AlB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 15,1984
Sunflowers
BY MARGIE FUSCO
DANVILLE Sunflowers are on
the increase in central Penn
sylvania. “They do especially well
in the Pennsylvania climate, and
we have a local market to offer
farmers,” explains Larry Breech,
Danville grain farmer and an
agent for Bay-Mor Pet Feeds of
Cressona (near Pottsville).
Sunflowers are taking hold as a
second or third crop in the Lan
caster area and in the
Susquehanna Valley. They’re a
new crop with a growing market as
pet seed and oil seed. Some far
mers are trying sunflowers as
silage, although Breech can’t
/ry . jnville, is among Pennsylvania farmers turning to sun
alternate crop. It is being marketed as pet bird feed.
COMPLETE SYSTEMS, EQUIPMENT,
SALES, INSTALLATION,
SERVICE FOR CATTLE, HOG,
POULTRY AND GRAIN
increasing as cropping alternative
recommend that use.
“They offer a double cropping
option and make an excellent
three-crop rotation,” Breech says.
“They also offer good dollar return
for minimal investment.” Sun
flowers require only $6.50 an acre
for herbicides, he said, and can be
planted with most conventional
corn planters. Breech has found
that conventional harvesting heads
cause too much crop loss. This
September he brought a special
sunflower head into the upper
Susquehanna Valley to run the first
major harvest. The special head
will adapt to most combines and
will allow farmers to harvest twice
SS® CHORE-TIME
hopper-bottom bins for feed storage
• BIN LID has 24-inch diameter, is form
ed from one piece of steel for max
imum rigidity and warp-resistance
to keep it weatherproof. Big 22%-inch
opening means less feed waste.
• BIN LEGS are formed from heavy, all
galvanized steel to make a girder-like
structure with 6 separate bends or
“breaks”. Formed leg gives superior
fit, finish, and durability over that pro
vided by other types.
• ALL BIN SEAMS are double caulked
with non-hardening sealer for max
imum weather protection.
STORE HOURS;
Mon. Fri. 7:30-4:30
Sat. 7:30-11:30
(Parts Only)
as many acres of sunflowers per
day as they do with soybeans.
Breech has put 50 of his 500 acres
in sunflowers and has area
growers doing as much as 125
acres. Next year, he plans to in
crease his own sunflower acres.
Although sunflowers are a poor
choice for farms with major deer
problems or fields near marshes
(since blackbirds thrive on sun
flowers), Breech says they work
well on most Pennsylvania farms.
Bay-Mor Pet Feeds offers a
basis premium for growers versus
the more distant Midwest market.
Sunflowers weigh half the cost of
These Features Help Make Chore-Time
Bins A 'Best Bmp'
•UJ
(Turn to Page Al 9)
lowers as
K 'f~~hk
jihMMM'Jr
AGRI'
2754 CREEK HILL RD., LEOLA, PA 17540
(Lancaster County)
PH: (717) 656-4151
'-V k
Special harvesting head is used by Larry Breech, of
Danville, in his sunflowers. Head has nine-inch row pans with
long teeth to accomodate long stalks. Drum contains
staggered cutting fingers. The head out of sunflower country
in North Dakota costs less than $3,000 and reduces har
vesting losses.
• TO HELP YOU get the long life and
full depreciation you want from your
investment, all metal parts are fully
galvanized for maximum rust re
sistance.
• CHORE-TIME’S FULL ONE-YEAR
warranty (we’ll provide a copy on re
quest) against any product defect is
another valuable feature you get with
every Chore-Time bin.
• CHORE-TIME OFFERS your choice
of 16- or 25-inch diameter hopper open
ings for greater versatility in applica
tion.
SIZES AVAILABLE FROM
2.9 TON to 52 TON-6’ 7’&9’ DIAMETER
Authorized Chore-Time Distributor
EQUIPMENT, inc.
iVr ■?' ,/, *, „
IS*. S vsji.n v * '<? * kl 1 -V
*» -• ' ,1
m§ k- 4 ,«.Jw*lSra*
':v*.
in Pa.
**