VOL. 29 No. 50
Meeting to ask:
Is PRV fat in fire?
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
HARRISBURG - The
proverbial fat may really be in the
fire during October Pork Month.
Pseudorabies and more
specifically forced depopulation
without indemnification to control
it apparently have heated to the
boiling point between the state and
some swine producers.
It’s reported that a meeting will
be called early next month by the
Department of Agriculture among
farm leaders and groups to review
the pseudorabies situation and the
forced depopulation policy of the
Bureau of Animal Industry.
This session has been called
apparently as a followup to a
rather strongly worded letter that
went out under the. Pa. Pork
Producers Council to the state
calling for the forced depopulation
policy to be rescinded.
The letter reportedly asked for a
reply within two weeks and im
plied that more stringent
measures might otherwise be
taken.
The forced depopulation policy
discussion centers around two
primary viewpoints;
-When a positive PRV herd is
found, it amounts to a tremendous
economic impact on the producer,
particularly if it’s a breeding
operation. While stock can be
marketed, all breeding value - in
both dollars and time involved in
genetic development - is lost, as
Extension to promote ag & tourism development
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
CLEARFIELD For the first
tune in its history, Penn State
Extension is becoming directly
involved in economic develop
ment, including not only
traditional agricultural areas, but
also tourism.
Clearfield County Extension is
now seeking a fulltime staff
member, who will be concerned
entirely with Ag and Tourism
Development and Promotion.
“We’re in a kind of depressed
area here,” explains Harold Bock,
Clearfield County agent, “and we
need someone to coordinate small
agricultural and tourism
development projects that will
permit our residents to supplement
their income.”
Possible areas of investigation
Ag projects, such as rabbit
production, growing Christmas
trees, vegetable marketing and
sheep production.
Tourism projects in rural areas,
such as “Bed and Breakfast,"
longer-term farm tourists and
recreational development.
“We’re located conveniently
between New York City and Pitt
sburgh,” Bock said, “presenting a
number of recreational
possibilities.
Concerning ag development,
we now have only a few small
vegetable tailgate markets and our
Four Sections
well as additional costs of down
time and cleanup.
-Against this is weighed the
possible impact of the disease on
the state’s 18,000 swine producers,
allied industry and possible effects
on other livestock and dairy
operations.
The slaughter house surveillance
program and blood testing by the
state is uncovering more incidence
of the disease in the state.
Ten of the 14 breeding operations
currently under quarantine have
been found through the sur
veillance program.
The disease is found in the blood
samples as sows and boars are
periodically moved out of the
breeding operations to market.
Including associated finishing
operations, 31 quarantines are in
effect by the Bureau of Animal
Industry. One breeding operation
discovery can result in several
associated finishing operations
being included in the quarantine.
Latest reports of the PRV herds
have, .included both family
breeding firms, in which a tightly
closed operation is followed, and
more commercial feeder pig
operations that result in both the
quarantine of the central sow
facilities and the finishing
operations.
The concentration of
pseudorabies still remains in the
northern and western sections of
Lancaster County.
In Clearfield County:
reclaimed strip mine areas could
be utilized for sheep production.”
The groundwork for the Ag and
Tourism Development post was
laid last fall when a Clearfield
County grodp started preliminary
discussions on ways to boost the
area’s economy. The group in
cluded Extension, the County
Farmers’ Association, county
commissioners and agri-business.
“We came up with a number of
ideas, but saw the need for
someone to coordinate the
program,” Bock said.
The county commissioners, who
help fund the Extension program,
suggested the concept be expanded
also into the area of tourism..
Application was made for
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 13,1984
Lowell Brubaker stands with the grand champion Holstein of the Manheim Farm
Show, Hertzler Astro New Beginning. Brubaker and his wife Deb exhibited the grand
champion and a number of first place winners on Thursday at the Farm Show.
‘New Beginning’ for Brubakers
BY WENDY WEHR
MANHEIM—You might call
Lowell and Deb Brubaker’s year at
the Manheim Farm Show a new
beginning this is the first year
they’ve ever shown the grand
champion Holstein. And they can
thank “New Beginning” for that
matching funds through the state’s
Ben Franklin program and a grant
will permit getting the concept and
its new and unique Extension
position started for next year.
Bock also explained that a
livestock auction will be held in
Clearfield County this fall for the
first time to stimulate 4-H
livestock project participation.
Clearfield has no regular livestock
auction outlet.
In addition to the new Ag and
Tourism Development and
Promotion position, the Clearfield
Extension also has a 4-H and
horticulture opening due to the
promotion of Jim Welshans to the
Extension director post in Dauphin
County.
OCT 1 '(
liiv«;r!,itv uibrjfies
honor.
The five-year-old Hertzler Astro
New Beginning took grand
champion honors at the Manheim
Farm Show dairy show on Thur
sday, and Lowell and Deb
Brubaker were pleased with the
win.
“She just calved a month ago, so
she’s looking real good,” said Deb.
The judge of the show remarked
that New Beginning had the most
dairyness and the best rear udder
in the show. He also awarded the
five-year-old the top place in the
best udder class.
Are BMP’s the best way
to tackle Bay problem?
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
NEW HOLLAND - Are BMP’s
(Better Management Practices) -
the heart of Pennsylvania’s ap
proach - the best way to clean up
waters in the Commonwealth and
reduce ag nutrient loading of the
Chesapeake Bay?
Not in all cases, cautions a
member of the USDA’s Economic
Research Service.
One of a number of speakers at a
Thursday meeting in New Holland
on cleanup efforts in the Conestoga
headwaters area of Northeastern
Lancaster County, Ed Young, of
the USDA’s Economic Research
Service, stationed at State College,
pointed specifically to Better
Management Practices that
control erosion, such as terraces,
as likely being counter-productive
in reducing nutrient loading of the
Bay.
“Nitrogen loading is the most
significant problem,” Young said.
“You can’t only address erosion
control or you could help to ac
tually increase nutrient loading.”
$7.50 per year
But there’s greater significance
to New Beginning’s name. “She
was a wedding present from my
parents,” explained Lowell, “So
Deb and I named her “New
Beginning” to mark the beginning
of our new life together. ”
New Beginning is also a healthy
producer for the couple, with a top
record of 22,000 pounds. The
Brubakers farm in partnership
with Lowell’s father, Harold. They
have about 125 milking head.
Along with showing the grand
(Turn to Page A 26)
As Young explained, nitrogen
put into the soil either through
manure or commercial fertilizer
can go only four places.
-It can go into the crops.
-A small part can be volitilized
and vaporized into the air.
-It can go into surface water.
-Or it can go into underground
water.
Erosion control measures, as
terraces, only hold the water and
send it down into the ground along
with the nitrogen faster and in
greater concentrations.
Through the ground, the nitrogen
can travel, into fractured rock
formations to area streams and on
its way to the Chesapeake Bay.
Another speaker at the session
attended by more than 100 ag and
political officials affirmed* that
nitrogen can travel very quickly
after a heavy rain down through
the ground and into underground
water supplies.
James Gerhardt, of the U.S.
Geological Service, which has been
(Turn to Page A2B)