AH—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, August 1,1981
PAFC visits
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
CHAMBERSBURG - The
Ricecrest Famrs dairy operation
near New Franklin is one which
from a very small herd to an en
terprise which now boasts 150
milking cows and supports two
families.
The key to the operation, which
is a partnership owned by Fred E.
and his brother Dale, is innovative
approached and sound
management decisions.
J. Fred Rice, the present part
ners’ father bought his own 85-acre
farm in 1962, after having rented a
farm, worked in partnership with
another farmer and worked on
other farms. He was raised in
towns but was determined to
become a farmer.
From 1976-1980 he and Fred had
a legal partnership and m 1980 the
senior Fred sold his halt of the
partnership to son Dale. J. Fred
raises feeder pigs on the farm and
serves as part time help.
For Fred and Dale, cows are the
most precious asset of the their
operation. Fred points out that m
their latest farm analysis, 47
percent of their total net worth is in
their cattle and nine percent is in
machinery.
When 33 young farm couples
visited their farm this week as part
of the Pennsylvania Association of
Farmer Cooperatives’ “Co-op
Couples Confernece,” the brothers
pointed to some of their successes
m their two-year partnership.
Their June Dairy Herd Im
provement average was 17,900
pounds of milk and 662 pounds of
fat. The cows are milked in a
double-six herringbone milking
parlor, using automatic take-ott
units.
Automatic Electronic Control
Say goodbye to the inconvenience of hand washing forever
Eastern Crown has perfected a clean-up system that’s entirely
automatic At the flick of a switch your unit washes, rinses,
sanitizes and drains while you tend to other chores You know
it’s "the best" because the Eastern Crown name is on it Special
spinners spray-clean with such force that they sanitize much
more thoroughly than is possible by hand
TWO STEP ECONOMY PURCHASE PLAN. If now is not the time
to go fully automatic then take advantage of Eastern Crown’s
flexible plan and go semi-automatic by using a timer with the
pump unit which is available separately Add the control unit
later Here’s an easy way to make a major improvement at
a minor expense Eastern Crown Tank Washer is easily installed
with no structural changes in your present set-up It’s the way
to improve quality and increase profits automatically l
Ask your dealer for the new ECI Mini-catalog or write direct to
EASTERNS?"
Box 216 Vernon, N Y 1 3476
Ricecrest Farm
The Rices split their herd into
two groups, with the top 104
producers being housed in a new
drive-through feeding building
with selt-lockmg stalls. A total
mixed ration will be ted to the cows
there.
Fred explained to the visiting
couples that they teel there will be
advantages to their new housing
arrangement in breeding, vac
cination, blood testing and other
herd checks necessary to overall
good herd management. In the top
producing group they are top
dressing tor cows over 70 pounds.
The “tail-enders,” numbering
approximately 35-40 cows, are
housed in a separate tree stall
building. Dale explained that these
constitute the low 35 cows in
production, those at the end ot
their lactations and others.
There is a dry cow and heiter lot
from which the cows are brought in
once a day, tied and checked tor
mastitis. Cows freshen in the
pasture which is adjacent to the
barns and the house. From
December to March, cows freshen
in stalls.
Calves are raised in a eight-year
old calf barn, specially ventilated
with individual stalls. Mrs. J. Fred
Rice is responsible tor feeding the
calves and the mortality rate is 2
percent.
While the Rices do not believe in
investing heavily in equipment,
last year they began baling large
round bales and have been pleased
with the results. Fred says, “You
can save the leaves and get better
quality hay. We use an applicator
and feel it is worth it, but you must
know what moisture you’re
working with.” They have found
they can bale a lot at night.
About the round bales, Fred
notes, “They’re tight. You have to
DISTRIBUTORS OF
QUALITY DAIRY
SUPPLIES AND ECI
SOFT DESIGN
INFLATIONS
be more caretul with round bales ”
For feeding, they use a bale
unroller Hellers and dry cows teed
it as is. Fred says, “They eat the
bale.”
Owning 120 acres and renting 215
acres, the Rices have 140 acres in
altalta, 105 m corn, 10 in barley and
80 acres are double-cropped 36
acres of rye to corn and 44 acres ot
altalfatocorn.
They use a combination ot silos
and trenches about which Fred
says,"lt’s not ideal, but we got
caught with it.” He added that he
personally prefers trenches, but
that they take good management.
Haylage is stored in the trench,
with the upright holding corn
silage.
There is a teed center on the
tarm, where their total mixed
ration is combined. They buy
supplement in bulk and store their
acid-treated corn in open bins in
the bam. Fred says, “The acid
treatment preserves the shelled
corn.” They usually like to harvest
the corn in November, with the
moisture content “the lower the
better” but usually in the low
twenties. The system works out
well tor their custom operator
because they can use him two
weeks later than most others.
Betore going into the partnership
with his lather, Fred worked tor
the USDA in Baltimore, returning
I HOG PRODUCERS! I
♦ Get Top Price ,
♦ for Your Hogs at jIHHV
♦ New Holland JJp
♦ Sold in sorted lots the auction way. See
$ them weighed and sold and pick up
X your check
♦
SALE EVERY MONDAY-8:00 A.M.
♦ ♦
! NEW HOLLAND SALES STABLES, INC. :
t Phone 717-354-4341 ♦
* Daily market Report-Phone 717-354-7288 ♦
« Abe Diffenbach. Manager J
Fred Rice discusses his farming operation
with young cooperative couples who visited
Ricecrest farm as part of a two-day conference
in Chambersburg sponsored by the Penn
sylvania Association of Farmer Cooperatives.
to work on his lather’s tarm which
then had 25 cows m the herd. Alter
marrying in 1971, Fred rented an
adjacent 139-acre tarm, and
bought about 9-8 cows annually to
build up the herd. He and his wile
have two children Allen, 5, and
Darren, 20.
Dale graduated m 1979 from
Penn State with a B.S. in Animal
Science, and formed the part
nership with Fred alter working
tor one year with his brother and
lather. He is now herdsman lor
Ricecrest Farms.
‘ The P AFC-sponsored tour
learned that Ricecrest markets
their milk through Lehigh, and
purchases many ot then* supplies
from Agway, of which Fred is a
committeeman. He serves on the
resource promotion committee tor
Atlantic Breeders Cooperative.
Sire Power is also used in their
breeding program.
For Kicecres-t, astute
management and a genuine
concem for the well-being ot their
cows has build their operation into
an efficient dairy herd.
CARROLL CO.
4-H&FFA FAIR
I TRACTOR
PULL
Sunday, August 2
12 Noon
Rain Date-Aug. 9
Located at the Carroll Co. Ag Center in
Westminster, MD. Take Rt. 140 to
Center Street-follow signs.
* Admission $3
* $3 for Senior Citizens, Ages 7-12, and 4-H
members with cards.
* Ages 6 and Under-Free.