The "Clare Point Stock Farm" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading and trying to visualize what at one time must have been one of the grandest farms in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  It was in 1897 that Thomas Willson of Reading decided to retire.  He purchased a farm along the meandering Cocalico Creek just north of the borough of Ephrata, Pennsylvania which is about 15 miles from the city of Lancaster.  

This 1910 view of Clare Point Farm shows the two original farmhouses and the barn Thomas Willson built upon purchasing the property.

Here he would breed and train some of the finest racehorses of the time.  He named the farm Clare Point Stock Farm.  It included a half-mile racetrack with a judge's stand.  It also had a dam and mill that was converted from a grist mill to a power mill to create electricity for the farm. 

The Quarter Mile Winter Race Track and Ring Barn

Two of the original buildings on the farm were farmhouses dating from 1753 and 1783.  Mr. Willson added a man-made pond to the farm and had it stocked with 1,300 brook trout purchased from Carbon County, Pennsylvania.  I found a story in the Lancaster New Era from April 24, 1900 telling of his purchase of the 1,300 brook trout.

The fishpond and dam

 Mr. Willson also purchased Ye Village Inn which was a roadside tavern situated along Main Street in Ephrata.  The Inn was built in 1777 and Mr. Willson had it renovated into a 17 room inn in 1901.  When Mr. Willson died in 1909, the farm remained a summer residence for his widow until she sold it to George B. Willson who at the time was the owner of James Buchanan's Wheatland home and property.  Then in 1914, Mr. George Willson  sold the farm to the Redemptionist Order of the Catholic Church. At the time the farm consisted of 81 acres including a mansion house, (which cost $50,000 to build) four houses, two barns, and two quarter-mile horse tracks.  The Church renamed the farm St. Clements and opened a school on the property.  The first Mass was offered in what was formerly the Willson family dining room the day after the estate purchased it on August 6, 1914.  Only 13 Catholics were present, none of which lived in Ephrata.  Today, the property is now the site of Our Mother Of Perpetual Help Church where my nephew was married and he and his wife's first child was baptized.  Amazing property with a remarkable history.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This old photograph shows what is marked as the Lodge.  I was unable to find out
any information about what the Lodge was or where it was located on the property.

This is the meadow of the farm.

This is the Cocalico Creek at the rear of the photograph.

The judge's stand at the race track.

The mansion on the farm.  My brother painted this entire building a few summer's ago.

The "And...Lancaster County Is Supposed To Be A Great Place To Retire" Story

Recent chart from the Lancaster Newspaper

It was an ordinary day.  Sneezing and blowing my nose continuously.  I recently had a cold, but thought it had passed a week or two ago.  So why does my runny nose continue?  Ah, after picking up the morning paper I found the reason.  Seems that Lancaster County is leading the State in poor air quality.  Not only the State of Pennsylvania, but it has more soot and smog than New York; Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Massachusetts; and the Washington DC-Arlington-Alexandria areas.  

Power plants are one polluter of the air.

How can that be with all the idyllic fields and streams on acre after acre without all the hi-rises and big city traffic.  Well, it be!  The report is based on the year 2018 which is their latest facts and figures they have.  Can't imagine how bad in may have been last year.  The report is based on the number of days in 2018 with elevated levels of smog, soot or both.  So just what are smog and soot.  Ozone, which in its visible form is called smog is one while the other is particulate matter which is known as soot.  Lancaster ranked worse in soot.  Seems that one or both of the categories were elevated in 119 days of the year which is almost a third of the year.  105 of the days we had an excess of soot while 36 days we had too much smog.  Actually, Lancaster did better than the year before when they showed 179 days of the year with elevated levels in both.  But, I guess we can count on going in the wrong direction next year, since the National Clean Air Act is further endangering air quality by dismantling protections that had been in place before our latest President arrived.  The latest study was conducted by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group.  The American Lung Association also issues a report, but that is only every three years.  

The waste from these animals is spread on the crops
to make it grow better.  It is hazardous.

The most recent one was 2015-16 so we have another year to wait for that study.  But, their last report showed that Lancaster county and Johnstown area are tied for the 15th worst particle pollution in the country.  The report did show improvement over the past two decades due in part to federal efforts to bring down emissions from power plants and industrial boilers.  Both studies are based on an Air Quality Index scale color coded from green (good) to maroon (hazardous).  If you happened to fall in the yellow, or hazardous, areas, you should limit outdoor exertion on days when the air quality is hazardous.  The most recent day in Lancaster County when the air was considered hazardous in the PennEnvironment study was January 25.  So, why is our air quality so poor being that we aren't a huge city with all those cars emitting fumes.  Seems that some sources of pollution are no fault of our own.  Bad air drifts eastward into Lancaster County from power plants and metropolitan areas upwind.  But, Lancaster certainly isn't blameless.  We generate plenty of bad air from industries, power plants all up and downtime the Susquehanna River and home and agriculture.  Yep, all those chemicals and animal manure that Lancaster County farmers use on their fields leads to poor air quality.  And, you do know that Lancaster is known as the "Garden Spot of America" due to all the farmland we have in the county.  

The manure they spread as well as other chemicals
that are used to help the crops grow can be hazardous.

Bad air can increase the risk and incidence of asthma and other breathing problems.  And, the risks are greater for children and old people like me.  That information came from the chairman of nearby Millersville University's nursing department and member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments.  And, they certainly should know.  Here's hoping the farmers keep the manure from the streams and is careful with the herbicides they use to kill the insects that eat their crops.  But, will it ever change.  It better!  That's the only way I'm going to be able to stop blowing my nose!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Many Generations Of Our Lifetime Come To Life! - Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a page in the Lancaster Sunday News titled Generation Z(eal).  This page has been a part of the Sunday newspaper for quite some time and is devoted to the opinions of younger Lancaster County, PA residents.  A great idea which makes them feel more a part of society and sells more newspapers!  The page takes the name from Generation Z to which students ages 19 and younger belong.  On this page the voices of county youth are heard on issues that are of concern to them as well as their friends and relatives.  

Garden Spot High School in Lancaster, PA

All of the opinion stories in today's lead Sunday News page were written by students from Garden Spot High School which is on the Eastern edge of Lancaster County.  I have been writing for quite a few years now about Lancaster being known as the Garden Spot of America, due to it's large agricultural inclination, and yes...we actually have a school known as Garden Spot.  As expected, much of this part of the county is farmland and the story I have chosen to share with you today was written by a young girl who lives on a farm.  The five stories featured on the front page of the section were all about different topics, but I chose to share the story geared toward farming to show you what Generation Z, or those born born after 2001, think of Lancaster County in their young life.  See if you aren't as impressed as I was with the Generation Z girl who has written this opinion.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Lancaster County is known for its agricul- ture.  People both locally and out of state benefit from the work of our agricul- turalists, as each farm feeds about 144 people.  

There are 5,462 farms here in Lancaster County, and our farmland accounts for 68% of our usable surface area.  But nationwide, by comparison, the numbers are grim, and they’re getting worse with each passing generation.  Farmers and ranchers make up less than 2% of the U.S. population.  

I am an active, four-year member of Garden Spot High School’s FFA program.  I am curious how we might use the power of modern technology to positively impact farmers, in order to ensure that their crucial services extend into future generations.

Katie Ranck, my agriculture teacher, says, “With a growing population and a smaller number of farmers, we require more efficient ways to produce and preserve food and natural resources.  Technology is the tool that will allow us to achieve this.”

It’s not surprising then that many traditional farms in Lancaster County are turning to modern technology to increase productivity and manage resources.  Today’s farmers are relying on automation (such as robots and drones) and livestock technology (such as automated milking systems).  Farm automation can now tackle everything from seeding and weeding to harvesting, which helps farmers cope with labor shortages.  It is also helping to improve worker safety.  Additionally, automation provides greater control over processing, storing and distributing products, which helps keep prices lower for consumers.

One of the things that most interests me is the advance- ment in GPS and geographic information systems, which allows for self-driving tractors.  One of their main benefits is that they increase the accuracy of planting, which results in a higher crop yield.

Every year, our FFA chapter holds a safe-driving tractor competition, and this year I was excited to participate.  I think driverless tractors and how they use computer vision, data science and algorithms “to enable farmers to make informed decisions are remarkable.  The platform is capable of monitoring fields and finding...weeds, nutrient deficiencies, disease or insect infestations, water damage and equipment issues.”

By incorporating the latest technology, farmers can work smarter not harder.  Traditional farms are moving out, and technological farms are moving in.  Agriculture has definitely joined the technology era.

Madelynn Sasso is in grade 11 at Garden Spot High School. 

The "Farmer Herman And The Flooding Barn" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a variety of things online and came across a children's book titled "Farmer Herman and the Flooding Barn" which was written by Jason Weber, the national director of foster care initiatives at Christian Alliance for Orphans, and was illustrated by 344 people!!  So, what's the story behind this book?  The story began in 1988 in a small Nebraska farm town known as Bruno.  Mr. Herman Ostry and his family had a barn that needed to be moved out of the way of flood waters.    

The barn on Mr. Ostry's property that was to be moved.

After obtaining quotes from various contrac- tors, he realized that moving the barn wasn't going to happen.  Then one night at supper he joked to his family, "I'll bet if we had enough people we could pick up that barn and carry it to higher ground."  His son Mike took the idea seriously and thought about what his dad wanted to do and came up with a plan.  He counted the boards and timber in the barn and estimated the barn's weight at 16,640 pounds.  Then he began welding a grid of steel tubing together which brought the total weight to almost ten tons.  

344 people moving the barn.

Mike's system provided a handhold for 344 people, which meant each person would be lifting about 55 pounds.  It just so happened that the little town of Bruno was planning its Centennial Celebration that same summer and the planning committee decided to make the moving of Herman Ostry's barn a part of the official celebration.  On July 30, 1988, local TV cameramen were on hand, along with 4,000 spectators.  344 volunteers lifted the barn in unison, walked the barn 115 feet to higher ground in three minutes and deposited it in a new location.  So how did that all happen?  Did Mike really figure in the full weight of the barn accurately including nails and hardware?  And, how about the metal pipe grid?  Wasn't there a group of people who wanted to try tractors and front-end loaders?  And, where did the 344 volunteers come from.  What if one of those people hurt themselves and sued Herman.  

Another photo showing the movers.

And what if some moved in the wrong direction.  But, Herman's barn got moved because Nebaskans know if one person is in need, everyone else will show up in a heartbeat to help out.  They don't argue, they don't complain.  They cheerfully get the job done and then they have a beer and gather at someone's house to play a few rounds of sheepshead, whatever that might be!  At times Nebraskan farmers look more like the church than the church does.  I guess the Bible verse 1 Peter 3:8 tells the story...Above all, be of one mind.  Be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.  So, where does this Jason Weber guy, the author of the children's book, come into the story?  Well, he was in Lincoln, Nebraska one day for a conference and decided to drive to Bruno to meet with the Ostry's and see the barn.  He wanted to ask them if he could turn their story into a book to raise money to help foster children.  

Herman autographs a copy of the book.

Herman said, "Go for it, and if it touches even a little bit and cheers children up, what more could you ask for?"  Weber also had the idea of having each of this 344 people who helped move the barn to draw one element - perhaps a cat, boot, goat, etc. - and have an illustrator use all those images in the book.  He asked Mrs. Ostry if she could draw a sun.  Weber than said to Mr. Ostry, "You know there's some people that think it's crazy to get 344 people to illustrate a book."  Mr Ostry replied, "Yeah, that's what they told me too.  but sometimes you have to do something a little bit crazy to get something done."  Chris Dorvak, Herman Ostry's married daughter, and two of her children contributed drawings as did "Duck Dynasty star John Luke Robertson and the Christian band, Jars of Clay.  So, for those reading my story today, just about anything is possible if you set your mind to it.  Just ask Mr. Ostry!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Horsepower May Soon Mean More Than Having A Car" Story

Scenes from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an editorial in our local paper titled "Buggies in Suburbia".  Seems that over the years the farmland in Lancaster County has decreased and the Amish Community is becoming larger.  In return, many of the Amish are leaving the farm behind and taking up different non-agricultural professions that don't require a large amount of acreage.  They are moving into suburban neighborhoods with English (non-Amish) neighbors.  These properties may have an acre or two of land or even just a 1/2 ace of land.  But, when they move they bring along with them their means of transportation, their buggy and......horse!  Their new neighbors may have a one or two car garage, but The Amish have no need for a car garage.  

Small stables like this are being found in suburban neighborhoods.

They need a stable for a small horse or perhaps two horses.  And, this has created a problem for their new neighbors.  Some neighbors have complained about the stink and flies that come with quartering horses on their neighbor's property.  But, if the English have the right to have a garage for their car as a means of transportation, why can't The Amish, or Plain sect, have a place for a stable which is what is needed to keep a horse.  As of now there are laws in place that say home owners, be they English or Amish,  must have their stable at least 100 feet from their property line and create no odor offensive to their neighbors.  Get real!  And, 2 grazing acres are needed for the first horse and 1.5 acres for each after that.  Actually, one acre of land, exclusive of buildings and impervious surfaces, must be provided for the first two animal units which are housed or pastured on the lot.  There might be some options from township to township, but what I have written is a general rule for all townships.  There is a zoning enforcement officer that does check on infractions if they are reported.  Many people may believe different things about Amish families, but one that they may not know is that Amish families in Lancaster County now accept state-or-the-art indoor plumbing that is found in most suburban houses.  

Amish need a horse to pull their buggy for transportation.

But, they are not about to give up on their means of transpor- tation.  And, we English should not expect them to.  But, if I had a new neighbor who was Amish and they brought with them a horse or two and put up a shed close to the property line, I would be upset.  If they follow all guidelines, no one should complain.  But, how can you eliminate the smell of farm animals?  YOU CAN"T.  Allowing Amish to move into suburban neighborhoods and building a shed for the horses that will bring with them the odors is legal, but certainly wouldn't make them liked in the neighborhood.  Can you imagine what this can do to property values?  Recently I wrote a story about local supermarket owners wanting to build a 76-acre village with mixed use development in the north-east end of Lancaster County.  They want to build 554 housing units, restaurants, stores and a 120-room hotel.  Much of the land in question borders farm land occupied by Amish at present.  And, The Amish rely on their horse and buggy to transport them around the narrow county roads.  Well, the project has been approved and the Amish say they may consider moving if the roads become too congested after the development is completed.  Hey, this is Lancaster County, "The Garden Spot of America"!  We don't want to lose our farmers and especially our Amish neighbors.  Keeping them on the farm with profitable jobs will only happen if the lawsuits, that have been filed to reverse the decision of the new construction, can reverse the decision of those that voted to destroy the farmland.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Join The Tradition" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I are visiting with friends Jere and Just Sue in State College for the weekend.  Saturday, and our mission today was a trip to the 145th Annual Centre County Grange Fair in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania.  We have made several journeys from Lancaster to State College for this event, but never tire of the excitement, good times and plenty of good food during fair week.  Picked up a brochure and read that the fair takes you out of the day to day bustle, to a time when life moved at a slower pace.  And...that's exactly what it did for the four of us on this beautiful day in late August, 2019.  Sitting a short distance away are 2,500 canvas tents and RVs which seem to spring up overnight the day before the fair opened a little over a week ago.  Families and friends reunite at these homes-away-from home reunions and tend to develop lasting relationships with campsite neighbors.  The four of us are just a minuscule number of the close to a quarter million visitors to the fair every year.  Food, equine events, carnival rides, farm animals, music festivals, motorsports, 4H contests, exhibit competitions and naming of the annual Queen are all parts of the Grange Fair.  To try and take in all of that on one afternoon is impossible, so we just wandered around the 264 acres of mass confusion and humanity for the afternoon.  I enjoyed snapping a few photographs to share with you of this year's Grange Fair.  Hope you enjoy them!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This cute little girl was interested in my camera.
Click on images to enlarge them. 

Cattle are naturally part of the farm scene at any Grange Fair.

Would love to be a judge for one of these competitions!

At first I thought these were strawberries, but found they were peppers.

Winners in the Gourds category. 

Plenty of flowers to enjoy.  Even those that didn't win were fun to view.

I'm not sure if this woman had real or artificial flowers.

16 year old Anna took second place in the painting category.

12 year old Audrey made this dish collage and won 1st place. 

My wife enjoyed this display the most!

How can anyone not pick this poor soul for first place?

Cheyanne Storm won first place with this photograph.

Jane from Spring Mills won a first place with this Amish Buggy photograph.

Joy from Centre Hall took 1st place in the Domestic Animal colored photograph category.
I, too, really enjoyed this photograph.  Good choice for 1st place!

Amish enjoy visits to the Grange Fair.

A very unique chess set made by Jean of State College which won a first place ribbon.

Chris from Pleasant Gap made this beautiful leather gun belt and holster.

Sue taking a selfie of her and Jere while my wife looks on.  We are sitting in
a tractor-pulled wagon which serves as transportation around the fairgrounds.

A sea of automobiles, campers and tents at the Grange Fair in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania.

There were commercial stands where you could buy items.  These are small angels
with a few flags that would glow after hit by the sun.

Not sure what this chicken is doing in this photograph.  Perhaps the chicken dance.

One of the many aisles with tent homes along both sides.  Vacation for many!

The "Scary Headline Needs To Be Taken Seriously" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The headline in the morning Lancaster, PA newspaper read "Tradition At Stake".  Could have meant just about anything since the city of Lancaster is one of the oldest inland towns in the United States.  But, as I read the story I knew what was being suggested in the article was going to be very, very hard to pull off.  Story said that there had been a State study that had explored moving dairy and livestock farming to Western Pennsylvania.  

Beautiful Lancaster County farmland

Yeah, right!  Their reasoning was that it would relieve environ- mental stresses mounting in Lancaster County and central Pennsylvania.  Seems that the Chesapeake Bay is suffering from all the manure that is entering the bay due to runoff from all the farms that line the tributaries that empty into the Susquehanna River.  It is killing the Bay!  Seems that the western counties of Armstrong, Indiana and Westmoreland have ample room for livestock farms and to spread manure safely.  Only problem at present is the lack of agricultural services and poor roads.  Wonder if they realize that another problem might be the fact that Lancaster County is one of the biggest hubs of Amish farms and these are the farms that they might want to move west.  

Many Lancaster County farms are dairy farms

But, it looks as if the federal government may set tougher regulations on water quality limits for the Chesapeake Bay which may lead to a downsizing of the livestock industry in the Susquehanna watershed.  The EPA might be aiming more restrictive federal regulations at farmers and the three listed counties are in the Ohio River watershed and have not been targeted for nutrient reductions.  But, if dairy and livestock farms are moved to western Pennsylvania and pollution begins to affect the Ohio River, don't they think that will create the same problem as we have now in the Susquehanna watershed?  The state Department of Environmental Protection recently made a presentation to farmers in Lancaster County about the controls they will establish over stream-cleanup measures.  

Another beautiful Lancaster County farm

They may make Lancaster County farmers get federal discharge permits and local communities, including the city of Lancaster, may have to further rein in storm-water runoff.  More regulations will create a bigger hardship for farmers that struggle with water cleanup.  If goals aren't met, the next step would be to close down some of the livestock farms and move them to western Pennsylvania.  But, DEP believes that it is possible to have well-managed, profitable farms as well as clean local waters within the Susquehanna river watershed.  Let's hope that someone can give support to all those in need in Lancaster County.  The last thing we want is to have all our Amish neighbors have to move across the state.  Certainly, the newspaper headline had to scare some of them into realizing they need to do something to correct the pollution problem.  And, the Amish do read the paper!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "The Ultimate Mystery Meat" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Heading into Lancaster's Central Market to buy a dozen of cream-filled Long Johns.  One of my favorite breakfast treats as well as a great dessert with any meal.  As I passed one of the butcher stands I looked in the display case and there it was.  Scrapple!  

Slicing pieces of scrapple from a loaf.

Just so happens that November 9th was National Scrapple Day.  To this day I have never had a piece of scrapple, so I'm not sure I'm qualified to write this story, but I thought I would tackle the assignment since I know a bit about "the ultimate mystery meat" being I was born and raised in Lancaster County and know many people who swear that the stuff tastes great.  Scrapple just happens to be a Lancaster County tradition since it came about years ago when local farmers created it as a way to use what was left over after a day of butchering pigs, steers, chickens or even deer.  

Trays of scrapple ready for sale.

I have friends who learned to love scrapple as a child and call it a comfort food wrapped in nostalgia.  It is served by many families as an addition to the family breakfast.  Actually, scrapple has its roots in colonial times when it was almost a sin to throw anything away that could be eaten.  Traditionally, butchering day on the farm would center around cool days in November or December.  Its a great time to get together and celebrate the end of growing season on the farm.  So what do you put into scrapple when you make it.  Well, it's typically made of hog offal, such as head, heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, bowels and other trimmings, which are boiled with any bones and fat that has been removed.  Once cooked, bones and fat are removed and dry cornmeal is boiled in the broth to make a mush.  

Some have it for breakfast with eggs.

The meat, finely minced, is returned to the pot along with any preferred seasonings such as sage, thyme, savory, black pepper or your special spice.  The mush is formed into loaves and allowed to cool thoroughly until set.  Due to its composition, pork scrapple is often described as being made from "everything but the oink".  If by now you still think you may want to try it...good luck!  Scrapple is actually a creation of the Pennsylvania "Dutch" which is a corruption of "Deutsch", the German word for "German".  Having experienced religious persecution in Switzerland and Germany, a large number of German Anabaptists settled in the Pennsylvania colony beginning in the early 18th Century primarily due to the religious freedom guaranteed by the chartered colonial government.  In some places it is known as the Low German dish called "panhas", "Pannhaas," "panhoss," "ponhoss," or "pannhas" in other parts of Pennsylvania.  

About the only plus I can get from scrapple is that it looks
something like Spam which I love.  I just hope I don't find
Span is made from the same stuff or.....? 

Friends of mine who enjoy scrapple tell me it tastes like sausage.  Now, I'm wondering how they make sausage!!  I did find a few write-ups that say scrapple is absolutely delicious.  It's traditionally served as a breakfast side dish, with sweet or savory condiments including cocktail sauce, Dark Karo Syrup, King Syrup, horseradish sauce, ketchup, grape jelly, applesauce, honey, molasses, mustard or maple syrup.  It can be mixed with scrambled eggs or simply served between two pieces of white bread.  My wife tells me that her mother often served scrapple to the family and used the Dark Karo Syrup.  Once married, I told her she would never have to eat the stuff again if she didn't want to.  To this day, as I said before, I have never tried the stuff, and after checking sites for this story, I will still never try it!  I can guarantee you that!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.