A2O-Lancasier Fanning, Saturday, March 12, 1994 National Grassland (Continued from Pag* A 1) In 1972 the national hay market ing task force was formed to deter mine methods to help find the price of forages based on feed value. And the task force also sought bet ter packaging methods for long distance hauling. Another speaker on Tuesday’s program, Ewing Row, managing editor. Hoards’ Dairyman, said, in 10 to 20 years from now, whoever can produce milk at least cost will be in business. ’The days of support prices to keep marginal 'dairy farmers in business is gone,” Row said. “So are the days when Uncle Sam will offer to buy everything that is pro duced. We’re in transition now. Dairymen arc solely responsible for die government support price purchases in excess of seven bil lion pounds of milk based on milk solids equivalent They must pay for disposing of what will not clear the U.S. market at the current sup port price. Ten years from now dine will be no support price.” Row said the goal tor dairy tarms must be to produce one million pounds of milk per worker. This may take the form of SO cows producing 20.000 lbs. or 40 cows producing 25,000 lbs. It’s not necessarily being big. It’s however you can do it. Steve Ford, forage economist, Penn State Uni versity, said efficiencies in the forage program can help address declining profits on the farm. He listed several facts that will influence profita bility on the farm. They arc competition from other farm areas; price variablity, reduced sup port prices, and government regulations. In the 60’s all the farmer needed to do was be a good producer. In the 70’s you needed to become a marketer. By the 80’s with the farm depression, you needed to be a financial wizard. Now in the 90’s you need to have systems management. Feed purchases, crop production costs, interest and labor all need to be considered in your forage system. In addition, feed losses occur between harvest and storage, between storage and feed ing, and when the animals are fed. In our forage markets, purchases arc made not on feed value content but on how it smells, looks or what it weighs. “With a cow eating seven Unis of forage, if you save $2O per ton either in reduced inidal cost or by reducing storage and feeding losses, you can savesl4opercow,”Ford said. “That’s $8,400 saved in a 60 cow herd.” Various tours for the women and the men were conducted throughout the three-day event. This gave the visitors an opportunity to see farming and agri-business in Lancaster County. Many technical and information subjects were also coverd in seminars. Tuesday evening was Pen nsylvania night, and a bountiful banquet of Pen nsylvania produced foods was served in smor gasbord style, or as one farmer at the table sug gested, in grazing style. The climax of the convention was the awards banquet Wednesday night Dr. John Moore, Uni versity of Florida, received the Medallion award. He received his 8.5., M.S., and Ph.D degrees in animal science from Ohio State University. In 1961 he joined the faculty of the animal science department of the University of Florida. His teaching assignment includes graduate classes in animal nutrition and in principle of forage qual ity evaluation. His research emphasizes predict ing the quality of tropical grasses from routine laboratory analyses, studying the relationship of forage structure and micro-anatomy to forage quality, and predicting the effect of supplemental concentrates on utilization of forages. Two presidential citations were awarded post humously to Jack Barlett and Zur Craine. Bartlett was a founder of the joint committee on grassland farming and was elected its first chairman. As head of the department of dairy sci ence at the New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station, he was able to see firsthand the need for more practical and better information for manag ing forage crops. Bartlett died in 1961 after serv ing for a number of years in the organization that was to become the American Forage and Grass land Council. The enduring contribution that Bartlett made to grassland agriculture was his vision and ability to develop this into a coordi nated effort that sparked a greater awareness of the tremendous potential from improved forages. Craine was (me of the founders of what is now known as the American Forage and Grassland Council. He was secretary of the National Silo Association and a long-time advocate of better qual ity forages. In 1944, following dis cussions with others with the same interests, he sent out a general invi tation to all interested in animal and human nutrition to attend a conference. This meeting was to deal with information on harvest ing, storing, and preserving gras ses, legumes, sorghums. Com, and all green crops. Craine served for IS years as the first recording sec retary of this organization before his death in 1959. Those receiving merit awards are: J. Mike Phillips, Southwest Research & Extension Center, Hope Arkansas; Ray Hoyum, Western Ag-Minerals, Houston, Texas; Steven L. Fales, Penn State University; Jerry H. Chemey, Cor- (Turn to Pag* A2l) ZENECA *,*«*«* Enthusiasts Visit Dutch Country Tours of Lancaster County were conduced each day for the many out of state visi tors to the national convention. At the Agrl-Analist facility In Leola, George Mitchell explains the lab testing service for forages, manure, soli, and water offered to local farmers. f Safety Concerns “"I , I! < aiheqmvfphutu ht% *md mv flay lormikluw make n mwr to handle Lmivr taxtafy means Jhm uvmes for jm tßnvimnmental Impact Wm't ihtnn >mh ,tud Ih'iulumlmihmmih //»<■ Ufw Vj’Hihwul tormuhttisW mhah< !/10 -kint mgnJii’ut milpn>vuU jxrfmiumu < >l*4‘ /(►« t /•»*>'« t«H iOVkCX t id r j#.* < mmm U » <* An«rri<«« r**6 mtf UttuH* Iftfe* (Umdtm* *4 * »s V "Nt