Forage And Grasslands Awards
(Continued from Page A 1)
State Fanner from the Future Far
mers of America.
Calvert has been promoting the
use of forages and grasslands on a
professional basis for mete than 30
years. In 1962 he became the ag
extension agent in Somerset Coun
ty. He then became the ASCS
county director in Somerset Coun
ty in 1969. Eleven yean later, after
realizing that grasslands and pas
tures were the key to soil conserva
tion in much of Pennsylvania, he
accepted a position as area conser
vation agronomist for southwest
Pennsylvania, a position which he
holds today. As area conservation
agronomist, he was a promoter of
pastures and grazing before it was
recognized by most people as an
economically and environmental
ly sound management option.
Shortly after beginning his cur
rent position, Calvert began Pro
ject Grass. This project promotes
the use of grass as a feed and soil
conservation combination.
Although the project was original
ly planned for southwest Pennsyl
vania, it has stimulated similar
projects in other areas of the state
and in surrounding states. Project
Grass has involved hundreds of
farms in the southwest region in
“on-farm” demonstrations and
research addressing new grass spe
cies, fencing techniques, and ani
mal and grazing management on
grass pastures.
Calvert is active in church and
local activities. Tom and his wife
Leanne make their home on a
small sheep operation in Somerset
County.
Reaearch/Extensk» Award
This year the research/extension
award went to Dr. Lowell L. Wil
son, a long-time Professor at Penn
Slate University in the Department
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of Dairy and Animal Science.
In 1966, Wilson joined the
faculty of the Pennsylvania State
University. His research at Penn
State has been extensive, but has
recently centered on the research
projects at the Haller Farm at Penn
State. He has published numerous
scientific papers and more than
400 producer oriented articles.
Wilson's extension research in
animal science makes him a top
choice to receive an award from
the Forage and Grassland Council.
Without knowing about the ani
mals that consume the forage, it
would be difficult to understand
what changes we can make in for
age production to benefit the ani
mal and ultimately Pennsylvania
agriculture.
Forage/Conservation
Farmer Award
Earl Weaver, from Lancaster
County, is this year’s recipient of
die Fbragc/Conscrvation Award.
Weaver operates a 90-acre dairy
farm near New Holland. He
cooperated with both the Soil Con
servation District and Penn State
Extension in planning and estab
lishing his conservation practices.
The farm is cropped in alternate
strips of alfalfa and grain. All
fields are on the contour and sod
waterways are well maintained at
all times. Erosion is substantially
below that requited by the Pen
nsylvania Clear Stream Law. All
com ground is cover cropped with
rye, which is harvested in the
spring as silage foradditional feed.
Conservation Award
Jeff Stoltzfus and Frank Lucas,
of the Pequea-Mill Creek Project
in Lancaster County, have been
named as joint recipients of the
1993 Conservation Award.
The Pequea-MiQ Creek Project
Membership in
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Build For The Future!
Call Dairylea at 1-800-654-8838
(under the control of the Soil Con
servation Service. Penn State
Cooperative Extension, and Agri
culture Stabilization and Conser
vation Service) has a minion of
improving water quality by reduc
ing non-point source pollution.
The Pequea-MUI Creek Project
is comprised of 135.000 acres of
intensively farmed land in central
Lancaster County. Stoltzfus and
Lucas have worked to see that the
mission of this project is accom
plished. They have developed and
lead tours and educational prog
rams. and conducted on-farm
demonstrations. As a result. 30
farms have installed manure stor
age facilities, 24 have installed
barnyard runoff controls, seven
have installed erosion control
practices, and more than six miles
of stream have been fenced to
exclude livestock.
Their educational programs and
demonstrations involving rota
tional lot management systems
have been exemplary. This system
is a form of rotational grazing to
protect sensitive areas around
farmsteads and to enhance animal
health. Cattle are rotated through a
series of grass lots based on the
condition of the sod.
The goal of the rotational lot
management system is not to pro
vide forage, but rather to provide a
grassed, comfortable, and
environmentally- friendly exercise
area for cattle.
Outstanding Pasture
Producer Award
West Region
Santino Barchiesi, Jr.
(Greene County)
Santino Barchiesi, Jr. utilizes
pasture and rotational grazing as
die major forage source for his
50-cow dairy herd on Greene
County Farm. Santino began
IMam Firming, Saturday, November 27, lMS*2f
intensively grazing in 1987 with a
few acres but now has incorpor
ated more than 67 acres into his
grazing system.
Santino maintains his pastures
of cool-season forage species by
topdressing regularly with nutri
ents. He has established adjustable
fencing so that pasture size can be
reduced or increased as needed. He
has allowed his system to serve as
a model for other systems and con
tinues to host field tours and farm
meetings at his farm.
Along with his grazing prac
tices, Barchiesi has installed con
tour strips and spring develop
ments, and employs the practice of
cover cropping and conservation
tillage to minimize soil erosion
from his farm. He is involved in
several local farm organizations
and was recently named District
Cooperator of the Year.
Central Region
Ernest Van Tassel
(Somerset Co.)
Ernest Van Tassel has been
selected as the outstanding pasture
producer for central Pennsylvania.
His herd of SS registered Jerseys
utilize pastures as a major compo
nent of the dairy ration.
Van Tassel and his wife, Kim
berly. started intensive grazing
prior to moving to their 190-acre
farm in 1987. They have converted
the crop land on the farm'pas
tures soon after purchasing it and
today there are no row crops on the
farm.
The reasons for using pasture
are many for die Van Tassels, but
two of the most important are the
money savings and low ‘input
required to intensively graze their
herd. Along with establishing their
intensive grazing, they have
planned and installed spring deve
lopments and an agriculture waste
pond to better utilize the resources
they have on the farm.
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Northeast Region
Max Dehart
(Northumberland County)
The recipient of die outstanding
pasture producer award for the
northeast region ofPcnnsylvania is
Max Dehart of Northumberland
County.
Dehart utilizes pastures exten
sively as a forage source for his
sheep flock of more than 300 ewes
and beef herd of SO cows with
calves. These animals graze on
approximately ISO acres of
pasture.
Permanent fencing is used to
divide 120 acres of pasture with
the remainder being perimeter
fenced and temporary fencing used
to cross fence. This allows for
complete flexibility to adjust pad
dock size as the pasture growth
fluctuates during the grazing
season.
His permanent pastures consist
of alfalfa/orchardgrass mixtures,
alfalfa/timothy mixtures, birdsfoot
trefoil/orchardgrass mixtures, and
ryegrass/clover mixtures. Supple
mental pastures of Sudan grass/
sorghum are also seeded. Excess
form these pastures is stored as
large round bale silage for use dur
ing the winter. Max indicates that
he regularly limes (two tons/acre
every four years) and overseeds his
pastures with legumes to improve
quality and productivity.
Dehart is involved in numerous
local and statewide farm organiza
tions. In addition, he and the farm
manager have been very coopera
tive in opening the facilities to visi
tors. They have hosted several
Arm tours/mecting, including the
1992 Multicounty Livestock Tour.
Southeast Region
William RIMm
(Chester County)
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