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