814-Lancasler Farming, Saturday, January 30, 1993
Forage Testing Built On Farmer Satisfaction
GAY BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
JENNERSTOWN (Somerset
Co.) —Verdean and Alan Keyser
used to be in the blueberry raising
business. They raised four acres of
them for the market. Although
Verdean helped her husband, she
also worked in an environmental
laboratory.
She had a degree from Juniata
College having majored in both
chemistry and biology.
One day she was asked by a far
mer, “Do you suppose you could
test forage?”
Verdean recalls, “ I didn’t even
know what the word meant” But
the-question started the pair think
ing about the possibility of forage
testing. They mauled over the
idea. That was in the year 1982.
“We thought this would be a
little venture on the side,” said
Verdean.
Alan added, “It was a good time
because farmers were getting into
computer.”
So in 1984 the doors of Sky
view Laboratory opened at the
present Route 30 location, in an
ordinary-looking older house that
was adequate to accommodate the
laboratory and its future
expansion.
Verdean was well-educated
with new information gathered
during her trip to the slate of lowa
to study soil-testing.
Alan’s business school back
ground coupled with his electri
cian experience in the service,
enabled him to manage admi
nistration, while Verdean was in
charge of the chemistry side of the
new venture. Alan was also a local
farmboy, who grew up on a near
by beef farm, compared to his
city-girl wife, who was a native of
Jeannette.
At first the two began the work
day at 4 a.m. ending around 8 p.m.
They managed during those hours
to complete about 10 forage tests.
Now they can perform 140 tests
daily. Every detail about the for-
Lab II ician, Sherry Yoder, is looking for the amounts of
potassium and phosphorous in the sample she is testing at the
Skyview Laboratory ih Jennerstown, Pa.
age is electronically recorded in
the computer at each station. No
hand writing is necessary.
With completion of each stage
of testing, the information is sent
to the main station terminal and
permanently filed.
If he has a computer in his busi
ness, the farmer can receive his
forage report in its entirety, 24
hours a day. Or he can locate spe
cific information in minutes.
A simple telephone call to Sky
view's 800 toll-free number is
also an option for those without
home computers. And some far
mers opt for the facsimile immedi
ately to receive a whole or partial
report about his forage. A hard
copy is also mailed to him.
“We have a network system
that can go anywhere in the
world,” says Alan about the high
tech Skyview Lab.
The Keysets, who shun market
ing their business because they
want to control steady growth,
said having immediate access to
the report of his forage contents is
crucial for the farmer. They said
he needs the report while feeding
that particular forage to his live
stock. It does little good, they said,
to see the results arrive in the
mailbox when the feed is already
gone and he is switching to
another type of forage.
“Service is of utmost impor
tance,” said Alan. “We don’t take
on any new work unless the lab is
capable of not sacrificing the
work.”
They are a fully independent
operation and belong to the Coun
cil of Independent Laboratories.
Including the Keysets, the nine
Skyview Lab employees each
work an eight-hour day five days a
week. One of them starts his day
at 4 a.m. He’s the guy who codes
each sample upon its arrival at
Skyview. He also observes the
presence of other materials in the
sample and records his findings
prior to its further analysis. A
number is also assigned to the
sample.
At the computer is Verdean Keyser with her husband, Alan Keyser. They own and operate
Skyview Laboratory, a wet-chemistry lab in Jennerstown.
The wet-chemistry lab analysis
of the forage will reveal moisture
content, protein, fiber levels and
minerals. Thus, the farmer’s nutri
tionist can tell him what he needs
to adjust according to the test
report. The farmer may have what
he needs in the grain he’s
harvested on his own land. If so,
he’s financially ahead, said the
Keysers, since he won’t need to
purchase from an outside source.
“It’s really an exciting field,”
said Verdean, who obviously
enjoys her work. She illustrates
the importance of a balanced
livestock diet to that of a human.
“It’s like people who get sick
when their diet is out of balance,”
she said. “It can affect breeding or
milk feeding.” She said a mistake
in the feeding program can cause
very serious problems for the
cow’s health, thus affecting milk
production. “You need to be with
in one percent of accuracy in a
program," she said.
That’s why in an emergency,
Skyview will occasionally do a
rush test for a fanner. If a high
milk-producing cow suddenly
develops a health problem the far
Workshop
COLLEGE PARK, Md. It’s
not too late for interested teens
and adults to register for the multi
state Youth in Business Sym
posium: “Empowering Teen En
trepreneurs.”
The two-day event will be held
February 18-19 at the Hyatt Re
gency Hotel at the Inner Harbor in
Baltimore, Maryland. It’s spon
sored by the 4-H component of the
Cooperative Extension Service,
Maryland Institute for Agriculture
and Natural Resources, and the
U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development.
The symposium agenda, which
includes workshops, panel discus
sions and exhibits of teen busi
nesses and model youth business
programs, is divided into .three
tracks:
Track 1: Getting on with
Business will give teen entrepre
neurs access to the tools and
knowledge they need to enhance
their businesses and increase pro
fitability. Workshops and semin
ars will focus on such issues as the
principles of strategic business
planning and strategies for over
coming obstacles.
Track 2: Getting Into Busi
ness will introduce teens consider-
mer wants to find the source fast.
So they also work with the
veterinarian.
The Keysers say they have met
farmers who were disgusted with
the length of time it took to
receive their forage analyses from
some other laboratories. “What
we improved on was the time
frame for farmers,” they said.
Since their only marketing
device is good old word-of-mouth
advertising, the lab serves custom
ers in 14 states including Pennsyl
vania, Maine, Florida, Indiana,
California and those in-between.
A close association with several
colleges, such as Cornell Univer
sity and Penn State ensures them
of having access to the latest dis
coveries and most recently deve
lop tests for forages. Another of
their contacts is with Bolten Cen
ter, the veterinary school, located
at Kennett Square.
They also speak at different col
leges and have a conference room
above the actual laboratory.
Especially stressed at Skyvjgw
is the environmental safety of the
chemicals used in the lab, a major
health concern in today’s world.
For Teen Entrepreneurs
ing starting their own businesses
to the concept of entrepreneur
ship, the requirements for success,
and the realistic opportunities
available. Sessions will include
such topics as how to start a busi
ness, how to sell an idea and
where to find money to get started.
Track 3: Getting Down to
Business is designed for profes
sional youth workers, volunteers
and parents. It will provide them
with the information they need to
plan, organize, implement and
evaluate youth entrepreneurial
programs. They will leant about
principle-centered leadership de
velopment, opening the doors of
the small business world,' and the
pros and cons of collaborative
community-based youth enteipre-'
MU.
IT DOES A
BODYgood:
Not only are some of them (chem
icals) recycled, but there is on-site
waste treatment. Nor are any of
them on the hazardous chemicals
list, according to Verdean.
With the Skyview network of
users the laboratory serves as the
information base for the feeding
programs of some two million
cows. The peak testing season
starts in September and ends in
December when new crops are
stored and farms need programs
done. In the slower months, the
lab might run only 20 tests a day.
But on those busy days when
more than 140 tests are run, the
convenience of the computer
modem can’t be denied. Instru
ments at each of the four lab work
stations are read directly into the
computer making the results
immediately available. The Keys
ers say that’s high-technology
stuff and a big responsibility for a
small business in a small
community.
The Keysers have two children
in high school and junior high who
are also getting involved in their
parents’ business.
neurship programs.
The advance registration fee for
the conference is $B5 for youth
and $145 for adults. This fee cov
ers all symposium sessions, hand
outs, two luncheons, a dessert re
ception on February 18, continent
al breakfast on February 19, and a
T-shirt. Lodging costs are not in
cluded. Single-day registration
fees are $55 and $B5 for youth and
adults, respectively.
For more information or to re
gister for the 1993 Youth in Busi
ness Symposium: “Empowering
Teen Entrepreneurs,” contact
Edith Williams, Extension 4-H
specialist, at (301) 4034250 or
Bill Clark, Baltimore Extension
4-H agent, at (410) 3964906.