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Slideshow: It’s greening up, and the beauty of the countryside is coming alive.

Chris Torres, Editor, American Agriculturist

April 19, 2019

6 Slides

It’s been a nice spring thus far in south-central Pennsylvania. A little chilly at times, but nothing too bad.

So, on a whim, I decided to take my camera to southern Lancaster County last week to get some photos of farmers working in the fields.

I got some pictures of Mike Rohrer emptying out a silo to feed to his Angus cattle on his farm in Strasburg. I drove past a Plain Sect farmer who was getting his fields ready for planting. I also stopped by and chatted with Lauren Johnson who was weeding some fields at Greenleaf Plants just outside Lancaster.

In between, I stopped by an Amish school where the students were outside enjoying a pickup game of baseball on a warm morning. I watched the game for a few minutes wishing I was playing third base.

For those who don’t live in south-central Pennsylvania, or more specifically, Lancaster County, this area has changed quite a bit from when I was in my 30s, and I turned 40 on April 2.

The remaining plots of farmland along Route 30 are now gone, replaced with shopping malls and housing developments. Traffic is everywhere now as visitors from nearby big cities have discovered that Lancaster County is a nice place to see working farms. And, I guess they think there is something special about seeing Amish people driving around in horse and buggies.

But there is something special about seeing fields green up in early spring. So, for your enjoyment, here are the photos I took. I know, it’s not much, but I think it gives you a good idea of just how nice it is right now.

About the Author(s)

Chris Torres

Editor, American Agriculturist

Chris Torres, editor of American Agriculturist, previously worked at Lancaster Farming, where he started in 2006 as a staff writer and later became regional editor. Torres is a seven-time winner of the Keystone Press Awards, handed out by the Pennsylvania Press Association, and he is a Pennsylvania State University graduate.

Torres says he wants American Agriculturist to be farmers' "go-to product, continuing the legacy and high standard (former American Agriculturist editor) John Vogel has set." Torres succeeds Vogel, who retired after 47 years with Farm Progress and its related publications.

"The news business is a challenging job," Torres says. "It makes you think outside your small box, and you have to formulate what the reader wants to see from the overall product. It's rewarding to see a nice product in the end."

Torres' family is based in Lebanon County, Pa. His wife grew up on a small farm in Berks County, Pa., where they raised corn, soybeans, feeder cattle and more. Torres and his wife are parents to three young boys.

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