Leader Farm Credit
Growing holiday traditions
volume 18 | issue 4 | $3.95
Financing Rural America for More Than 95 Years
in this issue
Leader
farm | land
4 Potomac Garden Center
volume 18 | issue 4
makes the holidays brighter
6 Twin Brook Winery
serves up holiday cheer
MidAtlantic Farm Credit, ACA J. Robert Frazee, CEO
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Fred N. West Chairman
8 T. S. Smith and Sons
succeeds with special events
M. Wayne Lambertson Vice Chairman
10 Clouse’s Pine Hill Farm— where Christmas is always in the air!
our association
12 2014 Annual
MidAtlantic Farm Credit Board of Directors
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Meeting Dates
12 Scholarship
Announcement
13 Attention: New Uniform
Paul D. Baumgardner Deborah A. Benner Brian L. Boyd Gary L. Grossnickle Dale R. Hershey Walter C. Hopkins T. Jeffery Jennings Christopher Kurtzman Fred R. Moore, Jr. Dale J. Ockels Jennifer L. Rhodes Ralph L. Robertson, Jr. Paul J. Rock Joseph D. Snapp Lingan T. Spicer
Commercial Code Laws
Questions or Ideas
13 2014 Calendar Winners community
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14 Properties for sale
If you have any questions or ideas for the editorial staff of the Leader, contact Jenny Kreisher at 800.333.7950, e-mail her at Jboduch@mafc.com 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!
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MidAtlantic Farm Credit
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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 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
events | deadlines
DEC event
place
4-5 Organic Vegetable Symposium 8-10 Maryland Farm Bureau Convention
Easton, PA
Ocean City, MD
21 First Day of Winter
24-25 Christmas Holiday
MAFC Offices Closed
JAN event
1 New Year’s Day
place MAFC Offices Closed
13-17 Delaware Agriculture Week
Harrington, DE
17 Deadline for Scholarship Applications
17-18 Future Harvest Farming for Profit and Stewardship Conference College Park, MD 17-19 Maryland Horse Expo 20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Timomium, MD MAFC Offices Closed
31 Sales closing for AGR policies
FEB event
message from the president
place
15 Sales closing for green peas
17 President’s Day
MAFC Offices Closed
Holiday Trimmings
The holidays are all about tradition—Thanksgiving just
I hope you’ll also enjoy learning about the Potomac Garden
wouldn’t be the same without Aunt Josie’s green bean casserole,
Center in Potomac, Maryland. In addition to trees, owners Bob,
or Uncle Mike falling asleep on the couch.
Janet and David Angell sell colorful poinsettias, cyclamens, and
I often wonder how often consumers think about the
wreaths—everything you need to make your holiday home glow.
work it takes to get the food to the table. I don’t mean the
Speaking of glow, nothing warms your cheeks like a little bit of
work of actually preparing the meal—although that’s no easy
wine on a snowy afternoon—and Twin Brook Winery in Berks
feat—I mean the planning, and planting, and harvesting, and
County, Pennsylvania has just the bottle for you! Vineyard owner
distributing that all went into making sure those green beans
Dick Caplan and his manager and winemaker Tim Jobe work
show up each year.
throughout the year to produce a crop that has the superior
As a member of the ag community, I always say a special thank you to the farmers who make our holidays possible. That’s why I thought it would be nice if we honored our holiday partners in this issue of the Leader—the people who make our family gatherings a little bit brighter (and our pants a little bit tighter!) I love the smell of a fresh Christmas tree in the house, and I think you’ll love reading about Clouse’s Pine Hill Farm, a Virginia staple that has been growing trees since they planted 5,000 of them back in 1986. We kept it all in the family with their
flavor that their customers have come to expect. And talk about an early present—we’re giving away bottles of their amazing spiced wine (see page 7). Finally, you’ll read about T.S. Smith & Sons in Bridgeville, Delaware, a 100-year old farm that still provides fruits and vegetables for customers throughout the year. Their family has a recipe for success that’s as dependable as my mother’s recipe for apple pie! We’re wrapping up another successful year here at
feature—their son Ryan is a loan officer in our Winchester office
MidAtlantic, and we hope that you’re wrapping up a successful
(when we say we’re all family here at Farm Credit, sometimes
season at your operation as well. We wish you all the best—in
we mean it literally!)
this holiday season, and throughout the new year!
volume 18 | issue 4 | mafc.com
All the
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Bob, Janet and David Angell (left to right) each bring special expertise to the family business. Bob runs the nursery operation, Jan is in charge of the shop and David concentrates on the landscape service side of the business.
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Potomac Garden Center offers a wide range of annuals and perennials, changing varieties with the seasons.
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Potomac Garden Center
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makes the holidays brighter story and photos by Susan Walker
For many nursery and garden centers, winter is a slow season. Gardeners may be dreaming of the flowers they’ll plant in spring, but the cold weather means there’s not much going on in the garden or with the lawn for several months. Things are different at Potomac Garden Center, however, thanks in part to owners Bob, Janet and David Angell’s popular Christmas shop. “During the holidays, we sell a wide variety of holiday items, from poinsettias, cyclamens, and other colorful houseplants in our nursery to wreaths, fresh cut Fraser firs, decorated trees, holiday decorations and ornaments for inside and outside the home, and gifts for gardeners and other people on your holiday shopping list,” explains David Angell, Bob and Janet’s oldest son. “We are well known in the area for offering quality Christmas trees and plants, and that brings customers back year after year. In fact, we sell about 1,600 trees each year.” Janet handles buying and managing the center’s retail shop, which sells decorations, home goods, books, garden ornaments, stuffed animals, and much more year round. “We’re one of the few shops in the region that still sells Department 56 Christmas village collectibles,” she says. “People come from as far away as Pennsylvania and Virginia just to visit our shop to add to their collection.” Janet also notes that the shop has evolved a great deal since the Angell’s first started it at their old location in Potomac, Maryland. “The shop used to be a place where local artists and crafters could sell their work on consignment during the
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Even when fall brings darker days, customers can always find a bright spot of color at Potomac Garden Center.
holidays. We even had antique dealers who sold their merchandise through our shop back then,” Janet adds.
a growing business Bob Angell started Potomac Garden Center in 1967. He had done landscaping during college, but saw opportunities in running a retail operation. He opened the retail nursery on leased land which remained there for 18 years. The center now has two locations—the 5.3 acre North Potomac operation and a newer 20 acre operation with a glass greenhouse in Urbana.
Longtime customers travel from surrounding states each holiday season to buy hardto-find Christmas village figures and other decorations at Potomac Garden Center.
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Jan transforms the shop into a holiday wonderland each year, providing everything customers need to bring the holiday spirit home.
In the beginning, Bob was the only family member involved in the business, while Janet worked as an international flight attendant on Northwest Airlines’ Asia Pacific route. After their second son was born, she left the friendly skies and started working at the garden center, handling the books and the Christmas shop. David, however, didn’t follow the typical route of working at his parents’ business during summers and holidays while potomacgardencenter.com growing up. Instead, he started facebook.com/PotomacGardenCenter his own lawn care business with
twitter.com/pgcgardencenter potomacgardencenter.com/blog/
“Our individual customers, as well as our corporate customers, are looking for reliable, quality work. They’re not really shopping price, but rather focusing on finding someone who provides them with a high level of service and takes care of all the details for them. For example, we don’t simply deliver a load of firewood. If the customer wishes, we will carefully stack it for them,” says David. Another thing that sets Potomac Garden Center apart is the longevity of the staff, which numbers about 70 employees in the spring. Many staff members have been working at the center for more than 15 years. One was with the Angells for more than 30 years. Notes David, “Having good quality people who really build a career here makes the business easier and more successful.”
The Angells bought the Urbana location in 2001 with an eye toward future expansion of the business. The 20 acres provides significantly more space and the corridor that includes Urbana is gaining population very quickly. “We’ve been working with MidAtlantic Farm Credit for more than 25 years. They have a good understanding of the issues we face— the seasonality of our business and how that affects cash flow, the exposures we face with crop risk in terms of the nursery stock. They were extremely helpful with our acquisition of the land in Urbana and the construction of the facility,” says David. “They helped us finance that, which was a very big project for us, and were instrumental in helping us make it happen.” “David is a great example of the next generation stepping up to take over a successful operation from his parents. With their guidance and continued contributions to the business, this operation is positioned to expand from one major market into a new, expanding one,” adds MidAtlantic loan officer Bill Schrodel. In terms of future plans for Potomac Garden Center, David says landscape services are key. “We’re also looking for ways to connect agriculture and horticulture in a retail setting,” he explains. “We’re considering a pick your own business in Urbana, renting garden plots, and a number of other agribusiness opportunities. We’ve had a strong year and we see tremendous opportunities ahead, even with the difficulties that the recent recession caused in the industry. Right now, it’s just a matter of how we tackle those opportunities.” n
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volume 18 | issue 4 | mafc.com
Today, landscaping and maintenance contracts with local master plan communities and individuals in the growing, affluent area account for more than 50% of Potomac Garden Center’s annual income. The Angells offer everything from landscape design and installation to mowing, pond maintenance, and snow removal. The center has a licensed arborist on staff as well as a full time landscape designer.
an eye on the future
farm | land
his neighbors when he was just 10 years old. While his young partners soon moved on to other things, David continued the hard work throughout high school, regularly mowing 30 lawns. At around 19, he decided it was a smart business move to combine his business with his parents.
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Christmas time at Twin Brook Winery, in Gap, Lancaster County, brings cheer to guests during the holiday season. Award winning red and white wines—as well as the winery’s popular limited edition spiced wines produced by winemaker Tim Jobe—sell out quickly and are excellent for holiday entertainment as well as gifts.
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Twin Brook Winery serves up holiday cheer
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story and photos by Sally Scholle
Dick Caplan first became interested in wine when he was a young man living in Paris. It was there that he was first exposed to fine wine and where he developed an appreciation for the many delicious variations that can be produced.
a hobby turned business After finishing law school and while he was working as an attorney, Dick tried making his own wine using purchased grapes and what he refers to as ‘primitive equipment’. He declared the wine drinkable and decided to make wine on a larger scale. He purchased a 26-acre farm field in Shartlesville, Berks County, and planted a few acres of grapes with the expectation that if it worked, he’d have room for expansion. “It was so early in the development of wineries in Pennsylvania that everyone was suggesting that production should be limited to French hybrids because they’re easier to grow,” said Dick. “I planted small numbers of many varieties to see how they’d work out because I was only going to make wine for myself and to give away.” As he experimented with more grape varieties, Dick decided to pursue making wine commercially. Although Pennsylvania’s rich soils and climate present challenges for grape growers, Dick was undeterred, and in 1985, he purchased a 40-acre property in Gap, Lancaster County. He obtained a limited winery license and had the first vintage in 1989 - the beginning of Twin Brook Winery.
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The tasting room at Twin Brook Winery is in a restored bank barn. The spiral staircase, stained glass windows and reclaimed architectural accents create a unique and inviting ambience.
Dick says that the property included an 1880s dairy barn and a house which postdates the barn by about 100 years. “When I bought it, the whole farm consisted of the house, the barn and 40 acres of nothing,” he said. “It had been abandoned for years.” Dick started planting vines, drawing on the experience gained at his previous property. “I had to learn a lot about viticulture,” said Dick. “I knew a lot about wine, and what a decent wine should taste like, but I had no experience in agriculture. In the beginning, there was still a relatively conservative view of what Pennsylvania was capable of producing. We were about the tenth winery in Pennsylvania. Now there are a lot more.”
Twin Brook’s wines have been awarded top medals in wine competitions from California to Pennsylvania. Owner Dick Caplan is proud that the winery produces wine that is competitive across the nation.
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Vineyard manager and winemaker Tim Jobe checks newlyharvested grapes right after they’ve been harvested. Jobe says that wine-making is a year-round process and keeps extensive notes on every aspect of production from planting vines to harvest and winemaking.
Dick’s brother-in-law, a professional architect, envisioned what the abandoned barn might become. A spiral staircase, vintage wood pieces, a uniquely detailed back bar and stained glass windows transformed the tasting room into a warm, inviting space. An extension twinbrookwinery.com on the rear of the barn, added in facebook.com/TwinBrookWinery 1994, serves as an area for crushing and pressing. With the addition twitter.com/TwinBrookWinery
plus.google.com/ 106256520929373816857/posts
growing challenges There’s a romantic notion associated with growing wine grapes, but producing a crop that’s suitable for making wine is a series of constant challenges. Establishing and maintaining a vineyard is a costly proposition, and returns are not immediate. “Wineries run on a two and a half year cycle,” said Tim Jobe, vineyard manager and winemaker at Twin Brook. “When we must replant, we leave the ground fallow for two years before replanting, then wait three years before there’s a crop, and two more years before there’s a full crop. Then there’s the winemaking process, and the wines made from a particular harvest aren’t ready for sale until the following year.” In fall, harvest begins with the picking of nine acres of Pinot Gris, which yields about two tons/acre. From that variety, Tim keeps six tons of grapes for wine making and sells the rest to another winery. The last variety harvested is Cabernet, which is picked at first frost. “Last year, we picked it in mid-October, and it was beautiful,” said Tim. “We picked it when we wanted to pick it. When you can let it get as ripe as possible on the vine, it’s great.” Throughout the season, Tim keeps extensive notes on weather, growing conditions, disease and pest issues, the size and quality of the harvest, and the wine-making process. When it’s time to replace some of the 30-year old vines on the property, Tim would like to plant the new clones of Cabernet Franc, which ripen sooner. These short climate clones ensure a good crop every year, not just the years in which weather conditions are ideal. “Flavors can get to where they should be,” said Tim. “Having a shorter-climate clone will ensure that we have a good crop every year.”
the winery on Black Friday while their wives are shopping. A local cheese shop supplies a variety of local, national and regional cheeses that pair well with Twin Brook’s wines. Visitors to Twin Brook Winery can sample the awardwinning wines such as Esperanza, a dry, Methode Champanoise Chardonnay, in a relaxed atmosphere with just the right dose of holiday ambience. Although some visitors are new to wine tasting and prefer sweeter wines, Tim and Melissa encourage tasting room visitors to try unfamiliar wines. “A taste for wine comes with years of tasting,” said Tim. “But our best seller is still the sweetest wine I can make.”
farm | land
of an outdoor gazebo and a large greenhouse, Twin Brook Winery has ample space for summer concerts and other events.
marketing strategy Dick says that the key to a successful winery is finding a way to sell wine in a very competitive market. “Getting someone interested in selling your product is the challenge,” he said. “We’re trying to sell as best we can from where we are, and we’re developing a strategy to sell online. We have to use the promotional capability of the Internet to get ‘buzz’ so that people will come and buy our product on line.” Twin Brook Winery has a strong social media presence on Facebook, Yelp, Twitter, Foursquare and Pinterest. Although the winery sees a strong response from those venues, Dick says that the response is only meaningful if people have a way to purchase the product. “We’re making world-class wines,” said Dick. “We’ve had people from Germany tell us that what we have is exactly what they’d be able to get in Alsace-Lorraine. For me, that’s very exciting.” n
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holiday ambience entices visitors
Tim’s wife, Melissa, plans to hold an open house in the tasting room every weekend throughout the month of December. “Some people are looking for specials, but most are looking for something to do,” she said, noting that men frequent
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Photo Contest: Show us your holiday spirit! Like wine? Send us a photo of how you celebrate the holidays for a chance to win a bottle of Twin Brook Winery’s delicious spiced wine! Maybe you have a unique family tradition, go all-out with decorating, or cook a fabulous dinner; whatever it is, we want to know! Send your name, phone number, address, and photos to jboduch@mafc.com by December 31st to be entered to win.
Good luck! Must be 21 years or older to enter. All photos become the property of MidAtlantic Farm Credit, and may be used on mafc.com, any of our print publications, and any or all of our social media channels.
volume 18 | issue 4 | mafc.com
For the holiday season, Tim makes spiced wine that sells out every year. This year, he’ll start with Chancellor grapes and add cinnamon, whole cloves, nutmeg, and allspice to create a unique yet classic wine with a fragrance that fills the old barn.
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On the steps of their Bridgeville, Delaware farm store, Tom, Matt and Charlie Smith display some of their farm products. The farm was founded in 1907 from greatgrandfather Thomas Sterling Smith.
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The Smith’s newly built pavilion is available for rent for parties and meetings. Rain barrels were installed on the downspouts to provide water for the emerging landscaping.
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T. S. Smith and Sons
succeeds with special events story and photos by Nancy L. Smith
How do you keep a farm thriving and successful for more than 100 years? “You have to go above and beyond to be profitable,” explains Matt Smith, president of T.S. Smith & Sons of Bridgeville, Delaware. “We needed to do more for our customers. We don’t want to be your typical roadside stand. We have a unique atmosphere.” Matt and his siblings, great grandchildren of founder T. S. Smith, operate the 800 acre farm, growing fruits, vegetables and grain. Matt is responsible for the majority of the field crops and vegetables. Brother Charlie manages the orchard, farmers markets and satellite stores; Tom handles retail and wholesale operations at the packing house. Their sister, Susan Hayes, manages the greenhouse, offers cooking demonstrations and bakes cakes for sale. Together, the Smiths are experts at innovating to exceed customer expectations. The operation used to grow 300 acres of apples. Now, they have about 75 acres of apples, as well as the same acreage of peaches, 90 acres of sweet corn that is hand-picked, and a huge variety of vegetables that bring streams of customers into the on-farm store, four farmers markets and two satellite stores. “The apple market changed and we changed with it,” says Matt. “We have gotten away from processing and long-distance shipping. “Staleness in this day and age will sink you,” he observes. Although apple trees take three to four years to produce a crop and continue to do so for 20 years
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or longer, the farm has to be nimble and responsive. “We try to listen to our customers and plant what they want,” Matt says, “so, for example, we planted Honeycrisp apples.” New varieties aren’t the only transformations on the farm. “We’ve gotten into several new endeavors over the last few years,” says Matt. Holiday celebrations throughout the year draw in customers and have transformed the retail operation from a farm market to a tourist destination.
Freshly picked apples wait in the field for transportation to the packing house. The Smiths test tissue samples from the fruit and leaves to determine nutrient needs. Pesticides and fertilizers are applied only as needed. “You have to be dedicated enough to care for the trees for 20-plus years,” says Matt Smith.
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Mary Lou Hammond, left, and her sister Rosalie Hastings have a combined 108 years of service in T. S. Smith & Sons’ office. The pair handles the farm’s extensive paperwork, including records related to nutrient management plans, integrated pest management, vegetated buffers and wetland restoration.
holiday open house is a success The principal event of the year is an early-December holiday open house. This year’s open house will be held on Saturday, December 7th. Visitors can purchase gift baskets and hot apple cider made from the Smiths’ apples. A special treat are apple cakes baked by Susan and apple cider donuts made on the premises. The donuts are available tssmithandsons.com throughout the year, too. Mr. and facebook.com/TSSmithandsons Mrs. Claus drop by and carolers from the local middle school add an twitter.com/tssfarms
youtube.com/user/ TSSmithandsons/feed
A horse-drawn wagon pulls the carolers through the streets of Bridgeville. “The open house is our way to celebrate the season, to celebrate a good year,” says Matt.
customers appreciate spring and summer events
Special events in the spring and summer entice customers to the retail store and orchards. In May, the Smiths celebrate spring with flowers from the greenhouse and early vegetables including asparagus. Customer Appreciation Day in August is a big event, drawing some 500 visitors who enjoy ice cream, farm tours and children’s activities. Cooking demonstrations and a live bluegrass band provide education and entertainment. Ron Lindale, the MAFC loan officer who works with the Smiths, credits them with transforming their business model to tempt new and returning customers. “When some of the things they used to do were no longer profitable, they actively looked for alternatives,” he says.
Smiths put the apple in the Apple-Scrapple Festival The Smith farm is integral to the annual Apple-Scrapple Festival in tiny Bridgeville. The event features craft and food vendors, a trade show, a beauty pageant, a car show, and live entertainment. The farm offers tours, demonstrations, exhibits, wagon rides, free samples, and apple cider slushies. In addition, the farm maintains a sales area in downtown Bridgeville throughout the event and provides a horse-drawn wagon to shuttle customers to and from their store.
on-farm innovations In the spirit of continual improvement and expansion of services, the Smiths recently constructed a picnic pavilion using recycled materials including wood from old chicken houses and used power poles obtained from Delaware Electric Co-op. Reached by a lane through heavily laden apple trees, the pavilion is rented for parties, corporate and school events, weddings, and other celebrations. It is complete with a comfort station and hand washing facilities.
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4 The Smiths offer a menu of amenities for pavilion renters including tables and chairs, a generator, a bandstand, wagon and carriage rides and farm tours. The Smiths can provide educational activities, flowers, catering, cakes, live music, decorations, and more. They offer discounts to nonprofits and members of the local Chamber of Commerce. Recently, the local food bank hosted a dinner in the pavilion. The farm also has begun to offer you-pick opportunities for some crops. “People want to see where their food comes from,” Matt says. “You would be surprised how many people don’t know a peach comes from a tree.” The Smiths recently partnered with Great Shoals Winery to produce hard apple cider from Black Twig apples grown on the farm. Marketed by Great Shoals as T. S. Smith’s Black Twig Hard Apple, the sparkling cider has been officially recognized as Delaware’s first hard cider. The winery also produces Great Shoals Peach Sparkling from Smith peaches.
can’t do it alone All of these activities and events demand time-consuming planning and effort. Matt acknowledges the group effort that makes it all possible. “There are a lot of intricate parts to make this place work and we have been blessed to have great people. We wouldn’t be where we are today without them. We didn’t do it on our own,” says Matt. Mary Lou Hammond may hold the longevity record on the farm. She has worked in the office for 58 years. She works alongside her sister, Rosalie Hastings, who is celebrating 50 years in the office. Bill Trice, a farm worker, has been on the job for more than 30 years. The Smiths employ some 50 workers during the growing season and 12 to 15 year-round. Matt reports the holiday and special events have been a success for the Smiths, “We have seen a growth in business that has been very satisfying.” He acknowledges continual innovation is essential to continued achievement, “There is no status quo. We don’t rest.” n
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The Smith farm is located on a major route to the Delaware and Maryland beach resorts. Vacationers from Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, and other locales stream past the orchards, often stopping at the farm store, located one block off the highway. Recently, a satellite farm stand was opened on the main road.
farm | land
additional festive note. The Smiths provide the local FFA a venue to sell poinsettias grown by organization members.
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Ryan, Roberta, and Ronald Clouse stand proudly in front of some mature trees they have spent years growing and caring for at Clouse’s Pine Hill Farm.
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Growing Christmas trees involves more than planting trees and harvesting them seven to ten years down the road. Ronald Clouse spends a lot of time keeping the trees properly shaped up.
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Clouse’s Pine Hill Farm
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where Christmas is always in the air! story and photos by Jennifer Showalter
Christmas is a seasonal holiday that lasts a month or so each year, but for Ronald and Roberta Clouse it is more than a holiday. It is what their life is all about. Now that they are retired from their professional jobs, their lives consist of doing everything they can to raise ideal trees and market them as the freshest Christmas trees in town.
how it all started Ronald and Roberta had no idea when they helped some neighborhood FFA members plant a few seedlings on their place back in 1977 that they would be in the business they are in today. The very next year they planted around 2,000 seedlings and in the early 1980’s signed a long-term lease on a farm where they planted about 20,000 white and Scotch pines and raised market and feeder pigs. Access to the farm was a challenge, so the Clouses focused on wholesale marketing their tress. Unfortunately, they were only able to harvest about half of their trees before losing their lease. Not willing to give up, the Clouses turned to the help of Farm Credit and purchased a 133 acre farm in De Haven, Virginia in 1985. “Farm Credit has treated us excellent! Through them, we were able to purchase the farm, and without them we couldn’t have,” says Ronald. Eager to get back in business, the Clouses planted around 5,000 trees on their new farm in 1986. They also continued to raise hogs, grow field corn, and plant some vegetables while they were waiting on their trees to reach
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maturity. “My wife said either the hogs were going or she was going, so the hogs went,” Ronald says with a smirk. Today, Ronald and Roberta have trees of various ages growing on 25 acres of their farm and lease out about half of their land to a local farmer for hay production.
Roberta Clouse utilizes trimmings and greenery from cull trees to make fresh wreaths and ropings. Her handmade ribbons and choice of decorations add a personal touch to each wreath and roping.
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The freshness of the wreaths, ropings, and trees that Clouse’s Pine Hill Farm has to offer is something customers come back for year after year. The Clouses claim to have the freshest trees in town and go the extra mile to fulfill that promise.
In 1994, the Clouses opened a retail lot in Winchester, Virginia and in 1999 opened their farm up for customers to come out and choose and cut their own trees. With more and more people visiting their farm, the Clouses had some road improvements performed around their farm to ease access. Upon Ronald’s retirement from Allegheny Power in 2002, he planted approximately 12,000 additional trees over the next two years. Roberta retired from the postal service and came home to work fulltime on the farm in 2009.
customer service is key In addition to cut trees, customers can purchase dug trees and freshly made wreaths and ropings from Clouse’s Pine Hill Farm. Ronald and Roberta take pride in selling freshly cut trees and
ClousesPineHillFarm.com facebook.com/ClousesPineHillFarm
Among the 10,000 to 15,000 trees the Clouses currently have growing on their farm, there is a variety of sizes and types for customers to pick from. For years, white pine was their number one seller but about ten years ago fir tree sales really took off. In fact, Douglas firs were their best seller last year and the Clouses are having to 3 purchase some firs to fill demand. In addition to white pine and Douglas firs, the Clouses grow Scotch pine, blue spruce, Norway spruce, Canaan firs, concolor firs, Fraser firs, and Nordmann firs.
tender loving care from start to finish The Clouses typically purchase 1,000 seedlings a year from nurseries and the VA Department of Forestry to fill in the gaps that have been cut out. The seedlings are planted in the middle to later part of March with either a dibble bar or a mechanical planter. Ronald and Roberta spend much of their spring and summer months controlling grass and weeds on their farm. Round-Up herbicide is used to suppress grass in order to give the seedlings a better start and to allow more mature trees to perform. They both spend a good amount of time on a zero turn mower keeping the rest of the grass around the trees down. Ronald only applies fungicides and insecticides when necessary. Once the seedlings are three to four years old, Ronald has to start shearing them. Shearing typically begins in the middle of June. Ronald starts with the pines and spends the rest of the
farm | land
summer working his way through all the firs and spruces. Shearing may seem like an easy task, but Ronald is quick to remind people that it is physically draining. “Shearing trees is like throwing square bales for one or two months, everyday, all day long.” Despite all their efforts to provide ideal growing conditions during the seven to ten years it takes a Christmas tree to reach maturity, the Clouses experience about a 60 percent survival rate. 4 Deer damage, drought, late frosts in May, heavy snows, insects, and diseases tend to have the upper hand no matter how hard they try to win the battle but they can’t afford not to fight. “We would like to have a way to irrigate on the dry years, but our farm is actually too wet most of the time,” says Ronald. The Clouses still wholesale a few trees, but most of their trees are sold on the farm or at their Winchester lot. With freshness being so important to them, they take a fresh load of tress into the lot every day but hope to eventually get to where they only sell trees straight from the farm.
a business built around family efforts Ronald and Roberta try to keep up with all the tasks themselves, but contribute much of their success to the hard work their two grown sons, Ryan and Randy, have put into the business over the years. “If it wasn’t for Ryan and Randy, we couldn’t have grown trees over the last 30 years,” says Ronald. Ryan, their son and MidAtlantic Farm Credit loan officer, still helps out when he can, but additional seasonal workers are needed from Thanksgiving to Christmas. “I would like to eventually put the farm in a conservation easement and turn it over to our sons and their families,” says Ronald. Even though Ronald and Roberta have decided to scale back some, they hope to eventually build a house on the farm to eliminate them having to drive from Cross Junction, where they currently live, to the farm each day. The couple has other additions planned as well, such as a pumpkin patch (as well as a fence around it to keep out the deer)! Obviously, this is one family business built on growing! n
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freshly made wreaths and ropings. The freshness of their trees, wreaths, and ropings brings the same customers back year after year. Being right on the West Virginia line, customers come from as far away as Martinsburg, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area.
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Save the Dates!
2014 annual meetings
As we close the door on 2013 and reflect on the past 12 months, we find ourselves deep into the planning process for our 2014 annual stockholder meetings! The dates are noted on the 2014 MAFC wall calendar (available in each of our offices), but we have announced them here, too! More information on these meeting will be available in the next issue of the Leader. We look forward to seeing you all there!
April 1: Wicomico Youth & Civic Center / Salisbury, MD April 2: Modern Maturity Center / Dover, DE April 3: Yoder Restaurant & Buffet / New Holland, PA April 8: Walkersville Fire Hall / Walkersville, MD April 9: The Banquet Hall at Millwood Station / Winchester, VA
Investing in the Future MidAtlantic Farm Credit is proud to announce that we are offering $18,000 in scholarships 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 be a child of a current member. The complete set of rules and the application can be found online at mafc.com. 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 supporting materials to be turned into MidAtlantic Farm Credit is on or before January 17, 2014. Good Luck!
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As of July 1st, 2013, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) law changed across the United States and within MidAtlantic Farm Credit’s territory. It is now required that when a new Financing Statement (UCC-1) or a continuing Financing Statement (UCC-3) is filed, the name(s) on the filing must exactly match the debtor’s current driver’s license. If this is not the case, MidAtlantic Farm Credit does not have a perfected lien on collateral. This is primarily used for livestock, machinery and equipment, poultry equipment, irrigation equipment, trailer, and the like.
2014 Calendar Winners Cover:
Sam Miller White Post, VA
January:
Sandra Oliver Ashville, OH Julie Murphy Strasburg, VA
March:
Patty O’Brien Quarryville, PA Nancy Moser Middletown, MD
April:
Lorraine Baugher Jones Westminster, MD Jenni Sweitzer Glen Rock, PA
May:
Callista Miller Fleetwood, PA Carolyn Jolley Snow Hill, MD
Voted Fan Favorite!
Happy Holidays! And best wishes for a healthy and joyful New Year!
Jenny Hendershot Clear Spring, MD CONGRATULATIONS—VOTED FAN FAVORITE! Mary Ellen Clark Thurmont, MD
July:
Carolyn Jolley Snow Hill, MD Robbie Green New Windsor, MD
August:
Brenda Ripley New Windsor, MD Mariah Curtis Felton, DE
September: April Gainer Mt. Joy, PA Donna Dawson Lancaster, PA Lorraine Baugher Jones Westminster, MD Jared Kofsky South Orange, NJ
November: Christi Horton Ewing Mt. Airy, MD Callista Miller Fleetwood, PA December: Marilyn Sparks Upperco, MD Lorraine Baugher Jones Westminster, MD
volume 18 | issue 4 | mafc.com
Hendershot, Clear Spring, MD
June:
October:
For our current members, if you have not done so already, please provide your loan officer with a copy of your driver’s license so we may keep this on file. If both spouses’ names are on the loan, we will need copies of both licenses or any state-issued identification. For more information on the UCC law changes, please contact your loan officer or call 888.339.3334.
February: Julie Murphy Elverson, PA Brenda Ripley New Windsor, MD
Photographed and submitted by Jenny
your association
ATTENTION: Farm Credit Members!
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Properties for Felton, Delaware
sale
Queenstown, Maryland
Lovely Colonial on 5 acres of serenity! 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths with a full bath rough-in in lower level. Spacious home with hardwoods, main level laundry, and partially finished lower level with walk-out and wood stove. Attached 2 car garage, shed, and partially wooded lot! $359,900.
Looking for a great place to live? This 3,200 sq.ft. +/- home has been updated with many new features. Home has been well maintained. Highlights: 30’ x 50’ pole building, all new Anderson windows and sliding doors, kitchen updated with new cabinets, and Tiger and bamboo hardwoods. Samsung steam washer and dryer. $595,000.
Contact Cindy Grimes, J&B Real Estate, Inc., 301.271.3487.
Contact David Kaufmann, Exit Gold Realty, 443.223.3026.
Chestertown, Maryland
One of a kind working horse farm with 72 acres. Three barns with 28 stalls, 9 run-ins, manure shed, half-mile stone dust track, and much more. Residence is a 2128 sq.ft. ranch with 3 car garage. Additional home on premises rents for $650/month. Hunter’s paradise with deer, turkey, and more. Stocked pond. $850,000.
First time on the market in 50+ years! Private 46 acre pastoral setting with main house and guest cottage situated within 50’ of the Chester River. 125’+ deep water (7’+) pier with electric, water and fuel; fresh water pond; barn and boat shed; wildlife abounds on this prestigious Kent County Property! $1,900.000.
Contact Lynn Baker, RE/MAX Horizons, 302.678.4300.
Contact Joe Hickman, Cross Street Realtors, 410.778.3779.
Elkton, Maryland
Emmitsburg, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Galena, Maryland 15 acres just outside of town on Rt. 213 – all tillable. Would be a great location to grow and sell your own fruit, vegetables, flowers, etc. Explore the possibilities here! $279,000. Contact Sharon Clark, Sassafrass River Realty, Ltd., 410.778.0238 or 410.708.7854.
Fair Hill 18th century farm home with a lot of charm and potential. Large 36’ x 90’, 9-stall horse barn with tack room, feed room, and hay loft. $124,900.
Lovely 7 acres with beautiful views. Three stall barn, three paddocks. Open floor plan, updated kitchen, sunroom, windows everywhere. Expansive porch to relax and enjoy. $499,900.
Contact Melinda Wimer, Harlan C. Williams Co. Realtors, 410.287.3691.
Contact Nancy Bowlus, RE/MAX Results, 240.446.6818.
Greensboro, Maryland
Henderson, Maryland Very spacious rancher with lots of privacy in a country setting, placed on 7.65 acres of open ground set-up for horses. Includes 24’ x 30’ stall barn, 24’ x 24’ storage barn with separate well/ electric and 3 pastures. Also a huge workshop with 2 big bay doors. $299,500. Contact Chris Rosendale, Rosendale Realty, 410.758.0333.
Mt. Airy / Libertytown, Maryland
Two for the price of one! Two homes located on approximately 20 acres. Perfect for hunting, with subdivision potential. In-ground pool with pool house. Detached 20’ x 28’ garage with workshop and exercise room. Cape Cod 2,100+sq.ft. with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. Rancher 1,000+sq.ft. with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, sunroom. $489,925.
127 acre farm with 82 tillable acres, 43 acres of pasture, bank barn, and stone farmhouse built in the 1800’s. Farm is in Ag Preservation. $899,000. Contact Pat Brunner, Mackintosh, Inc. Realtors, 240.529.0104.
Contact April Heim, Rosendale Realty, 410.924.8716.
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Glyndon, Maryland
Keymar, Maryland
Fully renovated and updated 1800’s Federal style brick home rich in Balto history! 5 bedrooms, 4.2 baths, 5 FPs, and gourmet kitchen. Bank barn, stable, caretakers apartment, and riding ring. Spectacular 2+ acre stocked pond. Extensive riding and walking trails. Bring your horses, hobbies, and enjoy the Country Life! $1,995,000.
169+/- acre farm with a renovated farmhouse, large modular home, numerous new outbuildings, and a completely restored 45’ x 105’ bank barn. 17 four-board and high-tensile fenced pastures complete with water service. Dream farmhouse renovation with refinished floors, gourmet kitchen and large master bath. $1,425,000.
Contact Denie Dulin, Prudential Homesale YWGC Realty, 410.804.7141.
Contact Taylor Huffman, Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., 240.315.8133.
Keedysville, Maryland
Kennedyville, Maryland
6.59 acres. Only buildable lot on Antietam Creek now on the market. Easy commute to Northern VA, Shepherdstown, WVA nearby. Cleared home site and trees. Perc approved/ utilities within 50’. Overlooking Battlefield Park. Willing to consider reasonable offers and/or possible partial trade or exchange. $256,000.
Family farm compound. 37 acres in rural setting. Mostly fenced pasture, landscaped mature shade trees. 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1996 Cape Cod with full basement, 2-car garage with in-law suite, plus a rancher with full walkout basement and barn. $700,000.
Contact Frank Getz, Coldwell Banker Innovations, 301.992.9652.
Contact David Leager, Sassafrass River Realty, Ltd., 410.778.0238 or 410.708.0891.
Stevensville, Maryland
Urbana, Maryland
Beautiful Chesapeake Bay waterfront parcel. There aren’t many buildable parcels of land left, especially waterfront with acreage on Kent Island. No restrictions, bring the horses, boat, hunt, or even purchase the adjoining parcel and have a mini family compound. $750,000. Contact Tammy Rosendale, Rosendale Realty, 410.758.0333. 14 acre equestrian farm, fully-fenced with 3 pastures, 2 run-ins, and loafing area. Concrete floor center aisle horse barn with 11 stalls plus grooming stall. Covered hay and equipment storage area. Lighted 120’ x 200’ sand base riding arena. Updated ranch-style home with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. All in good condition. $539,000. Contact Gary Duckworth, RE/MAX Results, 301.644.5968.
Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania
Shermans Dale, Pennsylvania 33+ acre Perry County horse farm with level fenced pastures. Updated 3 bedroom, 2 bath farmhouse circa 1790, mostly maintenance-free exterior and custom granite kitchen. Separate 2 bedroom full apartment. 64’ x 50’ barn has 3 stalls with room to expand inside and out. Side by side sheds, each have 2 stalls. Clean and green. $490,000. Contact Vito Lanzillo, Jr., Re/MAX Delta Group, Inc., 717.586.9339.
Ringtown, Pennsylvania
Port Royal, Pennsylvania
Nestled in the foothills of Sugarloaf Mountain between Urbana and Comus. 291.75 acres of tranquil park-like setting, circa 1856 historic stone farm house masterfully renovated with nearly 5,200 sq.ft., separate guest house with 1,300 sq.ft., 4-bay garage with room for 8 cars, stunning pool area, 2 barns with stalls, pond, creek, direct trail access. $3,225,000.
community
Taylorsville, Maryland
Contact Buzz Mackintosh, Mackintosh REALTORS, 301.748.3696.
Contact Linda Borgmann, Riley & Associates Realtors, 443.286.1725.
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
40 acre horse farm with ½ mile track. 3 horse barns with 43 stalls, foaling stalls, all with automatic waterers. 60’ round pen and 7 stud paddocks. Office with bathroom, bank barn, garage. 1 bedroom apartment on premises with room to add other apartments. Breeding shed with lab. 2 6-ton grain bins. $400,000. Contact Barbara Winn, Better Home & Gardens Real Estate Valley Partners, 484.547.3098.
Wernersville, Pennsylvania
Lancaster Country poultry farm near Elizabethtown. 100 acres with two 44’ x 360’ double story broiler houses, with current contract. Recent updates include new flooring, doors, water, and feed systems. Nice stone farmhouse with recent updates. In-ground pool. Property has a stream and pond. Farm is preserved. $1,750,000.
Nature and wildlife surround you at this stately one-of-a-kind farm featuring a restored 4 bedroom, 4 bath farmhouse with fantastic views of the pond, hills, bank barn, and farmland. Property also features a spacious 1 bedroom apartment over the 2 car garage, an in-ground pool, patio, and BBQ pit. $2,600,000.
Contact Mel Hoffer, Beiler-Campbell Realtors, Farm & Land Division, 888.786.8715.
Contact Betty Hurleman, Prudential Landis Homesale Services, 610.372.3200.
Belle Haven, Virginia 140+/- acre farm on the southern end of Accomack County. There is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,456 sq.ft. doublewide on the property which conveys with the farm. Detached metal garage on concrete slab. Approximately 40 acres of open farmland with the remainder wooded. $465,000. Contact Ralph W. Dodd, Ralph W. Dodd & Associates, LLC., 757.678.5377.
Front Royal, Virginia Own a piece of paradise and live the life of your dreams in a historic 4 bedroom, 2 bath country home on 12.5 idyllic acres where time stopped a century ago. Original post and beam bank barn, operating spring house, smokehouse, and lambing shed. For a splendid visual tour, visit windmillcreekstudio.com/farm $595,000. Contact Michael B. Yingling, RE/MAX Delta Group, Inc., 717.652.8200.
Berryville, Virginia
Incredibly unique, fully restored circa 1788 Colonial on 8 fenced acres! Excellent potential for B&B! 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, pine floors, exposed brick and log walls, gracious living areas, formal dining room, den, loft, and more! Horse/animals lovers will love the huge Virginia hill barn plus stone pond, patios, and deck! $624,900. Contact Lisette Turner, Century 21 New Valley Realty, 540.247.4585.
Nestled along the Shenandoah River with views and 22 acres of beauty, property boasts an enormous two-story 4-stall barn, fenced-in paddock, horse wash pad, 3 fenced pastures with electric/water and 40’ x 10’ run-in stalls! 4,000 sq.ft. with upgrades, 16’ x 30’ saltwater heated pool and 6-person hot tub. $799,000.
EQUAL HOUSIN
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Contact Beth Waller, Weichert Realtors-Team Waller, 540.671.6145. EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Front Royal, Virginia 30 acres of beautiful farm land in Shenandoah Valley. Located close to I-66 in Linden, VA. Apple trees, agriculture zoned land. $259,000. Contact Bill Calhoun, Blue Ridge Properties, 540.683.9672.
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia 100.37 rolling acres fronting country road with a 4,500 sq. ft. home with sprinkler system, offices, classroom/computer room. Perfect for a school, retirement village, retreat, subdivision, farm, etc. Great location with spectacular mountain and pastoral views plus a 3+/- acre pond. Additional well and septic. $449,000. Contact Teresa Seville, Coldwell Banker Premier Homes, 304.671.3515.
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Step back in time! Play in the streamshower in the private outdoor shower and then relax on the patio or nap on the second floor sleeping porch. 10 acres and numerous outbuildings. Remodeled kitchen, updated baths, exposed logs in the living room, and second floor laundry. In Clean & Green. $369,900.
REALTOR
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Need financing for any of these properties? Call your local Farm Credit office. All of the properties listed on these pages are offered for sale by local, licensed Realtors and Auctioneers. MidAtlantic Farm Credit is not affiliated with these properties, nor are we responsible for content or typographical errors. Please call the Realtor or Auctioneer listed for more information.
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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
BALTIMORE MD PERMIT NO. 7175
45 Aileron Court Westminster MD 21157
EQUAL HOUSING
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Often Imitated. Never Duplicated. EQUAL HOUSING
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There is something to be said about a lender who has been serving rural America for nearly 100 years—and that’s us, Farm Credit! We know agriculture and are the experts in rural financing. Don’t be fooled by “here today, gone tomorrow” lenders driving up your farm lane and promising you the deal of a lifetime. So, if you’re looking for financing and exceptional customer service, give us a call or visit us at mafc.com—we’re the original experts in agricultural lending. Farm Credit. Made for you. Owned by you. Here for you.
888.339.3334 | Lending support to rural AmericaTM
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