David and Sonia Fink recently welcomed buses full of hay growers and their families to their Germansville farm.

Visitors took tours of their hay growing and baling operation and son, Mike’s vegetable and produce operation.

The 120th annual convention of the National Hay Association, of which Daivid is president, met Sept. 24-26, in Lancaster, with members traveling to Germansville for the tour.

Sonia Fink addressed the hay growers, giving a history of the farm.

“The first and second generations [of Finks] were potato farmers, Fink said. “This was a little potato capital here.

At one time, Sonia’s mother-in-law, Ramona, had 40,000 chickens. However, Heidel Hollow Farm gave up egg production in 2000, she explained, adding her grandkids want to raise layer chickens.

Fink, said husband David, president of the NHA, found his niche in alfalfa.

“We are big proponents of keeping agriculture strong in this area,” Sonia said, adding the family believes in “buy fresh, buy local.”

Mike Fink discussed his vegetable operation telling the hay growers he farms 200 acres of sweet corn, 130 acres of broccoli and 400 acres of pumpkins.

“It’s kind of a learning experience in the produce business,” he explained.

Mike also said he and wife, Melanie, bought a farm in Potter County.

There they grow 1,800 acres of hay and vegetables, notably summer grass such Timothy and pumpkins and squash.

He noted the differences in growing seasons at the two different elevations: Germansville at 600 feet above sea level and Potter County at 2,500 feet.