Delmarva Farmer Columnists

 

More goats (Feb. 7, 2012)

Shepherd’s Notebook

By Susan Schoenian, Sheep and Goat Specialist, University of Maryland Extension

Delmarva agriculture lost one of the great ones on Christmas Eve. Harry Bonk, chairman and leader of Draper-King Cole in Milton, Del., passed away.
The company was one of the largest family owned canneries in the country, but also operated a frozen food operation, a farming operation and a large beef cattle operation. Harry left a legacy of hard work, competition and integrity in his life’s work.
Born in Coram, N.Y., in 1926, Harry enlisted in the Navy at 18 in 1944. He was a cadet in the Navy V-12 training program at Dartmouth and Bucknell, playing football at both institutions.
As his training program took him to North Carolina, he played for an Army team led by legendary coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant.
As the war ended, Bryant talked 20 of his former players to enroll at the University of Maryland.
Bonk played at Maryland from 1945 to 1948 under, not only for Bryant who only stayed one year at Maryland, but also for Jim Tatum, who successfully coached at Maryland for more than a decade.
Bonk tells the story of arriving at the College Park train station with virtually no cash and not much more than the clothes on his back and being met by Bryant.
“Bryant looked at me, pulled out $100 and told me to get some good clothes, growling, ‘We’re a class program at Maryland and you need to look like it.’”
It was at Maryland that Bonk met the woman who would be his wife of 63 years, Patricia Draper.
In the summer of 1949, Bonk and his wife decided to come home to help with her family’s canning business, Draper-King Cole, which was founded in 1880.
Sensing a change in the food industry, Draper-King Cole had installed a freezing line in 1947.
Despite this nod toward change, the company only handled two crops: Peas and lima beans.
Bonk recalled that, “it almost seemed boring. It quickly seemed to me that we had to expand or die.”
His instincts were right, succinctly expressing the economic pressure to maximize the capital investment and associated overhead costs, processors across the region faced similar decisions.
Bonk began to find other crops to fill the seasonal gaps. First, Bonk turned to green beans, than expanding into buying “B” potatoes for canning, and soon buying carrots, onions and asparagus.
Harry was an entrepreneur who loved setting goals and reaching them. Before joining the company, he had earned a master’s degree in physical education and was set to begin a career in coaching.
Many who knew him believed his management style was similar to coaching; that is, teaching and motivating his team to do better.
In the 1970s, Bonk addressed one production problem through innovation and creativity.
The unusable vegetable by-products associated with processing were creating a disposal problem, so Harry created a 10,000-head beef cattle feeding operation to utilize that vegetable waste and turn it into beef.
Nutritionists and other beef experts helped Harry develop rations and management plans so the herd could benefit great from the peas, beans, carrots and potatoes.
The Draper-King Cole ranch recruited cowboys to work the cattle.
Often, drivers on country roads near Milton were startled to see cowboys on horseback on the roads or in the fields working cattle.
Harry was a great Delaware citizen, active on a wide array of state and community boards and agencies. He was also a leader in his profession, serving with various national food processing organizations.
I speak for many when I offer my truest condolences to Harry’s widow, his four children and his grandchildren and other family.
I was proud to know him and pleased to have had the opportunity to learn from him over the years.
Harry Bonk, an important part of the Delmarva agricultural legacy that we value so much today.
Anyone wishing to remember Harry can make a contribution to the Harry Bonk Agricultural Scholarship Fund, c/o Linda Hopkins, 113 Townsend Hall, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716.

Program offers aid to new, disadvantaged farmers (Feb. 7, 2012)

Keeping the Farm

By Calvin Parrish, State Executive Director, Virginia Farm Service Agency

Farm Service Agency has launched a new program that offers increased access to capital and land resources through the Land Contract Guarantee Program.
This program provides certain financial guarantees to the seller of a farm through a land contract sale to beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers. 
The program is designed to facilitate farmers to sell their property to beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers through the use of seller financing. 
There are two basic options.
The prompt payment guarantee plan guarantees an amount not to exceed three amortized annual installment plus an amount equal to the total cost of any related real estate taxes and insurance.
The other option is the standard guarantee plan where FSA will guarantee an amount equal to 90 percent of the outstanding principal under the contract. 
Either option is available, is good for 10 years, and provides an alternative to conventional financing.
We are excited to have this new tool to increase access to capital.
In delivery of our loan programs, we analyze each individual application on its unique merits and continue to work with the borrower after loan closing as part of our mission to provide supervised credit.
The land contract guarantee opens a new market that until now has not been addressed.
Generational transfer, phasing into retirement, formal or informal mentorships are just three areas that this option may be useful.
Access to land resources and capital are continually cited as barriers to entry into farming.
The land contract guarantee compliments our direct and guaranteed loans programs that fund the purchase farmland, construct buildings and other improvements,
Operating loans are also available to help purchase livestock, farm equipment, and other operating expenses.
These loans are available in situations where farmers are unable to obtain financing from commercial credit sources.
For purposes of the beginning farmer and rancher program the applicant has not operated a farm for more than 10 years, meets loan eligibility requirements and substantially participates in the operation.
To find out more about these and other FSA programs, visit a local office or www.fsa.usda.gov.