By Shanon Sabanos, Community Development Initiatives Coordinator
Mark Balthaser, a young, beginning farmer, is following his family’s 130-year tradition. He has worked for his parent’s dairy and cropping operation for years. His parents, Randy and Traci, have owned and operated Northkill Creek Farms in Bernville since 2010 when they purchased their three farms made up of 280 preserved acres from Randy’s father, Wilson Balthaser.
Mark and his parents have constructed two poultry houses for Bell & Evans. Mark will be raising ABF birds for Bell & Evans with the intention of eventually transitioning to organic birds. The family worked with TeamAg for the site prep and worked with Zeise Equipment for the construction of the buildings. They included an additional pad in preparation for a third building in the future. These buildings were constructed on a 79.4-acre farm property located at 665 Shartlesville Road, Bernville.
The Balthaser’s currently milk about 120 cows. Their herd is primarily Holstein cattle, with some registered Brown Swiss. Randy and Traci also farm approximately 400 acres in crops. This new venture with Bell & Evans is their way of providing a new enterprise for Mark to continue the farming operation and begin the sixth generation of the family business.
The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) worked with Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit and Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) to finance the $1,300,000 project. Through the collaboration of these institutions, GRCA was able to facilitate the succession planning of these local farmers as well as add to the economy of Berks County.
PIDA provides low-interest loans for eligible businesses and is directly administered by GRCA’s affiliate organization, the Greater Berks Development Fund (GBDF). As the only Certified Economic Development Organization in Berks County, GBDF can assist a variety of different industry sectors to access PIDA financing including manufacturing, industrial, agricultural, research and development, hospitality, defense conversion, recycling, construction, child daycare, retail and service, export and computer-related service enterprises.
PIDA financing can be used for land and building acquisition, construction and renovation costs, machinery and equipment purchases and working capital.
To learn more about GRCA’s financing opportunities, contact Landon Bernheiser, Director of Real Estate & Special Projects, at 610.898.7792.
Greater Reading Chamber Alliance
