A244jncast*r Farming, Saturday, March 12, 1994 Grass Is Greener LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff LOGANSPORT, Ind. As a forage farmer, Dave Forgey always searches for greener grass. About three years ago while read ing about New Zealand’s grazing practices, he visualized the possi bility for greener grass on his 300-acre dairy farm. Now, Forgey brags that “the grass is definitely greener on our side of the fence.” This discovery has raised his dairy farming profits 400 percent Forgey is so excited about his discovery thdt he has traveled to more than 10 states across the U.S. this year to tell other farmers how they too can have greener grass. Forgey shared his “secrets” with members of the American Forage and Grassland Council that met this week in Lancaster. Forgey, who said that he has always been a good forage produc er probably better than a dairy man because I knew plants—clas sified himself as a conventional dairy farmer until his experiment three years ago. “Then I took a 180 degree turn and broke my farmland into pad docks that are three to four acres is size and went to seasonal dairying. Forgey’s ISO cows graze in those paddocks from late March until December IS. He lets all his cows dry up before Christmas and then freshen in March and April. “The cow that freshens in March hits peak production in May and June when they need the most feed. That corresponds with the NAFTA To GATT on world trade with the movement of a battleship. “Once it’s started, it just keeps going,” he said, allowing other countries, such as Argentina, Chile, and those on the Pacific Rim, to join in. This could benefit consumers, and agri culture, in a big way. The markets will thus “respond to consumer supply and demand, rather than political supply and demand,” according to Kleckner. Kleckner spoke about the importance of respecting the role science has in helping to improve the work farmer’s work, which goes unappreciated by many who do not understand fanning. He cited the efforts of environmental ists to create more pressures on far mers regarding animal care. “We continually face rules and regulations that are imposed, not to promote better husbandry, but to answer unfounded charges,” he said. “It’s clear to me that we’ll never be able to please some peo ple no matter how well we treat our animals or how well we care for them.” This produces a tremendous impact on those who produce the feed and forage for the animals. Kleckner said that his farm far rows year-round in farrowing stalls. He said, “I wonder about these folks who are screaming about how animals are confined. “I’d like them to come up to my farm or some of your farms, for example, when it’s 30 degrees below zero or 20 below zero and the wind chill is 50,60,70 degrees below zero, and (see) that building is heated and those heat lamps (are on). Would (the pigs) be more comfortable outside in weather like that? I think not." He said he is bothered by media accounts that portray a fanner that is doing something wrong “and same growing pattern as acreage,” Forgey said. Because he always kept detailed records, Forgey said mat those records showed that it was really tough to make money in dairying during December and January because of the cold weather prob lems causing equipment break downs and animal health problems. With one easy stroke. Forgey changed that. “If the cows are dry. there aren’t problems.” he said. “No frozen udders, no equipment breakdowns to deal with in those cold frigid months, no fuel costs, and less time working.” Since the cows graze, Fogery was able to sell his expensive hay baling equipment the chopper, combine, and com planter. Now he needs only a haybine, a round baler and stretch wrap to harvest the excess forage for the small amount he feeds the dry cows when it’s too cold for pasturing. Before the transition to grazing, Fogery said that his head averaged 20,000 pounds in production. “But the returns for the investment was only S percent. Now, after three years of grazing, my returns are 20 percent—that’s a 400 percent dif ference,” a jubilant Forgey reported. He tells fellow fanners, “We must leant to control our costs. Margins are smaller every year and with world markets looming over the dairy end, they can ship in milk at $8 a hundred weight.” After careful analysis, Forgey predicts $lO a hundred weight will elp Reduce (Continued from Pago A2l) make a big story of how they treat their animals or about some envir onmental impact that their farm has caused,” he said. “You can find those people. And the infer ence is that that’s all of us.” Kleckner also spoke about the severe weather that Midwest far mers have had to endure, and efforts to recover from a debilitat ing summer of floods and a cold, snowy winter. He said that in parts of northwest lowa, “it was horri ble up there it was unbeliev able.” He said the weather was so bad “you feel like crying but you cannot because you’re an adult,” and humor is the only way some farmers can deal with die situation. Dean Kleckner, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, spoke to about 200 attendees at the golden anniversary celebration of the founding of the American Forage and Grassland Coun cil at the national confSrence on Monday at the Host Resort. On Forgey’s Side Of be the highest price in the next 10 years. “If that’s true, we must find a cheaper way to produce milk,” Forgey. said. The most logical way is to look for lower costs. And to Forgery there is no quicker way to cut costs than to use rotational grazing. He estimates that it cost him less that $2O per acre to put up a one wire high-tensile fence that is electri fied and can be moved around. Fear of change keeps most far mers from making the switch, Forgey said. Some think cows bloat on grazing, but that can be easily controlled by stringing poly wire inside the fenced area and moving it two to three times a day. On a typical day, Forgey said his ISO cows are put into a three fourth acre of good quality alfalfa grass pasture that is 8- to 10-inches tall. This forces the cattle to graze the area to about three inches. As soon as the 3-inch height is reach ed—about one hour or less—the polywire is moved, forcing the cows to graze the next three-fourth acre. This keeps the cows from top grazing and from trampling the grass. Forgey estimates that it takes less than 5 minutes to change the polywire. Some farmers fear muddy pas tures. but Forgey said that is never a problem when rotational grazing is used. “Because the grass is shorter, younger plants come up and that makes thicker grass, which in turn controls the mud made by cows,” he said. “Many people don’t understand the concept and think you can’t A number of out-of-state participants in the AFGC Conference stayed with local host farm families in Lancaster County, Look for a report on their experiences as told to Lou Ann Good in Section B of next week f s issue. Penn State Joins IPM Development Consortium UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Penn State is one of sever al institutions that will participate in a national consortium led by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to develop inter national integrated pest manage ment (IPM) programs. The five-year, $7.5 million IPM program is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Deve lopment (USAID) and will involve countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. In many deve loping countries, crop losses to insects, diseases, weeds and other pests are estimated to be as high as 50 percent. IPM could effectively control these pests while greatly reducing the economic and envir onmental costs of using chemicals. Three researchers in the Col lege of Agricultural Sciences are participating in the initial stages of the program. They are Dr. Charles Pitts, professor of entomology: Dr. Edwin Rajotte, associate pro fessor of entomology; and George Greaser, research associate in agricultural economics and rural sociology. IPM integrates pest-control decisions into economically sus jrgey rspou his proms inerssssd 400 percent when hsswitchedto ssssonal milking and inten sive grazing. make it work. But if you under stand plants and how they grow, it works,” he said. On hot days, the breakwires are changed more often, which allows more moisture in the grass where the cows graze. Before Forgey made the switch, he said that he read tremendously about the research done rat New Zealand grazing. One article showed how a small farmer milk ing only 30 cows could survive financially in 1987. “That made me realize the con cept and the profit potential,” Forgey said. “I thought why can’t I use this same concept with my ISO cows”? tainable, ecologically based farm ing systems. It involves using pest-resistant plant varieties, rotat ing crops, adjusting planting or harvesting dates and introducing and encouraging natural predators of pests. “IPM enables farmers to avoid excessive use of pesticides, which could endanger the environment and the health of farmers, rural citizens and consumers of agricul tural products all over the world,” said Pitts, who has done pest management research in Albania and Swaziland. “Being selected to be part of the consortium indicates that IPM researchers at Penn State are becoming nationally recognized as top experts,” said Dr. J. Dean Jansma, associate dean for inter national programs. “The program gives Penn State an opportunity to expand its IPM efforts with other countries, helping them increase crop yields and at the same time protect the environment, farm workers and consumers. “With international trade agree ments such as the North American Free Thule Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), prom- The Fence Studies show that about one acre is needed per cow and its replace ment to make grazing work. Although Forgey has only ISO cows on his 300 acres, now that he knows grazing works, he plans to increase his herd size soon. Forgey had a consultant from Wisconsin help him convert his farm to paddocks and since then Forgey has been on his own. “Ifs a big change, and one that a farmer does not get much support from as far as equipment dealers, feed companies, and nutrition con sultants.” he said. “It’s especially difficult for far mers to make the switch if they are already experiencing financial dif ficulties. because it is not prom oted as a viable option because so little is known about it” But Forgey sees that changing. Since he has experienced success with this method, he is in great demand as a speaker at many extension and agricultural meetings. Forgey, himself, cannot stop talking about the benefits of rota tional grazing. He said there is less stress on the soil since it isn’t plowed. In early Match, Forgey uses a four-wheeler to hand seed an established pasture. He uses about 10 pounds legumes in a hand seeder fastened to the four wheeler: There’s little need for fertilizing since the cows take care of that while grazing. Forgey said that he ocassionally stimulates early and late growth in the pasture by adding some nitrogen. Two full-time employees help Fbrgey in his dairying operation. For more information, write Fogey at his River-View Farm RJ6, Box 100, 609 Georgetown RtL, Loganspot, IN 46947 or call (219) 652-2461. nting IPM in other countries will help ensure that imported foods arc free of pesticides.” ‘The plan is to take a participat ory approach to IPM,” said Rajot te, who has studied economic impacts of different agricultural practices and has helped develop pest-management expert systems. “Many other nations already use IPM strategies. After we find out what practices a country is using, we can work with farmers, scien tists and other officials to further develop IPM programs.” “Our approach will include sociological and economic con siderations in these countries,” said Greaser, who has helped develop farm management sys tems in Poland and Swaziland. “Where adoption of IPM is hin dered by technical, socioeconom ic, policy-related or informational constraints, every effort will be made to correct these. “A major focus will be the role of women in IPM, because a large percentage of farmers in many developing countries are women,” Greaser said. 'The goal is to assist different countries in developing management systems that work for them.”
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