VOL 26 No. 22
Jay Irwin named
Extension director
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
[ LANCASTER Jay W. Jrwm,
I whose educational efforts and
r guidance as agricultural extension
agent have been in the forefront of
the growth of a county poultry
industry that has more than
quadrupled in the past decade and
a half, has been named Lancaster
County Extension Director
Irwin, who came to Lancaster
County in 1967, succeeds Max M.
Smith, who has retired after 44
years of service.
When Irwin began his extension
duties in the county in 1967, a
30,000-bird house was considered a
large poultry facility The value of
poultry production in Lancaster
County was then valued at about
$3O million
Today, new poultry houses have
capacities of some 80,000 birds
Already by 1979, poultry
production had grown to a $125
million business in Lancaster
County
In addition to his efforts on
behalf of the poultry industry,
Irwin has been very active in farm
management, conducting
educational sessions and advising
farm families in various
Friends remember
Max Smith
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
LANCASTER “Max Smith
was a man of dedication, a man
purpose and a man of insight.”
These words of Marian Deppen,
capital region administrator of the
Extension Service, express the
feelings of many as they talked
about Max’s retirement after 44
years of dedicated service to
Lancaster’s agricultural com-,
munity i
Although himself never a i
member of 4-H as a youth, it is i
probably for his work with Lan- 1
caster County’s 4-H members that
Smith will be most fondly;
remembered
Daily reports
Holstein show this week, A 25;
Top Brown Swiss herd, A 34;
Mifflin DHIA, C3O; ADA meets,
C 32, York DHIA, C 36; Franklin
DHIA, C4l; Berks DHIA, D 2;
Berks dairy princess, D 6; Perry
DHIA, D 8; Prefab milking parlor,
Die
Regular columns
Editorials, A 10; Letters to
editor, Al 2; Ida’s notebook, C 5;
Have you heard? C 9; Joyce Bupp,
C 27; Sheila’s shorts, DIO; Ask the
VMD, Dl3
Jay W. Irwin
agricultural fiscal areas, such as
estate planning.
In 4-H, he has been engaged in
youth work, including the horse
and tractor clubs and capons
Irwin has received a number of
awards for his outstanding
educational programs for both
youth and adult farm groups
In 1970, he received the Career
(Turn to Page A 24)
AH those interviewed expressed
admiration for Max and his out
i standing success with young
i people, indeed, his ability to work
successfully with all people was
recognized as a key factor in his
productive career
Herman Purdy, retired Penn
State extension livestock
specialist, put it succinctly, “I
travel all over the country judging
and consulting and Max is the most
outstanding county agent I have
met I’ve judged in 44 states and he
is the most outstanding the top
one.”
Purdy credits Max with getting
young people interested in
(Turn to Page A 32)
Naurs and features
Guernsey breeders meet, A 26,
Poultry banquet set, A 37; Nor
thampton ag awards, 83, Bedford
County fire, C2O; Saving soil, C 22;
York PCA manager, C2B,
Manheim Young Fanners, C 46,
Tobacco outlook. Dll
Hoflifl and Yoarth
Mrs Ruth Smith, C 2; Home on
range, C 6; Farm women societies,
C 9; Kids Korner, CIO; 4-H news,
Cl 2; Learning in FFA, C 26,
Solanco FFA, C4O; Grassland
FFA, C 44; Grange royalty, DIO.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 28,1981
State to bleed hogs
in extensive PRV survey
BY SHEILA MILLER
TERRE HILL Bureau of
Animal Industries officials of the
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture outlined a survey
involving an estimated 200 hog
farms m Lancaster County during
a special meeting on Thursday
afternoon at the Umon Grove
School.
The survey, which is planned for
April and will encompass 50 square
miles, will give state veterinarians
a better handle on the extent of the
pseudorabies problem and the
plausibility of an eradication
program.
It was a poor turnout of farmers
though, with only a half dozen
attending the session
“We needed a rainy day instead
of a bright sunny day,” said Dr
John Cable, head of the Swine
Division of BAI “Everyone is out
working in the fields ”
Those farmers who were in
attendence listened as Dr Max
Vanßuskirk, BAI chief
veterinarian, discussed the details
of the survey
“At the present time, there have
been 30 herds of swine infected
with pseudorabies in the state
mostly in Lancaster County There
are still 29 herds under quaran
tine,” he said. “We would like to
eradicate this disease, but first we
need to know the scope of the
problem ”
The area earmarked for the
concentrated survey surrounds the
nucleus of the present herd in
fections, from the northern limits
of the Pa turnpike, east to
Bowmansville and Goodville,
south to New Holland and Leola,
and west to Ephrata Three two
man teams of BAI technicians will
visit every hog farm in the
designated area and will take
Farm bill held 9
dairy cuts move
WASHINGTON, D.C. - US
Agriculture Secretary John Block
this week postponed bringing the
1981 Farm Bill before Congress,
prefermg to wait until the fate of S
-509, the dairy support bill, could be
resolved.
The Farm Bill package was to be
presented to the House Agriculture
Committee on Tuesday and the
Senate Committee on Wednesday
The Senate overwhelmingly
passed S-509, a measure which
eliminates the April 1 price support
boost.
But even when the Farm Bill
program is presented, probably
next week, it will be far from final
The Senate and House of
Representatives, with plenty of
help from the farm lobby, will have
their chances to change and am
niend the measure
Although the Bill will contain
random blood samples from about
20 to 25 hogs, depending on herd
size.
“By knowing how many herds
are infected with pseudorabies, we
will be able to decide if the state
and the industry can afford to
eradicate the disease,” explained
Farm safety honors were presentedto William A. Reagan,
left, Shirley Garner; Bob and Ken Messick, Messick Farm
Equipment, Inc. All were honored for helping make Penn
sylvania farms safer places to work.
Safety programs
gather laurels
BY CURT HAULER
STATE COLLEGE - The
Pennsylvama Agricultural Safety
Council Thursday honored several
members of the area farm com
munity for outstanding con
tributions to farm safety.
Shirley Garner, R 1 Mount Joy,
was presented the special m-
what the Reagan Administration
wants in the way of a farm
program, the final picture could be
quite different from what Block
takes to Capital Hill.
Many observers predict a
drawn-out fight, perhaps even a
Presidential veto of congressional
changes, before the bill becomes
law
Dairy and gram programs are of
most mterest to local farmers. And
those programs will be among
those most radically changed.
Sizable chunks will be carved out
of the Farmers Home Ad
ministration budget, perhaps over
50 percent, if Reagan’s men get
their way That will mean tough
sledding for farmers getting
started
Higher interest rates also are
likely on FmHA loans
(Turn to Page A 39)
$7.50 Per Year
Van Buskirk. “If the cost is
prohibitive and there’s too much of
an impact on the industry, we may
have to live with the problem.
“We’re not concerned in
knowing which hog in the herd has
(Turn to Page A3B)
dividual award for her leadership
in promoting farm safety.
Ken and Bob Messick,
Elizabethtown machinery dealers,
were given the industry award in
recognition of their opening their
shop to emergency rescue crews so
they could practice farm rescue
techniques.
Franklin County Extension
Agent William A Reagan took first
place in the professional educator
category, an award coming after
he invested 25 years of work with
youth
The awards were presented at
the Fourth Annual Meeting of the
Ag Safety Council, held at the
Nittany Lion Inn.
Mrs Garner has worked for
health and safety in Lancaster
County for the past several years.
She is chairman of the Health and
Safety Committee of the Lancaster
Farmers’ Association Women’s
Committee.
She has worked over the past two
years with fire and emergency
crews dealing with farm equip
ment rescues.
She expanded her program from
four training programs in 1979 to
six in 1980. A total of 228 men and
women from 55 County fire
compames participated in this
year’s programs.
The Messicks, who sell IH and
New Holland Equipment, have
conducted safety programs for
over 300 rescuers in Lancaster
County. Included in those numbers
are programs sponsored by Mrs
Gamer
(Turn to PageA36)