Lehigh County Conservation District Recognizes Outstanding Conservation Efforts
FOGELSVILLE (Lehigh Co.)
The Lehigh County Conser
vation District presented its
annual “Outstanding Conserva
tion Farmer of the Year” and
“Outstanding Conservation Ed
ucator of the Year” awards for
2001 on Dec. 14 at the Seips
town Grange, Fogelsville.
Changes, Challenges
(Continued from Page A2O)
Lancaster, worked as editor of
the Livestock Reporter since
1975.
April brought Dave Lefever,
staff writer, to the paper. Le
fever grew up on a farm in
northern Lebanon County and
had helped to manage a farm in
Frederick County, Maryland.
Lefever and his wife, Katrina,
live on a 10-acre farm in Hano
ver and raise Jacob sheep.
In May the paper, for the first
time in its 45-year history, in
cluded more than 100 market
reports in section A.
June saw the publishing of the
dairy recipe contest entries. Lan
caster Farming also announced
a beef recipe contest in Novem
ber,
Lou Ann Good, food and
Harold and Mildred Gehr
inger and Kenneth and Diane
Gehringer of Four Springs
Farm, Weisenberg Township,
received the 2001 Conservation
Fanner of the Year Award in
recognition of their efforts to im
plement and maintain soil con
servation practices and
family features editor, flew to
Poland for three weeks in Sep
tember. Her diary, feature arti
cles, and photographs sent from
Poland added a cultural flair to
the newspaper.
Also in September, Lancaster
Farming introduced the “Dairy
Plus” supplement-booklet,
which will continue as a quar
terly publication.
In November Lancaster
Farming hosted its first “Family
Farm Survival Seminar” at the
Farm and Home Center in Lan
caster.
Thank you for your reader
ship and friendship. We all
enjoy the agriculture industry
and are looking forward to an
other rewarding year reporting
on the critical, colorful, and
eventful business we call farm
ing.
structures on their farm.
Debbie Siglin, 1085 Rock
Street, Lehighton, was recog
nized as the 2001 Conservation
Educator of the Year. A fifth
grade teacher at Slatington Ele
mentary School, Siglin was
chosen because of her efforts to
teach environment and conser
vation related subjects to her
students.
County Commissioners Percy
Dougherty, Joseph Maher,
Joseph Pascuzzo and Roger Reis
from the Lehigh County Board
of Commissioners and Jane
Ervin, county executive, pre
sented the award winners with
proclamations. State Represent
ative, Julie Harhart, presented a
proclamation from the House of
Representatives to Mrs. Siglin.
Mrs. Siglin has been involved
with a team of teachers who ap
plied for and were awarded an
environmental grant by the PA
Department of Education. The
grant, entitled “Water Works
for You” addressed water
awareness and conservation. It
includes a K-12 activity guide,
field trips for water testing, cre
ation of a Website for data shar
ing, mascot “Rudy Raindrop,”
Project WET workshops and the
addition of educational materi
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 29,2001-A2l
als for elementary and high
school levels.
Currently, Mrs. Siglin is in
volved in the new Greenhouse
Project, which will focus on soil
resources.
She has utilized a variety of
resources in her education pro
grams. Trexler-Lehigh County
Game Preserve provided train
ing for Project WET and Project
Wild. The Wildlife Information
Center, of Slatington, and the
Slatington Public Library spon
sor her reading program,
W.W.o.W. The Wonderful
World of Wildlife. Beltzville
State Park provided training for
Project Food, Land and People.
The Carbon County Environ
mental Education Center pro
vided training in composting.
Through her classroom and
programs, Mrs. Siglin creates in
her students an interest in pre-
250 Attend Thurmont Co-Op Meeting
THURMONT, Md. Two
hundred fifty people recently at
tended the annual stockholders
meeting of the Thurmont Coop
erative, Inc. The meeting was
conducted at the New Midway
serving the environment so
others can enjoy it.
The Gehringers have a cash
grain and livestock operation on
235 rolling acres in Weisenberg
Township. Their relationship
with the Conservation District
began on Aug. 29, 1984, when
they signed up as a district coo
perator. The Gehringers operate
975 acres and on that acreage
they have installed and main
tained the following conserva
tion practices.
Management practices in
stalled: conservation crop rota
tion, conservation tillage,
residue management, upland
wildlife habitat management,
and forest stand improvement.
Technical practices installed:
contour farming, contour strip
cropping, cover cropping, criti
cal area planting, diversions,
waterways, terraces, and subsur
face drainage.
Fire Company.
Fhe business meeting received
the Managers report, which
showed a loss for the fiscal year
2000-2001 of $22,000 on sales of
just over $2.3 million.
Three directors were elected for three-year
terms. Elected were: Robert Black, Dennis
Mathias, and Jack Heflin. The patrons and
guest were entertained by the Gospel Trav
elers.
The new board met Dec. 17 and elected of
ficers for 2002. Those elected were: President,
Rodman Myers; Vice-President, Robert
Black; Secretary, Paul Baumgardner; and
Treasurer, Jeff Wivell. Also named were:
Jerry Lillich as General Manager/Assistant
Secretary, and Mary Ann Sharer as Assistant
Manager/Assistant Secretary.
Central Susquehanna
Dairy Day Jan. 22
LEWISBURG (Union Co.) Penn State
Cooperative Extension recently announced
that the Central Susquehanna Dairy Day will
be Jan. 22 at the Lewisburg National Guard
Armory south of Lewisburg on Rt. 15.
Registration is 9:30 a.m. Cost for the day’s
program is $5 and includes all materials and
lunch. The event promises to be bigger than
ever in the larger facilities with space for
more than 30 exhibitors.
Program topics slated for the multicounty
event include a keynote presentation on
“Biosecurity and Bioterrorism” by Dr. David
Wolfgang, Penn State, and a concluding pres
entation on “Corn Silage Updates: Mycotox
ins, Nitrates, and More” by Dr. Sandy
Costello, dairy agent, Penn State.
There will be two concurrent sessions
where participants can choose to attend two
of the following programs: “Flooring Systems
As They Relate to Hoof Health,” Curt Gooch,
Cornell Extension Pro Dairy Program; “Hoof
Health,” Dr. Jim Temple, Sunbury Animal
Hospital; and “Forward Contracting and Op
tions On Futures,” Ken Balliet, Penn State
farm financial agent.
Register for the event by calling the
Northumberland County Cooperative Exten
sion office at (570) 988-3950. For more infor
mation, contact Kenneth L. Balliet, Penn
State Cooperative Extension, Snyder County
Courthouse, Middleburg, PA 17842, (570)
837-4252.
Year End Sale:
Greenhouse and produce growing
supplies. Queen-Gil drip tape. Vegetable
growing supplies. Free catalogue.
Marlin’s Produce Supplies
625 Britton Rd., Shippensburg, PA 17257
(717) 532-5918,
toll free 1-888-381-8641