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V 01.46 No. 36
New Ag Institute To Educate,
Promote Public Understanding
Museum Base For Ongoing Ag Ed
DAVELEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANDIS VALLEY (Lancas
ter Co.) Pennsylvania Agri
culture Secretary Sam Hayes
and other state agriculture lead
ers were on hand here Monday
to help launch a new educa
tional project called the Ad
vanced Agriculture Institute.
Draft horses and a shiny new
combine stood near the podium
on the grounds of the Landis
Valley Museum, symbols of
Pennsylvania’s agricultural her
itage and the changes it has un
dergone during the past century.
The new institute will use the
museum as a base for ongoing
agricultural education and re
search to facilitate a better un
derstanding of Pennsylvania
agriculture as it continues to
adapt to a changing world.
A 1 Wenger, co-chair of the
Summer Institute Provides
Cooperative Experience To FFA
MICHELLE RANCK
Lancaster Farming Staff
SHIPPENSBURG (Cumber
land County) Sixty FFA
scholars recently participated in
an institute designed to teach
the intricacies of the cooperative
system of business.
Conducted at Shippensburg
University campus from Sunday
until Wednesday, the event,
with the theme “Taking You
Higher,” offered students the
opportunity to form, manage,
and dissolve their own mini co
operatives.
They were also able to learn
from the expertise of approxt-
Sweet Com Before July 4
EPHRATA (Lancaster Co.) Tuesday this week was the
first day of sweet corn season at Indian Run Farm, oper
ated by the Clark Stauffer family. Stauffer, back, began
picking 100-125 dozen of plastic mulch-grown sweet corn
with a farm stand goal of July 4. This bin contains Sweet
Satin and Silver King. Stauffer grows 20-25 acres of sweet
corn with help from Eric Martin and Ryan Martin. Hot
weather speeded up the 76-day corn maturing process,
bringing these varieties in about 5-7 days earlier than last
year. Photo by Andy Andrews, editor
www.lancasterfarming.com
Agricultural Coalition and com
missioner of the Pennsylvania
Historic and Museum Commis
sion (PHMC) said that “a dra
matically increasing majority of
Pennsylvanians lack involve
ment in agriculture and more
and more children believe their
food products are created in the
supermarket storeroom.”
“Offering educational oppor
tunities about the past, present,
and future is more important
than ever,” he said.
Hayes took the opportunity to
applaud leaders of farmland
preservation in the state, point
ing out that Pennsylvania leads
the nation in that effort.
To maintain the strength of
the country “agriculture is as
important as armaments,” he
said.
“We cannot defend America
/Turn fn Pano A oo\
mately 30 adult staff and re
source leaders who came from
various business and agriculture
backgrounds to help with the in
stitute’s seminars and activities.
According to institute director
Jeff Stoltzfus, when the students
arrive on campus on Sunday
they are split into four groups
plus a federal cooperative made
up of second-year scholars. The
“MINICOs,” or miniature coop
eratives, go through a bidding
process by submitting their
money-making ideas to the fed
eral cooperative.
T-shirt sales, serving pizzas,
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Four Sections
Produce and family flourish at the Weaver farm along Route 501 north of Lititz,
where Sheba the dog offers customers a friendly welcoming wag. Mervin and Shirley
Weaver with daughters Sherri, 8; Anne, 12; and Gwen, 14; grow about 20 acreas of
produce to sell at their roadside stand. Son Chris, 22. is employed off the farm.
Thanks to the growing benefits of plastic cover, sweet corn arrived in time for July the
Fourth celebrations. Turn to page B 2 to read more about the Weaver family and their
numerous ag-related interests. Photo by Lou Ann Good
Chester County Angus Operation Hosts Pasture Walk
MICHELLE RANCK
Lancaster Farming Staff
GLENMOORE (Chester Co.)
Recently the Southeast Re
gional Cattlemen’s Association
conducted several events to
allow area producers the oppor
tunity to both network and
share ideas.
Following a pasture walk and
tour at Jay and Pat Heim’s Glen
Oak Farm on Thursday, produc
ers went to New Jersey to tour
Grant Harris’ Cow Town
Ranch, a packing house, and
conclude the day with a visit to
Cow Town Rodeo.
Good Cow Country
The Jay Heim family began
farming 12 years ago with 19
acres that included a house,
Pork
Organizations
Separate
WASHINGTON, D.C. and
DES MOINES, lowa The
separation of the National Pork
Producers Council from the
checkoff-funded activities of the
National Pork Board went into
effect Sunday, according to
Website information.
In February the USDA an
nounced a settlement with the
National Pork Producers Coun
cil (NPPC) and the Michigan
Pork Producer Association that
would continue the Pork
Checkoff Program with certain
(Turn to Page A 24)
Saturday, July?,2ool
barn and Helds. At the time they
also owned two pairs of Angus
cows and calves.
In the ensuing years, along
with acquiring land and animals
the Heims have improved the
pasture and begun a rotational
grazing system.
“This is good cow country,”
said Heim, pointing out the spr
ings, shade, and rocky hills of
the area. Hay and alfalfa thrive
in the area, according to Heim,
who also grows corn and beans.
Heim is joined by wife Patty,
daughter Kelly, and son Steve.
Also a general contractor,
Heim owns a construction com
pany and actually does not come
from a farming background or
family. However the call of the
land won him from suburbia, as
The Heim family began farming 12 years ago with two
pairs of Angus cows and calves. From left is Steve, Kelly,
Patty, and Jay Heim. Photo by Michelle Ranch
s3' .00 I er Year
“I always wanted to farm,” said
Heim.
With little agricultural train
ing, Heim took on his own edu
cation. “I gobbled up everything
extension did. I also learned
from trial and error and from
fellow farmers who acted as
mentor cattlemen,” he said.
These “mentor farmers” in
troduced him to the Angus
breed, which has proven to per
form well on the grass operation.
They are also an easy-calving
breed, important because the an
imals are spread over a large
area. Additionally, Heim’s off
farm job keeps him from con
stantly monitoring the animals.
He spends approximately two
days each week in the office and
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75a Per C opy