Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, March 12, 1994, Image 1
I wraster^i^agmltig Vol. 39 No. 18 Pennsylvania Purebred Hog Show, Sale Highlights Quality VERNON ACHENBACH, JR. Lancaster Farming Staff NORTH CORNWALL —A number of Pennsylvania’s top breeders of Yorkshire, Duroc, and Hampshire swine participated in the annual state show and sale of those breeds last Saturday at the Lebanon Area Fairgrounds, in Lebanon. According to show officials only two exhibitors weren’t able to attend because of the winter storm. Buyers from seven different states attended the sale that followed the show. Randy Smith, herdsman at Islet’s Yorkshires and Durocs, of Ohio, was judge. There were a total of 57 animals registered for the show and sale, which broke down to 25 York shires, 16 Durocs. and 16 Hamp shires. The purpose of the show and sale is generally to offer breed ers a chance to buy and sell breed ing stock to enhance their own operations. Doug Drews feeds hay to a buffalo. National Grassland Enthusiasts Visit Dutch Country EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)—“Grass is the forgiveness of nature, a constant benediction. It yields no fruit in earth or air yet should its harvest fail for a single year, famine would depopulate the world.” John Baylor, historian and past president of the American Forage and Grassland Council (AFGC), used this 125-year-old quote to capture the attention of members of the council from all areas of the U.S. and Canada at their annual convention held this week at the Host Resort. He was telling how AFGC serves the producers. In many countries 90 to 100 per cent of the nutrients from ruminant livestock comes from forage. In the U.S. about half of the fanning area is grassland. Through dairy ani mals. beef animals, and sheep, 25 percent of the nation’s food supply has its base in forages. But even today, according to Baylor, forages 016192 SriiVfcß ! .>nv E pAKK {'A 60* Per Copy Many of the participants raise and sell purebred or mixed hogs for breeding or showing. All open gilts and boars entered in the show, were first scanned for loin eye and backfat. “At this show, we have bear using Mike Cherchuck Real-Time Scanning for backfat and loin eye, for four years,” said Steve Wilson, show organizer. “We feel (ultra sound scanning for desirable char acteristics) is a plus for our cus tomers knowing this about the ani mals they purchase. We feel it is vital in producing lean quality animals.” The cash sale auctioneer was Harry Bachman, of Annville and he saw an average of $365 for Yorkshire bred gilts, $450 for Dur oc bred gilts, and $445 for Hamp shire bred gilts. Yorkshire boars sold for an average of $3OO each, Duroc boars brought an average of $450, and Hampshire boars brought $650 each. Of the opoi gilts, Yorkshires are producing only about one fourth its known potential. In 1942 a number of industry people gathered at the New Jersey Experiment Station to discuss what could be done in the field of grass land harvest Harvesting was labor intensive at the time, and the coun try was at war so food was a prob lem. From this beginning, efforts were made to develop methods to handle forages, because they are thebackboneof inputcosts to oper ate the farm. “I know of no other organization that has had the producer directly in mind in the development proce dure,” Baylor said. “At the time, information was not readily avail able. So the new organization spent time developing educational materials. In addition, field days, workshops, and farmer awards programs were initiated to increase the educational value of the council.” f (Turn to Pago A2O) Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 12, 1&94 sold for an avenge of $lBB, Dur ocs sold for $202 on average, and Hampshires went for $247 each. All animals were cleared of brucellosis and pusedorabies and were to have been vaccinated for leptospirisis and erysipelias not less than 21 days before the sale. Show premiums were paid for the top 10 bred gilts in the junior aqd senior groups, ranging from $4O for first place to $22 for 10th. For the boars and open gilts, show premiums ran from $4O for first to $4 for 10th place. The classes woe for boars and gilts farrowed after July 1, 1993. The limits were one boar per con signor per breed, and two open gilts per consignor per breed. Showers were allowed to enter as many bred gilts, farrowed on or after Feb. 1,1993, as they desired, as long as the gilts weren’t bred to a boar from ? different breed. Showers were restricted to enter ing one gilt bred to a different breed boar. (Turn to Pago A2B) A Home Where The Buffalo Roam MIRIAM WERT Juniata Co. Correspondent MIFFLINTOWN (Juniata Co.) While taking photos of the buf falo at the Juniata Springs Bison Farm, the only thing missing was a tribe of Indians riding over the hill. The herd was inside the fence, contently munching on hay placed there by owners Doug and Shirley Drewes. The bison gave no indica tion of being wild animals as they are officially known. Seeing a stranger so close by did not alarm them in the least. If the Drewes had chosen another name for their farm, sure ly it would have been, “A Dream Come True” or “Heaven on Earth”. Both names reflect their John Baylor, known at a lifetime supporter of grassland and forages, was honored for writing the history of the council’s first 50 years that was published tor the golden anniversary of the American Forage and Grassland Council meeting in Lancaster this week. Making the presentation are from lift, Garry Laceflekf, past president; Baylor; Vivien Alien, past president; and Clive Holland, new president. Russ Wilson, son of Stove and Cindy Wilson, stands behind his family’s farm champion Yorkshire open gilt of the Pennsylvania Yorkshire, Duroc, Hampshire Show and Sale. expressed feelings about the fanfif* They are both from farming back grounds although their families did not own farms. As a youth, Doug worked as a farmhand for various farmers and learned to love the land. He always dreamed of having his own farm “some day", and Shirley joined in on that dream after they married. They had a few acres in Lancas ter County. Several years ago, Doug read an ad in Lancaster Farming that a bison was for sale, and his dream increased to wanting not merely a farm buta bison farm. The couple purchased the 32-acte farm at Mifflintown in Juniata County, and moved to it in June 1992. Five Sections ****tnTJovember of that year, they bought their first bison and kept increasing the herd regularly to the present 22. The animals came from various places, including locally. New York, South Dakota, Colorado and West Virginia. These animals are possibly the third generation raised inside a fence, and they make no attempt to jump the fence even with the high snow. In addition to the acreage on the Drewes farm, they farm 70 acres elsewhere. Their principal crops are hay and field com. The com is ground for the bison and mixed with vita mins and needed natural supple (Turn to Pagt A3O) $19.75 Per Year