Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding recently traveled to Heidel Hollow Farm, Germansvill to present owners David and Sonia Fink and their family with a special proclamation as part of the celebration of National Ag Week.

Redding came to learn about the diversified operations and environmental responsibility that have not only sustained the multi-generational farm locally, but have also catapulted it successfully into the global market.

The farmstead was originally founded in 1852 by David Hunsicker, an uncle of David Fink’s great-grandmother, Mary.

Mary married Richard Fink, and thus the business has been in the family four generations, with the fifth generation currently on board and excited to continue the legacy.

David and Sonia Fink, along with sons Michael and Travis, manage the farm’s 1,700 crop acres of which 900 are devoted to quality hay products.

On a particularly warm day, the Fink Family showcased their products and techniques to Redding as well as other public figures, which including state Rep. Gary Day, R-187th; Penn State Extension Director Andrea Tessier and staff; and Matt Moyer, director of communications for state Sen. Pat Browne, R-16th.

One of the many innovations of Heidel Hollow is the rapid harvesting and processing of double compressed bales.

David Fink demonstrated the farm’s bale processor and compactor which produces condensed, wrapped and tied bales for easier transport and cleanup.

The trademarked product Bale-In-A-Bag, a smaller version, is available in the retail market for home and garden use.

The product is also convenient for the stable, with varieties including straw, barley, Timothy and alfalfa.

According to David Fink, Heidel Hollow Farm is also the exclusive manufacturer of Purina Hydration HayBlocks.

“The concept of the Hydration Block, this tightly-packed product, actually has its roots in World War I,” said David Fink, while demonstrating the proprietary product’s expansion in a water-filled bucket. “German troops would use a similar compacted hay as rations to lighten the load of feeding its horses which supplied the army’s front lines.”

Fink completed his array of products by discussing the use of barley straw as an alternative method for controlling extensive algae growth.

The farm now offers Barley Straw Pond Treatment Kits.

According to Fink, barley does not kill existing algae, but inhibits the growth of new algae, particularly when applied early.

The result is a more environmentally friendly method of maintaining a cleaner pond.

Still another technological advance being used at Heidel Hollow is hydrocooling.

The process uses cold water to chill vegetables to a core temperature of 40 degrees for transport, rather than the usual process of packaging vegetables inside blocks of ice for shipment.

Michael Fink, manager of Mike’s Produce/Water Wheel Farm Market said he is using hydrocooling for broccoli and sweet corn, but hopes to experiment and expand to some other vegetables.

“We’re doing iceless broccoli,” said Mike Fink. “That’s not very common in the broccoli business.

“Everything coming out of California is ice broccoli where they inject slurry into the box and freeze it solid.”

According to Mike Fink who along with his wife, Melanie, manages some 850 acres of vegetables and plants, the long-used combination of ice and broccoli is a messy mix and also limits the amount of time from farm to table.

“Normally broccoli without hydrocooling will keep about one week, but just by using the hydrocooler and keeping it at proper temperatures, we can get about 3 to 4 weeks before it starts to turn yellow,” said Fink.

Keeping up with the changing demands of nature, the environment and the consumer requires the constant ability to rethink old practices.

The farm added a solar energy system in 2011 to help with energy needs on the farm.

The 896 panels are mounted on 64 poles overlooking the farm and supply 240 megawatts of energy annually, which is used on the farm or fed back into the power grid.