Cattlemens Association (Continued from Page A2l) the DiUsburg Farmer’s Fair. Masonic Homes, a continuing care retirement community situ ated on 1,400 acres in Eliza bethtown, Lancaster County, was named Seed Stock Breeder of the Year. Frank Stoltzfus manages the farm, which includes a notable purebred Shorthorn seed stock operation. Stoltzfus has been working with the herd since the mid 1980 s. Through selective use of AI and an embryo transfer program, the herd has expanded to about 150 cows. Offspring are marketed though several sales and beef expositions. Goals of the Masonic Homes Shorthorn enterprise include con tinuing to expand Shorthorn ge netic availability and increase grassland use on the farm. Ed and Mike Buckwalter of Lancaster County were recipients of this year’s Cattle Feeder Award. Cattle feeding is a long tradi tion in the Buckwalter family. Joe Buckwalter, Ed and Mike’s father, has been buying and sell ing steers for more than 50 years. Brothers Ed and Mike joined the farm operation in 1977. Over the years, they have expanded and modernized the feeding operation by renovating bams and adding silos and stationary mixers. The Buckwalters feed and sell about 1,200 finished head of cat tle a year from operations in the Lititz, Marietta, and Salunga areas. Their feeding program generates average weight gains of 2.7 pounds per animal per day. Most of the cattle are sold direct ly to a packer, and some are con- Lancaster Farming Check out our Website! A Ok Tree mt"* STOVES 1 • Heat with wood and moki • IfficienUp heat four home. shop - all with one stove • Heavy Duty design * Wide range of sizes (up tot. * Slide-out aeh pan prom removal and prevents excessive i • Enjoy the convenience and sa] For More Information and Manufacturer oak .J£f e ® g, are “ 632 Elysburg Road, Distributor Phone: (57* Fax: (570' tracted. The Buckwalters also di rect-market halves and quarters to individuals. Bob and Kate Boyce of LIT Ponderosa Angus, Carlisle, re ceived the Environmental Stew ardship Award. Over the past 17 years, the Boyces have developed a highly productive, environmentally sound, intensive grazing opera tion on the farm. Bob has imple mented a soil improvement pro gram to preserve and develop topsoil, and worked with the Nat ural Resources Conservation Service to install stream bank fencing and crossings and build buffer strips and fence to keep cattle off steep slopes and out of waterways. The Boyces have also erected a dry manure storage and winter feed station. They use a no-till drill developed in New Zealand to establish and renovate pas tures. Kristy Dietrich, Hamburg; Kyle Hershey, Mountville; and Emilie Miller, Womelsdorf, were awarded PCA scholarships at the banquet. The three youth, all high school seniors, have demonstrat ed exemplary commitment to ag riculture and the beef industry, as well a scholarly excellence. Dietrich and Miller are both students at Tulpehocken High School in Berks County. Hershey attends Lancaster Mennonite High School. Dietrich and Hershey plan to pursue degrees in animal science at Penn State. Miller will attend Kansas State University, also to study animal science. com The Life Cyde of a Farm Even though “old man winter” has been reluctant to release his icy grasp, spring is showing its face on the horizon with the pro gressively greener shades on our landscape. Before we know it, that time of year will be upon us when we will have more to do than we can pos sibly accomplish. Each new day will sprout new plants or animals to tend, and new smells and tex tures to awaken our senses. Per haps, in spite of ourselves, hope will spring eternal that this year will be a good one. Everyone knows we need it Just as each year we begin anew with the seasons, a family farm goes through a business or life cycle that is constantly changing but predictable. Each farm goes through certain defina ble stages with different styles of leadership and management needed at different stages as the business grows. Not every stage progresses smoothly often there are major setbacks or sudden leaps forward. No two farms or farm families are alike. Birth of the farm business. In the beginning of a new farm ven ture, the entrepreneur is filled with vision and dedication for what lies ahead. Even though many new farm businesses fail, enthusiasm and initiative abound. Hard work and perse verance abound. New relation ships with family and business partners are started new ven tures are taken on and too much is going on to work out many of the details. Family members are expected to help. Survival is the New Farmers, New Generation Marion Bowlan Pennsylvania Farm Link utmost concern. Growth and development. As the farm business grows, new re sponsibilities and opportunities appear on the horizon. In the early years, it may have been good enough to make decisions “by the seat of your pants,” but now decisions need to be made that will affect the farm’s future ability to change and grow. The owner may no longer be able to make all the decisions and growth may necessitate delegat ing or sharing responsibility with others. Family members may be reluctant to “pitch in” if they can’t share in the profits and de cision-making. New employees may be hired and need to be schooled in the values and ways of your farm’s operation. Identifi cation of those who possess lead ership abilities needs to be identi fied for the future of the operation. Maturation. At this point, the business has grown and is stabi- Pa. Milk Production For February HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Milk production in Pennsylvania during February 2003 totaled 841 million pounds, 1.2 percent below last February’s production of 851 million pounds, according to the Pennsylvania Agricultural Statis tics Service (PASS). The number of milk cows in the state during the month averaged 588,000 head, down 2,000 from January but 5,000 more than February 2002. Production per cow averaged 1,430 pounds in February, 110 pounds less than January’s pro duction per cow of 1,540 pounds and 30 pounds less than February 2002. Milk produc tion in the 20 states surveyed during February 2003 totaled 11.6 billion pounds, up 1.7 percent compared to pro duction in these same states dur ing February 2002. January re vised production, at 12.5 billion Up To $3OO OFF Select Gas Stoves 1060 Division Highway 322 East, Ephrata, PA 17522 1 Block East of Rt. 222 (717) 733-4973 800-642-0310 www.bowmansstove.com Mon., Tues., Wed. 10 to 6; Thurs., Fri. 10 to 8; Sat. 10 to 4 irmmg, Saturday, April 5, 2003-A3l Lancaster F< lized. The next generation is old enough to participate fully in the operation and the question of long-term viability surfaces. Will the farm stay in the family? Is there a successor willing and able to take over? Is the older generation ready to turn over the responsibility and the authority to handle the operation? Coinci dentally, this stage usually occurs when the farm reaches its height in productivity, making it the best time to consider transition to the next generation. Decline or renewal. Change is constant and cannot be avoided. Any farm business that refuses to change will erode and degener ate. At this point the older generation is tired and reluctant to take on many changes re newal through the next generation is needed. If there is no one in the family willing or able to take on management, then the farm may pass to out side ownership and/or manage ment. If the next generation (whether heirs or unrelated par ties) is not enticed to begin anew, the farm business will most likely wither and die. As you begin a new cycle in this year’s growing season, con sider the stages of growth on your farm and what you can do to contribute to that ongoing pro cess. For more information on getting started or transferring your farm to the next generation, contact Pennsylvania Farm Link at (717) 664-7077 or e-mail us at pafarmlink.net. pounds, was up 1.8 percent from January 2002. The January revi sion represented an increase of 1 million pounds from last month’s preliminary production estimate. Production per cow in the 20 major states averaged 1,485 pounds for February, 13 pounds above February 2002. The number of milk cows on farms in the 20 major states was 7.81 million head, 66,000 head more than February 2002 but 3,000 head more than January 2003. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers