ROLAND P. FREUND
Area Farm Management Agent
Step 5. Keeping Score
The most important bit of in
formation to a football coach on the
sideline is the score. He also must
know such details as the yardage
to the next down, and the up-to-the
minute fitness status of each
player in the squad. Coaching a
game requires a lot of organization
and the occasional “time out” to do
it effectively.
In the farming business there is
no scoreboard to give an im
mediate readout of the score.
Farm managers must maintain
their own scoreboard, and they
have to be their own linesmen,
routinely checking on day-to-day
progress. They have to keep the
stats about the herd health and the
growth of the crops. Unlike foot
ball, there are no time oats! The
clock keeps running, the crops
continue to mature, the animals
produce and reproduce, and the
bills seem to reproduce too! To
stay on top of all these little details
without taking a “time out” is
what management is all about. The
alternative is the strategy which is
observed on too many farms -
“drop back and punt”.
Each business must record its
financial dealings for income tax
purposes. Completed tax returns
however tell very little about the
financial health of an operation. To
maintain control of the business,
the careful farm manager will
want to maintain more than
minimum financial records. As a
first step, it might be helpful to
divide income and expenses into
two categories - crops and
livestock. When this is mastered it
may be possible to further sub
divide these major categories. For
example, livestock may be divided
into milk cows and growing stock.
This can help to reveal how each
enterprise is performing.
To do the detailed farm planning
and analysis as discussed earlier
SHENANDOAH INCINERATORS - A SANITARY
ALTERNATIVE FOR ON FARM DISPOSAL
The sanitary way to get rid
of animal carcasses is with
a Shenandoah incinerator.
It’s pollution controlled and
convenient to use. It’s also
extra efficient because
we’ve lined the burning
chambers, ; and in some
models even the af
terburning chambers, with
one and a quarter inches of
refractory cement. That
keeps the heat up and the
energy costs down.
STORE
HOURS:
Mon.-Fri.
7:30 to 5:00
Sat.
7.30 to 11:30
(Parts Only)
Six Steps To Establish Control Of Fa
The Basies Of Management
in this series, additional records
will be needed. These might in
clude:
Inventories carefully taken at
the end of each financial year.
Field records of soil fertility,
treatments, crop and yield history.
Production records for animals:
DHIA, breeding/reproduction,
health, weight gain, sales by head
and weight of each class of stock.
Feed usage by different classes
of livestock, or regular checks of
feed consumption and feed con
version on representative groups.
Cost of production of crops and
PITTSBURGH - Meetings,
social functions seminars, a trade
show and showcase performances
are all slated for the 75th Annual
Convention of the Pennsylvania
State Association of County Fairs
to be held at the Pittsburgh
Marriott at Greentree, Pa.
Convention registration, which is
expected to exceed 800, will
commence on Wednesday, Jan. 21,
at 8 a.m. and the convention will
end on Friday evening, Jan. 23,
with a banquet to celebrate the
diamond anniversary of the
association. Meeting with the Fair
Association will be the Penn
sylvania Showmens Association,
the support industries for 104
county agricultural fairs in Penn
sylvania.
Opening at 3 p.m. on Wednesday,
and continuing for the entire three
days will be the Trade Show.
Approximately 40 vendors will be
showing their wares.
The Keynote address for the
convention will be presented by
Don Warner, president of Warners
Mayflower Moving, Red lion, Pa.,
Wilmington, Del., and Chicago,
Illinois. Warner’s topic will be,
“Be Optimistic”.
Round table discussion groups,
To Help Prevent the Spread of Disease
COMPLETE SYSTEMS, EQUIPMENT, SALES. INSTALLATION, SERVICE
FOR CATTLE, HOGS AND POULTRY.
M "7 We Welcome Your Inquiries - Call or Write — "V
AGRI-
RD 4, East Farmersville Rd., Ephrata, PA 17522
Pittsburgh To Host County Fair Convention
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EQUIPMENT,,^.
(Lancaster County)
(717) 354-6520
livestock;
Machinery and equipment
maintenance records.
Regular comparison of cash
records and cash-flow projections
to avoid surprise*.
Routine management should
also include field scouting for
weeds, insects, and diseases.
Record the findings for each field.
Check livestock for heat and
health; promptly record ob
servations and actions taken.
Schedule machinery maintenance
inspections and program
overhauls during slack periods. To
seminars, and business meetings
will also be held. The Seminar on
“Improving Agricultural Exhibits
at Your Fair” will be presented by
the New York State Fair
Association.
Discussion groups will be held on
computers, promotion, marketing,
surveying, choosing judges, and
conducting a queen contest, to
name a few.
Maryland Pesticides Conference Scheduled Next Week
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The
thirty-third Maryland Agricultural
Pesticides Conference is making
its annual run at two locations
during January east and west of
the Chesapeake Bay.
This year’s first meeting was
held Jan. 13 at the Sheraton Inn
south of Frederick. An Eastern
Shore version is scheduled next
week on Thursday, Jan. 22, in the
Danang room of the Wicomico
Youth and Civic Center at
Salisbury.
The day-long educational
program includes presentations on
regulatory update for pesticides,
spray drift control and weather
assessment, herbicide action,
groundwater protection, and
Choose among eight easy
toinstall smoke and odor
controlled models. You
even have the option of
burning gas or oil.
Ask your local
Shenandoah dealer about
efficient, inexpensive in
cinerators. You’ll find out
how our bright ideas in
farm equipment can mean
a bright spot in your day.
And still leave a green spot
in your wallet.
S 5 Shenandoah
Bright ideas in farm equipment.
Lancaster Farming Saturday, Janaary 17,1987-Dll
Business
ensure that the most important
things get accomplished, prepare a
job priority list for each week and
update it daily.
The exact format of the records
is not critical. What is important is
that the information be retrievable
and that it be used. Some
managers prefer to spread
everything possible out on wall
charts where information can be
seen at a glance. Others use
commercially available recording
systems, while some prefer to use
the computer brianpower to store
and sort information.
The 1967 Pennsylvania Fair
Queen will be chosen from the 13
entries from the various fairs in
the state. This girl will be the
association’s representative at the
1988 Pennsylvania Farm Show.
The fairs in Pennsylvania are
the showplace of Pennsylvania
agriculture. The 104 fairs held in
Pennsylvania last year varied in
choosing and laundering protec
tive clothing.
Registration confirmation at the
Salisbury meeting will begin at
8:30 a.m., with the program
running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
according to Amy E. Brown,
Extension pesticide coordinator
for the entomology department at
the University of Maryland in
College Park.
To register, call Nancy Breisch
at College Park before noon on
weekdays to see if space is still
available. Her office telephone is
(301) 454-7358.
The pesticides conference is
intended for county Extension
agents as well as agricultural
The only reason for collecting
and maintaining any information
about the farm business is to
provide an accurate picture for
making decisions. If we make
decisions on the basis of our fan
cies, Emotions, and poor
memories, we have no need for
these management tools. But
quarterbacks don’t wear blind
folds, and coaches always keep the
game roster close at hand.
In our wrapup next time, we’ll
look at anayhang results and
setting new goals.
(Continued Next Week)
size from a small three-day event
which had attendance of 8,000, to
the larger fairs, which run for nine
days and draw 550,000 people. The
primary purpose of the association
is to improve the fair industry and
allied fields. From a nucleus of a
half dozen fairs in 1912, the
association has grown to now
represent every agriculture fair in
the state.
custom pesticide applicators,
dealers, distributors and sales
representatives. In addition, plant
protection workers from the
Maryland Department of
Agriculture will be on hand. Other
interested persons - especially
farmers - are welcome.
The event is a qualifying
meeting for state recertification in
Category 1 for Maryland com
mecial applicators. In addition, the
Delaware Department of
Agriculture will accept attendance
at the meetings as four hours of
training toward recertification in
agricultural plant pest control for
Delaware operators.
FRANK A.
FILLIPPO, INC.
- WANTED -
DISABLED A CRIPPLED
COWS ( BULLS A STEERS
Competitive Prices Paid
Slaughtered under
government inspection
Call: Frank Fllllppo -
Residence - 215-666-0725
Elam Glnder - 717-367-3824
C.l. King - 717-786-7229