAP Distinguished
Service Award for exemplary
service to the fruit industry went
to Ken Hickey, professor of
plant pathology at Penn State
Fruit Research Lab in Bigler
ville. Hickey remarked that
Penn State’s team effort in deal
ing with fruit grower issues “has
been very effective.”
More information from the
convention is scheduled to
appear in Lancaster Farming’s
Grower & Marketer section, to
be published March 10.
The SHAP* Dlstinguieheti Service AwaVd waS pfeafented
to Ken and Pat Hickey, at left, from Phil Baugher.
Outstanding Fruit Grower Award from the New Jersey
Horticultural Society was presented to Daniel Haynfcz,
Monroeville, N.J., left. Dean Pole received the Carroll R.
Miller Award from the National Peach Council. Photo by
Andy Andrews
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