AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December IS, 1990 OPINION DHIA Management Information: Don’t Be In Businesss Without It For a farmer to belong to and support a farm organization, the organization must provide help with management, marketing or the legislative process. Pride of ownership and farming as a way of life just aren’t good enough anymore. The Dairy Herd Improvement Association, nationally, region ally and in Pennsylvania particulary, provides useful information to the dairymen. While die banker may want to see production percow and feed costs to establish a base for a line of credit, the dairyman may pay for the milk testing service many limes over by reducing the length of dry periods or the somatic cell counts. Jay Mylin, Lancaster DHIA manager, has compiled figures that prove the economic value of DHIA records. At $l2 milk on a 50 cow herd, only small management changes based on DHIA reports can increase profits dramatically. For example, if you decrease the calving interval from 14 months to 13 months, you increase your income by $6,200. If you decrease your somatic cell count by 50 percent, you increase profit by $3,400. Save one pound of grain per cow per day by having records to feed according to the production and body weight needs of the cow and you gain about $1,300. And if you increase the rolling herd average by 1,000 lbs., even with the extra feed costs to get the production, you still have a $5,000 higher income. Not many dairymen can afford to be without DHIA records. Commercial dairy herds certainly need the production and man agement information spit out of that big computer in State Col lege. But even the registered breeder needs more than the top fat production records to stay in business. All dairymen must have a profitable bottom line. As Mylin says, there are 101 different management decisions you can make to change the income for your dairy herd. And because of the large capabilities of computers, the information that DHIA now compiles in the monthly test reports to the indivi dual member helps the dairyman make intelligent decisions that are based on facts. The need for DHIA management information on your herd is so great we highly recommend that you don’t be in the dairy busi ness without it. Farm Calendar Pesticide application record fica tion training, Clayton Hall, U. of Del., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Berks Co. Ag Elections, Commun ity and County Convention, Ag Center, 11 a.m. Octorara Young Farmers’ Associ ation dairy management meet ing, Octorara High School Ag Room. Milk Equipment and Mastitis Workshop, Susquehanna, Wyoming, and Lackawanna counties. Susquehanna Co. Milking Equip ment and Mastitis Workshop, The Mountain View Restaur ant, Clifford, 9:45 a.m.-3 p.m. Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E Mam St Ephrata, PA 17522 by Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Stemman Enterprise Robert G Campbell General Manager Everett R Newswanger Managing Editor Bradford Co. Milking and Mastitis Seminar, Bradford Co. Cooperative Extension Office, Fire Company Hall, Hegins, lueschn, December 25 Merry Christmas! Wednesday, December 26 WHAT ARE DOIN6 Wl THAT METAL DETi UNCLE OTI9? d> o o o c k NOW IS THE TIME By Jay Irwin Lancaster County Agricultural Agent To Consider Manure Nutrients Did you know that on the aver age, more nutrients are brought onto the farm in feed for the ani mals than fertilizer purchases? Well, that may be a surprising fact but research has shown this to be true in southeast Pennsylvania. This serves to make a point for considering the importance of manure management. In the past, management of manure nutrients has “taken the back seat” to other management problems. The research done in this area in the past several years has had the same conclusion: taking a closer look at the benefits you are receiv ing from manure applications is a profitable idea! Consider the nutrients in manure when plan ning your fertilizer program for 1991. To Assist With Food Safety Our food producers, processors and retailers are proud to supply the American public with an abun dant amount of wholesome, safe food. In order to ensure that this same high quality product reaches your table, consumers are encour aged to please observe several guidelines when preparing foods for your family. According to Chester Hughes, Extension Lives tock Agent, it is not possible to eliminate all bacteria from the environment, therefore, good food-handling practices remain the last, best defense against bac terial problems in food. Remem ber to avoid contact between raw foods and cooked foods - don’t prepare raw meats and then use Penn State area tax meeting, Sha dow Brook Dairy Barn, Tunkhannock. (Turn to Pag* A 33) BOOR <3 0 « o the same unwashed cutting board and knife to carve the cooked meat. Cook raw food thoroughly, to at least 160 degrees F. to kill any bacteria present. Never leave food at room temperature over two hours. Bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature. Thaw meats in the refrigerator, microwave, or in cold water changed every 30 minutes. Keep refrigerator temp erature at 40 degrees F., the freez er at 0 degrees F. or lower. Eat cooked foods immediately - the longer the wait, the greater the opportunity for bacteria to grow. Remember, if in doubt, throw it out To Review Partnership Agreements There are a number of advan tages to establishing farm partner ships, but an annual review of the agreement and its value in relation to current needs is essential. I would like to offer a few sug gestions for those who have entered into farm partnership agreements. Once a farm partnership is drawn up, the agreement should be reviewed at least once a year. This should be done for two rea sons. First, to see how well each of ASKING HIM TO STAY December 13, 1990 Background Scripture: John 4:1-42. Devotional Reading: John 3:31-36. I’ve been to the well at Sychar several times. The picture of it is fixed very well in my memory. Not because the place is remark able in its appearance or its setting just a dusty street like many others throughout the Holy Land. But the current appearance of this street, the well and its shrine is deceptive, obscuring the drama tic event that took place there. The writer himself underplays this event, but in these simple verses there is spiritual dynamite that breaks down some very formid able walls. “Give me a drink,” Jesus says to the woman, and the first wall is struck a fatal blow. No rabbi would dare to speak to any woman in public, let alone a woman with an unsavory reputation. Didn’t he realize what trouble this encounter could bring him? Apparently he did, but it did not matter. The wall did not belong there, so he broke it down. UNTOUCHABLES The second wall was even high er and thicker. “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” “For Jews have no dealings with Samari- VYT SNOW G o O