Lenhartsville dairy farmers Sherrie and Lynn Krick and their daughters Megan, 17, and Morgan, 19, have been named the 2017 Berks County Outstanding Farm Family.
“Honored to be picked,” Lynn said modestly.
“Just to be recognized for the work that goes into everything,” added Morgan.
“I think all the farmers are great families. We work hard,” said Sherrie.
“We’re always helping each other out, like neighbors, so it’s not just you’re doing your own work, you’re helping with everyone’s work,” said Morgan.
The award, presented during a July 19 award ceremony at the Berks County Ag Center, is co-sponsored by Reading Fair and Berks County Grange.
“They’re very active in the community and they’re very active in Grange,” said Steve Mohn of the Reading Fair and Berks County Pomona Grange.
The Krick family are members of Virginville Grange.
“We do fundraisers to help out the community,” said Morgan. “Everybody just kind of pulls together.”
“I like Grange Camp,” said Megan, who serves as a youth counsellor at camp. “It’s usually a Friday to Sunday. We do activities with the little kids.”
Sherrie enjoys being a Grange member. Her favorite part is being able to help out at Grange fundraisers and events, such as the Mother’s Day Dinner, Bingo, and banquets.
“I enjoy all the different meetings they have,” said Sherrie, who enjoys getting together with other Grange members. “Just seeing everybody, getting to reminisce with everybody and just helping out.”
The Kricks are dairy farmers, milking 96 cows and growing crops on about 600 acres between their farm and Lynn’s parents’ neighboring farm. His parents are Arlan and Jane Krick. The two families farm together.
“We raise all our feed to feed the cows; hay, corn, soy beans, wheat and barley,” said Lynn.
Describing a typical day on the farm, Lynn said, “There are no typical days. Get up at 5 every morning, milk, feeding and bedding … Days that are nice in summer time, we’re in the field. Five at night we milk again. It’s usually 8 by the time we’re done.”
What they like about farming is the opportunity to work outside.
“Every day is different,” said Lynn. “Some days I plant corn, combining, making hay. That’s what I like about it.”
Lynn is a fourth generation dairy farmer. Farming goes back to his great-grandfather Robert. He hopes his daughters follow in his footsteps into the farming industry.
“I think I knew when I was 5 years old that I wanted to do this. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” said Morgan. “I couldn’t imagine living in town and having nothing to do at 5 o’clock.”
Morgan will be a sophomore this fall at Delaware Valley University studying agri-business. She is doing an internship with Crop Production Services, looking at fields to check for deficiencies in soil.
“I like both the crops and the dairy cows … but I definitely have an interest toward cows a little more than crops right now,” said Morgan.
Megan will be a senior at Hamburg Area High School in the fall.
“I am interested in farming but I would rather be with the tractors more than cows. I like helping my Dad fix them when something breaks down,” said Megan.
They feel it is important to carry on the tradition of farming.
“There’s not a lot of farms around anymore. Nobody wants to do it,” said Morgan. “Farming provides for not just the community but the nation.”
Their milk goes to Clover Farms which goes out to the local elementary schools and the local grocery stores.
“It’s providing for other people,” said Morgan.
“We’re feeding the world, basically,” said Lynn.
