Vol. 17 No. 17
Soybeans can be converted Into
palatable feed by using either a roaster, a
steam flaker or an extruder, like the one
Soybeans Browing On Area Farmers
“If more Lancaster County
farmers knew about soybeans
they’d be planting them. They’re
less expensive to grow than other
feed crops any my pigs and steers
are as healthy as they were
before.” So says one Lancaster
County farmer about soybeans.
Slowly but surely the soybean is
beginning to carve out a niche for
itself in the fields of Lancaster
County.
“I began to plant soybeans
about four years ago” says
Brunnerville farmer Paul B.
Kline. “I started with two acres. I
got a yield that first year of about
30 bushels per acre. I had heard
that soybeans were a good, high
energy feed and rather inex
pensive to grow. I was pleased
with the results. I fed it raw to
my steers but found this un
satisfactory. I then heard about
steam flaking. Since then I have
been having my beans steam
flaked and my hogs and steers
seem to be thriving.”
From all indications soybeans
seem to be a high energy feed
which can be grown at a
relatively low cost. Then why
aren’t more Lancaster Countv
farmers growing them. “Well”
said Kline, “I suppose its because
there simply hasn’t been much
information about the soybean
and how it would grow in Lan
caster County. And since there
weren’t many farmers raising -
soybeans we had very little in
formation about growth results in
our area soil. But now more of us
are growing soybeans and facts
and figures are getting around. I
expect that more farmers will
begin to grow them as they
review these facts.”
The soybean, in its raw state, is
bitter to the taste. Thurs, for
animal consumption the bean
must somehow be cooked and
reduced in size for proper
disgestion. Kline mentioned the
fact that he has his beans steam
flaked. Beans also can be roasted
or extruded. There are a few
roasters, extruders and steam
flaking machines in the area ard
farmers pay to rent them when
they need them.
One other Lititz farmer, who
asked not to be identified, began
raising soybenas last year. He
planted 45 acres and got a per
acre yield of nearly 60 bushels
per acre. This year he is planning
to plant 60-70 acres. This par
ticular farmer raises dairy
cattle. He purchased an extruder
a year or so ago and finds that
extruded beans are the best for
his cattle. He noted that his milk
yield has been up ever since he
began to feed soybeans to his
cattle and that the milk is of an
extremely high quality. He, too,
says that more Lancaster County
farmers would grow soybeans if
more information were available
about them.
Both fanners and other experts
agree that soybeans should be
planted around May 15. “The soil
must be warm, said Kline. “If
you plant too soon you simply will
not get the yield you want. The
beauty of planting in mid-May is
that you can get your com crop in
first, then plant your soybeans.”
One fanner noted that he raises
very little com now because
economically it pays him to grow
soybeans and buy most of his
com.
One problem has been noted for
Conservation District Plans
Two Pollution Meetings
Two educational conservation
meetings will be sponsored by the
Lancaster County Soil and Water
Conservation District. The first
will be held in the agriculture
room at Elizabethtown Area High
School at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,
March 28, and the second
meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m.
April 4 in the Mastersonville Fire
Hall.
Subjects to be discussed are
Lancaster Farming, Saturday. March 18,1972
show above. The extruder cooks the bean
and then crushes it into a fine meal which
is easy for the animal to digest
this year. “I understand that seed
is going to be hard to get,” says
Kline. “More farmers are pur
chasing soybean seed so the
demand is up. But the seed
quantity is down because of
weather conditions in the seed
growing area. It seems that too
much rain caused excessive
moisture which affected the
germination of the seeds. I’d
advise anyone to is going to
purchase seed to get their order
in now.”
Soybeans are not grown locally
for human consumption. Klinp
said that at this time there are no
outlets for them locally. But he
foresees a time when there may
be a demand.
The advantages of raising
soybeans are many. They are
fairly inexpensive to grow. They
are a high energy feed which
seems to be satisfactory for a
variety of animals. The farmer
can raise his own feed instead of
buying it and this saves money. It
is apparent that as more in
formation becomes available to
Lancaster County farmers about
soybeans and that information is
shared that more area farmers
will begin to grow this most
underrated of all beans, the
soybean.
pollution and its abatement, the
clean streams law, and some
suggestions as to what citizens
can do to reduce or prevent
pollution.
The meetings are open to
anyone, farmers and urban
residents, who recognize
pollution in the form of soil
erosion, animal wastes, or other
problems related to pollution.
All are urged to attend.
Carcass Show Winners
The Lancaster County Swine
Producers released the spring
carcass show results held in
February at Union Stock Yards
in Lancaster.
Named grand champion was
Masonic Homes, Elizabethtown,
champion carcass with a
crossbred gilt weighing
210 pounds, loin area of 6.4 per
cent, ham loin 45.07 per cent, and
back fat of .9 per cent.
The reserve champion was
Lawrence Arnold, Lebanon RDI,
with a Duroc gilt weighing 215
pounds, 6.8 loin area, 44.07 ham
loin percent, back fat 1.2 per cent.
Third place went to John
Strawbridge, Stewartstown, with
a cross bred gilt weighing 207
pounds, 7.1 loin area, 43.05 ham
loin percent, back fat 1.1 per cent.
Fourth place went to Dutch
Valley, Manheim, with a cross
bred gilt weighing 218 pounds,
loin area 5.8, ham loin per cent
41.95, back fat 1.3 per cent.
Fifth place went to Paul Geh
man, Denver, with a cross bred
gilt weighing 208 pounds, loin
Form Calendar
Saturday, March is
1:30 p.m. Grange meeting,
Lecturers and Women’s
Activities Committee
Chairmen, Fleetwood Grange
Hall, Berks County.
Monday, March 20
12 noon Extension Association
Board of Directors luncheon
meeting, Akron Restaurant,
Akron.
Tuesday, March 21
1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Calf
Raising and Replacement
barn meeting; John Groff
farm, Mount Joy RDI, and
Nelson H. Hershey farm,
Colunbia RD2.
6:30 p.m. Annual Southeast
Pennsylvania Poultry spring
meeting, Trainer’s
Restaurant, Quakertown.
7:30 p.m. Dairy Herd
Management meeting, Farm
and Home Center.
7:30 p.m. New Holland Young
Farmers Concrete Workshop,
Ag classroom, New Holland
High School.
7:30 p.m. Lancaster County
Young Farmers Volleyball
tournament, Penn Manor
High School.
1972 Beef Cattle Conference,
Penn State University, March
21-23.
Wednesday, March 22
1 p.m. Cucumber Growers
meeting, Intercourse Fire
Hall.
7:30 p.m. Lancaster
Beekeepers meeting, Farm
and Home Center.
Thursday, March 23
6:30 p.m. Lancaster County
Soil and Water Conservation
District annual banquet,
Farm and Home Center.
6:30 p.m. Pequea Valley FFA
banquet, cafeteria, Pequea
Valley High School.
Saturday, March 25
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Southeast
Pennsylvania Ayrshire Club
barn meeting, Kennard
Henley farm, Cochranville.
$2.00 Per Year
area 5.8, ham loin per cent 41.71,
back fat 11 per cent.
Along with the carcass show
there was also an evaluation
contest. Winners were: Mark
Nestleroth, Manheim RD3; John
Henkle, Strasburg RDI; Clair
Hartman, Gratz, and Richard
Sholley, Jonestown RD2.
It was reported to be the best
carcass show in records for loin
area, ham loin percent and back
fat average.
Calf Raising Meetings
Two bam meetings on calf
raising and the handling and
management of replacements
have been planned for Tuesday
afternoon, March 21.
At 1 p.m. at the farm of John B.
Groff, Mount Joy RDI, a calf stall
bam system will be reviewed.
Groff installed a new 42-
individual calf stall bam on slats,
connected to the liquid manure
system.
At 2:30 p.m. the new free-stall,
swing gate heifer bam with
automatic silage feeding system
at the farm of Nelson H. Hershey,
Columbia RD2, will be examined.
r l ~wo Extcnsi on specialists from
Fenn State will lead the
discussion and descirbc the in
stallations on display. Jerry
Bodman, Extension engineer,
will discuss housing methods and
equipment. Steve Spencer, dairy
specialist, will discuss the
feeding and management of
hiefer calves.
4-H Calendar
Tuesday, March 21
7:30 p.m. Lincoln Community
4-H Club reorganizational
meeting, Mt. Airy Fire Hall.
7:30 p.m. Sequoia Riders
Horse and Pony Club,
Pineview Stables.
Thursday, March 23
7 p.m. 4-H Play Tryouts, Farm
and Home Center.
7:30 p.m. Elizabethtown 4-H
Pig and Rabbit
reorganizational meeting,
Elizabethtown Trust Com
pany Building.
Saturday, March 25
8 p.m. 4-H Hoagie Sale Day
IVevvAddress
The department of agricultural
communications at the Penn
sylvania State University has
been moved to hew headquarters.
The new campus address will
be Room 444, Agricultural Ad
ministration Building, Penn
sylvania State University,
University Park, Pa. 16802. The
telephone number will remain
the same, Area Code 814, 865-
5487.
fit This Issue
Ag Teachers Report 6
Classified Ads 40,41,42,43
Egg Meeting Report 15
IFYE Report g
Market Section 2,3,4
Sale Register 34-39
Women’s News 26,28,29,30
What’s New 12