BY JACK HUBLEY
COUDERSPORT Northern planted his beans on April 17 last
tier farmers looking for a year. The beans,were about four to
homegrown source of jjrotein five inches high by May 10, when a
would do well to take a look at lupin cold front dropped the ther
beans, according to Potter County mometer to 15°. “That burnt my
dairyman, Carl Erway. alfalfa pretty bad," recalls
Because of northern Penn- f Hoopes. But the next day you
sylvania’s cold spring weather and couldn’t even tell it hit the beans.”
shorter growing season, Erway On the other hand, unusually
says he’s not willing to gamble on warm weather early in the year
soybeans. So when he heard about may injure the crop, Hoopes
the lupin’s affinity for cooler cautions. Penn State agronomist,
weather he planted 21 acres last Elwood Hatley agrees, pointing out
summer to give them a try. that the lupin’s low tolerance for
Despite an unusually dry spring, heat stress makes it a riskier crop
his crop yielded 45 bushels per to grow than soybeans. “They
acre. Irway figures it cost him $l3O really require vernalization (a cold
a ton to grow, harvest and grind his treatment) to produce the yields,”
beans, which is considerably he says.
cheaper than buying soybeans at
the current rate, he says.
And since the dairyman can buy
his energy-in the form of corn
cheaper than he can grow it, he’s
content to allow the southern
counties grow his com while he
increases his lupin bean acreage.
According to Jim Hoopes, who
grows and distributes lupin seed,
the beans have outgrown their
longstanding reputation for bitter
taste. Hoopes, who produces seed
for Good Earth Agri Products of
Minnesota, says that sweeter
varieties began appearing on the
scene about 10 years ago. Like
soybeans, lupins are a legume,
capable of fixing up to 150 pounds
of nitrogen per acre, according to a
Good Earth brochure.
Like Carl Erway, Hoopes lists
the lupin’s preference for cold
spring growing conditions as one of
IDEAL LEAF TOBACCO CO.
We are still receiving Type 41 tobacco. We
are paying top money for Type 41 tobacco
graded w/no green in it. If you have green
buts on your 41 Tobacco you can cut 5” off
both ends and still get top money. The
Auction Bam plans to close Monday for this
year. So if you still have 41 Tobacco that is
good quality w/no green, bring it to Ideal
Leaf Tobacco Company.
Delivery Dates: March 4th, March 6th,
March 12th.
They won 9 t lose their cool in cold weather
its greatest virtues. “It’s a cool-
climate crop,” says Hoopes, who
From a nutritional standpoint,
lupins contain less oil than
soybeans, notes Hatley." They also
are somewhat lower in protein at
about 35 percent, compared to
soybeans’ 40 percent level.
Despite lupin’s lower protein
level, however, swine producers
may find them to be an economical
alternative to soybeans, since
lupins don’t have to be heat-treated
before being fed to simple
stomached animals such as swine.
Carl Erway says that his cows
seem to do quite well on lupins. “I
personally like to grind them to get
them fine, more like cracked
com,” says Erway, who presently
feeds them to tus high group as a
50-50 concentrate with three
pounds of Agway Buxmont 40
percent concentrate. He also notes
that he has seen a slight increase in
butterfat content since feeding
Call 717-295-9346
Location: Off Rt. 30 at Greenfield Exit.
Located Near High Steel
lupins. weather. And, unlike soybeans, lupin production to 38 acres this
Jim Hoopes, whose harvest u P* n P o^B grow upward and stay year. “As the noose gets tightei
averaged 33 bushels last year, that way until harvest time. “So around the dairyman’s neck, we d(
finds the beans easy to harvest. y° u can run y° ur combine 10 to 12 have to keep looking for ways t(
Because they can be planted early, inches off the ground,” Hoopes produce our own feedstuffs,” lu
lupins are ready to harvest in points out. _ points out. “Lupins are a good crof
September before the onset of bad Based on what he’s seen so far, to keep an eye on.”
Carl Erway plans to increase his
Joe Irving
March 10th and