Miraculous Mine Rescue Changes Everyday Life For Somerset Dairy Farmers
(Continued from Page A 1)
ty, not only took care of her two
small children but also tried to
accommodate the rescue workers
as much as possible with food
and beverages and restrooms.
“It was an experience I’ll never
forget,” remarked Lori, who has
been married to Bill for the past
eight years. The two met while
Lori was working at Agway as a
dairy nutritionist. Bill, a 1986
Penn State graduate, came in one
day to Agway and learned that
Lori was also a Penn State gradu
ate.
The couple bought Dormel
Farms, named after Bill’s parents
Dorcas and Melvin Arnold, from
his parents in a purchase agree
ment, while the elder Arnolds re
tired from farming and built an
other home on the property.
They have a New Zealand style
swing-over parlor and use a rota
tional, seasonal management in
tensive grazing program. They
own 135 acres and rent 300 acres.
The farm itself, located six
miles north of Somerset, is listed
on the Pennsylvania Historic
Registry for historic homes. Ab
salom Casebeer was the earliest
Trust Sets Picnic Sept. 21
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
Looking for a unique and fun
family outing? Come to Lancas-
ter Farmland Trust’s 11th Annu-
al Old-Fashioned Farm Picnic
Saturday, Sept. 21 from noon-5
p.m. at the farm of Lowell and
Daphne Fry in Manheim.
Fry is a farmer and ag lender
for Fulton Bank. He serves as
board secretary for Lancaster
Farmland Trust. He and his wife
are in the process of preserving
their farm.
The picnic, sponsored by Tur
key Hill Dairy, features wagon
rides, a petting zoo, square danc
ing, face painting, games, and
Lancaster Farming's Dairy Plus, an exclusive
publication for large-scale producers, has an exciting
lineup for the fall booklet, scheduled Sept. 21, the
weekend of the Pennsylvania All-American.
Scheduled: a focus on housing with information
about heifer housing improve-ments, the latest in
milking parlor design, and large-scale housing.
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Are Made From... |||
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Sponsored By B HENRY SCHEIN*
settler known to the homestead,
building his impressive two-story
brick home in 1790.
John N. Casebeer, one of Absa
lom’s eight children, inherited the
farm. He and his wife Mary built
the barn in 1837 and donated
land for the construction of the
Casebeer Lutheran Church in
1845. The nearby Christ Case
beer Lutheran Church was where
the ceremony was held for the
miners after their safe return.
Subsequent owners of the farm
included A.J. Casebeer, who
owned the farm from 1876-1883;
Elias G. Bittner, from 1883 to
1906; and Elias’ daughter and
son-in-law Simon Baker acquired
the farm in 1906. Clark Miller, a
family relative, then purchased
the farm for about 25 years be
fore it was sold to the Moore fam
ily for a short time. Melvin and
Dorcas Arnold, along with Mel
vin’s father Albert, purchased the
farm in April 1963.
Melvin and Dorcas, who have
been retired from farming for a
few years, have been quite active
recently with the entourage of
tourists who stop by the farm
every day to see where the miners
were pulled to safety and talk to
more!
A lunch of roasted pork with
all the trimmings will be served
at 12:30 p.m., followed by a
baked apple pie contest and
homemade ice cream (made on
site by Amish preserved farm
owner).
Tickets are $lO for adults and
$5 for children 6-11 (children 5
and under are free). To register
call (717) 293-0707 or visit
www.savelancasterfarms.org. All
proceeds benefit Lancaster Farm
land Trust, a nonprofit organiza
tion that has preserved 150 farms
since 1988.
6 00PM
600 PM
6 30 PM
700 PM
600-10 00PM
8 00PM
900 AM
-3 00PM
500 PM
700 PM
4 00PM
600-1000 PM
7 00PM
7 30 PM
600 PM
7 30-9 00 PM
the Arnolds about their experi
ence. The Arnolds have dedi
cated one of their garage build
ings to receiving tourists.
According to Bill, about 150 peo
ple stop daily. On weekends, that
number usually goes up to about
1,500 tourists. The Arnolds
charge a minimum tour fee for
their time.
Each of the miners was paid by
Disney for their rights to make a
television movie of the story. The
Arnolds are negotiating with Dis
ney about using their farm as the
location.
Many times, those who stop by
the Flight 93 temporary memori
al in Shanksville stop by the mine
rescue site, too. The mine rescue
was the second cause for interna
tional media attention in Somer
set County within one year. Last
Sept. 11, one of four airplanes
crashed into an abandoned field,
ironically a former mining site,
near Shanksville after terrorists
struck America in an unforgetta
ble attack.
“People ask me, ‘how do you
feel now that your farm is a part
of history?’ and I tell them ‘this
farm has always been a part of
history.’ We are just fortunate
Here, Jil Arnold of Lincoln Township, right, shows people from Michigan who
stopped by while traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike last week, where nine miners
were pulled to safety after being trapped for 77 hours in an underground mine.
Monday, Sopt. 9
Rabbit Show
Tuoaday, Sopt. 10
Swine Show
Baked Goods Auction
Opening Ceremonies Featui
Miss Denver Fair Coronation
Sponsored By Country Lane flor
Buddy Night Ride Special
Two Rides For The Price Of
Super Peanut Scramble
WadoMday, S«<rt
KIDDIE'S DAY
Sponsored by Blue Ridge Comm i
Beef Show
21st Annual Street Parade
nwrMtaiK Ur
Sheep Show
Family Night Ride Special
'Ride All The Rides All Night For
WJTLFM 90 3 Family Night Er
Featuring the 'Kids Cookie E
Tug-Of-War Competition
fkMtft U
Beef & Swine Animal Auctior
Free Entertainment Featunnr
The John Bressler Show"
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 7, 2002-A3l
enough to be the caretakers dur- for us. This time the outcome was
ing this phase of that history,” different and we in Somerset
said Bill. “There has been a high County and as Americans should
cost of human life on this soil in be thankful.”
Somerset County when Flight 93 The farm is located six miles
went down with Americans north of Somerset on Rt. 601/985
aboard. They sacrificed their lives to Haupt Road.
Bill Arnold of Lincoln Township, about six miles north
of Somerset near Sipesville, stands by the spot where
nine miners were pulled to safety after 77 hours of being
trapped in a mine underneath the farm. Bill and his family
give tours of the site to a continuous flow of tourists ev
eryday.