Ephrata Young Farmers conduct manure handling tour EPHKATA Conditions and choice led Kay Beyer, dairy far mer from K 4 Lititz to a Slurrystore manure system some six years ago 'I wanted to go to a liquid system and eliminate regular manure handling,” he told fellow members of the Ephrata Young Farmers during an educational manure storage and handling tour conducted by the chapter on May 25. The Beyer farm, located bet ween Latitz and Ephrata, was one ot three visits on the tour. Other stops included the Kichard Fox farm and the Oregon Dairy Farm. ■ I didn’t have the proper Proximity of Slurrystore unit to dairy barn is shown just behind Ray Beyer on farm at R 4 Lititz. £ MEN'S VINYL DRESS SHOES • D&EEE Widths • Colors Black & Brown SUPER s|il AO SPECIAL PRICE I X«TO location for a lagoon or similar storage facility," Beyer further explained. The Beyer dairy barn, which was also added in 1976, is located on the lower side of sloping land just off the Lincoln Hoad. Proximity to Middle Creek also had to be con sidered in the selection of a manure system. Thus, when the 60-stall tie barn addition was erected six years ago, the overall project included the erection of a 167,000-gallon Slurrystore unit just behind the barn A Patz barn cleaner empties into a pit just adjacent to the barn and a PTO-driven pump relays the wastes up into the Slurrystore. MEN'S DECK SHOES • Canvas Uppers • Colors White & Navy SUPER SPECIAL PRICES $ 4.98»0 $ 5.98 Ray Beyer, center with arms folded, explains Farmers Chapter during recent educational his manure handling and storage system to tour, visiting members of the Ephrata Young When the manure is spread twice a year, a valve allows flow back into the pit for pumping into a 3000- gallon Badger tank spreader. The Slurrystore is emptied Spring and Fall, including the top dressing of rye in the Sprmg "We didn’t require any fertilizer the past two years,” Beyer said. Testing of the manure the past couple of years has shown results ranging from 43-9-7 to 34-19-15. The Young Farmer visit also got a glimpse of the barn’s Aero-Vent ventilaUon system, which includes five circulating fans. "The system keeps the winter MEN'S CANVAS CASUAL SHOES • Oxfords or Slip-Ons • Colors Black, Brown, Beige & Navy SUPER SPECIAL PRICES $ 4.98.0 *5.98 Lancaster Farminf, Saturday, June 5,19*2 temperature between 50 and 55 degrees,” Beyer explained "The only problem last winter was that coldest Sunday when the barn stayed so warm that water condensed on the blades of the fans and they froze up ” Beyer took over operation in 1960 from his father, Russell, who bought the 80-acre farm m 1944 Son, Clair, is now the third generation involved in the operation. The 60-cow herd of grade Holstems has production records of some 17,500 lbs of milk and 650 lbs. of butterfat. On the Richard Fox farm, the LARGE SELECTION OF MEN'S WORK SHOES • Leather Uppers • 6 & 8 Inch • Regulator Safety Toes *14.98.. *54.98 MEN’S PULL ON WORK BOOTS • Leather Uppers • Regular or Safety Toes SUPER SPECIAL PRICES 5 32.98.0 chapter members viewed a Darn cleaner system that empUes into a pit. A ram pump moves the semi sohd wastes to a 36 by 60-foot storage building. Excess liquids are drained off into an un derground tank The Oregon Dairy Farm has a 350-cow, free-stall bam with an automatic manure scraper and gutter cleaner. A ram pump pushes wastes to a slatted dam storage pond. Liquids dram off into an evaporation pond.—DA SUPER SPECIAL PRICES *49.98 71
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