A3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 2,2002
A New Hope
I was once accused of trying to
build a program for new farmers
based only on hope. My reply, of
course, was that hope was not
enough, but I believe that hope is
as vital to new farmers as spring
is to a new year.
Offering hope to young people
who want to start out in produc
tion agriculture seems to scoff at
current conventional wisdom. To
many, the only way to get into
farming is either to marry into it
or inherit it. Without a lot of fin
ancial help, entry into farming
seems hopeless. And every new
census underscores the continu
ing steep drop in new farmer
entry. The latest census reveals
that there are three times as
many farmers age 65 or older as
those who are under 35.
While the costs of land, ma-
chinery, regulation,
and just doing business
keep rising, profit mar
gins continue to slip, f
Many wonder why *
anyone would want to
invest so much for the
privilege of working
outdoors in drought,
snow, and mud to earn
a modest living with
no paid vacation or i
health benefits.
However, there still
is a resilient group who
Lancaster
Farming
Check
out
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www lancasterfarmino com
A lesson
well learned...
Lancaster
Farming’s
classified ads
get results!
are finding ways to make farm
ing work and who remain hope
ful.
ts there a cookbook recipe for
their success? Not really, but
these farmers exhibit the follow
ing characteristics:
• They work to reduce costs
and increase profits while pro
tecting the natural environment
and supporting their local com
munities. In other words, their
focus is on working with nature
rather than against it.
• They focus on value rather
than cost and try to tailor their
products to the unique needs and
preferences of their customers,
instead of trying to fit the cus
tomer to their product.
• They market in the niches,
they direct market their product
using everything from the Intern
et to word of mouth to advertise
Randall G. Renninger *|
Certified Public Accountant
Specializing in agriculture and construction industries
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535 W. Orange Street, Lancaster, PA 17603 j
(717)299-6480 ♦ Fax (717)299-6390 t
Grelder & Wltmer Associates, Inc.
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Service for Individuals, Small Businesses and Farmers
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Tax Return Preparation*
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• Tax Planning
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Investment Services**
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Willow Street, PA
(717) 464-2951
Fax (717) 464-2013
greiderstaxsvc @ msn.com
Susan Greider
Enrolled Agent
** Securities offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc
New Farmers,
New Generation
Marion Bowlan
Pennsylvania
Farm Link
r .
NATP
Notional Association
ol Tax Professionals
Member NASD & SIPC
their services.
• They focus on what they do
best, capitalizing on their unique
skills and abilities. They find
markets for the crops or livestock
they want to grow and are able to
grow well rather than produce
for markets where they have dif
ficulty competing.
• Last of all, they focus on cre
ating value through their unique
ness.
Want to learn more about
these new farmers, new opportu
nities, and hope for the future of
farming? The eighth annual New
and Beginning Farmer Work
shop sponsored by Pennsylvania
Farm Link will highlight these
strategies, including adding value
to raw farm products, related but
side-line ventures such as farm
Antiques Center - in Sec non B f
Enrolled Agent
Lancaster Farming Posts Winners
Of Va. Farm Show Contest
FISHERSVILLE, Va. —Lan
caster Farming has announced
the 10 winners of a free one-year
subscription contest from the re
cent Virginia Farm Show.
tours, and capitalizing on the
skills and abilities you have.
Participants will also receive a
healthy dose of practical knowl
edge and advice on how to: con
vince your banker you have what
it takes, protect your land and
water resources, safeguard your
investment through crop insur
ance, develop a marketing plan,
scout out market leads, and con
duct a hands-on walk through
your business plan. The work
shop will be Feb. 16 from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in
Grantville at a cost of $3O per
person, $5O per couple, or $2O per
student. For more information or
to register, call Pa. Farm Link at
(717) 664-7077 or e-mail us at pa
farmlink@redrose.net.
Next month, look for informa
tion in this column on the crucial
family issues to address in a farm
transfer.
Bowlan is a third generation
farmer from Lancaster County
who heads the Pennsylvania
Farm Link Program and works
with beginning and retiring farm
ers on farm transfers to the next
generation.
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Elizabethtown
800-929-2676
Charlie Bomgardner
Annville
717-867-2890
Herb Fritz
Orangeville
570-683-5950
Doug Wood Little Britain Agri-Supply
Millerstown Quarryville
717-694-3648 717-529-2196
Winners are Thomas A. Hen
sley, Dayten, Va.; Susan Phillips,
Harrisonburg, Va.; Frank Wysor,
Beaverdam, Va.; Randy Nelson,
McGaheysville, Va.; Joe Higgins,
Lexington, Va.; Dawn Maddox,
Middlebrook, Va.; Steve Cross
man, Madison, Va.; Lynn
Koontz, Harrisonburg, Va.; Carl
Arey, Bridgewater, Va.; and Rob
ert Showalter, New Hope, Va.
Congratulations!
Romberger Farm Supply
Klingerstown
570-648-2081
il Contact a Pennsylvania
Nutra-Flo® Dealer TODAY!
Correction
In last week’s paper,
Lancaster Farming gave
the incorrect phone number
and address of the contact
person for the National
Holstein Convention in At
lantic City, N.J. from June
23-27 at the Taj Mahal
Hotel and Casino.
Contact person is chair
man Joe Valen. His phone
number is (732) 568-0219.
His address is 333 S. Mid
dlebush Rd., Somerset, NJ
08873. We apologize for
any inconvenience.
Need construction equipment?
Look in the classifieds in Section D!
Kevin Grubb
New Enterprise
814-766-3576
Art Benjamin
Lancaster
717-892-1556