A3B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 16,2002
Pa. Holstein Association Presents Awards
PA Holstein Association 2002 officers, from
left, David Bitler, treasurer; Dean Johnson, past
president; John Burket, president; and Rick
Allen, vice president.
Membership Solicitor Award winner, Paul
Hartle, James Houser, Jay Houser, Renee
Bates, and Willard Hitchcock.
Progressive Breeder Award winners, front,
Vernon Yoder, Patti McLaughlin. Back, David
Walton, Duane Hershey, Paul Hartle, John Lapp,
David McLaughlin, and John Meyer, CEO Hol
stein USA.
300 Attend Ag Preservation Seminar
QUARRYVILLE (Lancaster Co.) About 300 produc
ers and agri-industry representatives attended a free agri
cultural seminar on ways to preserve the family farm here
Tuesday evening at the Solanco Fairgrounds.
The seminar, hosted by Beiler-Campbell Realtors and
Christ Taylor, included seven speakers who addressed ag
preservation by selling development rights, and spoke
about easements, tax issues, and family transfers.
Speakers included Jay Clark, Esq., Blevins and Clark;
Anders Alfelt, Octoraro Watershed Association; Christ
Taylor; Samuel Goodley, Esq., Byler, Goodley, Winkle
and Hetrick; June Mengel, Lancaster County Agricultural
Preservation Program; Kevin Baer, Chester County Agri
cultural Preservation Program; John Goodall, Brandy
wine Conservancy; and Jeff Swinehart, Lancaster Farm
land Trust.
About a third of those who attended were from Chester
County and the remainder from Lancaster.
Baer, of the Chester program, spoke about how similar
the county’s preservation program was to Lancaster’s,
with one difference: they use a ranking system to priori
tize the farms, he said. That system gives a certain rank
ing percentage to class soils, development pressure, farm
land potential, and resource cluster.
Both Lancaster and Chester county representatives ex
plained how to preserve the farm. The preservation
boards of the counties provide actual money compensa
tion when the development rights are sold.
Lancaster’s program, according to June Mengel, in
cludes more than 500 farms on 48,000 acres already pre
served. State funding comes from cigarette taxes and
Growing Greener legislation, mostly from landfill tipping
fees and other sources. The county program has preserved
70 farms the past year alone, more than triple the rate of
a few years ago, because of increased funding.
To be considered for preservation, farnjs must petition
Progressive Breeder Award winner, front,
Douglas Seipt, Rebecca Jackson, Debbie Deck
er, Keith Decker, and Jay Houser. Back, Ken
neth Umble, Dean Jackson, Dale Hostetler, and
John Meyer.
Progressive Breeder Award winner, front,
Lori Bonzo, Jacob Shaffer, Cindy Shaffer, Jodi
London, David Bitler, and Phoebe Bitler. Back,
Myron Bonzo, Gary Lentz, Jeff Shaffer, Jim Lon
don, and John Meyer.
Progressive Genetic Herd Award winners,
front, Karen Riedel, Reid Hoover, Robert Mong,
and Ray McMillen. Back, John Meyer, Ron Rie
del, Duane Hershey, Marlin Shultz, Dennis
Wolff, and John Lapp.
An ag preservation seminar, hosted by Beiler-Campbell Realtors and Christ Taylor, included
seven speakers who addressed ag preservation by selling development rights, and spoke about
easements, tax issues, and family transfers. Speakers included Jay Clark, Esq., Blevins and Clark;
Anders Alfelt, Octoraro Watershed Association; Christ Taylor; Samuel Goodley, Esq., Byler, Good
ley, Winkle and Hetrick; June Mengei, Lancaster County Agricultural Preservation Program; Kevin
Baer, Chester County Agricultural Preservation Program; John Goodall, Brandywine Conservancy;
and Jeff Swinehart, Lancaster Farmland Trust.
their township to set up an Ag Security Area. The farm payoff once preservation has been approved. The price
must be at least 10 acres in size and zoned agriculture. makes up the difference between the market value and
According to Baer, there are various ways to accept the the ag value of the land.
Progressive Genetic Herd Award winners,
front, Lori Bonzo, Karl Brandt, and Barbara
Lentz. Back, Myron Bonzo, Daniel Ulmer, John
Meyer, Frank Conyngham, and Kenneth Umble.
2001 All-Pennsylvania winners, front, An
drew Stoner, James Grove, Nicholas Wolff, and
Chris Wood. Back, David Walton, Kathy Walton,
John Rader, Dale Hostetter, and Bradley Coff
man.
2001 All-Pennsylvania winners, front, James
Grove, Tobin Stuff, Chris Wood, and Beckie Wil
liams. Back, David Walton, Kathy Walton,
Rhodena Eckstine, Pam Morse, and Ronnie
Morse.