Farm

Two officials with the Washington County Division of Public Works outlined plans Tuesday night for the rehabilitation of the Coffman Farms Road Bridge over Little Antietam Creek near town hall. The one-lane bridge was built in 1832 and is rated in “poor condition” because of issues such as missing and loose mortar and missing stones, said Andrew Eshleman, a structural engineer for the county. The rehabilitation of the span will cost about $600,000 and 80 percent of the money will come from federal funds, which have been “obligated” for the project, Eshleman said.

Use of cover crops to reduce the impact of drought on field crops will be discussed during an evening workshop at the Lyle Tabb farm on Oct. 16. Benefits of cover crops include soil moisture retention, weed control, reduced fertilizer application, reduced soil erosion and overall improved soil quality which results in improved profitability, according to a news release from the Eastern Panhandle Conservation District. The workshop will be held at 5 p.m. at the farm, which is east of Leetown off Paines Ford Road.

More than 75 antique farm tractors covered half the lot, while concessions and 100-plus craft vendors claimed the other half Saturday at the Smithsburg Community Volunteer Fire Co. carnival grounds. Among them as sort of guests of honor were four steam engines and other steam-powered tool displays, rounding out the attractions at the Smithsburg Steam Engine and Craft Show. Now in its 38th year, the show is sponsored by and benefits the Smithsburg High School Athletic Boosters. Event chairman Daniel Rishell said the boosters was established by a committee including his father, George Rishell, years ago in response to a lack of funding for girls' sports.

A Franklin County, Pa., business leader with humble beginnings recently won an industry award for his accomplishments. Dave George, of D.L. George & Sons, started his career five decades ago in a ramshackle building on his family's farm. He is the latest recipient of the Franklin County Area Development Corp.'s Zane A. Miller award. “I never expected to be more than a two-man operation, or when my sons came along be a three- or four-man operation,” George said. Today, D.L. George & Sons employs 250 people in three segments - construction, trucking and manufacturing.

When Kathy Bishop's relatives came to Chambersburg from Pittsburgh, she wanted to give them a taste of country living. She knew the Franklin County Fall Farm Fun Fest at Cedar Pine Farms would be the perfect way to introduce her family to farm life. Ernest Rotz and his son, Milton, opened up their third-generation dairy farm at 592 Pine Stump Road in Chambersburg to more than 1,000 visitors on Saturday. Bishop's sister-in-law, Nancy, said when she first arrived in Franklin County, she had to roll up the windows in her car. “I said, 'What is that smell?

In the mid-1700s, British soldiers on the way to battle might have marched right past the property on the old road crossing South Mountain. A century later, just after a battle nearby, Civil War armies did rush past on the same road, barely 12 paces away from the front door of the property's new log farmhouse. Today, the new battle threatening the old log house, barn and outbuildings at 20725 Reno Monument Road is the nation's ongoing economic struggle. With its owner in bankruptcy, the property has deteriorated.

The old Berkeley County landfill near Martinsburg, which has been closed since the fall of 1991, is being eyed as a potential site for a solar energy farm, Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority's board chairman told Berkeley County Council members Thursday. Clint Hogbin said he is exploring the possibility of installing solar panels at the 24-acre landfill off Grapevine Road on behalf of the Solid Waste Authority board. While his investigation is in the “very early stages,” Hogbin told council members that a south-facing area of the landfill appears to be a very suitable location for a solar farm.

Seven pieces of farm equipment valued at approximately $60,000 was taken from Franklin Tractor & Equipment in Chambersburg overnight Monday, according to Chambersburg police. Four zero-turn mowers, one sub-compact tractor and two 4-wheel drive utility vehicles were stolen from Franklin Tractor & Equipment, police said. Police are looking for the persons involved in the theft from the business at 610 Fifth Ave. in Chambersburg. Anyone with information regarding this incident can call the Chambersburg Police Department at 717-264-4131.

David Herbst has had dirt under his fingernails for as long as he can remember. And he wouldn't have it any other way. As the owner of Misty Meadow Farm in Smithsburg, he comes from a long line of relatives who have made a living from the soil. That includes his grandfather, who moved to the property in 1918, arriving on a horse and wagon. “I can still remember as a child going out to the fields with Grandpap to pick rocks,” Herbst said. “While Dad was planting, we would get another field ready.” Herbst probably never imagined at such a young age that one day, he would be in charge of the farm.

The agricultural marketing division of the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission is accepting applications for the 2012 Washington County Farm of the Year. The award, based upon numerous criteria, will recognize an outstanding farm and farm family that exemplify the heritage of farming in Washington County. Applications must be submitted by Friday  Aug. 3. Applications must include the name of the principal farm operator/owner, who must have been in business for at least five years.