Family Living
Focus
by
Winifred McGhee
Lebanon County
Extension Director
Plan Together
Share The Load!
When I was growing up, we
used to go for rides on Sunday
afternoons. My mom, dad, sister,
unde, grandmother, and I would
all pile in the car and take off for
a pleasant drive down country
roads. The route was always ex
plained prior to our departure
and we would be assured that
there would be a stop along the
way to get a quick snack, or we
would be home in time to share a
good dinner.
Today, very few of us have
time to take these excursions
stopping to visit cousins and
such. However, many folks do
“pack their families in the car”
The STREAM MAP OF OHIO
resembles another map-known to
Pennsylvania anglers as the “Lost
Stream Map.”
The “Stream Map of
Pennsylvania” was completed in
1965 after a 30 year effort by
Howard Higbee, a former Penn State
Professor.
Professor Higbee succeeded in
creating a map of the highest detail
possible...a map that shows every
stream and lake. He painstakingly
plotted by hand, the location of
45,000 miles of streams onto a
3 by 5 foot map.
The map sold extremely well -
until It was lost several years later.
Incredibly, the printer entrusted with
the original drawing and printing
plates declared bankruptcy, then
carelessly hauled Higbee's 30 years
of work to the landfill.
The few remaining dog-eared
copies became a prized fisherman's
possession. Professor Higbee was
offered $4OO for one of his last
maps. And state agencies were
forced to keep their copies under
lock and key.
The experts had always told
Professor Higbee that reprints were
impossible, because the maps were
pnnted in non-photographic blue
Then, in 1991, at the age of 91,
Howard Higbee’s dream came true
Computers made it possible to
reprint the map Holding an updated
map, Howard said, "I never thought
I'd live to see this day ”
Then, by combining Professor
Higbee’s knowledge with computer
technology'-- the STREAM MAP OF
OHIO was created
for another type of trip that is not
so pleasant'for the driver, or the
passengers. They do this by tak
ing all the cares and concerns of
the farm on their own shoulders,
never sharing the plan for the fu
ture, or projecting the bumps
along the way. In doing so, they
cause themselves stress (and all
the mental and physical symp
toms resulting from it) and cause
everyone else in the “car” great
anxiety.
This problem can be easily
fixed with two specific actions:
• Developing a written plan for
the farm
• Sharing the plan’s goals and
the actions needed with the rest
of the family
Maps
of Pennsylvania, New York
New England, New Jersey, Ohio,
& Maiyland/Delaware
st and Only Highly Detailed Map of its Kind
ir map shows virtually all of the 45,000 miles of Pennsylvania streams plus lakes The
:olor map shows virtually all of the 65,000 miles of New York streams plus lakes The
ip shows virtually all of the 36,000 miles of New England streams plus lakes The 2
map shows virtually all of the 8,300 miles of New Jersey streams plus lakes The 3-
shows virtually all of the 29,000 miles of Ohio streams plus lakes The 2-foot-by-3
1/2-foot color map shows virtually all of the 12,000 miles of Maryland/Delaware streams plus lakes
Explorers’ Gu
with Each M
Pinpoint the best fishing in PA. NY, NE, NJ,
MD/DE with these valuable guides. Easily
streams and lakes shown on the Sti
Map both alphabetically and geographh
Your map and guidebook will take yoi
the select fishing watt
RAVE REVIEWS
“It is amazingly detailed and
names some creeks in the
Mohawk Valley that can’t
even be found on
topographic maps.”
—John Pitarres,
OBSERVER-DISPATCH,
Utica
“If you’re looking for the most
definitive maps ever created
depicting every single creek,
river, stream, pond and
lake ..then ‘Professor
Higbee’s Stream Maps’ are
without question the finest.’’
—Howard Brant,
THE NEWARK STAR-LEDGER
“It is in showing where to find
out-of-the-way trout streams
that makes the map such a
treasure to the fisherman ”
—Joe Gordon,
TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT,
Johnstown
Farm ventures move forward
when they have a plan. The plan
is like a road map for our trip.
We can look on a physical piece
of paper to see where we are now
and where we would like to be in
the future. The plan tells us
about a specific set of actions that
we can do to get from our current
status to the one in the future.
Just like the map assures us that
there are roads from here to
there, rest stops available on the
route, and towns to stop in for
the night, a business plan shows
us that it is indeed possible for
things to get better, be more prof
itable, and be more prosperous.
For this reason, plans are not just
needed when a loan is required,
but they serve as an everyday tool
to keep our actions on track.
Just as important as having
the plan is sharing what the plan
says with others who are “on the
trip.”
When everyone knows that
tightening the belt will be tempo
rary, and they understand what
waits ahead once the pennies
have been saved, no one feels that
their needs are not being recog
nized. Everyone becomes a team
player. When farm families plan
together, sharing the concerns
Get Ready for Fishing Season!
Stream
I
I ORDER YOUR COLOR STREAM MAPS
I Available rolled or folded ALSO AVAILABLE in heavy gauge LIFETIME
j GUARANTEED, glass-like dear-lamination, wnte-on wipe-off surface,
j with brass eyelets for easy hanging
PRICES INCLUDE PRIORITY MAIL
State Stream Map ROLLED FOLDED
PA 3 FT by 5 FT $2595 $25 95
NY 3 5 FT by 4 5 FT $25,95 $2595
NE 3 FT by 4 FT $2595 $25 95
NJ 2.5 FT by 3 FT $25 95 $25 95
OH 3FTby 3 FT _52595 _52595
MD/DE 2FTby3 5 FT $25 95 _s2s 95
Check or money order enclosed $
i Each map includes the FREE Explorers ' Guide to Hidden Streams & Lakes >
i Each rolled and laminated map shipped in a sturdy storage tube i
i Name i
i Address
i City State Zip_
I mail to LANCASTER FARMING
| Dept. Map
| 1 East Main St., P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522 ;
j Payable J Check Enclosed _l Visa J Mastercard _i Discover [
• Card # i
i Ex|
Date
Signature
and goals, the load gets spread
out, and individuals are more
willing to take their share, be
cause they know where they are
headed!
Working for more than 15
years helping people start and ex
pand their businesses, I have al
ways realized the importance of
making a written plan. A number
of my fellow agents and I began
teaching a class called Tilling the
Soil of Opportunity, to help farm
ers put together business plans.
Our original goal was that each
student would “graduate” by
writing a plan. However, shortly
after we began teaching the class,
we made an interesting discov
ery. The students started talking
about going home from the class
and talking about the lesson with
their family members. They were
really excited about the way that
spouses, children, brothers and
sisters responded to their ideas
and suggested ideas of their own.
As the 12 weeks of the class went
by, we came to realize that the
written plan we originally wanted
each student to create was only a
“map” - and discussing the
“trip” with everyone in the “car”
was the really important part.
Suddenly, time lines and to do
lists were developed.
LAMINATED j
s4s 95 !
s4s 95 I
s4s 95 |
s4s 95 I
s4s 95 j
s4s 95 I
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 12, 2003-B9
While originally we had only
one person (or a couple) from
each farm who was willing to
commit to go to the series of
classes, now we heard about en
tire families gathered around ta
bles adding their ideas and “buy
ing in” to the overall plan. As the
first class concluded in Spring
2002, one of the students said,
“This course has given me a
starting point for involving fami
ly in my business. Prior to this
course I was overwhelmed with
the volume of topics and deci
sions to be made. My spouse
would insist that I make all deci
sions independently. My spouse
is now more involved. Now the
business plan will be “Our Busi
ness Plan.”
This student did not have a
full, written plan, but she had
achieved great success!
The Sunday drives of years ago
were fun for everyone because we
all knew where we were going,
how we were going to get there,
and that no one would be asked
to do something she or he wasn’t
capable of doing along the way.
The driver had no more stress
than the passengers. That’s how
our farm businesses can be too
if we plan together and share the
‘ride.”
Check Out This Week's
Featured Recipe On Our Website!
ww.la:
Lancaster Farming
$3.50* Each
CAP
Available At
Lancaster Farming,
1 East Main St., Ephrata, PA
PLUS Shipping & Handling $2.50
Add’t Cap and Shipping @ $4.00 Each
Phone 717-626-1164
irmini