Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 121, Number 35, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 2 September 1998 — Page 7

Local farms featured in ‘A Day On The Farm’ tour promotional

How do you milk a cow? How big is a calf? What do you feed a pig? Is chicken feed really cheap? How tall does com grow in the field? Do machines actually dig potatoes? What are the best plants to grow in a water garden? These and many other questions about modem farming practices in Elkhart County will be answered during A Day On The Farm, September 12. A Day On The farm is a free tour of six Elkhart County farms to experience and teach more about farm life first-hand, according to Earlene Nofziger, chairperson of A Day On The Farm. Visitors will get a chance to see modem diary, sheep, beef, pig and poultry farms as well as commercial greenhouse and vegetable farms. Educational tours and other events are planned at each of the host farms from 10a.m.-4p.m.. County farms hosting A Day On The Farm activities include R&K Holsteins (Ray and Kathy Eash) dairy and poultry farm near Middlebury; Lands Lane Farm (Carson and Donna Lands) sheep farm near Nappanee; and Meadow View Farm (Don and Ruth Hostetler) beef farm near Millersburg. Also: Indiana Creek Farms (Dale and Patty Yoder) potato farm near Goshen; Mclntosh Greenhouse and Garden Center (Kim and Sue Wilfong) horticultural business near Goshen; and Hochstetler Farms (Willis, Alice, Anthony and Jonathan Hochstetler and their families) pig farm near Nappanee. NAPPANEE FARMS Hochstetler Farms is located at 28413 CRS2, Nappanee. This fourth generation pig farm is operated by Willis and Alice Hochstetler along with their sons, Anthony and Jonathan and their families. They farm approximately 750 acres northwest of Nappanee growing corn, soybeans and wheat. Their 150-sow farrow-to-finish hog operation produces over 800,000 pounds of pork per year.

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OFFER TOURS—Hochstetler Farms, 28413 CRS2, Nappanee, will offer tours during the "Day'On The Farm" promotional, September 12. The day will offer a better understanding of modern diary, sheep, beef, pig, poultry, greenhouse and vegetable farms. Pictured from left: owner/operators Willis and Alice Hochstetler and son Anthony who also farms with them. Don't miss this opportunity to visit the pig nursery and get first-hand knowledge of how a pig farm operates. (AN photo by Merrie Chapman)

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INSIDE LOOK—Carson and Donna Lantis invite the public to take an inside look at their sheep farm during the "Day On The Farm" promotional, September 12. The event will offer the public an all-day tour opportu-

The Hochstetlers raise high-lean Yorkshire, Landrace and Duroc crossbred pigs. All phases of the hog operation will be on display. The following foods will also be available: pork burgers, ice cream cookies and beverages. Directions to the farm: one mile north of Nappanee on SR 19. Turn left (west) on CRS2 and go onehalf mile to the first farm on the right. The Lantis Lane farm is located at 25846 CR46, Nappanee. Carson and Donna Lantis invite the public to visit their Suffok sheep farm where they have between 80 and 100 ewes lambing annually each spring. They have been raising, showing and selling purebred 4-H sheep for 30 years. Their 80-acre farm also raises alfalfa hay and oats to feed the sheep. Com and soybeans are also grown on their farm as a cash crop for the Lantis family. Wool craft demonstrations and wool displays will be held throughout the day. The Elkhart County 4-H Lamb Club will be selling lamb burger sandwiches and beverages during tour. Directions: Four miles north of Nappanee on SR 19. Turn right (east) on CR46 and go two and one-quarter miles to the farm. GOSHEN FARM Indian Creek Farm, 19672 CRIB, Goshen, invites visitors to observe the potato harvest in progress. Owners Dale and Patty Yoder normally grow between 75-100 acres of potatoes and 20-25 acres of sweet com. About 80% of these crops are sold to Martin’s Supermarkets with the remainder going to other farm markets or the Yoder’s own farm market. The potato harvest usually results in 65 to 85 semitrailer truckloads of potatoes that are washed and bagged in the farms packing shed. Digging potatoes begins in late July and ends in mid-Ocotber. Washing and bagging of potatoes

nity inside six Elkhart County farms on tour. See related article for details. Pictured: Donna and Carson Lantis herd their sheep into the barn for feeding time. (AN photos by Merrie Chapman)

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continues until early April. The farm’s sweet com crop is handpicked and harvest starts around July 10 and runs until Labor Day in early September. The Yoders will offer potato food products all day. Directions: South of Goshen on US33. T\im left (east) on CR3B (Kercher Road). Then drive 3 1/2 miles to the farm (between CR3S and CR37). From Millersburg, go north on SRI 3 and left (west) 1 1/2 miles on CR3B. MIDDLEBURY FARMS R&K Holsteins, 61070 CR37, Middlebury, is a fifth generation family dairy farm which milks 60 registered Holstein cows twice a day. owners Ray and Cathy Eash, and their son James, also raise 250 acres of hay, com, wheat and soybeans. The farm also features a modem state-of-the-art chicken house for raising 30,000 broilers. The chicken house features modem automatic ventilation systems, feeders, waterers, and alarm systems. Parking will be available at both the dairy farm and the poultry house with a shuttle running between the two facilities. Food and drinks will be sold by the Fairfield High School Future Farmers of America (FFA). Directions: Seven miles east f Goshen on SR4. Left (north) 1/2 mile on CR37. From Middlebury, go three miles south of US2O on SR 13 and turn right to enter the farm’s poultry house area. “Last year, over 3,000 visitors took advantage of our ‘A Day On The Farm’ activities to experience and learn more about the farm life first-hand,” Nofziger notes. He continues, “The tours will be free and people can try to visit all the farms if they want. However, we suggest individuals and families select two or three farms that interest them the most and then plan to spend several hours at each farm.” “We encourage people to bring their whole family to learn more about Elkhart County agriculture and its varied and abundant food production,” adds Tom Kercher, chairman of the Elkhart County Agriculture Council. He continues, “The Agriculture Council is helping to organize this event and the host farmers are planning an enjoyable and educational morning and afternoon of family fun.” “You don’t need to dress up for these farm tours,” Nofziger emphasizes. “The tours will be held rain or shine. So, if it rains, consider bringing your boots!” She adds that A Day On The Farm events are designed to be fun for non-farm families and are not intended to be farm management learning events for the farming community. A Day On The Farm is being organized and sponsored by the Elkhart County Agriculture Council and the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service in Elkhart County.

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SHOW THIS MONTH—Oat sheaves are cut into bundles in July, in preparation for the 1998 Bourbon Antique Tractor and Engine Show. Driving the tractor is Jim Bates, Sr., with Norm Steinman riding on the binder. The show is set for Saturday and Sunday, September 12-13, with patrons invited to step into the past, marvel at the steam-driven engines that power implements, harvest the crops and cut the timber into lumber. The eleventh annual, two-day exhibition of old farm equipment and engines will be located two miles south of Bourbon, on SR33I. She show will last from sun-up to sun-down both

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Phil Lehman, Nappanee (pictured), attended the annual Asgrow Seed Company, LLC dealer meeting, held July 21-23, in St. Louis, Missouri. More than 600 Asgrow dealers attended one of five dealer meetings held throughout the country this summer. Themed "Always the Customer," each meeting featured one of Asgrow's co-presidents, Danny Kennedy and John Schillinger, who discussed the future and direction of the company. Other presentations included updates on the distribution network, information technology and seed genetics. According to Lehman, "The annual meeting prepares dealers for the upcoming sales season. It's important that we know and understand the current direction of Asgrow and pass that information on to our customers." (Photo provided)

UKkl CHOICE OF: • 2 eggs, hash brouins, sausage patty .toast and coffee 811-Vou-Can-Eaf Friday Duffel jJ|f|V djYjTjt Saturday Buffet ■JHBj W Chichen. Ham, Hashed Potatoes. Rojos. Chichen Rlfredo. Beef Stroganoff. Sunday flreahfast Duffel ,jr*s Scrambled Eggs. Bash Brouins. Ham. Bacon. Sausage. French Toast. Toast. ijf* m* I Biscuit & Gravy. Fresh Fruit. Danish PP J" 7 12657 Beech Rd (comer of Beech Rd. & u.s. 30 E.) • Bourbon Phone: 858-2882

Nappanee Advance News Wednesday, September 2, 1998

days, with breakfast, lunch and supper available on the grounds. There will also be a flea market, musical entertainment, demonstrations and a general country flavor. Included in the meals available will be ham and beans by the United Church of Christ and the Bourbon Volunteer Fire Department's hog roast. Presentations will include oaf threshing, straw baling, corn shelling, stalk shredding, horse-powered plowing and log cutting on the group's own sawmill. A blacksmith will also exhibit his skill at bending iron. A daily admission fee is charged, but parking is free. (Photo provided)

Schedule four-county forestry field day

A four-county Forestry Field Day will take place at the Lee Girvin Farm, located near Pierceton, Saturday, September 19. Sponsored by the Kosciusko, St. Joseph. Elkhart and Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, a variety of topics will be covered. Registration begins at 8:30a.m. The program is open to the public and free of charge. Tours are planned for tree plantation management, timberstand improvement and woodland harvest, soils suitability index, saw safety and firewood, wetland restoration/upland wildlife management, prairie grass and wildflowers, pond management/aquatic plants and woods tour. Lee and Mary Girvin purchased their 110-acre farm in 1986. This was a rough farm with half of the cropland being highly erodible. The old round bam looked to be in a state of disrepair, and there was a lot of old farm machinery strewn about. In 1988, Lee developed a plan to improve the farm for wildlife habitat and timer production. He put all of the cropland into the CRP program, and in 1989, he planted 64 acres of mixed hardwoods and white pine, and in 1990, they performed timberstand improvement on approximately 25 acres of mature woods. At that time, they began restoring wetlands on the property, and have restored

approximately 10 acres of wetlands on three sites. In 1994, Lee and Mary built their home on the farm. In 1995, their son, Mike, built his home there. Lee lost his wife two years ago, but he and Mike continue with her dreams for the place, and their venture as good stewards of the land. Today, this 110-acre farm, located northwest of Ft. Wayne, or southeast of Pierceton, in Kosciusko County, includes two small lakes, five miles of walking trails, three restored wetland areas, pine forests, mature forests, and 50 acres of new tree plantings. Wildflower plots dot the property, and are monitored by his son and daughter-in-law, Mike and B.J. Girvin. Mike is the president of Designs on Nature, and principle guide. He is a specialist in naturalized landscaping and outdoor enhancement. Acreage on this farm is in the Classified Forest Program, Classified * Wildlife Habitat Program, and the Conservation Reserve Program. A historic round bam is the focal point for the entire farm. Because of the farm’s biodiversity, wildlife abounds. For additional information regarding the special day, please contact Kosciusko County SWCD, 219-267-5726; Marshall County SWCD, 219-926-2839; Elkhart County SWCD, 219-533-3630, or St. Joseph County SWCD, 219-291-2300.

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