fVrnrjPJ’TTFr'rwr-rr-r-r rrwrwrrrrs rmrw rwm-w wm* kw* WWW ••Jr Mm m*9 ***** **■* Australian Exchange Youth Tours Local Family Beef Operations modate Goeffrey Bowles, and I P th think it was a good exchange of ™n ini,inl farm to "“k® requests for He said that had it not been for ideas and thoughts on both sides, harts where Rex Peters rave a tour ®>Wl®-He said an agent will come his trip sponsor, an Australian land And we tried to show him the range nf f anA toiirJioKrun to the Bum two or three times a and stock agent, Dalgety Bennet of our cattle industry cow-calf ° m 7lrm r?r r rrT year to set up purchases, depending Farmers’, he said wouldn’t have operation, feeder operation, auc- M jl.. fflrming [. very on how much and when the buyer had been able to make the trip, tion and a slaughter house-meat “ 1 fa HeLid tat "®«J* *® “**• Th® visit >thoughasuiprise,was market A -„ A in He also said that every five a pleasant one, according to Fire- The tour gathered at the home f • *, 10 years, the potatoes fields are sdne and Bowles, farm of Mike Firesdne, who raises ..Pr .i., nn.iinin. i. . rotated out and put into oats. Firestine has been involved with forage and grain crops, pumpkins. ?. ? f Bowles said his family’s Bum is educational tours of many sorts, and Polled Hereford beef cattle in fcm'.in narfrbv-ir* “in the heart of a dairying area.” He and hosts groups of children to pick addition to serving as vice presi- , in y Hnvm- m friru* said that up until 1971, his parents pumpkins out of his fields. He said dent in charge of agricultural lend- ** H ’-2,, . h „ ‘ Russell and Cynthia milked cows, he enjoyed discussing beef raising ingfortoeLebanonV.UeyN.tion. ZZSJZS?" “* ** "Gerald toe enioved die al c ßank - _ . . _ and keep about 150 cowVfor a bc g“ shc enjoycd From the Firestine home, Bow- B _ wles Mi( | For many reasons, the world tour also. les was taken fust to view Fire- a.,. h. rai^7pftid mn nt««> cmgs shee P ■ nd w® ol maifc ® t is extreme- ’That was actuaUy the first time stine’s several acre cow-calf opera- onoinallv came out of Italv ly km and Au#lralia lost * kit of I showed somebody my Burn.” she tion in the Millcreek Township went to Canada and has been distri- ® xports bccaus ® ® f th ® Gulf War said, adding that she hasn’t been area, where toe Firestine and Bow- tated { and toe World Recession, Bowles involved in beef farming long, only les discussed toe use of permanent Accordinir to Bowie* while said. Tlte country has stockpUed 4 since 1988. paddocks and watering systems. ab^t 60peLnt of toe Australian "S" toT forages, shipping weights, and beef is exported, toe vealers sell f JJ U *mgfor me, she said And for toe gemral operation. practices. ** He £ d vcalers « sold at J™' I P®^*™ ** amount of time we had to set it up. Fromtoerc.Bowleswastakento nine months age, which is much everyone was very gracious in Clair Zimmerman s Stouchsburg than _ • a . offer a chance at survival, he said, allowmg him to come in to visit area farm where he fattens about J,°" ger nomal domestlC Bowles said he was very grateful their options.” 100 steers on silage and high mois- , h • 1H : for all toe help and kindesses he For more information on the ture com. At Zimmerman’s BoW- mtlc h S AcSdSmto received during toe tour and as part Berks County/S.E. CatUcmen’s l . e^re^ r , k '. d j: b,> "‘H ,' he AMOdadon,callGammclat(2ls) 1.200-pound to 1,300-pound,.top- buyers or a butcher comes to V o **™' 585M856 - conditioned Limousm-Charohas steers. Bowles said he usually markets grass-only fed cattle at about 700 pounds. Next, the entourage, including Shirley Fake, his exchange host, visited toe Leesport Farmer’s Market, where BiU Weist, co owner of the Uvestock auction facility, gave him a tour of toe sales ring and an explanation of the sale’s scale system. VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Farming Staff STOUCHSBURG (Berks Co.) A 27-ycar-old Australian man whose family runs a 476-acre sheep, beef and potato farm toured several beef farm operations and a livestock auction last week in southeastern Pennsylvania to learn more about how his American peers operate. Geoff Bowles, from Mont Com pass, Australia, is a member of the Victor Harbor Rural Youth Club, through which he was able to parti cipate in an exchange program established between the United States’ 4-H program and the Rural Youth organization of abroad. That program is called the Inter national Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE). Bowles had been staying with a Pennsylvania family through the youth exchange program which works in cooperation with 4-H, although the ages of 4-H youth who travel range from 18 to 24, while the Rural Youth Club travel ers are usually in the mid to late 20 3os. Though the local beef tour hadn’t been planned prior to lasl week, through the Penn State Extension Service, was able to contact the Berks County/South East Cattlemen’s Association and enjoy a quickly arranged, but full and representative tour of area beef operations and a livestock auction. 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