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SERIALS RECORDS
Vol. 48 No. 13
A New Era For Pennsylvania Agriculture?
New Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is sworn in by his wife, Judge
Marjorie Rendell, at the inaugural ceremony in Harrisburg Tuesday. Hold
ing the Bible is the Rendells’ son Jesse. Photo by Dave Lefever
Rendell Takes Governor’s Office,
Says Pa. Can Be ‘Greatest State ’
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) To applause muffled by the gloves of a crowd strug
gling to stay warm, Ed Rendell took the oath of Pennsylvania governor and delivered his
inaugural speech in an outdoor ceremony at the Capitol here Tuesday.
“We must begin to believe again that Pennsylvania’s best days are ahead of us,” Ren
dell said. “The time has come for Pennsylvania to dream of a better future and ask 'Why
not?”’
Rendell was sworn in by his wife Marjorie, a judge with the United States Court of
Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Typically administered by a Pennsylvania Supreme Justice, the swearing-in repre
sented just one of several nontraditional aspects of the ceremony.
In what Rendell supporters said demonstrated his eagerness to go to work governing
Producers Discover Methods To Help
Make Family Dairy Farms Profitable
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Farming Staff
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.) To help
dairy producers and their families direct
their future, presenters teamed up to ad
dress timely topics in several seminars this
week.
The meetings, conducted in Chambers
burg, Gratz, Manheim, and southern Lan
caster County, drew 10-20 people each
time, according to extension agent Beth
Grove.
Ron Bare, financial adviser, Bare Finan
cial Services, Atglen, opened the meeting
in Lancaster. He discussed farm preserva
tion, which involves not just land, he said.
“To me, I think farm preservation is not
only preserving our ground through ease
ment, but also making sure our farms are
profitable now, and then for future
generations,” said Bare.
“If you take the time to do the planning,
you can accomplish your goals,” he said.
Planning includes having a good sound
business plan, estate plan, and retirement
plan,*iccording to Bare. , ....
www.lancasterfarming.com
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
(Turn to Page A2l)
Bare recommends beginning financial
planning with writing down specific goals
and intentions “to build the master plan,”
then thinking about unique circumstances
and considering any possible problems
that could get in the way of goals.
In addition, “family dynamics is proba
bly the biggest challenge you’ll have to
overcome,” said Bare. He believes commu
nication is paramount to heading off prob
lems and making farm transfer smoother.
Bare discussed business structure (sole
proprietorship, limited liability corpora
tion, or partnership) in handing down a
farm. If non-farm siblings are involved,
farm owners should “be fair but not neces
sarily 100 percent equal,” he said.
If a sibling has been working on a farm,
then if they get the farm the other siblings
could possibly get other assets or money
from preserving the farm. The transfer
does not need to be a dollar-for-dollar dis
tribution, said Bare.
Owners should also think about retire
ment planning, and how to transfer the
(Turn to Page A 27)
Four Sections
Saturday, January 25, 2003
Dennis Wolff takes a break in preparing for his new job as the Penn
sylvania secretary of agriculture to visit with his cows on Pen-Col Farms.
Photo by Dave Lefever
Ag Secretary Vows To
Work For All Pa. Farmers
MILLVILLE (Columbia Co.) Dennis Wolff admits he’ll have some things to learn
in his new job as Pennsylvania ag secretary.
“I think I have a pretty good understanding of agriculture,” Wolff said in an inter
view Wednesday at his home on Pen-Col Farms, Columbia County. “But you have to re
member, the day before yesterday I was a dairy farmer today I’m the secretary of agri
culture.”
Wolff said he was first approached last November by some members of Pennsylva
nia’s agricultural community who encouraged him to consider the post.
While he has spent his life so far in production agriculture and building a successful
international business in Holstein genetics, Wolff is no stranger to the workings of go\ -
Cory Thompson stands at the halter of his supreme champion
cow at the Farm Show. Joining Thompson are Sam Hayes, (outgoing)
Pennsylvania secretary of agriculture; and Pennsylvania dairy royal
ty, from left, Rachel Ebert, Raechel Kilgore, and Ashley Chapman.
See story page A 24. Photo by Dave Lefever
$36.00 Per Year
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
(Turn to Page A 23)
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