A3Mjncatlar Fanning. Saturday, January 22,1194 <<**• ' •**■* **"••* This milk truck drives out the farm lane after a pick-up at Elam Kauff- tion of water pipes in milk houses and livestock man’s farm. Snow and extremely cold weather this week have hampered Nawawangar, managing editor. farm service vehicles such as feed and milk trucks and tested the protec- Farmers In The Northeast Suffer Through Sub-Zero (Continued from Pago At) And then, in a fashion to appor tion the use of the electricity, the utilities implemented a “rolling blackout” through the Harrisburg region on Wednesday. On Thursday, the entire state government shut down in an effort to conserve engergy, and because of the statewide storm conditions. Due to conservation measures, a rolling blackout that had been scheduled for Lancaster and Leba non counties for Wednesday was canceled. However, even on Thursday night, roads were still being con sidered extremely dangerous and sections were still being closed because of ice and accidents. The storm came on the heels of some earlier snowfall and cold which had started just prior to the opening of the 1994 Farm Show, and continued through the week. The weekend had been cold, but seasonal. From Monday through Thurs day, farmers and agribusinesses throughout the stale were working to open lanes and repair frozen water pipes. The District 12 of Atlantic Dairy Cooperative, representing dairy producers in the southern end of Lancaster County held its annual banquet Thursday at the Quarry ville Fairgrounds, despite the conditions. According to David Kleintop, field rcprcscnativc for ADC, the banquet is always held no matter what the weather, because of the proximity of its members, and because their modes of travel heavy duly vehicle or horse and buggy enable most to attend. However, Kleintop told the group that they have to make sure l * ,, * li «*. 'W* A n their farm lanes are cleared and cindered for the milk trucks. He said that while the 10-wheel rigs don’t have much problem in most of the rough places, the coopera tive only has two of them to serve the area. He said that in order to return to a more orderly schedule of pickup, all lanes must be made accessible by a regular rig. He said that after so many days after a snow, if a truck can’t get into a farm, it will go onto the next farm that has a lane open, rather than spend all the extra driving time and mileage to reroute tankers for one farm. He said that drivers who faced electrical blackouts in Phi ladelphia and being forced to wait in long lines to unload, spending hours tied up in accident-laced, snail-paced traffic were begin ning to lose patience with the frustrations of the storm. According to Jim Barnett, direc tor of member relations for ADC, the storm has presented a number of problems for the cooperative, but nothing that has been insur mountable. On Thursday he said it was too early to start talking about dumping milk. The state Department of Agri culture was open Tuesday and part of Wednesday. However, on Thursday and Friday, all state offices were closed, except for state offices in Adams County, which were reopened as of mid night Thursday. While the agriculture depart ment isn’t directly involved in storm emergencies, Boyd Wolff, state secretary of agriculture did recommend that farmers make sure their animals have adequate accessible water, shelter and per haps extra feed. Greg Soil, an extension agent in I ? [ -~"P % j-y*Sr ’ '§ ~... f f *l? * ' ‘ V v _ -<•*** ♦ ‘V *" < '*o s N VN v> , 'V * ♦* > * , * x ' 1 \ n - v\ - < * v * ~‘*V 0 N- s, ♦ * X *\*\\» s SxW SN > X «. '-»■ *' *'- V' V^''.j*R'"< ' v XV v *-n-?fgr ' ' *. imW" n Northampton County, said Thurs day that farmers in his area have been “scrambling” to keep water pipes open, some even resorting to using electric welders to thaw out pipes. “Animals arc not suffering. Out farmers arc keeping up with the problems.” However, he said the cold more than snow has been the main cul prit. He said, “Pipes down sup posedly 36 inches arc freezing. One man in his 50s said that a pipe which froze had never frozen before and it was put in (the ground) by his father.” Soil said the snow may help pro tect alfalfa overwinter, because it’s msulative properties should keep the ground from heaving. But he said he wasn’t certain that would be the case. As far at the milk trucks in his area, Solt said, “I think the trucks have been getting around. 1 think those drivers are more dedicated than the postmen. They just risk life and limb to get that milk out. Plus they come prepared, with chains on trucks and everything.” Also a sign of how slowed down agribusiness has been, there were very few livestock auctions held or reported this week, because of the weather and poor attendance. There were at least 10 sales not held specifically because of the weather. More than 10 failed to provide an auction report, either because they offices were closed or because there were too few ani mals offered for sale. According to Lynn Rossi, who has been working for Lancaster Farming for nine years reporting livestock and commodity markets, she has never seen a week in which so many markets have been closed. <• . Ay 1 \ s ) ff \* * * “All markets experienced reduced commodities, if they took place at all. I have never seen it like this, not even during the blizzard (last March)." That blizzard was supposedly the snow storm of the century for the stale. According to reports, the weather this week can be expected to also be on the record books. Somerset County Barbara (Mrs. Lewis) Berkley at Berlin in Somerset County said they have had temperatures down to 25 degrees below zero, and high winds. The roads have been closed off and on, but the milk truck got through. Last year in the March snows, the milk truck was stuck for three days near their farm, so this year’s weather is rated “better.” So far. The cold does work hardships on farmers, but Ms. Berkley said farmers are resilient and take things as they come. “We brought a few of the calves inside from the hutches because it was so cold,” she said. “But most ly, we are just working to get the men who help us into the farm through the snow, and the milk out on the truck.” According to other published reports this week, farmer David Svonavec, of Somerset County found two new lambs in the bam. They were frozen stiff and seemed dead, but the family used hair dryers and heating pads. The lambs revived, were dressed in children’s sweaters and returned to the bam. Blair County John Morrow, Tyrone, in Blair County said they haven’t been away from the farm much this week, but because they have had v m x ** s < * * * A A barns. Photos by Everett Weather no disruption of electric power, the dairy operation has continued uninterrupted. “We have some heating cables around water pipes and heat lamps in water pump wells so we are sur viving,” Morrow said. “We live along the road so the milk truck has been able to get here.” Bedford County Larry Snyder, Imler, in Bedford County said even with the 20-bc low temperature, they haven’t had any real problems with the dairy. The milk truck has made all the pick-up stops, and everything is about routine. Snyder said, actual ly cold weather helps production because the cows like cold belter than warm. Lawrence County Arlene (Mrs. Richard) Martin at Volant in Lawrence County said that while she and her husband have sold their cows, they drive milk trucks and know some of the major problems fanners in the county are facing. For example, both milk truck drivers and milk testing supervi sors have found farmers who have not been able to milk on time. Silo unloaders and bam cleaners are frozen. Water pipes are broken, and the - business of farming is a struggle on some farms right now. Some far mers are concerned about how to get the cows milked and fed. While Ms. Martin said they were experiencing a heal wave of zero degrees on Thursday, she said the difference between the snows of 1993 and 1994 is that last year they came in March when spring was just around the comer. “We are looking for the January thaw,” she said. (Turn to Pag* A 35)
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