This discussion may be a little
late for the present season.
Probably most of the manure is
already hauled and spread on the
handiest com fields. You know, the
ones that always get preferential
treatment because they are close
by. Let’s start to consider the
longer haul, -both in time and
distance.
An all too common concept
among dairymen is that manure is
a commodity to be disposed of as
quickly and easily as possible. It’s
high time that we begin to think of
manure as a truly valuable asset.
One to be used to the greatest
advantage for fertilizing crops, as
well as to prevent adverse
saturation of the environment.
Is there a field or two several
miles down the road that never
gets any manure? Why do we so
often neglect those fields? Why do
we supersaturate thfe fields nearest
the barn? How far can you afford
to haul the stuff? Can the hauling
costs be justified in terms of time,
as welT as mileage, wear and tear
on equipment, and fertilizer
savings?
Those are questions for thought,
With no direct answers for any
specific case. Until all of the math
has been juggled, and the pros and
cons of your particular cir
cumstances are penciled out, you
can only guess at the answers. But
every farmer should consider
these important facts.
Fact Number one: If all of the
manure produced in Lancaster
County was distributed equitably
on all of the crop acres in the
county, and incorporated promp
tly, no other fertilizer nutrients
would be needed, except some
starter for com and grain. Also
true for some other nearby
counties. (The fertilizer dealers
are going to hate me for that!)
Fact number two: There are
fields that get too much manure
year after year. (Maybe it is not
evident in crop growth, because it
is applied too carelessly on frozen
ground and washes down the
creek!) This supersaturation often
does show up in soil tests that will
have the line of X’s running off the
page for Phosphorus and Potash.
What happened to the Nitrogen is
anybody’s guess, but it is probably
in your drinking water.
Fact number three; There are
many fields producing crops that
never get any manure, simply
because they are thought to be too
far. from the barn at hauling time.
Or they may be rented acres that
are neglected in favor of home
owned land.
These facts are intended to point
out that manure is a commodity
that deserves serious con
sideration. Compared to chemical
fertilizer, manure is bulky, harder
to manage, messy, smelly, and
harder to calibrate and measure. A
ton is not always a ton, or, who
takes the time and trouble to
calculate the value of a spreader
loaded with solid stable manure,
versus a tankful of liquid stuff?
The pit is full, and must be emptied
today, or it overflowed!.
Now before you dismiss the dirty,
subject, consider this. Cow manure
loses nearly 60 percent of it’s
nitrogen the first year, unless it is
incorporated in the soil within
seven days after spreading.
Poultry manure loses nearly 80
percent. These figures are based
on actual research availability
factors, reported in the Penn State
Agronomy guide.
The liquid portion of manure
carries half the nitrogen and three
fourths of the potash. Every effort
should be made to conserve the
liquid by bedding absorption and
good storage.
The closer to crop planting time
that manure can be applied, the
better. Nitrogen is so mobile that
severe loss can occur, unless the
plants are in the ground and
growing while it is available.
Plan to spend a little more time
and effort in hauling, in
corporating, and applying it
uniformly to all land. Before the
next pit emptying time, get a
complete analysis of the manure,
and do some careful figuring on
where it will do the most good for
you.
Distributed more equitably, your
manure supply might be one of the
best assets on your farm. Your
reduced fertilizer bill may well
more than pay for the extra time
and effort to haul it farther and
incorporate it before you lose it.
Area 6 Milk Prices Increases
SOUTHAMPTON - Dairy
farmers in the Pennsylvania Milk
Marketing Board Area 6 will see a
20-cent increase in their Class I
milk price effective May 1,1986.
The increase brings the Class I
fluid milk differential up from
$2.10 to $2.30 per hundredweight.
The adjustment, according to John
Pierce, PMMB executive
secretary, coincides with in
creases in Class I prices in Federal
Orders 4, 2 and 36, as required by
in the 1985 Farm Bill. The ad
justment, Pierce said, is the “best
pricing order based on testimony
presented during the hearing.”
The increase was prompted by a
request from Inter-State Milk
Producers’ Cooperative. In
January 1986, Inter-State proposed
the increase to bring the Area 6
price into line with the federal
Managing Meetings
Workshop Scheduled
“Managing Meetings” is the
subject of a workshop scheduled by
Hunterdon County, New Jersey,
Cooperative Extension on
Tuesday, May 27, 7:30 p.m., in
Hunterdon’s Extension Center.
“If you are timid with the
gavel...or unfamiliar with Roberts’
Rules of Order, this workshop can
be helpful to you,” says Calvin
Wettstein, Hunterdon County
Extension Agent. “It will restore
your confidence and bolster your
skills.”
Designed for members, chair
men, officers of clubs,
organizations, or boards, there will
be opportunities to: review
parliamentary procedure, role
play common situations, discuss
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order increases.
In testimony presented to the
Milk Marketing Board, Inter-State
Economist James Fraher said the
increase was necessary to
maintain competitive producer
price alignment between Federal
Orders 4,2 and 36 and Area 6.
During the hearing held on Feb.
19, Fraher and Joe Amick,
president of the Inter-State’s
Altoona-Huntingdon-State College
Secondary Milk Market, said an
increase in Area 6 would also
reflect changes in milk production
costs relative to prices.
The 20-cent increase is good
news for Area 6 dairy farmers,
Fraher said. The higher price will
help to offset other cost increases,
such as the 52-cent assessment
mandated by the whole herd buy
out program and federal budget
cuts, he said.
ieadership/membership qualities,
and practice goal-setting and
decision-making.
The “Managing Meetings’’
workshop is a sequel to a 7-session
leadership program, “Be A Better
Leader,” conducted by
Cooperative Extension. You need
not to have been part of that series
to attend and benefit from this
program, says Wettstein.
Call the Cooperative Extension
office, 201,788-1339, for a program
description and registration form.
Fee is $3 to cover refreshments
and hand-out material.
All Cooperative Extension
programs are offered without
regard to race, color, national
origin, sex, or handicap.
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