Field Days To MILL HEIM (Centre Co.) A series of field days will be held in Pennsylvania this summer to show a wide range of sustainable Cum ing techniques being used on farms in the state. Sponsoreld by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agri culture (PASA), the public is invited to attend any or all of the field days at no charge. Printed fliers for each field day, including directions, can be obtained by calling the PASA office at (814) 349-9856. • On August 6, Ed and Lorraine Rits will host a field day at their farm near Honey Grove in Juniata County from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Rits have a cow/calf beef opera tion on 205 acres and utilize inten sive rotational grazing methods. Previously, they raised hogs and dairy cows on high input grain crops. They will discuss how and why they have converetcd to their Water UNION BRIDGE. Md. On Thursday, August 5 the Monocacy Watershed Project will be con ducting a workshop for farmers on cover crops (9:30 a.m.-l 1:30 a.m.) and methods of livestock manage ment (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.) to protect water quality. The free workshop will be at the Union Bridge Community Center on Ladiesburg Road in Union Bridge. Drawing on his many years of research on cover crops. Dr. Mor ris Decker of the University of N.Y. Dairymen. Serve As Examples For Clean Water WASHINGTON. D.C. The voluntary, locally based effort by farmers in the New York City Wa tershed Program should serve as a model for the reauthorization of the Clean Water Act, New York State Commissioner of Agricul ture and Markets Richard T. Mc- Guire last week told members of a U.S. Senate subcommittee. In testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Water, Fisheries and Wildlife, McGuire said the New York City program has a “proven record of success” and stressed the program’s im portance for the development of national nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control policy. “The program is locally deliver ed and administered by an existing not a new group of institu tions with whom farmers are fami liar; who understand farming sci ence, methods and techniques, and farm business operations; and whom farmers trust,” McGuire said in describing the success of the New York program. ‘The system for pursuing the city’s water quality objectives, as they are affected by the agricultur al segment of the watershed com munity, was arrived at by negotia tion and consensus not by Hat.” The New York City Watershed Program is a cooperative effort to preserve water quality in the New York City Watershed area involv ing the farm community,’ New York City, local government and present system. Also highlighted will be a matua brome grass seed ing, composting demonstration, fencing and watering systems, and much more. The field day is cos ponsored by PASA and Rits Con sulting Service. Lunch will be available for purchase. For more information, contact Ed Rits at (717) 734-3745. •On August 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walnut Acres in Snyder County at Penns Creek will hold a special farm field day to show organic production of vegetables, grains, and legumes in a five year rotation. Walnut Acres is one of the oldest organic farms in the state, with affiliated food process ing and mail order sales busines ses that are known nationally and internationally. Lunch will be available for purchase. For further information, contact PASA or Walnut Acres Customer Service at Quality Practices At Workshop Maryland will talk about the bene fits of planting cover crops. As a separate topic, the Maryland Agri cultural Cost Share (MACS) pro gram for cover crops will be ex plained. Because the deadline for signing up and getting approved for this fall’s planting season is August IS, all farmers interested in this program are urged to at tend. As a wrap-up to the morning session, the workshop will look at how a barnyard area needs to be managed as one system to keep animal waste and clean water New York Stale. The program is based upon the prospective voluntary adoption of best management practices to con trol NPS by more than 550 dairy farmers in the New York City Wa tershed area. According to McGuire, the city’s original intent was to estab lish mandatory restrictive agricul tural land use regulations. How ever, after consultation a locally developed and administered pro gram of best management prac tices, tailored farm by farm, with the voluntary cooperation of the farm operator was determined to contribute far more to achieving water quality goals, as well as en hancing the viability of the farm enterprise and the agricultural economy. McGuire, who also testified on behalf of the National Association of State Departments of Agricul ture (NASDA), emphasized that a key element of the New York pro gram was cost sharing. "The cost of both the farm plan ning process and the installation of practices called for by each plan to achieve the pollution preven tion goals of the responsible agen cy is financed by the responsible agency or, in any case, not by the farmer,” he said. “Once the front-end costs are overcome, these improvements will benefit the economic operation of the farm.” McGuire urged the Sub committee to “strongly consider” the principles embodied in the New York City program. Highlight (800) 344-9025. • The final 1993 summer field day will be held on August 31 and will focus on dairy grazing at Gar ry and Linda VanDeWeerts* Grassroots Farm near Athens; Bill, Janet, and Curtis Browns’ Browncroft Farm near Rome in Bradford County, and two farms across the border in New York state. The VanDeWeert's will show low-cost rotational grazing alternatives, experimental forage crops (including Puna chicory, Matua grass, and others), pastured poultry, and much more. Dr. Jerry Jung of the USDA Pasture Research Labs will give a presen tation on the forage trials that he has conducted with the VanDe- Weerts on their farm for the past few years. Browncroft Farm features a rotational grazing system that has been in use since the late 19S0s where you want them. During the afternoon session the workshop will be looking at the value of new approaches to animal management. Streams play vital roles to farms and communi ties. The event will be looking at ways to get the maximum benefits for livestock while still protecting water quality. One practice being used in Pennsylvania and Virginia is loaf ing lot management systems to provide exercise areas that mini mize water quality problems. The workshop will be discussing and showing a video tape of several dairy operations of this type in Lancaster, Pa. The main principle behind loaf ing lot systems is to rotate animals into at least three small 2-3 acre pastures after they have been milked and fed. Each pasture would only be used several days and would have time to rest and regrow before animals are turned in again. The pastures are not used for forage production, but arc planted to grass, usually tall fes cue, to maintain a protective cover to trap nutrients and stop soil ero sion. During wet weather condi tions, a sacrifice area, such as a concrete holding pad, needs to be used instead of the pastures so that animals are not on wet saturated fields. Some of the benefits that have been observed from the creation of these pastures include a large reduction in the amount of soil lost from an exercise lot. Cows have cleaner udders, which reduces milking time. Cases of mastitis and reproductive infections are re duced. Grassed lots are cooler in summer than bare lots, reducing animal stress. Less time is needed to get the cows in for milking. Cows exhibit heat better on grass than on concrete. The public im age of farming operations is also improved by the cleaner-looking pasture and farmstead areas. Another topic we will review is the concept of rotational grazing systems for livestock operations. The event will include a videotape of a beef cattle operation in Penn sylvania that successfully uses these practices. If you have any questions on either of the two half-day sessions, contact the Monocacy Office at (301) 898-0133 in Frederick or (410) 775-7434 in Carroll County. Sustainable Ag when the Browns started farming, is cosponsored by PASA, Brad- Advocates of small scale dairying ford Co. Cooperative Extension, and diversity. Bill was named a and Cooperative Extension in Pennsylvania Master Farmer in Chemung and Tioga counties in 1990. The Browns are a seasonal New York. For more information, dairy with approximately 30 to 35 contact PASA or Tom Maloney at registered Holstein milkers. They Bradford County Cooperative also have a sugar bush and maple Extension (717) 265-2896. syrup business. For more information, contact The Aug. 31 Pasture Field Day PASA at (814) 349-9856. Ag Showcase Farmall M real close. The old Oliver and the Allis Chalmers baler. John Deere B and John Deere baler. Two Oliver tractors. Fordson and 77 New Holland baler. (Continued from Pago A 22)
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