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Tri-Dale Farm is owned
by August W. Knispel and has been for 40
years.
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Tri-Dale Farm has been in Mr. Knispel's family for
two generations. Mr. Knispel's farm is 150
acres.
Tri-Dale Farm was named after the three meadows (or
dales) that meet at the base of the farm. The farm
specializes in growing hay as well as raising
heifers. In the past, Tri-Dale Farm was a dairy
farm.
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Now Mr. Knispel
specializes in raising heifers to sell to
dairy farms.
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He has named all his heifers after women in the
Bible.
Mr. Knispel has many machines to do his work for
him. It is busiest at the farm, says Mr. Knispel,
between the months of March and December.
Mr. Knispel's family helps on his farm. He has
hired his nephew and his great uncle to help him
with the work on the farm. The only time Mr.
Knispel regrets farming is when he has to work
outside in the winter with the hay crop.
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It takes Mr. Knispel
three months to grow his hay crops.
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He grows broome and orchard grass hay every year.
In fact, it is hay that grows best at his farm. Mr.
Knispel does not grow any of his own food on his
farm. He works with his hay in the winter as
well.
Mr. Knispel prays and reads the Bible in his free
time.
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He does not plan to
sell his farm, because he can't bear to
see all his hard work torn down by a
bulldozer.
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All though he has had many offers to sell his
farm, he has refused to sell it every time. In
order to preserve Tri-Dale Farm for agricultural
use Mr. Knispel made the decision to put his farm
into the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program
in 1989.
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