Trust, Respect Key To Successful Farm Business Transfers
Harpster Family Shares Experiences At PDMP Meeting
DAVELEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
SPRUCE CREEK (Huntingdon Co.) Profes
sional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) mem
bers gathered earlier this summer to hear both sides of
the story from one family who is successfully passing
on their dairy business to the younger generation.
The Harpster Family of Evergreen Farms, Inc.,
hosted the meeting and spoke about the challenges of
“Trading Places Planning For Both Generations.”
Parents Wayne and Marjorie Harpster are in the
process of handing over management and, eventually,
ownership of this 2002 “Dairy of Distinction” that in
cludes a 2,000-cow herd and about 3,000 acres of land
to sons Abe, Aaron, and Andy.
One of the keys to bringing the sons into the busi
ness is that they were given responsibility early on, ac
cording to Andy Harpster, the youngest of the three.
“From a young age, we were given small manage
ment decisions.” That included handling some of the
finances, he said.
As an example of their parents’ trust, oldest son Abe
recalled the time Wayne and Marjorie traveled to
Africa for a month, leaving the entire farm and herd
operation to himself, then 18, and brother Aaron, then
15.
The young brothers were on their own they
couldn’t even pick up the phone and call their parents
for help if they needed it.
“They were in the bush,” Abe said.
The brothers came through that month in spite of
some tough challenges, including the temporary loss of
a harvest crew due to a conflict.
Andy, left, and Abe Harpster tell stories of
being entrusted with various responsibilities
at an early age on Evergreen Farms.
PDMP guests had a chance to tour Ever
green Farm facilities, including this 900-foot
long freestall barn, one of two such buildings
needed to house the 2,000 milking cows.
Today, all three brothers are partners and share
holders in the operation. Abe is in charge of the milk
ing cows; Aaron manages dry cows, newly fresh cows,
and heifers; and Andy handles the crops.
“I think we have the best parents in the world as far
as turning over the business and giving us responsibil
ity,” Abe said.
According to Abe, it wasn’t always obvious the three
brothers would become partners in the dairy. In fact,
Abe began as a horticulture major at Penn State.
Through his college years, however, “he began to see
opportunities at home on the dairy,” he said.
Andy, a Cornell graduate, also considered other
career options before deciding to join the family busi
ness. Aaron, another Penn State graduate, was the
only one of the three who “everyone knew would be a
farmer from the time he was little,” Andy said.
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