Pl2-l—c—tf Farming Saturday, Ssptsmhsr 20,1M6 Brockett's Ag Advice _■ By John E. Brackett . M Farm Management Agent Lewistown Extension Office REMINDER! For those of you who wait until the last moment for everything, do not forget to file for your state gas tax refund if you have non-road equipment that uses gas on your farm. Such equipment would in clude tractors, self-propelled harvesters, combines, gas powered motors for running stationary equipment, and any other unlicensed farm use vehicle. It would not include licensed vehicles such as trucks even if you use them solely for farm activities. They are considered to be highway users, so are subject to the gas tax. Standing Corn for Silage Every year I get calls con cerning the value of standing corn silage crops. Several years ago I developed a computer program for the Apple n to help answer this question. This year Roland Freund, an area farm management agent from the Southeast Region, developed a better program for use on the Macintosh. It will be especially useful in the drought areas of the state. If you are a potential buyer or seller of standing com to be harvested for silage, I would suggest that you visit your county agent and ask him to run the program for you. You will need some information. The results are only as accurate as the in formation you feed into the computer. The information required is (1) potential grain yield per acre, (2) potential shell com price per bushel, (3) number of acres in the field to be sold, (4) potential silage yield, (5) estimated harvested silage moisture level, (6) who will har vest and haul the silage, and (7) the approximate number of miles ALL SIZES AND TYPES AVAILABLE AT DISCOUNT PRICES FARM TIRE SALE LEOLA TIRE SERVICE, INC. from the field to the silo and miles from the field to the mill. With that information, you will receive an idea of the amount per acre and per field that the seller must have to break even between selling the com as harvested grain and harvested silage. You will also receive 'an idea of the maximum amount the buyer should pay per acre and per field for the crop as silage. If you wish to be successful, make it a conscious goal. Success in any business does not come with ease. It is something that must be sought just like any other goal in life. It takes work, dedication, and desire to be successful. Farmers, who want to be at the top of the DHIA list work in that direction with a dedication that sometimes overcomes sound economics. Those who want to win a show, spend countless hours selecting the right genetics, selecting the right animal, keeping records of per formance, and training the animal to show. People who want their children to be successful in music or in sports spend a lot of time and effort acquiring competent teachers or coaches. Farmers who want to be a success in their business must be willing to exert the same type of dedication and desire to achieve that end. Most successful people have a starting point and a goal. As a farmer you could look at a “Farm Analysis” as your starting point. Why a farm analysis? (l)'It can help you see where you are now, where you should make changes, and where your operation is strong. Examples: do you need to improve feed efficiency, what about labor efficiency, do you • Fast On The Farm Service • Radio Dispatched Service Car, Truck and Implement Tires In Stock 717-656-2574 258 W. Main St, Leola, PA RUISILOF TIRES For the hng run Aim for Success make the best use of money, what are yourproduction coats, what are some alternative sources of income that you have neglected in the past? (2) The analysis is only as good as the information that is fed into it. Therefore the analysis will probably help you see the need for better records. Better records will then provide you, as the manager, with a better look at your farm operation. That will help you make better decisions for the business. New Weed Discovered In Delaware DOVER, Del. - A problem weed, thought to be restricted mainly to the southwest United States, has been found in southwest Delaware, causing concern among farmers and the Delaware Noxious Weed Committee. The weed is known as punc turevine. It is a prostrate growing annual weed. It has a shallow tap root and produces a seed pod which (3) Used properly, a farm analysis can become a pretty good projection tool. You should be able to use your analysis to answer such questions as: Will increased production turn things around? Is expansion the answer? Would retrenchment be profitable? What would happen if feed efficiency was improved? Would it be wor thwhile to look at my feed and resource waste problem and correct it? Do 1 have surplus assets that would be saleable? has hard sharp burs. So hard, in fact, that the burs can penetrate bicycle tires, thin soles of leather shoes, and even automobile tires. The plants are shiny green and form circular mats on the ground. The stems may extend six to eight feet. The weed resembles prostrate spurge, a common lawn weed. Terry D. Van Horn, Noxious r BUCKETS & FORKS 1 For Skid Steer Loaders Built to Order AVAILABLE FOR MOST MAKES AND MODELS • FORKS * BUCKETS 40” to 72” Standard Various Shapes And SpHklStttAitMh WidteAccordtog Bucket Cutting Edge Available, Beveled One Side, Any Length. 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MODELS AVAILABLE w/CUTTING WIDTHS FROM 48” to 90” COME IN TODAY FOR A DEMONSTRATION I E • “I ROME, PA LEBANON, PA RISING SUN, MO islands Farm WAYNESBORO, PA Evergreen Tractor Co I Ben Haines Centers B Equipment, Inc Inc. 717-744-2371 717-762-3193 7^^2^64l^J MILTON R. ANDERSON, INC PO Box 6126, Harrisburg, PA 17112 (717) 652-6043 or (800) 543-3000. Ext 2002 A REPRESENTATIVE AR (4) The analysis can help answer the question Is there any way I can hope to stay in business as a viable operator? (5) One of the best parts of the analysis is answering the question of the amount of debt a farm business can handle. Of course the analysis is wor thless if you as the manager do not use it or if you feed in a lot of worthless or overly optimistic information. Weed Specialist, Delaware Department of Agriculture, says puncturevine has been positively identified on approximately 20 acres of farmland east of Route 13 in Laurel. If you think you might have this weed on your property, or if you have seen it in Delaware, contact Terry Van Horn at 800-282-8685.
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