A24-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 10,1988 Columbia DHIA Members Served Menu Of New Programs BY HELEN KELCHNER Columbia Co. Correspondent ORANGEVILLE (Columbia) Columbia County DHIA mem bers feasted on new DHIA prog rams as served up by Dick Barth, Pennsylvania’s director of opera tions, at their annual meeting held at the Orangeville Masonic Lodge. Barth recapped DHIA’s 1988 accomplishments in new programs and serivces. Barth began with the Agricultural Records Information Service (ARIS) which allows users to access DHIA data on the main frame computer at State College. Although the service was created with dairymen in mind, veterinarians have become the primary users. ARIS creators pre dict the service will continue to gain in popularity. It has already surpassed their expectations. An example of its deamnd can be seen in the increasing member ship use. From its inception in May to September, 150 members went ‘on-line”. An additional 39 users joined in October, 1988. Veterinarians can access ARIS to scan a dairy farm’s records on health, pregnancy, nutrition, and other areas. Users, other than dairy farmers, must have prior approval of the fanner. ARIS is also being tapped for somatic cell count information. After Dairylca visited the State College center during the summer, they accessed DHIA records to examine some Dairylca herds plagued with high SCC. By screening the herds and determining where problems exist, a field representative can meet with the dairyman with facts in hand. Barth went on to explain that unlike neighboring New York which has had a service similar to ARIS but with a fixed format, Pen nsylvania’s service can be written by the user. With ARIS dairy far mers can compose software to retrieve only they information they want. Joe Lyons, state director from Columbia County, plans to go on line this winter and invited inter ested members to attend an infor mation session for a hands-on demonstration. The date will be announced. ARIS Fees There is a one-time fee of $95 which includes hook up, software and the services of an ARIS rep resentative for one day and a $5 monthly maintenance charge. Additional costs are based on time spent on line which uses telephone lines to access the main frame in State College. Those rates vary based on time of day it is used. Peak periods cost more and create delays. Off periods like late after noon through the night until early morning are less costly. Equipment compatible with IBM will work with ARIS. For those with equipment which is not IBM compatible. State College personnel can explain how usage can be made possible at a nominal fee. Nutrition Service A second program being deve loped is in nutrition. DHIA’s target target date for this system is late December or v early January, according to Barth. Barth empha sized that of all the management areas dairy farmers have to address and which have the highest pay back for them, somatic cell man agement is number 1 and nutrition is number 2. Somatic cell manage ment was introduced in May 1988. To use the nutrition system the Roberta Bronson (from left) Columbia- ntour loan -