A22-Lancastar Fuming, Saturday, May 16, 1992 Extension Office (Continued from Page Al 9) concern “is to keep quality prog rams in Delaware County.” He said that the Penn State Dela ware County campus was sug gested as an alternative site, but there is no space available to house an extension office. “The feeling is that the facility in the communi ty ought to be close to the people of the community,” he said. It remains a possibility that some money could be allocated to help renovate the Williamson Farm as a possible location, but other options are still being consid ered as of presstime. Alter emphasized that Penn State remains committed to sup porting the office and that, as long as the county support is with drawn, there will have to be “dra matic program reductions.” Penn State will make a decision within the following weeks. “The budget crunch is real," said Bryan. “But there’s no other department that has a SO or 65 per cent reduction in support as is the case with cooperative extension. So, for some reason, cooperative extension was singled out.” Now, Bryan has rallied the sup port of 4-H and extension volun teers to help the council reconsider the budget arrangements. If the budget isn’t reconsidered, many programs are in jeopardy, accord ing to Bryan, including commer cial ag. home economics, 4-H, the Master Gardener program, and home horiticulture programs. In all, about 5,030 4-H mem bers, 380 volunteers, and numer ous others in a wide array of pro jects are in jeopardy. To help dissuade the council from cutting the funds, a project was launched a few weeks ago. An action sheet, “Delaware County Cooperative Extension Future At Risk,” funded by the 4-H prog ram, with help from volunteers at the extension, was mailed out to thousands of supporters, agribusi ness. various schools, and other agencies to drum up support for the program. The letter states that without the support of the county council, “your extension program will be severely cut back and possibly eliminated. “We must vacate the Hunt Club building and 4-H Center at Rose Tree Park by July 1, and we have no other place to g 0....” According to the sheet, program offerings considered for reduction or elimination include school base 4-H and youth programming, home horticulture, pesticide appli cator recertification, publications offered through the extension, summer programming, classes in 'll ,* SEE OUR NEW EFFICIENT EPA WOOD STOVES home economics and family liv ing, and other programs. ‘ ‘We sincerely hope that we can continue to serve you, but our future is uncertain,” it reads. The letter lists the contacts of the mem bers of the county council, state and federal legislators, and other important contacts. Meanwhile, Bryan and his staff are preparing for a worst-case sce nario moving the office to a less expensive location. “It’s going to be difficult oper ating procedures if we have to fragment the office and move part of the staff one place and part another,” he said. “But we might have to go to that extreme." Bryan said the staff is looking for low-cost facilities. “We’re thinking, how much secretarial help can we afford to buy out of $50,000?” Bryan said in that area of Dela ware County (affected by high cost of living and expensive housing), an average secretary with benefits would cost about $20,000 a year. Office space, at about $l5 a square foot, would quickly deplete the budget Bryan said they cannot afford to rent an office at the going market rate. “We’ve got to find some facilities cheaper than the going rate to house the staff.” Until then, Bryan waits on Penn Hired-Hand’s Econo Flow Line of powerful, efficient and economical fans brings a new standard to the Poultry Industry. FEATURES —— “ f Cut Costs By Using EPDs KANSAS CITY, Mo.—EPDs, .. Expected Progeny Differences. The mere thought of trying to learn how to use this type of breeding information can sometimes scare cattlemen away from a valuable resource. However, EPDs are proving to be a significant cost-cutting tool for cattlemen as demand increases for higher-quality, cost-efficient cattle. Today, most breed associations maintain current genetic informa tion on all registered animals. This material is available to commercial breeders simply for the asking, and most times at no charge. Dr. John Hough, director of edu cation and research for the Ameri- State’s decision about their dilem ma. Either case, the county (which provides service contacts to about 96,000 people annually), already has been working on a bare-bones budget, according to Bryan. "We’ve been working on less than an ideal budget for years," he said. "We have had no increases in our county budget for the last five years. So we’ve been working on a bare-bones budget to begin with." Bryan looks at other surround ing counties which have seen increases in their budgets and addi tional staff. He thinks that Dela ware, such as other counties in Pennsylvania and other states, may TRUCKLOAD RAN SALE ECONO FLOW gf Energy Efficient Motor Ivf Galvanized Venturi “ Frame and Blade iTTg' Optional PVC UU Shutters Call For Low Prices On These High Quality Fansl Swine & Poultry Systems Specialists s w H f P FARMER BOY AG. UPS ,NC * Warehouse 410 E LINCOLNAVE MYERSTOWN, PA 17067 can Polled Hereford Association, said that EPDs are not mysterious, hard-to-understand numbers if a few basic principles are understood. “The variability between ani mals is never totally genetic. EPDs are simply predictions of what is expected to occur. The more per formance information available, the more accurate the EPDs,” he said. EPDs are calculated using infor mation from three sources; the individual animal’s own perfor mance records, performance of its relatives and, finally and most importantly, performance of its progeny relative to one day be consolidated. Bryan also worries about the domino effect this could have on other counties also struggling with budget worries. Could those offices face elimination? To prevent that, the action sheet, or "pink slip" as Bryan calls it, went out to extension supporters. “We’re asking them in a very positive way to conveny to key people what the extension program means to them and their communi ty,” he said. “Speak up and be heard—you don’t want the exten sion program downsized. You want the extension program supported.” Heavy Duty Direct-Drive Fans for Poultry and Agricultural Confinement Buildings >*4 ALUMINUM shutters other Styles And Tf Sizes Available PH. 717-866-7565 contemporaries. The information compiled in EPD records can be used to help determine a number of traits for your herd. EPDs are maintained for birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, milk production, scrotal circumference, and some times calving ease and other traits. Buying bulls with complete EPD records makes substantial economic sense. By knowing what type of offspring die bull has the capability to produce, you can bet ter predict performance from your herd and begin making herd improvements mote efficiently. Hough says it is important to be aware of EPD accuracies which can vary among bulls. A breed’s sire summary will generally define the accuracy values of each ani mal. Some breed associations have begun to include complete histo ries of each bull listed in their summaries. Hough emphasizes EPDs are a good tool only when used with complete understanding. One of the most important things to remember is not to compare EPDs across breeds. EPD values are only correct within a single breed. Additional information on EPDs and how to use this cost cutting management tool can be obtained from your county exten sion agent, your land-grant univer sity, or a breed association. With Cord Set 36' Direct Drive Call Today For Your Ventilation Requirements 'A lion Hours: M-F 7:00-5:00; S»t. 7:30-11:30
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers