'It's a gift': Couple tends acres as well as young enthusiasts
His 110-year-old, bright red barn in Connoquenessing Township serves as a one-room schoolhouse.
There is no set curriculum — just hands-on experience for the boys and girls who work for fifth-generation farmer Guy Daubenspeck.
“I consider myself very privileged to get up every morning and tend this place,” said Daubenspeck. “It's a gift. Not too many people are able to do that, and I fully realize it.”
Since Daubenspeck was 5 years old, he knew he wanted to be a farmer, but never dreamed a lifelong career tilling fields would transform into teaching the sixth and seventh generation of farmers who will follow him.
“He is a mentor and a teacher,” explained Emily Zang, Daubenspeck's only full-time employee.
[naviga:iframe width="100%" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62VpWICTmQs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen][/naviga:iframe]
Zang's capabilities were limited when she started working with Daubenspeck six years ago. She helped feed the cows and tackle other small tasks. Today, she drives tractors, bales hay and recently learned to operate the combine.“He seems to find a teachable moment in just about anything,” Zang said of her mentor. “You can ask him anything you want. He has a lot of patience.”Zang is not his only student. Brady Stewart, 14, and Robyn Freund, 17, join Zang each day after school to help with chores, gain experience and build their knowledge of farming.Robyn started coming to the Daubenspeck farm when she was 14 years old. Her brother and sister also worked for Daubenspeck, sparking her interest in farming.“I thought it would be a fun opportunity,” Robyn said.Since then, the high school junior explained, she has learned to operate and fix different types of tractors, and raise a good set of cattle. According to Robyn, Daubenspeck is a good teacher and an even better mentor.“He has been patient and kind ... willing to teach anyone,” said Robyn, who plans to become a welder after high school and pursue farming as her career. “I am going to definitely have a farm of my own.”Brady lives just down the road from the Daubenspeck farm. He worked with Daubenspeck a few years ago when he was in the Boy Scouts for a special project and has been coming to the farm ever since.He likes working on the “equipment” and learning how to take care of it, he said. This summer, he had the opportunity to mix feed, change oil and headlights, and even paint one of the tractors. One of his favorite chores has been “running the chute” to prevent the cows from “squirming” while the veterinarian conducts examinations.“I like farming,” Brady said of considering the career alongside several others.Daubenspeck said he and his wife, Carol, have been “blessed” and “privileged” to have had the opportunity to teach a number of high school and college-aged youths over the years. The couple have no children of their own.“One of the greatest things to me is ... you teach somebody something and after a few months — sometimes a couple of years, depending on what type of activity you are teaching — they learn to take over and do it themselves,” Daubenspeck said with a smile.
Daubenspeck doesn't have a set curriculum.“Not everybody gets to handle the equipment or work with the cattle,” he explained.In fact, until a few years ago, Daubenspeck's only students were young men. However, several young women have enrolled in helping out at his farm.According to the United States Department of Agriculture's 2017 census, more than 36 percent of American producers were women, an increase of 31.5 percent over the 2012 census. Broken down by numbers, that means 500,000 more women farmed the land in 2017 than in 2012. The USDA 2017 census also indicated that in Butler County, 545 of the county's 945 farms, or 57 percent, consisted of female producers.“We found that young ladies are just as capable as young men,” said Daubenspeck. “Sometimes, they learn fast and sometimes faster (than the boys) depending on what we are doing.”One of those young women is Robyn's big sister, Tarrah Freund, who is pursuing a veterinary medicine degree at Iowa State University.Tarrah spent six years working for and learning from the Daubenspecks. The 22-year-old graduate student holds dear the wisdom and knowledge gained working on the couple's farm during her most formative teenage years.She explained how her work on the Daubenspeck farm helped inspire her future career choice. She recounted learning how to grow crops, and make and mix feed for the optimal health of the animals during her time spent on the farm.“Guy gave me the hands-on opportunity and chance to work with young stalk and mature stalk,” Tarrah said.Daubenspeck also taught her how to take care of the animals with the proper medical treatments and nutrition, she explained.“You also have to know how much feed to give the animals,” Tarrah said of finding the balance. “Younger cattle need more feed than the older animals. You have to give them the right ratio and quantity of feed. If you give the adult cows too much, they become fat.”
Tarrah's experiences on the Daubenspeck farm not only inspired her but also prepared her for her future academic career.“Guy has helped to shape my agricultural life and encouraged me throughout to pursue my dreams of becoming a veterinarian,” said Tarrah, who earned her undergraduate degree in animal science at Delaware Valley University. “It gave me the work ethic and knowledge base to build on to become a successful animal science student.”Additionally, her experience helped her land a job at the USDA.Not everyone who works and studies at the Daubenspeck farm becomes a farmer. However, they all gain much more from their experience than just farming skills.Tarrah's brother, Zach, also worked on the farm and is studying petroleum engineering at Marietta College in Ohio.Another former student, Dalton Noble, decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. He is a police officer in Charlottesville, Va. And Faith McElravy of North Washington is a second-year veterinary student at Penn State University.“I think we have sent several people out of here with more self-confidence than they had when they came ...” Daubenspeck said, fondly remembering his mentees.For the Daubenspecks, it's not just about the hay and the tractors. It's about inspiring the next generation of young people to grow up to be responsible, engaged, caring community members.Tarrah agrees: “There are countless people (who) would not be as successful without the help they received from Guy.”
<br />
