D 18-Uncaster Farming Saturday, April 4,1987 NSIP To Evaluate Sheep Nationwide DENVER, Colo. - The ex panding American sheep industry has taken another confident step toward the future with the official incorporation of its own per formance evaluation system the National Sheep Improvement Program. The product of four years of planning, NSIP is now ready for producer enrollment. Overall, NSIP is designed to increase profits for both com mercial and purebred sheep producers through genetic im provement of their flocks. Organizers see the program eventually stimulating higher quality in both lamb and wool products, something they say will be increasingly important as this growing industry becomes even more competitive in the future. Initially, NSIP will provide enrolled producers with estimates of genetic merit for a wide variety of economically important traits for their individual sheep. The traits include number of lambs bom; weight of lambs weaned; three of five age weights; fleece weight, grade and length; and total weight of lamb weaned per ewe lambing. Producers select which traits are most important and are not required to record per formance for ah traits. Per formance data for sires, dams and progeny recorded through the NSIP will be evaluated for genetic merit using state-of-the-art genetic evaluation methodology. lowa State University of Science and Technology (ISU), developer of the computer program for NSIP, has been contracted to operate the computation center, including record keeping and accounting for the program. ISU computer facilities include a full and part time staff of about 200, mainframe, , _ Coming And % a—^ minicomputer, and microcom puter support, and a full range of data processing services. While NSIP is currently in an initial testing period, ISU predicts an eventual two-day turn-around of flock records. Processing services are expected to begin in late summer. A NSIP board and advisory committee have been established to give direction to the program in its development and im plementation. Membership m- ULSTER - Landowners met at the Warren Center Community Building recently to leam about leasing their land for natural gas exploration. The featured speaker was Curtis Bauer, president of Forecon, Inc. of Jamestown, NY, a consulting firm specializing in land management. Drawing upon 15 years of ex perience as a consultant in Chataugua County, Bauer illustrated his talk with slides showing some of the pitfalls of drilling, such as soil erosion, water contamination and loss of valuable forest. He also pointed out that a gas drilling company can do a good job of site restoration if the lan downer is protected with a lease that requires it. He emphasized that a typical gas lease presented by most leasing companies does not always protect the land or landowner adequately. While the price of natural gas is depressed, he stated, and the fields in Bradford County and the Owego area are not fully developed, the future of natural gas is uncertain. eludes representatives of breed associations, the scientific com munity and purebred and com mercial producers. President is Mike Caskey, a producer from Pipestone, Minn., vice-president is Dr. Percy R. Turner from Water Valley, Texas. For additional information about the program or enrollment, write 'or call Paul Rodgers, NSIP program coordinator, at NSIP, 200 Clayton St., Denver, CO 80206; telephone (303) 399-8130. Bradford Landowners Push For Higher Gas Lease Prices Going... PATZ HAS THE BELT CONVEYORS AND FEEDERS YOU NEED! ★ Belt Conveyors ★ Belt Feeders ★ Gutter Cleaners 2Rowto4Row Present also at the Warren Center meeting were two em ployees of Ohio Leasing Company who are attempting to lease properties in the Litchfield township area in Bradford County and also extensive acres in Susquehanna County. They are also offering |1 per acre per year with a typical 10-year lease. The meeting was called by the Bradford County Energy Group Committee which was organized in 1981 as part of the Bradford- Sullivan County Farmers’ Association. Early in the year the Energy Group learned that a successful gas well had been drilled near Owego by Quaker State Refining Company and that 260,000 acres had been secured with a 10-year lease for $1 an acre per year rental. This activity spurred the Energy Group into action once more and they engaged Bauer to write an improved lease to negotiate for their members who own many thousands of acres in northern Bradford County, Green Injured Farmer (Continued from Page 016) Pratt said exposure can also be reduced by good ventilation in work areas and appropriate storing of feed and bedding. Pratt’s third topic was Silo Filler’s Disease; that is, exposure to deadly silo gas which builds up within hours afer a silo is filled, and lasts up to two weeks before dissipating. Silo Unloader’s Syndrome and Farmer’s Lung Disease “can make you sick,” Pratt said. “This can kill you on the spot.” Silo gas acts the same way as gases used in chemical warfare - it burns the lungs and floods the air sacs with fluid, he said. “As long as you have a silo where oxygen can get in, and you can go in it, you are subject to Silo Filler’s Disease,” he said, adding: “You can die on the spot,” or hours or days later, due to the burns to the lungs. The best protection is to simply stay out of the silo for the first two weeks, he said. And never attempt a rescue alone, and with nothing short of an air pack, he added. “We get more cases of multiple deaths due to attempted rescues,” Pratt noted. “...Solo rescue is crazy.” He cited one case where a said. Green urged the landowners present at the meeting to join the Energy Group so they can be assured that the lease they sign will be the best they can acquire at this time. For information, contact Jane Bresee, Energy Group secretary- R.D. #l, Box 131, Ulster Pa. 18850 or phone 717-358-3346. young man fell victim to silo gas, only to be followed by his brother, father and cousin. “They all died in repeated solo rescue attempts.” With farming listed as one of the most hazardous occupations, it is no wonder that it is among the most stressful as well, according to William and Judith Heffernan, rural sociologists from Columbia, Missouri and farmers themselves. Add to that the economic pressures facing many farmers, and troubles between parent and child or husband and wife, and the stress levels get higher and higher, they said. While a certain amount of stress is good for productivity, they said, too much can be bad for the health. “Studies have shown that higher levels of stress suppress the im mune system, making us more susceptible to illness,” Heffernan said. “...Increased levels of stress almost always lead to increased levels of illness.” And if enough stress builds up, she added, something very trivial can trigger a breakdown. How to cope with stress on the farm? Old-fashioned neighborliness, according to the Heffernans; that is, find friends to talk to and share problems with. Said Heffeman; “We’ve dealt with many, many hurting people across the country in this time of agricultural crisis” and “those that were able to cope the best were those that hugged others” - who offered and received support from others. Advised Heffeman: Think of stress as an occupational hazard, and if in the course of carrying out your occupation, “you don’t like the way you are thinking or talking to people, then perhaps it is time to seek help.” For Your Next Materials Handling Application... Call On The Reputation And Reliability Of 215-845-2261
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