A24-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 6, 1994
Lancaster Sets Fir
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
ELIZABETHTOWN (Lancas
ter Co.) For the first time, the
Lancaster Conservation District is
sponsoring the Lancaster County
Conservation Exposition on Satur
day, August 27, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
at the Dave Becker Farm here on
Hereford Road.
The exposition will focus on
ways that farmers can make suc
cessful use of contours and grass
waterways to help control soil ero
sion. Also, tillage demonstrations
of various sorts and equipment dis
plays from (dealers will be
provided.
This summer has been especial
ly trying to many farms, with the
heavy downpours and sudden
flooding.
Becker spoke about his nearly
3,000 feet of large waterways that
separate various carefully con
toured fields of com and soybeans
during a recent interview at his
100-acre farmstead.
“If you come here in a heavy
rain, you can definitely see the
advantage of contour fanning,”
said Becker. “You don’t see, too
often, any mud coming out of my
fields and onto the highway. After
a rain, you have water in the water
ways, but it’s not real muddy. The
waterways filter it out.”
Becker said that he maintains
about eight feet of grass strip all
the way around the farm. While the
additional feet is taking land out of
production, it is providing a reten
tion for soil near roadways and
other erodible sections of land.
Too often, in many parts of the
county, that’s not the case. The dis
trict has had to handle a barrage of
phone calls from people complain
ing about mud on roads all over the
county.
Waterways “make a big differ
ence,” said Jim Shirk, Lancaster
conservation technician. “We’re
getting a lot of complaints because
of the heavy rains.”
“It’s doing us some good,
because we’re getting guys talked
into more strips and stuff like that
(on the farm),” said Shirk.
“We’re getting more urban
neighbors, with the houses and
everything, and you got to keep
your act a little cleaner, or you’re
going to hear about it,” said
Becker.
Becker farms about 200 acres on
the home farm in Elizabethtown,
which includes rented ground. He
also maintains some ground at the
old farmstead in Donegal.
Becker finishes out about 200
head of beef cattle each year for a
private contractor. He also man
ages about 200 head of dairy heif
ers for a major supplier.
All the corn acres (175) are contoured In Becker’s opera
tion. Also, the 175 acres of soybeans are contpured. Becker
was able to obtain a 150-170 bushel per acre harvest last
year. Half of the corn goes to silage and the other half to
high moisture corn.
Becker purchased the farm in
1980 and immediately signed up
with the district. He purchased the
farm on Hereford Road from
Thome Farms, an egg wholesaler.
“This was all laid out in contour
strips when I came here,” said
Becker. The work was completed
by Thome. Becker said that on the
farm in Donegal, he did all the con
tour work.
Becker has about a half acre in
feedlot that is exposed to the
weather. A heavy rain works on
the manure in the lot, but is fun
neled through a concrete thruway
into a 200,000-gallon capacity cir
cular in-ground concrete storage
structure. The structure, installed
in 1991, is emptied twice a year.
The structure captures runoff to
prevent it from going into a large
spring, which feeds into a nearby
stream.
All the com acres (175) are con
toured in Becker’s operation. Also,
the 175 acres of soybeans are
contoured.
Becker uses a combination of
nutrient management techniques
to match his requirements.
Included is about 100 pounds of
liquid nitrogen per acre applied
before planting, and for remaining
acreage, about 100 pounds per acre
of dry starter. He plants the corn on
30-inch rows for a plant density of
about 27,000 per acre. He no-tilled
about 40 acres of corn.
Becker was able to obtain a
150-170 bushel per acre harvest
last year. Half of the corn goes to
silage and the other half to high
moisture com.
For the soybean acreage, Becker
plants about 50 acres of early
beans, and then doublccrops bar
ley beans. He harvests about 60
bushels per acre of early beans and
about 25-30 bushels per acre of
barley.
Becker also maintains about 20
acres of tobacco, a crop he calls the
“mortgage burner.”
Farmers will benefit by seeing
some slit tillage by the district,
according to Shirk. The program
promotes soil conservation and
helps reduce the effects of com
paction, according to Shirk. The
slit tillage demonstration will take
place at 9 a.m. on August 27 during
the exposition. The district, said
Shirk, has two different slit till
implements for rent at 52.50 per
acre.
The demonstrations will run
from mulch management cquip
'ment to slit tillers. Various equip
ment dealers were invited to
attend.
Also scheduled will be discus
sions regarding rotational grazing
from Ed Hits, a nitrogen quick lest
st-Ever Conservation Exposition
demonstration by county agent
Bob Anderson, information on
lawn care and maintenance by hor
ticultural agent Bruce HcHcrick,
and a demonstration by Marvin'
The Lancaster Conservation District is sponsoring the Lancaster County Conser
vation Exposition on Saturday, August 27, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Dave Becker Farm
here on Hereford Road. The exposition will focus on some ways farmers can make
successful use of contours and grass waterways to help control soil erosion. Becker,
left, points to his nearly 3,000 feet of large waterways that separate various carefully
contoured fields of corn and soybeans during a recent Interview at his 100-acre farms
tead. At right is Jim Shirk, conservation technician. Photo by Andy Androws
“If you come here in a heavy rain, you can definitely see the advantage of contour
farming,” said Becker, left. “You don’t see, too often, any mud coming out of my fields
and onto the highway. After a rain, you have water in the waterways, but it’s not real
muddy. The waterways filter It out.” At right Is Jim Shirk, conservation technician.
A heavy rain works on the manure in the lot, but Is tunneled th rough a concrete thru
way Into this 200,000-gallon capacity circular In-ground concrete storage structure.
The structure, installed in 1991, Is emptied twice a year, according to Dave Becker,
right.
Stoner on septic system
management.
Admission is free, and the
exposition will be held rain or
shine.
For informalion about the Lan
caster County Conservation
Exposition, contact the conserva
tion district office at (717)
299-5361.