A26-Lancttt*r Farming, Saturday, April 1,1989
Five Farmers Interviewed
(Continued from Page A 1)
other counties in the state, says
Hess. Western counties with shale
soil and other counties with sandy
soil are more susceptible because
these soils do not have the ability
to retain moisture.
In Upper Dauphin County in
southcentral Pennsylvania Earl
Keefer reports winter springs are
running strong now and surface
moisture is sufficient, but, again,
the subsoil is dry. But he is opti
mistic due to die strength of the
winter springs.
Keefer farms 270 acres with ISO
acres in com, 100 acres in alfalfa
and the remaining acreage in small
grains. In 1988 and 1987 Keefer’s
com crop was less than half of its
normal yield. “I know two years
in a row is unlikely, but we had that
last year. I think it is unlikely to
happen three years in a row, but in
the 1960’s we had five out of seven
years that were bad,” said Keefer.
“But I doubt if we will see this year
what we saw last year.”
The Keefers had crop insurance
for several years, but dropped it.
This year they are considering it.
They have up until April IS to
decide. However, they are taking
some action to give diem a litde
more insurance. They will be using
more no-dll than usual to conserve
the moisture they have in the soil.
“We have been seeing a litde
more no-till and conservation til
lage each year in our area in these
past few years and I think we’ll see
a lot more of it, too,” added Keefer.
Harteis’ com yields in Cambria
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County were off by SO percent due
to the 1988 drought, but crop
insurance is out of the question for
Harties.
“The ASCS office has an unrea
listic low established yield on my
fields. They say normal is 83
bushels when it is actually 119
bushels. Yields must be 3S percent
below normal to collect. That
means that before I can collect
penny one, my yield would have to
be below SO bushels an acre,” said
Harteis. “Prior to this year they
never set foot on this farm. They
told be if I checked-my yield with
them for the next five years then
maybe I can get it changed. A lot
could happen in the next five
years. I could be out of business by
then. I’m hostile. Their yeilds are
totally beyond reason.”
Haileis is going to make some
changes for 1989. Last year he
seeded down 70 acres for alfalfa
and plowed under sod to plant 70
acres of com. What he got was a
large cash outlay and not much in
return. This year’s going to be
different.
“My older stands of hay are
going to get an extra early shot of
fertilizer and I’ll get a good cutting
early. I’m going to cut my cash
outlay and make sure I get some
good tonnage,” said Harteis.
Crouse in northern Lancaster
County doesn’t see crop insurance
in his hum’s future either. “Well,
you’re taking a chance by not hav
ing it, but fanning is nothing but a
big gamble. I can’t predict another
drought,"said Crouse.
Hess in the southern end of the
county agrees with Crouse. He has
no plans to make any changes in
crops this year. His com yeilds
woe only 20 percent below that of
normal years. He said he was lucky
and planted his com the tight time
last year and plans to continue to
doing things die same as always.
In northcentral Pennsylvania.
David Norman, a Tioga County
farmer, said there appears to be
plenty of moisture in the soil now,
but he believes it is only on the
surface.
“The frost is just coming out of
the ground now and the surface is
very wet and we can’t get into the
fields to spread manure. But I
know we need at least two to three
inches of rain to really get a good
start this year,” said Norman. “We
are definitely starting off on the
dry side.”
Norman crops com, hay and
oats on his 200 acres near Liberty.
Com yeilds were as good as they
have ever been for him, but he says
most of his neighbors were not as
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Since 1878
Landisville, 150 Main St., 898-2241
lucky. Many of the farmers in the
Liberty area had less than SO per
cent of their normal yields due to
the drought and the crop damage
caused by deer.
Planting his com afro: the heavy
rains in mid-May worked out in his
favor this year. Hay yields were
down, but quality was very good.
Disaster Payments To Pennsylvania
Farmers Reach $32 Million
HARRISBURG Over $32
million has been paid to Pennsyl
vania farmers through mid-March
1989 as a result of various disaster
programs administered by the
Agriculture Conservation and Sta
bilization Service (ASCS) for the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
ASCS State Executive Director
Don Unangst said that the amount
represents only about two-thirds
of what farmers can expect in pay
ments by the end of the programs
on May 31, 1989.
“Farmers need to remember
that the deadline for signup for
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His firstcutting was SO percent of a
normal yield and second and third
were from 60 to 75 percent of their
normal yields.
Norman has no plans to purch
ase crap insurance this year. But he
is planning to get his oats early to
catch all the early moisture.
disaster programs is March 31st,”
Unangst said.
Payments covered include
those made for crop losses on a
wide variety of grains, vegetables,
fruits, and trees as well as under
feed assistance programs for dairy
and other livestock owners.
ASCS county offices are work
ing with producers to complete
processing of applications for
program payments. Under the law,
many of these will.require Federal
Crop Insurance for next growing
season and conservation plans for
covered acreage before payments
can be issued.
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