w»« V j ■ fIJ" V Ilu KjßsflfAWA mmmgrr Tn Nil VOL 37 NO. 13 Nutrient Legislation Needs Work, Farmer Input VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Farming Staff HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Nutrient management legislation has resurfaced among state agricultural leaders as an issue of concern to Pennsylvania farmers. Most attention has focused on legislation that passed the House June 10 and has since been under the control of the state Senate Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee. That legislation is House Bill 496. The committee has yet to act on the proposal, and has received some criticism from those wishing to see it enacted. On Wednesday, representatives from the Chesapeake Bay Founda tion and the Siena Club visited legislators and journalists in an Floyd High, Ephrala poultryman, prepares dead birds, chicken manure, straw, and water in a composting bin to soNa a major production problem. Composting Dead Birds Solves Environmental Problem EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor EPHRATA(Lancaster Co.) —Mortality rates in poultry operations can run up to three per cent of the housed birds. That’s ISOO dead birds per 50,000. So what do you do with all the carcasses? “It’s harder and harder to dis- pose of dead birds through rcndcr ®g.” said John Schwartz. Lancas ter County agent. “And burying the Four Sactfona effort to bring attention to the bill. Representing the bay founda tion was its president William Baker; Bob Hoyt, executive direc tor of the Pennsylvania office of the foundation, and Lamontc Gar ber, its agricultural policy specialist. Representing the Sierra Club was Jeffrey Schmidt, its registered Pennsylvania lobbyist. While not critical of anyone specifically, the representatives of the two organizations said they were concerned that the legisla tion, which they worked to help achieve, would be lost in the shuffle of other legislative issues during the current session. In discussing the bill, they said they were concerned about the life of the bill because it had received (Turn to Pag* Al 9) birds is likely illegal Incineration is costly and causes odors and nui sance complaints from the neighbors.” But one poultryman on Dia mond Station Road has found an answer that uses old environmen tally safe technology to overcome this major modem problem. Composting. Nearly two years ago Floyd High contacted the University of (Turn to Pago ASS) Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 8, 1992 Newly crowned Cheryl Anne Muraski, left, representing the Green-Dreher-Sterllng Fair, was named the Pennsylva nia Fair Queen at the annual convention. Runner-up was Jacy Clugston from the Manheim Farm Show. Berks Dairy Farmers Leant Importance Of Cow Comfort CONNIE LEINBACH Berks Co. Correspondent LEESPORT (Berks County) Cow comfort in housing is the best insurance against herd problems, said a Penn State extension agent Thursday. Pat Richie, multi-county ag engineer, spoke on some of the lat est innovations in animal housing at Dairy Day in the Berks County Agricultural Center. More than 100 Berks dairy fanners attended. “We’re better off if we keep our cows comfortable in their stalls,” Richie said. “When you stress them, production goes down.” Cutting costs in building smaller stalls may cause more problems down the road if cows are not com fortable, he said. Richie showed slides of a newly remodeled heifer bam, owned by a Franklin County farmer. The open bam is modeled after a design developed by the Virginia Polytechnical Institute. Though one side is exposed to the outside even in the bitterest winter weath er, Richie said the bam stays rela INDEX Sec. A... Market Reports & General News. Sec. B... Women’s News, Public Sales & Mailbox Market. Sec. C... Business News & Classified 4-36. Sec. Declassified 1-3. See Story Index Page A 3. dvely warm. Forty to SO degrees is ideal for milk producing. Richie said. Along with that, however, cows need space. The standard for free stalls used to be 26 feet long, he said. But now the ideal length is 30 feet for a At the awards banquet of the Pennsylvania Young Far mers' Association held in Grantville Wednesday, a number of awards were presented. Manheim had the largest chap ter, and Line Mountain had the largest increase in member ship. In the photo, left, Roy Maurer received the Outstand ing Young Farmer Advisor award, and Ronald Althoff was named Honorary Young Farmer. Group photos of other win ners are on page A 22. 60S Per Copy Muraski Named State Association Fair Queen HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) —The representative of the Green-Dreher-Sterling Fair emerged from the Held of 34 young ladies as the new 1992 Queen of the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs. Cheryl Anne Muraski, the 16-year-old daughter of Joseph and Carol Anne Muraski, Mata moras, was named the winner of the contest held at the recent 80th annual convention held in the con vention center. Runner-up from the Manheim Farm Show was Jacy Clugston, the 17-year-old daught er of Kenneth and Phyllis Clug ston, Manheim. The queen repre sents the state association at many of the local fairs held through the year. Cheryl is ranked first in her senior class at Delaware Valley High School and she plans to attend Cornell University upon graduation. Active in civic and academic groups, Cheryl is listed in Who’s Who Among American (Turn to Pago ASS) yearling and 40 feet for heifers who are ready to be calved. Richie pointed out that a milk ing cow who does not have enough room may leave her stall and lie down in the alley, thus inviting dis ease and possible culling from the 19.00 Per Year (Turn to Pag* A 36)
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