Lockport, Barker Lions do a club exchange

Barker Lion Jim Bittner was the guest speaker at Lockport Lions Club’s May 16 membership meeting. His topic was agricultural challenges.

Bittner first outlined current conditions at Bittner Singer Orchards, where the only mechanically harvested crop is tart cherries.

After showing a video that explains how a cherry shaker works, he discussed various apple plantings and, through a series of photos, showed how close together trees are planted and what equipment is now used to harvest the fruit.

Asked about varieties of apple, Bittner said he planted one variety that is no longer economically viable, so a crew came through to graft a new variety onto the existing rootstock.

The new variety is Snapdragon, the official apple of the Buffalo Bills.

Bittner fielded questions from Lions on many other topics ranging from migrant labor and overtime pay to pollinators and marketing the various fruits.

As both clubs wrap up their program years and prepare to install the new officers, the members recapped their various projects.

The May 16 meeting of Lockport and Barker Lions was a club exchange.

Nine Barker Lions joined Bittner at the Lockport Lions meeting, including Lion Tamer Tina Linderman, who observed, “It is fun seeing how other clubs operate and what traditions they have.”

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Barker Lions Club hosts monthly dinner meetings, with a speaker, on the first Wednesday every month at the club’s Main Street building. The club has sponsored the Barker Boy Scouts since 1947 and, per tradition, the groups’ annual joint meeting will be held June 7.

The club is doing a chicken barbecue as part of the Town of Somerset’s bicentennial celebration on July 23. Dinner tickets are $15 in advance.

For more information about Barker Lions Club, email Roar@BarkerLions.org, or call or text 585-480-5437.