Field Day Promotes Nutrient Management
BY J. EVAN REIFF
COCHRANVILLE Chester
County farmers received the latest
developments in manure manage
ment practices from government
officials at the Chester County
Manure Management Field Day
held Thursday on the farm of State
Representative Arthur Hershey,
Cochranville.
Various government agencies,
including the Chester County Con
servation District, the Penn State
Extension Service, and the Pa
Department of Environmental
Resources (DER), told a group of
about SO farmers about measures
being taken to control agriculture
run-off into the Chesapeake Bay
and ways to best utilize their ani
mal’s wastes.
Duane Hershey, son of Arthur
Hershey, gave a tour of the manure
management system the Hersheys
were able to construct using finan
cial assistance under DER’s cost
sharing program. The Hershey
farm is in the Elks Creek and
Octoraro watershed and received
high priority rating because of its
location. Marshall Haws, of the
Conservation District, was on
hand to answer questions about the
merit field day Inspect the manure holding system on
the farm of State Representative Art Hershey. The Her
shey farm Is In the Chesapeake Bay Financial Assis
tance Funding Program.
Nutrient Management Workshop
Farming in an economically and
environmentally sound manner
may seem like a difficult task, but
methods are being developed to
help make the job easier.
As part of Penn State’s involve
ment in the Chesapeake Bay Prog
ram, The Cooperative Extension
Service is sponsoring a one-day
workshop on nutrient management
on August 25, 1987, featuring
speakers from Penn State Univer
sity. This workshop will provide
an opportunity for area farmers to
hear various approaches to nutrient
management and to meet with the
people who are developing them.
“The aim of the workshop,”
says Mitch Woodward; Extension
regional manure management
agent, “is to provide information
on nutrient management methods
that will help farmers become
more efficient in the way they
manage their farm’s nutrients.
Wise use of nutrients can help low
er production costs and curb water
pollution problems.”
Following a brief overview of
Penn State’s Chesapeake Bay Pro
jects, the morning sessions will
cover the relationship between
groundwater quality and agricul
tural practices, -describe on-farm
nutrient flow on Pennsylvania
cost-sharing program and to give
out applications. Haws said that
DER would be providing funds
through 1992.
A mobile nutrient lab, funded by
DER and created by Penn State,
was at the field day to test water
samples brought by farmers for
unsafe nitrate levels and for bacter
ia and pesticide contamination.
Sue Swartz, summer intern with
DER, said close to 20% of the sam
ples she tested this summer con
tained high nitrate levels. The
mobile unit makes about 30 stops
around Pa to perform soil tests and
to educate farmers about the
importance of good water and
manure management.
According to a Penn State study,
nitrate is dangerous to infants
under the age of six months and to
farm animals. Through manure
management, nitrate leeching can
be controlled.
Farmers were told that manure
is most efficiently used when a
system of collection, storage, and
application is put into practice. Not
only does this practice help control
agriculture run-off, but, inables
farmers to apply manure to the
fields in which it is most needed.
farms, and present the results of
soil chemical monitoring activities
in southeastern Pennsylvania.
After lunch, speakers will discuss
a method for predicting whether
com requires side dress nitrogen
and then explain ways of develop
ing nutrient management plans.
Adds Woodward, “We’ve
assembled a group of speakers
from Penn State who have a great
deal of information to share. It
should be a' good opportunity for
local farmers to learn more about
the benefits of nutrient manage
ment and the methods that they can
use.”
The workshop is open to far
mers throughout southeastern Pen
nsylvania and will be held from
9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at the Lan
caster County Farm and Home
Center, 1383 Arcadia Road (near
the intersection of Route 30 and
Rou.j 72), Lancaster, Pa. To facili
tate luncheon arrangements,
advanced registration is appre
ciated, but not required. There is
no charge. For more information,
call Mitch Woodward at the Lan
caster County Extension office
(717/394-6851) or Joe Makuch at
the Penn State Department of
Agricultural Engineering
(814/865-7685).
g a water sample in the mobile rl jbt\ Zimmer, of the
Pa. Department of Environmental Resources, explains the test results to parti
cipants in the Chester county manure management field day.
Nutrient Test Available At Contest
The Mobile Nutrient Labora
tory, co-sponsored by the Pennsyl
vania State University and the Pen
nsylvania Department of Environ
mental Resources, Chesapeake
Bay Program, will be on hand at
the York County and Pennsylvania
State Plowing Contest on Friday
August 28, 1987. The Plowing
Contest will be held in accordance
with the Olde Tyme Day ’B7 Fair
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Visit The Ford Tractors Under The Sign
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• ELIZABETHTOWN FAIR - August 25 thru 29
• SOLANCO FAIR - September 16, 17, 18
• WEST LAMPETER FAIR - September 23,' 24, 25
• MANHEIM FAIR - October 5 thru 9
4 ' \
at the Blaine Rentzel farm located
one mile north of Manchester.
Tom Juengst, of the DER,
Bureau of Soil and Water Conser
vation, will perform free nitrate
testing of water samples for the
first twenty samples brought to the
lab that day. About one cup of
water is all that is necessary and
the sample should be in a clean
glass container. The results can be
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received later the same day or can
be mailed to you at your conveni
ence. The lab will be present at
9:00 that morning so you can plan
accordingly.
For further information contact
the York County Conservation
District, 118 Pleasant Acres Road,
York, PA 17402, phone (717)
771-9430.
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• Mowing Equip.
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