Farm Credit

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Farm Credit Lending support to rural America®
leader
Check out page 12
for information
on our 2016
Scholarship Program!
volume 20 | ISSUE 4 | $3.95
Teaching Beyond
the Classroom
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MidAtlantic Farm Credit, ACA
In This Issue
J. Robert Frazee, CEO
FARM AND LAND
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
Board of Directors
M. Wayne Lambertson
Chairman
Paul Baumgardner
Vice Chairman
Deborah A. Benner
Brian L. Boyd
Gary L. Grossnickle
Dale R. Hershey
Walter C. Hopkins
4 Darren
Developing Critical Thinking Skills
6 Larriland
A Fresh Connection with the Land
Grumbine, a high school ag teacher
Farm educates the public
in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, teaches his
students, and his own children, the
importance of critical thinking when it
comes to a career in agriculture.
about agriculture by running a pickyour-own operation in the heart of
Howard County, Maryland.
Anthony M. Ill
T. Jeffery Jennings
Fred R. Moore
Dale J. Ockels
Jennifer L. Rhodes
Ralph L. Robertson, Jr.
Alan N. Siegfried
Douglas D. Scott
Joseph D. Snapp
Fred N. West
facebook.com/MidAtlanticFarmCredit
@midatfarmcredit
mafc.com/blog
8 Following
Educating Adults and Children Alike
10 Betsy
A Sweet Lesson
in the footsteps of his father,
and David Herbst of Smithsburg,
Will Currey of Harrington, Delaware
assures his high school students get
hands-on work experience.
Maryland own and operate Misty Meadow
Farm, offering tours to children and adults
while serving up some delicious ice cream.
+MafcMidAtFarmCredit
MidAtFarmCredit
@midatfarmcredit
OUR ASSOCIATION
12 Calendar Winners
12 Winter Photo Contest
12 Scholarship Program
Leader, contact Jenny Kreisher at 888.339.3334, e-mail her at [email protected] or write her at
MidAtlantic Farm Credit | 700 Corporate Center Court | Suite L | Westminster, MD 21157.
This publication is for you, our reader. We’d love to hear from you!
Announcement
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COMMUNITY
The Farm Credit Administration does not require the association to distribute its quarterly financial reports to
shareholders. However, copies of its complete report are available upon request or see quarterly updates online
at mafc.com. The shareholders’ investment in the association is materially affected by the financial condition
and results of operations of AgFirst Farm Credit Bank and copies of its quarterly financial report
are available upon request by writing:
Susanne Caughman | AgFirst Farm Credit Bank | P.O. Box 1499 | Columbia, SC 29202-1499
12 2016 Annual Meeting Dates
13 Holiday Recipes
14 Properties for Sale
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questions or ideas If you have any questions or ideas for the editorial staff of the
| VOLUME 20 | Issue 4 | mafc.com
Address changes, questions or requests for the association’s quarterly financial report should be directed to:
MidAtlantic Farm Credit, ACA by calling 800.333.7950 or writing:
MidAtlantic Farm Credit | 45 Aileron Court | Westminster, MD 21157
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president’s message
Teaching and learning
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events | deadlines
DEC eventplace
6-8 24-25
Maryland Farm Bureau Convention Ocean City, MD
Christmas Holiday Offices Closed
JAN 2016eventplace
1
6-8
14-16 18
22-24
New Year’s Day Offices Closed
Mid-Atlantic Nursery
Tradeshow (MANTS) Baltimore, MD
Future Harvest’s Cultivate the
Chesapeake Foodshed Conference College Park, MD
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Offices Closed
Maryland Horse Expo Timonium, MD
FEBeventplace
18-19
Chesapeake
Green Symposium Linthicum Heights, MD
15 President’s Day Offices Closed
For a full list of events, please visit mafc.com
Season’s
Greetings!
And best wishes for a healthy and joyful New Year!
This issue’s theme—Teaching Beyond the Classroom—is near and
dear to my heart. As you may know, my initial career goal was to follow
that path; in fact, my undergraduate degree was in ag education.
Since I graduated from college, I’ve come to realize that when it
comes to agriculture, everyone needs to be a teacher. Many people have
done a great job bridging the gap between the people who eat the food
and the people who grow it. You’ll see that spirit and enthusiasm in all of
the individuals and families that we’ve featured this issue: people like Betsy
and David Herbst of Smithsburg, Maryland, who serve up ice cream along
with farming facts, offering tours of their farm to children and adults. You’ll
also read about Larriland Farm in Howard County, Maryland, who takes
advantage of the thousands of people who come to their pick-your-own
farm market by offering them information along with their produce.
Then there’s Will Currey, who teaches agriscience at a high school
in Felton, Delaware. Will is a second generation teacher—his dad Tom
taught for 41 years! His teaching extends outside the classroom as well,
acting as FFA advisor for the school, and even providing paid work for
some of his students on the hay farm that he and his dad operate. Finally,
you’ll read about Darren Grumbine, a high school ag teacher in Lebanon,
Pennsylvania, who teaches his students (and his own children) how
important it is to sort through information about agriculture that can
sometimes be incorrect or misleading.
All of the borrowers featured in this issue have spent countless
hours promoting agriculture to their communities. It’s something we all
need to do if we want to continue to have a viable ag economy in our area.
While we’re talking about education, I hope you’ll look at the
requirements for our annual scholarship program on page 12, and I hope
you’ll pass the information on to any college-aged students you may
know. I know how expensive college can be (did I mention that all three
of my children have graduated and are all working in fields that they’re
passionate about?), and our scholarship program is a great way to help
ease that burden.
Finally, I want to share some personal news with you: after 33 years
of working with Farm Credit, I will be retiring in the first quarter of 2016.
It’s fitting that I’m announcing this in an issue devoted to learning and
educating—because I have certainly learned a lot during my time here. I
am grateful to both my co-workers, and our association’s customers—your
fellowship, support, patience, enthusiasm and caring have combined to
make these years memorable and educational.
I have not yet decided what I will do once I retire—to be honest,
it is a little scary to picture myself waking up and not coming to a job
that I love. But I’m excited to tackle new challenges, see new places, and
learn new things. I really do believe that once you stop learning, you stop
living—and I’m looking forward to continuing my education.
P.S.—Our board is in the midst of a search for the next CEO, and is
interviewing candidates as I write this. They expect to announce new
leadership in early 2016.
VOLUME 20 | Issue 4 | mafc.com | 3
FARM AND LAND
Equipping youth
with skills in critical thinking
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Kristin, Dakota, Darren, and Dalton Grumbine
enjoy a variety of agricultural enterprises as a
family. This is one aspect that allows Darren to take
real-life experiences to the classroom.
Kristin is an integral part of the farm
operation throughout the year. Here,
she lends a hand when it’s time to clean
the planter.
Twelve year old Dalton spends time
each day caring for the laying hens
in his egg enterprise. Dalton has 4-H
projects in pigs, sheep and goats.
Story by Sally Colby, Photos by Sally Colby and the Grumbine Family
| Today’s youth are bombarded with information from many directions,
and it can be challenging for them to discern what’s accurate from what isn’t. As a high school teacher, Darren
Grumbine’s goal is to ensure that his students develop critical thinking skills when it comes to agriculture.
With a degree in technical
education and plenty of practical
experience, Darren started his teaching
career guiding students through courses
such as engines, electricity and welding
at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon,
Pennsylvania. After adding an ag
degree to his resume, he now teaches
courses in agriculture. Fully aware of
the ever-changing dynamic of modern
agriculture, Darren helped develop a
course of study that meets the needs of
students as well as the ag community.
“When the previous ag teacher
started at Cedar Crest 38 years ago, most
of the students came from production
ag,” says Darren. “More of our society was
involved in production agriculture, and
a larger percentage of ag jobs were on
the production side. We’ve switched to
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| VOLUME 20 | Issue 4 | mafc.com
a more general ag education and focus
on issues such as food science, sorting
through propaganda and raising crops
and livestock. Our goal is to tie in as
much science as we can so when our kids
go to chemistry or biology class, they’ll
relate to what they’ve learned in ag class;
or perhaps the other way around.”
In an area that’s been traditionally
rich in agriculture but challenged by
development, it’s up to ag teachers to
promote the program. Eighth grade
students have an opportunity to tour the
high school, including the ag department,
and that’s an opportunity for Darren and
his colleagues to promote the program.
“When kids in this area think of
ag, they think of someone milking a
cow and spreading manure,” says Darren.
“They don’t think about all of the other
opportunities in food production. It’s a
matter of helping them realize that ag is
different than it was 20 or 30 years ago,
and in many cases, probably different
from what their parents are telling them.”
One of the most important aspects
of the ag curriculum is helping students
learn how to think and sort through
information surrounding ag, some of
which is incorrect or misleading. “We’re
trying to create students who, when they
see or read something, don’t believe
it until they’ve checked it themselves,”
Darren says.
During the school year, students
participate in an industry tour that
introduces a wide variety of real-life
opportunities in ag. “We’ve included a
production operation, a feed mill, an
equipment dealer, and a greenhouse
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The Grumbines all pitch in for a timely, safe and
successful harvest.
Darren has taught his sons how to operate farm
machinery safely, which allows them to construct
equipment for their own enterprises.
Thirteen year old Dakota raises
sheep, pigs and steers for 4-H
projects. Here, he takes time to
work with one of his ewes.
grower,” says Darren. “We encourage the
hosts to tell students about the variety of
jobs that might be available in that field.”
Gaining leadership skills through
involvement in FFA is a major component
of the ag program. Darren believes that it’s
critical that students who come to an FFA
meeting for the first time feel included
and willing to come back. “Getting those
new kids to stay is about getting student
leadership to create a desire for them to
come back,” he says. “We’ve worked with
our upperclassmen and made them realize that they will determine the destiny
of the program.” Darren notes that the
curriculum shift and making sure that the
curriculum continues to evolve helps with
retention in the ag program.
To add to students’ overall ag
education experience, Darren would like
to integrate topics such as curing meat
and cheese-making into the curriculum.
“We’d include the ingredients and
chemical processes involved,” he
says. “This is so they understand that
there are jobs in agriculture that don’t
involve milking cows, tending hogs and
planting and combining corn.”
An important aspect of the ag
program is discussing career paths,
which Darren starts by helping students
determine what kind of lifestyle they
desire. “I get them to lead the discussion
and help them see that their career plan
might not lead to the lifestyle they seek,”
he says. “My goal is to help my students
understand what will make them
happy before they start down a career
path.” Darren adds that he encourages
students to look at why they want to do
something and then determine how it
fits with their goals.
As a farmer himself, Darren
brings more than book learning to the
classroom. He grew up on a farm and
gained experience raising crops, pigs and
sheep from a young age. Darren’s wife
Kristin grew up on a dairy farm, and is
an integral part of the family’s 600-acre
crop operation, Burnin’ Bushels, Inc., that
includes corn, soybeans, wheat, and
grass hay. The Grumbines also maintain a
custom farming operation that involves
working with farmers throughout the
entire cropping process from seed
selection to harvest.
The Grumbines’ two sons, Dakota
and Dalton, benefit from their parents’
experience and are active in 4-H.
Dakota, age 13, has several livestock
projects including pigs, sheep and
steers. He has developed a sizeable
pork operation and sells butcher and
feeder pigs to New York City markets.
Dalton, age 12, also has livestock
projects including pigs, sheep and
goats. He keeps a flock of chickens for
an egg enterprise and enjoys working
with projects that involve welding
and construction. Both young men
are responsible for financing and
maintaining their enterprises.
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VOLUME 20 | Issue 4 | mafc.com | 5
FARM AND LAND
Sparking a fresh connection
with the land at Larriland Farm
Story and photos by Susan Walker
| In an era where you can get watermelon and strawberries in January, and the only
vegetables some people eat come in plastic bags from their grocery store’s freezer section, there’s a disconnect
between what we eat and the land and people who produce it. That’s a gap that the Moore family hopes to bridge at
Larriland Farm, their 335 acre pick-your-own fruit and vegetable operation in Howard County, Maryland.
Lynn, her brothers, Fenby and Guy,
and sister, Nancy, all grew up on their
parents’ farms. Their father started with
a dairy operation in Guilford, Maryland,
but sold that farm to the Rouse Company
in 1963. The family then moved to the
current farm in Woodbine, Maryland,
where, over the years, their father grew
soybeans, alfalfa, wheat, and turf. In the
early 1970s, the family switched focus
and began growing fruits and vegetables.
Today, Lynn, Fenby and Guy run the farm.
Fenby handles the operation’s finances,
bookkeeping and irrigation. Guy is
responsible for the field work, and Lynn is
the horticulturalist.
Lynn, Fenby and Guy have worked
on the farm all their lives, only spending
Fenby, Guy and Lynn Moore (left to right) head Larriland
Farm, where several other family members, including
Lynn’s husband, also work.
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time away to go to college. When she was
in middle school, Lynn, a self-described
“plant person”, asked her mother if she
finished with the housecleaning quickly,
could she please help with the farming.
“I was always more interested in driving a
tractor than driving a vacuum,” she says.
Adds Fenby, “Farming is the only thing I’ve
done. I love being able to work outside
and working for myself rather than somebody else.”
Larriland Farm has between 180 and
190 cultivated acres, where the Moores
grow a wide range of crops, including
multiple varieties of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, plums,
and apples, as well as tart cherries and
blueberries. Their vegetable crops include
With the turn of each season, there’s different fresh
produce in the popular farm market, as well as locally
produced specialty foods.
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Explains Lynn Moore, Larriland’s
president, “People have a natural instinct
to participate in the production of their
food and the harvest is the best part. It
engages all our senses—the colors of
the fruits and vegetables in the fields,
the smell of ripe produce, the feel of it in
your hand and the dirt under your feet,
the flavor of a really fresh strawberry
or tomato. You don’t get that feeling of
connection to the land in a grocery store,
but the people who come here to pick our
fruits and vegetables do get that experience. They also learn a little more about
where their food comes from, what it
takes to produce it, and why they should
eat the more flavorful and nutritious fresh
fruits and vegetables.”
pickyourown.com
This was a place she loved and felt a real
connection with, so it was where she
wanted to celebrate.”
The family recently purchased a
new farm a mile north of Larriland Farm
so that they have enough land to do a
four-year crop rotation with their pumpkins. In addition to rotating their crops,
the Moores follow many other farming
practices designed to preserve the health
of the soil and leave it in better condition
than it was before they farmed it.
Says Fenby, “It takes 1,000 years to
build good soil, but just a few years of
mismanagement to deplete it. You have
to take care of the soil, and when you do,
it won’t get used up and will always be
there for you.”
The Moores practice integrated
pest management with the goal of
producing high quality, safe produce for
their customers. They constantly monitor
their crops for diseases and pests, plant
disease resistant varieties, introduce
beneficial insects as needed, carefully
manage water and fertilizer, and use
pesticides as sparingly as possible, choosing products that have low toxicity and
a short residue, and using the minimum
amount needed to protect the crops. They
also choose their cover crops with care,
planting buckwheat, rye, hairy vetch, and
sunflowers because of the nutrients they
provide for the soil, their ability to be cut
down and left in place as straw, and their
attractiveness to pollinators.
Not only do the Moores act as good
stewards of the soil for the benefit of their
customers and the environment, they’re
also preserving the land for their own
children. “All our kids grew up working
on the farm, working in the fields and
the farm market,” says Lynn. “We tried not
to overly burden them with work and to
encourage them to enjoy the experience
of farming. Hopefully, some of them will
come back and take over the farm when
they’re older, but Guy, Fenby, and I are not
going anywhere anytime soon.”
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The Moores decorate the farm for Halloween
and offer hayrides, a straw maze and a
Halloween-themed barn for younger kids.
Most of Larriland’s seasonal employees
are high schoolers and college students
from the surrounding community.
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All of Larriland’s acreage, which includes a large reservoir
pond, the first project the Moores partnered on with
Farm Credit, is in agricultural preservation.
facebook.com/pages/
Larriland-Farm/134859086556613
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spinach, beets, chard, squash, tomatoes,
broccoli, and pumpkins. They also have a
field of cut-your-own flowers.
Visitors to the farm can enjoy
picking their own produce or purchase
the Moore’s harvest in the farm market,
where, seasonally, they also sell cider,
locally produced cheeses, honey, and
other food items. In the fall, there are
hayrides, straw mazes and Halloween
activities for families. Each season is
different, and visitors to Larriland learn
what crops grow during which months,
and how to determine which food is ready
to be picked.
Notes Farm Credit loan officer
Bill Schrodel, who has worked with the
Moores for more than 15 years, “Larriland
Farm is the place everybody in the county
thinks of when they think of pick-yourown. It’s a place where they can go and
have a relationship with the land and
build memories that last a lifetime.”
Adds Lynn, “We had a 17-year-old
girl from the area who told her parents
she wanted to have her birthday here.
VOLUME 20 | Issue 4 | mafc.com | 7
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FARM AND LAND
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Tom, on tractor, and Will in the high school’s shop area.
Will is working toward dual Masters degrees in school
leadership and career and technical education.
A partial wagon-load of hay represents a tiny part of the
Curreys’ production. Will is planning to buy more land and
expand his hay production.
Ag Science Teacher Will Currey:
promoting ag through education
Story and photos by Nancy L. Smith
| What do you feed a hungry giraffe? Hay, of course. When the circus comes to Delaware, the
giraffe’s tenders call Will Currey of Harrington, Delaware. The same goes for some race horse owners at Dover
Downs, the harness racing track in Dover, Delaware.
Will and his father Tom are the
go-to hay guys. They take such requests
in stride, together producing about 8,000
square bales and 175 to 200 round bales
a year—enough to feed a hungry giraffe
with plenty left over for other needs
throughout the region.
Will, who teaches agriscience
at Lake Forest High School in Felton,
Delaware is one of those people that love
their work, dedicate their lives to it and
strive to improve every day. He says, “If
you don’t live this job, you’re not doing
it right.” He is talking about teaching,
but his intensity and commitment are
evident in both teaching and farming.
Will has been at Lake Forest for four
years after 12 years at Sussex Central
High School in Georgetown, Delaware.
He is following in the footsteps of Tom,
who taught for 41 years, including 10
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years as a substitute teacher following his first retirement. The men farm
together, producing hay on 115 mostly
leased acres spread over a 12 mile radius.
At Lake Forest, Will teaches agricultural mechanics and plant, environmental,
and animal sciences in buildings near the
main school; the largest contains a classroom and shop area where FFA plaques
going back to the 1930s are displayed.
A nearby barn houses student
projects. Recently, it sheltered a rabbit,
two sheep, a goat named Nelson and a
sow which the students will breed and
farrow. Will uses his rescue pony, named
Penny by the students, in equine education. The students hatched chickens but,
“got bored soon after they hatched,”
so Will brought the chickens home
and now has about 40, including some
Delaware Blue Hens.
Will has been around animals most
of his life. At age nine, he started showing
sheep “all over the [Delmarva] Peninsula”
and in regional shows. Although the
family did not keep cows, Will showed
dairy cows as part of his FFA activities with
the support and encouragement of his
agriculture teacher Richard Green. At the
National FFA Convention in Kansas City,
Missouri, Will was named the top dairy
showman in the U.S. It was just his second
year showing cows.
Will might have had a career focused
on animals; he milked cows to help pay
his college tuition and majored in animal
science in a pre-veterinary program, but
decided, “I wanted to be in the production end of agriculture rather than on the
medical end.”
Will is now an FFA advisor and is
taking student teams to the Eastern
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TOP: Tom collects antique farm equipment which is displayed at
Will’s home. This horse-drawn plow was found in Kansas.
BOTTOM: Will’s classroom and shop at the Lake Forest High School
are housed in multiple buildings on the school’s campus.
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Nelson the goat plays hide-and-seek behind
fencing in the barn at Lake Forest High
School. The barn was specifically designed
for student projects.
Will rescued Penny the pony who
now lives at his house, but visits
the high school to demonstrate
the finer points of equine science.
curreyfarmsde.com
Regional Exposition in Springfield,
Massachusetts to compete in agricultural mechanics, landscaping and food
science competitions, as well as one
student who will compete in the safe
tractor operation competition.
He took a poultry team to the
National FFA Convention in Louisville,
Kentucky this past October, where the
school’s FFA chapter was recognized as
a two-star silver chapter. The award puts
the chapter in the top 20 percent in the
nation based on achievement in student
development, chapter development and
community development.
Will explains that he is not solely
responsible for group projects. “Some
[projects] are traditional—some the kids
come up with and some I develop.”
Will assures his students get work
experience. “That’s one of the unique
aspects of our program,” he says. He
hires some juniors and seniors to help
rake and bale hay, though Tom and
Will do about 90 percent of the haying
themselves. One student began working
with horses for a local veterinarian and
then began doing custom haying for
the doctor. Tom, who may be retired
but is still an ag educator at heart, says,
“We try to encourage work ethics with
the kids. It’s one of the toughest things
to find.”
Both Tom and Will graduated
from Delaware Valley College (now
University) in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Tom farmed corn, beans, wheat, and
barley in addition to teaching. Both
men are continuing the family’s farming tradition. Will’s grandfather and
great-grandfather had an eight acre
vegetable farm near Harrington.
After Tom retired, he moved to
Kansas and bought a ranch where he
produced 20,000 to 25,000 bales of hay
per year. “I had a five-year plan. I stayed
for six,” he says.
He loves traveling in his huge
RV, too. “I don’t like to stay in one
place. There is too much of this
country I haven’t seen,” he says. He
recently returned from a five week
trek through Kansas, Wyoming and
South Dakota, visiting sites including
Yellowstone National Park with his
14-year-old granddaughter.
In case teaching, haying and traveling don’t keep them occupied enough,
Tom and Will sell Priefort livestock
equipment. With a territory that includes
Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and
Pennsylvania, the pair supplies squeeze
chutes, round bale feeders, gates, and
other equipment to the region’s farmers.
Sales are principally by word-of-mouth,
although they have had a booth at the
Delaware State Fair in past years and now
have a website created by Will.
Will’s loan officer, Steve Morris,
says, “Will is a hard worker. He is heavily
involved in promoting agriculture.
We need people like him to keep
agriculture moving forward. He’s
really into it—he lives, teaches and
promotes agriculture.” l
VOLUME 20 | Issue 4 | mafc.com | 9
FARM AND LAND
Maryland family gives
children and tourists an ag education
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Betsy and David Herbst sit outside the creamery at their farm in Smithsburg,
Maryland, with Farm Credit loan officer Dean Boggs.
Misty Meadow Farm Creamery produces about 1,000
gallons of milk a day, 45 to 90 gallons of which is used to
make ice cream in more than 60 flavors including carrot
cake batter and chocolate chip.
Story by Star Traylor, Photos by Star Traylor and the Herbst Family
| Betsy Herbst corrects visitors who refer to her farm’s “petting zoo.” In
fact, what Betsy and David Herbst have at Misty Meadow Farm in Smithsburg, Maryland is called a petting farm, because
most of the animals there have a purpose and function beyond being petted. They produce milk, eggs and meat.
“We try to explain that they’re
not pets, they’re production animals,”
Betsy says, referring to the goats, sheep,
lambs, piglets, calves, chickens, turkeys,
and rabbits at the farm. The miniature
horse and miniature donkey are the
only actual pets.
Misty Meadow Farm has been
in David Herbst’s family since 1918,
when his grandparents started the
operation on a nearby plot of land.
“We’re still farming a piece of the
original farm,” David says. He and Betsy
have been married for 34 years. Since
his grandparents started the farm,
the family has expanded it into a 387
acre operation that involves three of
Betsy and David’s four grown children.
The farm hosts regular tours, and they
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recently opened a creamery market that
sells ice cream, sandwiches, coffee, milk,
eggs, and meat.
“We usually have a lot of kids
running around here,” Betsy says, referring
to her own grandchildren, as well as
customers who buy ice cream at the
creamery. The most popular flavor is
Granny’s Crumb, which gets its unique
taste from a European cookie. Many of the
children who visit the farm come on tours,
which the Herbst family has been offering
for 30 years. Their mission is to educate
not just tourists, but also children from
area schools, about the different animals
and processes of a working farm.
“It’s amazing how many kids
don’t know the difference between
different livestock animals,” Betsy says.
“One little boy thought a 1,300-pound
cow was a pig.”
Most of the school groups range
from preschool-aged children up to
fifth grade. Children who visit the
farm typically go on a wagon ride, see
the wide variety of animals and learn
different farm terms. They are then able
to play with toy farm equipment. The
animals at the petting farm are a very
popular attraction. “Anytime kids can
touch something first-hand, they’re
going to remember it, versus reading it
in a book,” Betsy says.
The Herbsts aren’t opposed to
books, though. For National Bullying
Prevention Month, which takes place each
October, children who visit the farm learn
about Spookley, a “square pumpkin in a
mistymeadowsfarmcreamery.com
facebook.com/mistymeadowfarmcreamery
twitter.com/MMCreamery
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Misty Meadow Farm is surrounded by the beautiful
mountains of Washington County, Maryland,
attracting visitors from all over the area.
round world.” There’s a book and stuffed
toy to go along with the story, which
is aimed at teaching children that it’s
perfectly fine to be different.
Adults, including senior citizen
groups and tours from as far away as Asia,
also visit the farm. A corn maze there has
information posted within it to educate
the general public about agriculture. “It’s
amazing how many people finish the tour
and say, ‘Wow, I had no idea what all was
involved in farming,’” Betsy says.
The Herbsts and their children run
the farm separately from the creamery.
They raise corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa,
and cover crops, and have 130 cows and
two pigs. The farm produces about 1,000
gallons of milk a day. At the creamery,
they use 45 to 90 gallons daily to make
ice cream. Some of the milk that isn’t used
at the creamery is sold at area farmer’s
markets, but the majority, about 900
s
s
Visitors on the farm’s educational
tours learn about the needs and
habits of different kinds of animals
at the farm.
TOP: David inspects a vat used to make ice cream
at Misty Meadow Farm Creamery.
BOTTOM: David and Betsy’s 2-year-old granddaughter
Evelyn eats an ice cream cone at the creamery.
gallons a day, goes to the Maryland and
Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative.
It was when the Herbsts’ children
decided they wanted to help run the farm
that David and Betsy started thinking
about expanding the operation by adding
a creamery. An initial feasibility study
indicated they wouldn’t get enough business,
but David and Betsy thought that with
the large number of commuters passing
through the area, as well as the public’s
growing interest in locally produced food,
a creamery market would be successful.
They took a chance and opened it
in 2012. Business is steady, even swift,
during the summertime, after school and
during rush hour. They make about 22
batches of ice cream a day in seven-quart
containers, and offer more than 60 flavors
of ice cream. They also carry sugar-free
gelato and sorbet options for diabetics.
The creamery also sells cakes, truffles,
frozen treats, and espresso coffee drinks
such as cappuccinos, lattes and mochas.
The Herbsts have been Farm Credit
customers for many years, working with
loan officer Dean Boggs since 1996. He
said farmers like the Herbsts often use
their credit for machinery upgrades,
seed, fertilizer, and other expenses of
running or expanding a farm.
Washington County, Maryland,
where Misty Meadow Farm is located,
is home to many dairy farms, Dean
says, but Misty Meadow is the only one
where ice cream is made on site. “When
we got this (creamery) open we were
swamped,” says David, who has no plans
of expanding into a larger franchise
business like some other successful ice
cream chains. “I’m comfortable staying
pretty much the size we are,” David says.
“I’d like to keep it in the family as much
as possible.” l
VOLUME 20 | Issue 4 | mafc.com | 11
OUR ASSOCIATION
2016
Calendar Winners
Thank you to everyone
who submitted a photo into our
calendar contest! It was a tough
choice, but the winners are listed
below. If you don’t see your name,
don’t worry—we may still feature
your photo on social media or in a
future issue of the Leader. Stop by
one of our offices to pick up your
calendar today!
Photo Contest:
Show Us Your Winter Wonderland
It’s getting cold outside, but nothing warms us up more than
a photo of a barn covered in a blanket of snow! We want you to
show us what winter looks like where you live. Send in your photos
to [email protected] or post them using #winteronthefarm
(be sure to tag @Midatfarmcredit) and you could be featured in our
next Leader or our social media channels!
Helping Students Reach Their Goals
Cover photo
Jenny Hendershot
Clear Spring, MD
Other featured photographers:
Barb Sullivan
Woodbine, MD
Callista Miller Fleetwood, PA
MidAtlantic Farm Credit will be awarding $18,000 in scholarships this year to students
who plan to or are currently continuing their education at the college level! To apply for one of
the several scholarships we offer, you need to either be a member of MidAtlantic Farm Credit or
a child of a current member. The complete list of guidelines and the application can be found
online at mafc.com/scholarships.php. Applications are also available
in all of MidAtlantic Farm Credit’s offices. Feel free to stop by
and pick one up!
The due date for all applications and required materials
to be turned into MidAtlantic Farm Credit is on or before
January 15, 2016.
Good luck to all of our applicants!
Denise Ziegler
New Windsor, MD
Doug Puffenbarger Blue Grass, VA
Laura Ackerson Preston, MD
Lorraine Baugher Jones Westminster, MD
Melissa Miller
Strasburg, PA
Terri Puffenbarger
Blue Grass, VA
Taylor Ziegler
Myerstown, PA
O OO
Save the Dates!
Our annual meeting dates
are as follows:
New Holland, PA April 5
Dover, DE April 6
Hagerstown, MD* April 7
Stay tuned for more information,
coming soon!
* New location for 2016.
12
| volume 20 | issue 4 | mafc.com
secake
Candy Cane Chee
‘Tis the
Season
for family,
friends and food
You all sent in some
: Gr
Submit ted By
ace Gillen, Bi
rdsboro, PA
pin.
h with a rolling
tic bag and crus
as
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to
in
s
ie
•Put cook
rm pan.
:
red 9” spring fo
degrees
In g re di en ts
Press into a butte
•
and bake at 300
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• Pour melted
12 oz of Christm d
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r about 10 minut
cookies, crushe r
eese, sugar, sour
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l, beat cream ch
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and creamy.
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sp
3 Tb
• In a larg
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ch
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(o
cr
4 pkgs of
salt. Pour over
cream, and eggs
nilla, flour, and
ture)
va
ra
,
pe
ct
m
tra
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t
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om
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Add pepperm
ust.
browned).
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cooled cookie cr
ould be slightly
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• Bake for abou
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• Place on a w
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1 tsp vani
eces on top of th
pi
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of
ca
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tra
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t with a ho
• Sprinkle
1 tsp pepperm
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s gently so they
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pr
1/2 tsp salt
candy canes
cocoa!
1/3 cup crushed
delicious holiday recipes
for our contest—thank
Potato Filling
you! Here are some of
our favorites. Keep
In gr edi en ts :
sending in your recipes
to [email protected]
and you could be featured
in an upcoming Leader or
on social media!
Crème Brulè French Toast
Submit ted by: John
& Wendy Venskoske, Win
Ing re die nt s:
Submitted by: Te
rry Hobbins, Mi
fflin
burg, PA
• Peel, cook and m
ash potatoes until
8-10 medium potat
smooth.
oes
• Add the three eg
gs and stir gently.
3 large eggs
• Fry the chopped
2 medium onions,
onion
crumbs in the butte , celery and bread
chopped
r in
onion and celery are a large skillet until the
soft. Add to the po
3 cups bread crum
and egg mixture.
tato
bs
1 stalk of celery,
• Add the salt and
pepper (as much as
chopped
you
desire).
1/4 lb. butter
• Place the mixtur
e in a
Salt and pepper,
and dot the top wi buttered casserole dish
th additional butte
to taste
r.
• Bake at 325 degr
ees for one hour.
chester, VA
• Melt butter in a small
saucepan over medium
heat.
Mix in brown sugar and
corn syrup, stirring until
sug
ar
is
dis
solved. Pour into a 9” x 13”
1 cup packed brown sug
inch baking
ar dish.
2 Tbsp corn syrup
• Remove crusts from the
bread and arrange in the
1 tsp vanilla
baking dish in a single lay
er.
• In a small bowl, whisk
1 tsp brandy-based liqu
togeth
or
vanilla extract, orange bra er eggs, half and half,
or orange juice
ndy, and salt. Pour over
the bread.
6 slices of thick French
• Cover and chill for at lea
bread or Texas toast
st eight hours or overnigh
t. •
Preheat oven to 350 deg
5 eggs
rees. Remove the dish fro
m
the refrigerator and bring
to room temperature.
1-1/2 cups half & half
• Bake uncovered for 35
to 40 minutes, until done.
1/2 cup butter
volume 20 | Issue 4 | mafc.com | 13
COMMUNITY
14
Clayton, Delaware
Houston, Delaware
East New Market, Maryland
Property with 221 total acres. Six 500’ poultry
houses, totally updated. All machinery to operate houses, sheds and outbuildings. A 2011
diesel generator sufficient for all six houses.
Two very nice dwellings. Year-to-year farm
lease produces more income. Mostly all tillable
cleared ground! $2,950,000.
Property with 177 total acres, with center pivot
irrigation; 98 acres tillable! Milford School
District. Development rights still intact. Two lot
rents total $400/month. Farm lease is year-toyear. Poultry operation, farm or hunt. Beautiful
property! $1,650,000.
Pristine cottage with huge views of the
Choptank River. Amazing sunset views from the
front of the home and protected docks in the
rear. Everything has been updated. Also offers
a swim deck, detached shed, boat lift, new roof,
and new HVAC. Two bedrooms, two baths.
$450,000.
Contact Wes Cromer, Masten Realty, LLC.,
302.448.1032.
Contact Jamie Masten, Masten Realty, LLC,
304.422.1850.
Contact Tim Miller, Benson & Mangold,
410.310.3553.
East New Market, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Galena, Maryland
Property with 79+/-acres in Dorchester County.
Productive farm land. Hunting and farming
rights available for 2016. High density residential zoning. Invest/farm now and develop in the
future! $799,000.
Five acre turn-key equestrian lot. Bank barn
with three stalls, automatic waters, lighting, and
hot and cold water. Professionally-built riding
ring. Large dry lot with two run in sheds. Two
large rotating pastures that lead up to a large
beautiful home site perked for a four bedroom
home. All utilities installed. $210,000.
Rebuilt stone house with the elegant feel of the
original historic house. Top-of-the-line stainless
appliances, walk-in closets, roof deck, tile showers, plus original staircase and so much more.
Beautifully landscaped lot with fenced yard.
Endless possibilities with commercial zoning.
$449,000.
Contact Valerie Brown, Charles C. Powell, Inc.
Realtors, 410.228.9333.
Contact Peggie Carroll, Keller Williams,
301.524.3860.
Contact David Leager, Sassafrass River Realty,
Ltd., 410.778.0238 or 410.708.0891.
New Windsor, Maryland
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Thurmont, Maryland
A 1770s stone home with over 27 acres of
fenced pasture and farm land. Ten outbuildings,
including a huge bank barn, shop, machine
shed, stone spring house, two-story brick wash
house, pond, and creek. Remodeled kitchen
with custom cabinets and granite counters.
First time available for sale since the 1880s.
$599,000.
Property with 131 acres, indoor arena (100’ x
150’), outdoor ring (100’ x 200’), cross-country
course, 20-stall barn, 106’ equipment/hay
storage building, rolling hills, and hay fields.
Five bedrooms, five baths. Home built in 2000.
Near Antietam National Battlefield, C&O Canal
Towpath and Potomac River. Only 73 miles to
the heart of Washington, DC. $1,375,000.
Nice farm lot with 25 acres featuring panoramic
views. Private setting in an area of custom
homes with similar sized lots. Property is
rectangular in shape and includes a pond.
Approximately 738 feet of road frontage and
does not have a shared driveway. Well installed,
15 gallons per minute. $299,900.
Contact Gwyn Webb, Re/Max Plus,
240.793.7160.
Contact Carlyn Lowery, Keller Williams Flagship
of Maryland, 410.729.700 or 410.268.0160.
| volume 20 | issue 4 | mafc.com
Contact James Bass, Real Estate Team,
301.644.2617.
Vienna, Maryland
Cochranville, Pennsylvania
A turn-key 43 acre horse farm. Four bedroom
Colonial with sun porch overlooking an
in-ground pool and horse paddocks. Indoor
and outdoor arenas. Electric and water to all
paddocks. Seven stall barn with aisle and tack
room. Convenient to Hunt Valley, Greystone
Golf Course and local horse events. $849,000.
Premier hunting farm totaling 154 acres
and nearly one mile of shoreline on the
Chicamacomico River. Forty tillable acres, 47
acres of woodland/wildlife ponds, 65 marshland acres, and a two acre waterfront home site
with a 1,000 square foot home and 500 square
foot hunting trailer. Good for deer, turkey or
waterfowl hunting. $995,000.
This 54+/- acre parcel is a part of a 117 acre
farm in Chester County near Cochranville. This
parcel includes one pond, one house right and
ag building rights. $675,000.
Contact Frank Durkee, III, O’Conor & Mooney,
410.409.5067.
Contact Bed Adler, Sperry Van Ness – Miller
Commercial Real Estate, 410.543.2440.
Contact Glenn Horst, Beiler-Campbell Realtors,
717.786.8000.
East Greenville, Pennsylvania
Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania
Green Lane, Pennsylvania
Exceptional 54 acre farm with two houses:
1840 stone farmhouse and 1790 log/stone
farmhouse. Other buildings include bank barn,
garage and storage building. Land is almost all
tillable with large, flat fields. Located five miles
from Quakertown exit on the PA Turnpike for a
short commute to Philadelphia. $850,000.
Perfect for a small business—roofers, builders,
cabinet makers, etc.! Barn has several finished
areas with electric, air lines, garages, and acreage. Live at home and walk to work. $339,000.
Horse property of your dreams! Four bedroom,
three bath home, five stall barn with tack room,
150’ x 70’ riding arena, and two large garages
with workshops. Updated kitchen, hardwood
floors and fireplace. Three plus acres makes
this farm manageable yet usable for up to
three horses, fifteen goats or sheep, or other
livestock. $439,900.
Contact Gary L. Coles, New Pennsylvania Realty,
610.398.2559.
Contact Carol A. Cortright, Century 21 Krall Real
Estate, 800.537.1575.
Contact Barbara Winn, Keller Williams Realty
Group, 484.547.3098.
Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania
Spectacular equestrian estate privately situated,
EQUAL HOUSING
EQUAL HOUSING
yet
close to major routes. Incredible
views,
OPPORTUNITY
OPPORTUNITY
gorgeous landscaping, and groomed bridle
and footpaths enhance the outdoor space of
this property. A six-stall barn and stunning
custom home round out this one-of-a-kind
estate. $750,000.
REALTOR
Contact Cindy Stys, Cindy Stys Equestrian &
®
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Country
Properties, Ltd., 610.849.1790.
OPPORTUNITY
EQUAL HOUSING
Properties for sale
White Hall, Maryland
Charles Town, West Virginia
This 65 acre West Brunswick Township farm is
situated between Red Dale Road and Grove
Street. The farm has a beautiful mix of fertile
fields, woodlands and panoramic views of
Hawk Mountain. Exceptional 1905 farmhouse
in excellent condition. Blue Mountain School
District, zoned agricultural preservation,
enrolled in Act 319. $695,000.
A chance to own a piece of history. Fiftyeight acres split in two parcels, approved for
three houses. Attached to the Preserve at
Barleywood. Property has historical home once
owned by Samuel Washington, brother of
George Washington. Land is great for building
farming, hunting. Home qualifies for renovation
grant. $1,100,000.
Contact Jonathan D. Coles, New Pennsylvania
Realty, 570.386.5000.
Contact Brad Runkles, Weichert Realty,
304.283.3070.
volume 20 | issue 4 | mafc.com | 15
EQUAL HOUSING
REALTOR
®
OPPORTUNITY
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
BALTIMORE MD
PERMIT NO. 7175
45 Aileron Court
Westminster MD 21157
A Tree Fit for the White House
Bustard’s Christmas Trees, located in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, won the National Grand Champion
Tree at the 2015 National Tree Contest held in Spring Grove, Illinois this past July. As the winner,
they were selected to provide the Christmas tree that will be placed in the Blue Room of the
White House this holiday season. Congratulations!
Here, Virginia Bustard, owner of Bustard’s Christmas Trees, stands with her sons Glenn and Jay,
displaying the various awards the company has won over the years, including the wreath that
won third place in the 2015 National Decorated Wreath Competition.
bustardschristmastrees.com
We understand
passion.
You know the kind of life you want—and at
Farm Credit, we know how to help you get it.
For nearly 100 years, our passion for all things
agriculture has led us to be the leader in lending
to those who love farming. We’ve now gone one
step further to create a new credit program for the
young, beginning, small, and minority farmers in
our area.
Put your plans into motion and give us a call. We’ll
help guide you along the way and get you the
credit you need to accomplish everything you
have your heart set on.
Lending support to rural America®
888.339.3334 | mafc.com |