York Chamber of Commerce Farm Family 2000
Outstanding Surprise: Unexpected Honor, McPhersons Reveal
By Barb Krebs
Farming and growing fruit seems to come naturally to Paul and Gail McPherson
of Maple Lawn Farms in New Park. But the York County Chamber of Commerce Agri-Business
Committees selection of the McPhersons as Outstanding Farm Family for 2000 comes
as a "complete surprise," said Paul.
"I guess we didn't even know we were in the running," he said. "I
think over the years the families that have received this award have really made
a contribution to the community in particular, so we never really thought of
ourselves as being in line for that. It made it a really pleasant
surprise."
Chamber communications coordinator Louise Heine said the committee considers
excellence in farming, community involvement and positive lifestyle, when
choosing a recipient.
Paul McPherson, 58, is a Farm Credit director, chairs the Fawn Township Planning
Commission and is active with the York County Fruit Growers, the local fire
company and the Centre Presbyterian Church. He is at least a fourth-generation
farmer, working the land deeded to his ancestors in 1867.
Gail McPherson, 55, is active in the church and in local, state and national
Farm Women organizations. She came to the area in 1968 to teach English at
Kennard-Dale High School.
Not too forward: The two met when they both stopped to render aid to the victim
of an auto accident. "When I had to chaperone the prom I asked my landlady
if she thought it would be too forward of me to ask him to escort me. I called
him up, and he was really glad I did because he had lost my phone number,"
Gail said.
They married three years later, and Gail gave up teaching when their first child
was born. From then on, she was a full-time farm wife. They have three grown
children, Gretchen, 27, Hugh, 25, and Sarah, 22.
The McPhersons live in the family farmhouse where Paul was raised. The couple
rebuilt "The Maple House" after a fire gutted it from basement to
attic in the center of the structure. It took seven years, working around crop
seasons, and renovating the space to fit their lifestyle. Paul put a "real
front" on the Victorian home, a decision he made after looking up at the
sky from the ruined basement.
They grow grain on about 800 acres and have another 150 acres devoted to
blueberries, cherries, peaches, apricots, nectarines and apples. In the
off-season, they have three employees, and employ more than 30 additional people
in the busy seasons.
Paul McPherson has some concerns about agriculture and the future of the
American farmer, but those problems are not unique to York County, he said.
Lacking bright spots: "There aren't any bright spots in agriculture right
now. It isn't in grain, it isn't in fruit, it isn't in livestock or dairy, and
you get out into other areas and the cotton people are complaining."
McPherson said. "The citrus people are complaining. It's not a very
profitable business, and I don't know the answer."
"As far as where we are going with production agriculture, I think Tony
Dobrosky, former York County Extension Agent, is absolutely right. It doesn't
make any difference whether we preserve the farmland or not, unless there is
some profitability in farming that land. If we can't save the farmer, it is
unreasonable to expect agriculture to stay here," he said.
Grass roots effort: Dobrosky is heading a grass roots effort to find ways to
preserve the farmer by looking for ways to help them produce high-quality
products, sell them at a profit and realize the same kind of long-term financial
security that so many others take for granted.
In spite of the questions about the future of agriculture Gail McPherson
maintains a positive attitude.
"We've survived so far," she said. "I think we work really close
to creation and Our Creator and we know that whatever we happen to make as far
as money is important, but it's not the whole picture," she said.
Family searches for ways to diversify
By Barb Krebs
Paul and , like other farmers around the country, are on lookout for new ways
to diversify their operation and increase sales.
First came U Pick fruit in the early '70's, then the farm market, which opened
in 1985. Next came Maize Quest, a corn maze developed by their son Hugh
McPherson which brought 44,000 visitors to the farm last fall.
The McPhersons picked up some new ideas at a conference sponsored by the North
American Direct Farm Marketers Association and attended by people from around
the U.S. and parts of Canada.
Shared experiences: "It gave us an opportunity to talk to other people
about what they're doing and what works for them. You learn a lot from other
peoples' practical experience," Paul McPherson said.
said they learned from people just starting out in the business and those with
very successful operations.
"We have to be a destination market,, because of our location. Although we
learned many new ideas, now we just have t o sit down and create our business
plan and decide what we're going to add and in what order," she said.
One of the first things to be added to the farm market will be pumpkins and fall
decorations and there are other thoughts to expand an existing education program
aimed at children, Paul McPherson said.
"We have a fall educational program that ties into the maze, but we would
like to figure out how to run a spring program with primarily an educational
emphasis. We think we can do some good telling agriculture's story and at the
same time make it fun for the kids," he said.
The educational program would likely include environmental issues like the
importance of clean water, forests and good conservation practices, plus
information about integrated pest management and genetic engineering of crops to
cut down on pesticide use.
"There are so many components to it, and it is going to take a little while
to put it all together," Paul McPherson said.
