Arming, Saturday. February 25, 1995 UNIVERSITY PARK (Cenlre Co.) Despite dire predictions of snow, more than 450 farmers and supporters seeking more practical, profitable, and environmentally friendly methods of growing crops and raising livestock attended the fourth annual “Farming for a Greener Future” conference held recently in State College. Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) sponsored the event, which drew a diverse crowd. Attendees ranged from organic farmers to conven tional farmers, from vegetable and fruit growers to dairy farmers and livestock producers, as well as consumers and educators. A highlight of the meeting was an inspiring keynote address by Tom Frantzen of Practical Far mers of lowa. Frantzen converted his 320-acre farm from a confine ment hog operation to a diversi fied operation that includes graz ing hogs, a multiple grain rotation, and agroforestry. To do so, he used a decision-making model for total farm planning called “holis tic resource management.” “Farmers and the whole world have problems, but we have to start to look at the world holisti cally,” Frantzen said. “We can’t reduce complex problems to one cause and look for one quick-fix solution. We need to seek to coop erate not coi Farmers Seek Greener Future At PASA Conference We all need to be figuring out how to squeeze the next farmer in, not out.” Frantzen challenged those in attendance to work with the non farm community and to see them as allies. “Do we need to educate them about our issues? Sure! But we need to listen to them, too; they are part of the equation.” Other-sessions addressed grass based farming and rotational graz ing for dairy and other livestock, improving soil health, early and late season vegetable production, reducing sprays in fruit, innova tive marketing techniques, several sessions on composting, and sus tainable ag education. The meet ings emphasized ways farmers can produce and market high-quality food and at the same time minim ize chemical inputs and agricul ture’s impact on the environment while maintaining profitability. In several session New Zealand dairy grazier Doug Parker and Wisconsin dairyman Joe Meudt told how after years of using con finement feeding, many dairy operators are looking differently at their pasture resources. Nearly 100 farmers participated in a farmer-to-farmer discussion on how rotational, or intensive, graz ing can provide an excellent feed source while reducing costs, soil erosion and other inputs asso ciated with harvested feeds. The group also pointed out that grass based farming doesn’t require-as much machinery investment as conventional methods, so young people can get into farming with less debt. Those interested in improving soil health discussed composting and using soil amendments, matching cover crops to cropping systems, and the connection between healthy soils and healthy animals. Will Brinton of Woods End Research Lab presented intri guing discussions on the produc tion of compost, using compost to suppress disease, and the econom ics of composting. Marianne Sar rantonio of Slippery Rock Univer sity captivated a large audience on the art and science of incorporat ing cover crops into the rotation. Organic grain producers discussed how they derive nitrogen for their grain from legumes. Others at the meeting explored marketing opportunities with grocery chains and restaurants, and ways to start community far mers’ markets. Community supported agriculture, where customer-members buy farm shares, was discussed as a way to help re-establish relationships between farmers and consumers. Consumers learned about what it takes to produce food while get ting high-quality, locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Farmers also learned about growing vegetable transplants in no-till conditions with a new transplanter developed at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. This trans planter, already tested successful ly in tomatoes in Lackawanna County, will be tried in several Pennsylvania locations this season. Lowest SCC Pennsylvania DHIA Herds For January The lowest SCC herds in Pennsylvania below 150,000 for January 1994 are listed as follows: 63.000 JOSEPH E SNYDER 65.000 R C & J R SHOEMAKER 75.000 HIGHLAND H FARMS 91.000 CHARLIE PENT 93.000 JER-RAE FARM 99.000 LA FAY FARN 99.000 JAMESONOE GROSSMAN 99.000 JERRY&KATHY BEARY 100.000 NANCY WEIL 101.000 CLAIRE GARBER 104.000 CARL WALLEN 106.000 JOHN BONNIE RENDRICK 106.000 REUBEN EVERITT 109.000 JOSEPH A HARIM 110.000 RICHARD H GEISINGER 110.000 JOHN BENSCOTER BW 111.000 HUNSINGER FARM 114.000 NABARBIL FARMS 114.000 CHARLES M REATING JR 114.000 DETWILER HILL DAIRY 115.000 HIDDEN FOX FARM 117.000 VINCENTA WAGNER 118.000 MICHAEL BOHONIR 120.000 THOMAS E WALKER - 121.000 JOHN & SANA BYLER 122.000 BAKER FARM 122.000 ROBERT C BRONSON 123.000 RON T BETH RUFFANER 126.000 TWIN STATES FARM INC 128.000 HEATHER4STEVE SHARER 129.000 CULBERTSON GREEN FM 129.000 ENPET FARMS 129.000 GREG T SHERYL SEELEYE 130.000 SCOTT &RHONOA LOVELL 130.000 STEWART FARX AYRSHIRE 131.000 ALLS SCHNAKENBURG 132.000 TURTLE ROCK FARM 132.000 DALE R PETTY 133.000 WILLIAM CHAMBERLAIN 135.000 RANSONEO RANSOMDAIRY 136.000 MACKS AYRSHIRE FARM 136.000 MIKE MCCRAY Also during the conference, PASA members held their annual meeting, electing a new member to the board of directors and conti nuing the terms of four current directors. Elected to her first term was Jonda Crosby, of Berks County, project associate for the Regional Infrastructure for Sustaining Agri culture (RISA) program. Crosby was raised on and is still involved in her family’s Western New York dairy operation. Re-elected were Phil Rzew nicki, Blair Cooperative Exten sion; Bob Junk, Pennsylvania Far mers Union; Bud Glendening, organic vegetable producer, Armstrong County; and Tom Stickle, grain and venison produc er, Westmoreland County. Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Award Also during the conference, PASA presented its third Pennsyl- CITY AND STATE MILLMONT CHAMBERSBURQ BROCKRAY BELLEVILLE SHIPPENSBURG LEWISTOWN HONESDALE CRANBERRY EDINBORO CHAMBERSBURG GRANVILLE SUMMIT MAINES6URQ BRACKNEY DUNBAR KUT2TOWN LACEYVILLE SPRINGVILLE MIDDLEBURG LAKE ARIEL CONNELLSVILLE MARTINSBURQ MYERSTOWN WEST MIDDLESEX MEYERSOALE ALLENSVILLE COLUMBIA CROSS RDS BLOOMSBURG NORTHINGTON SUGAR GROVE LACEYVILLE CHAMBERSBURQ KINGSLEY CANTON UNDEN ROME EQUINUNK BLAIN CANTON COVINGTON NICHOLSON PEN ARQYL CORRY PASA Elects New Officers 137.000 MERLE WATSON COL CROSS ROADS 137.000 UNDEN-HILLS-FARM LINDEN 137.000 CASSYLE VALLEY ACRES MMEL HOLBROOK 138.000 JOHN BENSCOTER LACEYVILLE 138.000 DANA FUNK CHAMBERSBURQ 138.000 TRINCA FARM REBERSBURG 139.000 RICHARD O SMITH NEW HOPE 139.000 W J & V J MC CHESNEY NEW QAULEE 139.000 WILUAM&ELAINE WOOD JACKSON 140.000 SCOER SNYDER VOLANT 141.000 MTHEMPFIELD HOLS GREENVILLE 141.000 APPLEHORST FARMS DILLSBURG 141.000 JANES T KARLA LEVY CLEARVILLE 141.000 ORNER FASS INC ROCKTON 142.000 RUTTERS YORK 143.000 FLOYD&QARYRINEHIMER WAPWALLOPEN 144.000 KOREE YODER 144.000 TOX AND LORI HARTLE 145.000 CROOKED ACRES DAIRY 145.000 EYDMONT FARMS 145.000 OAVE&DOUG LEHMAN 145.000 RALPH HAY 146.000 JOHN D BOXGARDNER 146.000 ROY&RUTH GREENIEY 146.000 RONALD PECK 146.000 RAY CLAYPOOLE & SONS 147.000 ROGER ALEXANDER 147.000 KENT HOFFER 147.000 K&Q SWISS 147.000 CLARENCE L MOWRY 148.000 WINGARO DAIRY FARM 148.000 CHAS&MARIANNE ROGERS 148.000 BRUCE R HEIUNQER 148.000 DOUQTJOANNE WESNESKI 148.000 LONQACRE FARM 148.000 CANON DAIRY 148.000 IRISHTOWN ACRES 149.000 DARYL BUTTON 149.000 DAN BONHAM 149.000 DALE&PATTTE MAULFAIR 150.000 MARION PYLE STONE 150.000 GARY BAITY 150.000 WILUALLT BRYAN LOPER 150.000 PAUL M SNYDER vania Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Award, which is pre sented annually to an individual or organization in Pennsylvania that exemplifies outstanding leader ship and innovation in furthering sustainable agriculture in the state and beyond. Joining previous years’ win ners, Robert Rodale and Paul Keene, was this year’s choice; Herb Cole, Jr., professor of plant pathology at Penn State, Co- Director of SANRUE, and long time friend of Pennsylvania. Citing a long list of deeds sup porting Pennsylvania fanners and sustainable agriculture, PASA presented Cole with a large plaque honoring him as “an advocate for changes in agriculture that will sustain farmers now and in the future.” For more information on “Farming for the Future” or PASA, contact Tim Bowser or Averie Clark at (814) 349-9856. BELLEVILLE BELLEFONTE NEW HOPE LIBERTY PA CARUSLE MILL RUN ONO TUNKHANNOCK PLEASANT MOUNT WORTHINGTON MANSFIELD LEBANON DENVER SMICKSBURQ BROCKWAY COGAN STATION PA NEWMANSTOWN ROARING BRANCH PA SUSQUEHANNA WEST MIDDLESEX GROVE CITY NICHOLSON KINGSLEY JONESTOWN BETHANY COVINGTON WATERFORD SHIPPENSBURQ
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