Six Conservationists Recognized At Lebanon District Banquet MT. GRETNA (Lebanon Co.) The Lebanon County Conser vation District recognized six in dividuals for their outstanding ef forts of conservation in Lebanon County at their annual planning meeting and awards banquet. Special recognition was awarded to two farmers, an educator, an attorney, an employee of Hershey Foods Corporation, and a long time conservation district em ployee. Earl and Pat Ziegler were rec ognized for their efforts in soil and water conservation on their 113-acre farm in Bethel Town ship when they were awarded The Clean Water Farm Award. Earl and Pat became cooperators with the Lebanon County Con servation District in 1961 and have continued the family tradi tion of conservation farming. The Zieglers practice contour strip cropping with rotations, cover crops and residue manage ment. They maintain a Chesa peake Bay Agreement and have instituted a plan incorporating: a manure storage facility, a con crete barnyard, nutrient manage ment plan, surface water control measures, and stream bank fenc ing with two livestock crossings are planned. The farm was pre served in 1994 through the Coun ty’s Agricultural Land Preserva tion Board. Robert “Bob” Arnold of Leba non was named Conservationist of the Year for his years of con servation volunteer efforts. Long before the recent interest in pro tecting watersheds. Bob was as sisting with fish habitat improve ment structures during the early 19705. In the 1980 s, Arnold worked with Palmyra area groups to help with -tfae QuittepahHla Creek Im provement Project installing fur ther fish habitat improvements. For 21 years, Arnold has helped Hershey Foods maintain environ mental compliance. FALL AG-LIME APPLICATION Don’t put • Crop yields have changed your soil pH and nutrient availability. • Now is the time to soil test and apply Martin’s limestone to maintain proper soil pH and maximize nutrient availability. Call your local Martin Limestone dealer or call Blue Ball, Pa. 800-233-0205 717-354-1370 Martin LIMESTONE Mrs. Lynn Aponick, a biology, environmental ecology, anatomy and environmental science teach er with ELCO High School, was awarded the District’s Educator of the Year award. A resident of Myerstown, Lynn has taught for 20 years at ELCO High School. Her efforts have had a major im pact on the science department at ELCO. Recruited by the conservation district in 1989 to gain participa tion from ELCO schools in the Envirothon (a hands on environ mental competition covering for estry, soils, aquatics, wildlife and current issues), Aponick took on the challenge. Starting with two envirothon teams and 10 stu dents, the ELCO Envirothon has grown to six high school teams and two middle school teams, to taling over 50 students. In 1999, a middle school Envi rothon Team was started. This team serves as a training ground for students and a feeder system for the high school teams. Apo nick’s studentsdo water testing in local streams for the Leaf Pack Network and assist with activities involving the Middle Creek Wild life Management Area and the Nature Conservancy. This past spring her students assisted on a Tulpchocken Creek stream resto ration project lead by Mark Chegwidden of the Lebanon County Conservation District. Aponick’s students coordinate outdoor and nature activities for the ELCO Elementary fifth grade camping days. George C. Bowman Jr. of Leb anon was chosen to receive the Landowner of the Year award. Bowman is a conservation-mind ed individual who has a history of sound soil and water steward ship on his 170 acre |ract includ ing a tree farm and agricultural land. Bowman became a conserva tion district cooperator in 1975 and has operated a state register- A farming practice that pays ed tree farm since 1964. He has been named District Tree Farmer of the Year by the Common wealth in 1980 and 1985, receiv ing the Maurice K. Goddard award in 1984. Forty-five percent of his land is farmed with special attention paid to nutrient management while the remaining 55 percent of the land is a woodlot managed for timber, wildlife and recrea tion. The state has used Bow man’s tree farm to conduct scien tific tree species’ tests and his forestry practices have been used as examples by service foresters for others. Bowman has opened his land for hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, jogging, and horseback riding, and the Boy Scouts of America have con ducted a forestry project on the land while Cub Scouts and Web elos have taken tree, plant, and wildlife identification walk s. Charles V. Henry 111, an attor ney, was honored for his out standing support of community recreation and conservation. He has donated many hours of pro fessional legal services to organi zations such as the Lebanon Val ley Rails to Trails, Swatara Creek Watershed Association (formerly Citizens Coordinating for Clean Water), Lebanon Valley Conser vancy, Inc., QuittapahiUa Water shed Association, Tulpehocken Study Group and the Save The Rexmont Dam. He was and con tinues to be available to conserva tion groups having legal ques tions. Charles Wertz is the district manager of the conservation dis trict and was recognized for his work at the district for 17 years. He has been instrumental in de veloping and conducting the Farm Preservation Program and the Lebanon Valley Conservancy here in Lebanon County. He is dedicated to both of these new programs and has recruited board members for both groups. it off. Put it on. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 10,2001-A39 Wertz conducts farm site in spections for preservation consid eration; works with DEP, land owners and attorneys explaining the Farm Preservation Ptogram; acquires deeds, and fights for in creased funding from our County Commissioners and our State Legislators in support of farm preservation. Since 1991, over 5,000 acres of farmland have been preserved in Lebanon Coun ty- The Lebanon County Conser vation District was also recog nized for its work in groundwater education and conservation. Groundwater Guardian is a pro gram of the Groundwater Foun dation of Lincoln, Nebraska that supports, recognizes and con nects communities that are pro tecting their groundwater re- Record Farm Price Drop Signals Needed Policy Reform WASHINGTON, D.C. Using last month’s record com modity price drop as an example, National Farmers Union (NFU) reiterated the need for an ade quate safety net for farmers and ranchers to offset severe price fluctuations. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Nov. 1 the largest one-month decline in farm-gate prices since the depart ment began recording the statis tic 91 years ago. The 9.5 percent plunge from the September index reflects downturns in prices for milk, soybeans, hogs, com, broil ers, cattle and lettuce, along with seasonal changes in the market- ing of commodi ties. “There is tre mendous uncer tainty among producers and Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc 50 Woodcorner Rd Ephrata PA 717-738-7350 John A Zook Rt 30, Gap, PA Zook's Farm Store Honey Brook PA t % MARTIN ELECTRIC PLANTS 280 Pleasant Valley Rd., Ephrata, PA 17522-8620 800-713-7968 Tel: 717-733-7968 F*x: 717-733-1981 sources. It is not a regulatory program, rather it relies on vol untary steps developed at the community level to address local groundwater protection priori ties. Linda Shultz, secretary, was recognized for her 10 years of service to the Lebanon County Conservation District. Shultz has presided over front office opera tions during an unprecedented period of growth in district pro grams and responsibility. Charles Wertz, conservation district man ager, said, “We would simply be crippled without Linda’s dedicat ion.” She provides administrative and logistical support to all staff in their programs to make sure office operations proceed smoothly and goals are met. their lenders because of the vola tility of agricultural markets,” said NFU President Leland Swenson. “This proves the need for an adequate safety net for farmers and ranchers, which cur rent farm policy lacks. “These unprotected dips and dives in the market hurt our farmers and ranchers and the rural communities that depend on them,” Swenson said. “We need a safety net provision that helps farmers when prices are low and that is based on what producers are doing today. This safety net is a vital part of the Farm Bill that must be completed this year.” FIBERGLASS FARM GATES Contact Your Nearest Dealer: Zimmerman Farm Service Bethel PA 717-933 4114 Huber's Animal Health Myerstown PA 717 866-2246 Umbergers at Fontana Rt 322 Annville PA 717-867-5161 Pleasant Valley Store Sproul Rd Kirkwood PA Gideon K. King Elam Road Kmzer PA D & J Farm Store Hess Road Quairyville, PA GENERATORS • Diesel • LP Gas • • Natural Gas • PTO • Automatic & Manual Start Systems Used Units Also Available David S Kina Ironworks Manufacturei of Church Bench folding hinges. SCOTCHMAN BEWO CIRCULAR COLD SAW Rovendale Ag Watson own P A 570 5 8 9t A Valley Road Hardware Christiana PA 610-59' 1 7285 David S King Railroad St Myerstown PA 717 866-6556
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