118—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 23,1978
Computers becoming a part of farm management
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Those
few farmers operating their
own computers are just the
beginning of a trend toward
Grain reserve
worries
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
The leader of the nation’s
largest farm organization
has personally urged the
Secretary of Agriculture to
take immediate, definite
steps to deal with grain
surpluses.
Allan Grant, president of
the American Farm Bureau
Federation, met here with
Agriculture Secretary Bob
Bergland, recently.
Grant called for a Sep
tember announcement on
provisions of a 1979 feed
grains program, designed to
produce a crop of 5.5 billion
bushels. The Secretary is
mandated to make an an
nouncement before
November 15.
The 1978 crop is expected
Long wins
Ayrshire show
YORK Howard Long of
Thurmont, Md. exhibited the
grand champion Ayrshire
cow here last week during
the York Fair. The
Maryland exhibitor also had
the reserve grand champion
and nearly a dozen first
place entries.
The honor of junior
champion exhibitor went to
Mark Jenkins. Joey Welsh
captured the reserve slot.
Also showing a first place
animal was Barry Lehman.
TTENTION GRAIN FARMERS?)'
Chesapeake & Delaware
Grain Corporation
computerized agriculture,
says a University of
Missouri-Columbia agricul
tural economist.
Grant
to reach a record 6.8 billion
bushels according to USDA
crop forecast released last
week.
Grant told the Secretary
that a 5.5 billion bushel crop,
coupled with an estimated
1979 carryover of about 1.5
billion bushels, will be more
than enough to meet
domestic and export needs.
To insure participation in
the program, the Secretary
was asked to announce per
acre performance payments
for set-aside acres.
Grant supported efforts by
the Secretary to maintain
favorable farm prices, but
said he is “gravely con
cerned that the Secretary of
Agriculture is but one voice
raised among the many
cheap food advocates in the
Administration and
Congress.”
BEFORE
Your business is cordially invited.
Box 505, Mechanics Valley Road,
off of Route 40
North East, Md. 20901
Phone 301-398-2111
“Computers are becoming
more usable, practical and
specialized and should play a
major part in farm
management of the future,”
says Norlin Hein.
UMC has launched a pilot
project to show how portable
computer terminals can be
used by Extension
specialists to help farmers
make better decisions. The
specialists and farmers use
the terminals,- which look
like portable typewriters
with a telephone attached, to
“talk” directly to com
puters.
UMC has already
developed programs on
investment analysis, four
Champion goats named
YORK Eighty-two dairy
goats were entered into the
York Fair’s goat show, held
earlier this month. It was
sanctioned by the American
Dairy Goat Association,
(ADGA) and judged by
Teresa Wigle of Keymar,
Md., who is officially
licensed by the ADGA.
Exhibitors who won
champion distinction were
Timothy Humnhreys of
WEIGH JARS & GLASS PIPE
REPAIRED
AFTER BEFORE AFTER
CUSTOM SCIENTIFIC GLASS, INC.
249 S. BRIDGE ST.
ELKTON, MARYLAND 21921
(301 f 398-0505
year financial planning,
feeder pig finishing budgets,
profit comparisons among
different crops, and least
costhvgstock rations.
Basically, it’s Extension
specialists who are using the
terminals, but there are a
few farmers and
agribusinessmen who have
installed their own com
puters and some who have
terminals to tie into com
puter programs like the
University of Nebraska’s
“AGNET,” Michigan State’s
“Telplan,” the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute’s
Computerized Management
Network (CMN).
This summer, four UMC
Millers, Md., with High View
Heidi, an Alpine; Brandt A.
Kampa, Fallstown, Md.,
with Abraxas Cdris Getta, a
Nubian; Bernard R. Bosley,
Glen Rock, Pa., with
Collegheny Hills Marcie, a
Toggenburg, and Chenango
Hills Lisa, a Saanen; and
Nancy Sentman, Fawn
Grove, Pa., with Nevada
Desert’s Champagne, a
LaMancha.
The Chesapeake and Delaware
Grain Corporation, a grain business
owned and operated by a group of
farmers, is now receiving gram
Chesapeake and Delaware Gram
Corporation’s facilities include a
700,000 bushel house, a 10,000
bushel receiving elevator, a 60 foot
truck lift, a 60 foot scale, a 3000
bushel per hour dryer, and wet
storage capacity of 52,000 bushels
Extension specialists and
about 10 Missouri farmers
were using computer ter
minals and AGNET to
determine their irrigation
schedules.
“These farmers and
specialists m the Chillicothe,
Columbia, Mexico and
Warrenton areas plug
temperature and moisture
data into the terminals and
get a print-out telling when
and if they should turn on
their irrigation systems,”
says Hein.
With companies now
producing mini or micro
computers about the size of a
portable typewriter, Hein
sees more versatile com
puters for agricultural uses.
“An important use of
computers will be for in
60th ANNUAL
EPHRATA
FAIR
SEPT. 26-27-28-29-30
All Agriculture Activities and Exhibits including
farm machinery, livestock, and crops will be in
“Tent City" at the Ephrata Community Park
★ FARM EQUIPMENT
EXHIBITORS ★
Penn-Jersey Harvestore Systems, Box 91, New
Holland, Pa. 17557, Phone 354-4051
A.B.C. Groff, Inc., 110 S Railroad Ave , New
Holland, Pa 17557, Phone 354-4191
Roy H. Buch, Inc., R-2, Ephrata, Pa. 17522,
Phone 859-2441
Heritage International, Inc., 1054 S. State St.
Ephrata, Pa. 17522, Phone 733-2285
Stauffer Diesel, Inc., 312 West Mam St., New
Holland, Pa. 17557, Phone 354-4181.
Wes Stauffer Small Engines, R-3, Pleasant
Valley Rd, Ephrata, Pa 17522, Phone
733-9174
Lancaster Ford Tractor, Inc., 1655 Rohrerstown
Rd, Lancaster, Pa 17601, Phone
569-7063
Ag-Tech Industries, 325 West Mam St, New
Holland, Pa. 17557, Phone 354-8721
Show-Ease Stall Co., 573 Willow Rd , Lancaster,
Pa. 17601, Phone 299-2536
Holiinger's Power Equipment, 1755 West Mam
St., Ephrata, Pa 17522, Phone 733-4151
Levi High, Representative, O's Gold Seed Corn,
Soil Conditioner, & Agn-Spon, .R-l
Schoeneck Rd , Ephrata, Pa 17522, Phone
733-7213
FARM CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Tuesday, September 26
Machinery Exhibits Open (Ephrata Com Park)
Barbecued Pork Chop Dinner (YF Refresh St)_
Adult Tractor Driving Contest (LBD)
Jr Market Hog Judging (ÜBD)
Crop Exhibits Received (Gram Tent)
Pig Chase (ÜBD)
Wednesday, September 27
Poultry Judging (Playhouse Basement)
Cloister FFA Tractor Driving Contest (LBD)
Jr Market Lambs Judging (ÜBD)
Street Fair Parade
Thursday, September 28
Jr Market Hog Sale (ÜBD)
Pork Cook out Contest
Garden Tractor Pulling Contest (LBD)
FFA & 4-H Baby Beef Judging (ÜBD)
Friday, September 29
Area FFA Tractor Driving Contest (LBD)
Carcass Lamb Auction (ÜBD)
Cow Milking Contest (ÜBD)
Junior Dairy Cattle Judging (ÜBD)
Saturday, September 30
Exhibits Close (Ephrata Community Park)
Visit the FFA and EAYFA Refreshment & Food Stands
Crop, livestock, and farm machinery on display all day, with
special emphasis 4-9 00 PM at the Ephrata Community
Park This schedule applies ONLY to the “Tent City” por
tion of the Ephrata Fair
ÜBD- Upper Bali Diamond at Eph Com Park
LBD - Lower Ball Diamond at Eph. Com Park
formation retrieval,” he
says.
“In the future, farmers
will use terminals to get
pesticide recommendations,
pricing information,
weather forecasts, etc.
“But they will also be used
for farm management
analysis. For example,
farmers can simply ask a
computer to help them
determine which crop to
plant, what to feed, and
whether or not an in
vestment will likely be
profitable.
“Computers would have a
terrific advantage over
printed publications,
because such things as
pesticide recommendations
could be kept much more up
to date.” <-
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