Lebanon County Conservation District Presents Awards
HEBRON (Lebanon Co.)
The Lebanon County Conserva
tion District recognized eight in
dividuals for their outstanding ef
forts of conservation in Lebanon
County at its annual planning
meeting and awards banquet.
The 2002 Lebanon County
Chesapeake Bay Clean Water
Award was presented to dairy
fanners Edward L. Heagy and
Sons for their efforts in soil and
water conservation on the 305
acres they farm from their home
in North Annville Township.
They became cooperators with
the conservation district in 1982
and have continued the family
tradition of conservation farm
ing. They maintain a dairy herd
of 160 cows and grow com, soy
beans, aflfalfa and rye.
The 2002 Lebanon County
Conservationist of the Year
Award was presented to Donald
L. Thomas, Sr. of Lebanon for his
years of conservation volunteer
ism. A native of Conyngham,
Thomas has been an active par
ticipant with the Quittapahilla
Watershed Association, Doc Frit
chey Chapter of Troup Unlimit
ed and the Susquehannock Fly
fishers Association. He is also a
member of the Izaak Walton
League and the Theodore Roose-
duction Forum & Annual Meet
8:30 am - 9 am
9 am- 10:15 W
10:15 am - 11:30 am
11:30 am - 12 noon
12 noon - 1 pm
1 pm - 2 pm
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velt Conservation Alliance.
Thomas has worked full time as
a steel fabricator for Goodhart
and Sons for more than 20 years.
The 2002 Lebanon County
Conservation Educator of the
Year Award was presented to
Mrs. Cynthis Ortega, a grades 11
and 12 ornamental horticulture
instructor and an FFA advisor at
Lebanon County Career and
Technology Center. A resident of
Manheim, Mrs. Ortega teaches
Landsacpe Contracting and Flo
riculture. She was recognized for
combining hands-on learning in
the communtity with professional
training for her students.
The Lebanon County Conser
vation Landowner of the Year
Award was presented to Richard
and Lois Meily who own a 132
acre farm along the banks of the
historic Union Canal in North
Lebanon Township. Most of the
farm was preserved in 2001 with
a three acre portion exempted
along the canal that may some
day serve as an extension of the
Union Canal Park. The entire
acreage is operated on a compre
hensive resource management
plan. Meily has been instrumen
tal in the preservation of seven
farms totaling 704 acres with an
other eight landowners awaiting
LanChester Pork Council
Dec. I7tl»
Yoder’s Restaurant, New Holland, PA
Registration u
Pr, Max Rodjbaugh
‘ * Reducing jnPD’s in Your Sow Herd
Dr. Nate Winkleman
* Diagnostics and Immunity of Ileitis
Control and Prevention of Ileitis
National Pork Board Spokesman
Lunch and Annual Meeting
PQA Level 111 Recertification
i.
BLUE DIAMOND
MANUFACTURING CO.
8:30 am - 2 pm
Featuring:
The oldest name in new technology ™
preservation; and Mrs. Meily has
worked over the last decade on
improvements to the Union
Canal Park which is used by lo
cals as well as tourists.
The 2002 Lebanon County
Special Recognition Award for
Conservation was presented to
Richard H. Light and Karen R.
Light of rural Jonestown for their
many years dedicated to conser
vation volunteerism. The long list
of their nature-related activities
includes the following groups:
Quittapahilla Audubon Society,
May Birdathon, Gerry Boltz’s
Christmas Bird Count and Mi
gration Count Teams, the Nature
Conservancy at Indiantown Gap,
the Second Mountain Hawk
watch, the county’s Elementary
School Envirothon, Ned Smith
Nature Center, and the Pennsyl
vania Department of Conserva-
Passing On Farm Workshop
Slated For Williamsport
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
Planning for a successor, or
someone to take over the farm, is
the most important task farmers
(Hermama
■ Universal
tion and Natural Resources.
The Lights are members of the
Lancaster County Bird Club, the
Muhlenburg Botanical Society
and the Lancaster Butterfly Club.
Mrs. Light serves on the boards
of the Quittapahilla Audubon So
ciety, the Swatara Creek Water
shed Association, and the Leba
non Valley Conservancy, Inc.
A 2002 Groundwater Guardi
an Award: The Lebanon County
Conservation District has been
recognized for its work in
groundwater education and con
servation by the Groundwater
Foundation of Lincoln, Neb. Leb
anon County has been designated
for the past seven years for activi
ties conducted by its Groundwa
ter Education Team under the
leadership of Betty Conner.
The following individuals were
also recognized at the banquet for
need to complete if they want the
farm to survive into the next
generation. Yet, according to
some recent statistics, many farm
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 30, 2002-A27
families have
not identified
a successor
for their fami
ly business or
even talked to
family mem
bers about
what will
happen to the
farm when
they die.
To assist
you in this
process,
Pennsylvania
Farm Link
and Penn
State Exten
sion will con
duct a Pass
ing on the
Farm work-
their volunteerism; Bob Arnold,
Dian and Emmett Beamesderfer,
Kathy Blouch, Jerry Boltz, Pat
Detwiler, Candice Falger, Ruth
Frantz, Sarah Hall, Carol Holt,
Lisa Horvath, John Hower,
Karen and Richard Light, James
Logan Jr., James Logan Sr.,
Lairy Major, and Pat Shedlock,
plus board members of the con
servation district and Agricultur
al Land Preservation.
Charles Wertz, conservation
district manager, gave special
recognition to Ruth Sheetz, ad
ministrative assistant, for her five
years of service during a period
of unprecedented growth and
providing administrative and lo
gistical support to all staff. Wertz
said, “We would simply be
crippled without Ruth Sheetz’s
dedication.”
shop at the Lycoming County
Extension Office on Dec. 17 from
9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Farmers seeking ideas for suc
cessfully passing their farm to
family, or those interested in lo
cating interested, unrelated farm
ers to take over an operation,
should attend. Beginning farmers
are also urged to participate to
glean ideas for building their
businesses.
Topics covered will include
bringing the next generation into
the hum business; business plan
ning for a farm transfer; financ
ing for new farmers; crop insur
ance; estate planning and legal
implications; and farmland pres
ervation.
The workshop will conclude
with a panel of local farmers dis
cussing how they transferred
their own farms.
Contact Pennsylvania Farm
Link at (717) 664-7077 by Dec. 13
to register. Lunch will not be pro
vided.