Vol. 48 No. 50
Wachovia To Drop Ag Lending
Fate Of Many Farm Loans Unclear
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Wachovia, one of the biggest
ag lenders in the area, recently
announced it will be getting out
of the farm loan business in
Pennsylvania and Delaware.
“We’re going to be exiting
what we call our agrifinance
Corn Harvest Aid Comes Through
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
GORDONVILLE (Lancaster
Co.) The majority of the silage
com crop has been harvested in
Lancaster and Chester counties,
thanks to a coordinated aid effort
put on by disaster workers and
Penn State extension.
Tropical Storm Isabel had cre
ated a major dilemma for farm
ers when winds flattened corn
fields throughout the area. Amish
and other horse farmers were es
pecially in need because “it was
impossible to harvest a lot of the
com with a com binder,” said
David Hoover, Com Harvest Aid
coordinator based in Gordonville.
Agriculture, Environmental Leaders Launch Water Planning Act
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
LOGANVILLE (York Co.)
Stan Brown believes in smart
water planning. He wants to be
sure there will be enough of the
essential commodity to go around
in the future.
“ For those of us in productive
agriculture, there’s one certainty
and that’s the uncertainty of
Sheep and their exhibitors model classy wool fashion
at KILE Lead ‘Line competition. Winners in the senior divi
sion, from left, are Katye Nolte, first, and Melana Lovell,
second. Turn to page B 2 to find out more about this and
the Make-lt-With-Wool event.
Photo by Lou Ann Good, food and family features editor
www.lancasterfarming.com
portfolio,” said Jan Armfield,
Wachovia regional president.
Low farm commodity prices
and the high risk of agriculture
loans are the main reasons Arm
field gave for the divestment.
According to Armfield, the
bulk of the bank’s ag lending
business in the area is made up of
clients who generate $3 million to
Amish bishops decided to per
mit custom operators to harvest
com on Amish farms. The Com
Harvest Aid office set about mak
PDA Hosts Second Ag Ed
Workshop, Issues Forum
CHARLENE M. SHUPP
Lancaster Farming Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) More than 230 people
gathered here at the Farm Show
Complex Thursday to participate
in the second quarterly Agricul
ture Issues Forum.
weather,” said the longtime or
chardist and owner of Brown’s
Orchard and Farm Market in
Loganville.
Throughout the past 10 years,
droughts have been coming to the
region on an almost regular basis.
Increasing competition for water
in many areas, including this part
of southern York County, makes
the need for water resource plan-
Five Sections
$l5 million in annual revenues.
That porfolio will be open to bids
from other lending institutions to
purchase either whole or piece
meal within the year.
“I would hope that we’re out
of (the porfolio) in six to 12
months,” Armfield said.
(Turn to Page A 27)
ing sure fanners in need were
connected with custom harvest-
(Turn to Page A 26)
With the many concerns facing
Pennsylvania agriculture, the
Pennsylvania Department of Ag
riculture (PDA) sponsors this
forum to bring information about
issues to the general public, but
(Turn to Page A 26)
ning even more urgent.
And as Brown pointed out,
“You can’t manufacture artificial
water.”
Brown hosted top officials
from the Pennsylvania depart
ments of agriculture (PDA) and
environmental protection (DEP)
at his farm market Monday to
address the topic of water and
what a recently updated water
plan will mean to farmers and
other business operators.
Dennis Wolff, secretary of ag
riculture, and Kathleen McGinty,
secretary of environmental pro-
Manheim Farm Show caps a season-long list of fairs we cover at Lancaster Farming.
During Manheim Farm Show Tuesday, Seth Reifsnyder, second from left, exhibits his
grand champion steer. From left, Tom Geibney, judge; Reifsnyder; Diana Lynn Orley;
Mrs. Walter Heistand; and Alicia Geib, Manheim Alternate Farm Show Queen. See inside
for more farm show coverage. Story is on page A2B. Photo by Charlene Shupp
Saturday, October 11,2003
This issue includes the fall Lancaster Farming
Boarder & Trainer, our comprehensive section on the
horse industry! Included: information on proper rid
ing trails, lessons from a popular farrier, proper
feeding of horses, information from a horse “den
tist,” round pen training, and tips from a harness
maker. Articles about horse care and a calendar of
horse show and meeting events round out the sec
tion.
tection, said the Water Resources
Planning Act (Act 220 of 2002)
will help farmers and others safe
guard their water supply and
protect the environment.
Under the Act, operations
using more than 10,000 gallons of
water per day, averaged over a
30-day period, are required to
register their water withdrawal
rates with DEP. For one exam
ple, a 200-cow dairy with replace
ment stock uses roughly 10,000
gallons a day, according to Wolff.
Preregistration forms, specify
ing whether users are required to
$37.00 Per Year
$l.OO Per Copy
register and whether they prefer
registering by paper or on the
DEP Website, are to be sub-
(Turn to Page A 24)
Inside The Farmer
✓ KILE Lead Line
page 82.
✓ Manheim Dairy
Show page A 37.
✓ KILE Angus Show
page D 4.