84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 30, 1996
On Being a
Farm Wife
(and other
hazards) i
Joyce Bupp
For allergy sufferers, the sneez
ing season is Itching to begin.
Road repair crews are harvest
ing a bumper t yield from pothole
season.
And for farmers, the M and M
season is well under way Mud
and Manure.
Mud is a mixed blessing. On the
plus side, it’s an indication of
moisture in the ground. When the
soil is too dry, too early, it often
portends a dusty planting time of
poor germination and growth.
Com, hay and soybeans generally
grow better in mud than in pow
der. If you can get them planted.
However, as the frost thaws
from the ground after a winter of
plentiful rain and snow, it leaves
the soil in a state of sticky muck.
That dries and solidifies only after
several days of dry, windy weath
er —of which we haven't yet seen
much. And, ground water is at a
plentiful level this spring, further
encouraging the layers of mud that
seem to spring up around the farm
with each new round of moisture
from the sky.
Which takes us to the down side
of mud’s dual persdnality.
“Mud means moisture for
crops" becomes my mantra, re
peated and repeated each time I
mop up the muddled pattern of
dirty footprints from the front
door to the refrigerator to the cof
feepot to the back door to the up
stairs.
“Mud means moisture for
crops” is my refrain of choice
while lamenting the gook-en
crusted blue jeans and coveralls
and gloves and hats as they get
piled into the washing machine.
(How do hats get so muddy, huh?)
“Mud means moisture for
crops” I chant while shaking out
the car’s dirty floor mats, hosing
down the milkhouse floor, and
sweeping off the patches after the
sticky ground dries to a more re
moveable commodity.
“Mud means moisture for
crops” comes grumbling from be
tween gritted teeth while trying to
wash Mistletoe’s teats before
milking her. Mistletoe is an old
cow with a lower-than-ideal ud
der; she also has a talent for spot
ting a mudhole in any comer of
the cattle lot
Of course with Mistletoe, it’s
hard to tell where mud stops and
manure begins. Which come to
think of it is equally true of the
spots on the floor, the cruddy bam
clothes, cat mats, porches, etc.
Because, with the thaw, manure
hauling can begin. Ideally, manure
should be put on fields as near as
possible to the time it will be
worked into the ground for plant
ing, before the nutrients leach
away. This is not a job that can be
done in a day, or even in a week,
so cleanout must begin as soon as
the ground firms enough to sup
port equipment without harming
the soil through compaction.
Even after fields have firmed,
the field roads that lead to them
quickly become sticky, muddy
passages with repeated passes of
equipment. And that sticky muck
glues itself into tractor and spread
er tires, which are like the tread on
tennis shoes, with oodles of trac
tion-grabbing gaps and gullies.
And for picking up and drop
ping mud.
So after a day or two of hauling,
even the paved roads around the
farm have accumulated a coating
of mud. Blacktop around the
buildings where the manure pack
is being removed accumulates
Dairy Promotion Scholarship
SYRACUSE, N.Y. Tammy
Donahoe of Frankfort, New York
was awarded the 1996 American
Dairy Association and Dairy
Council, Inc. (ADADC) Memor
ial Scholarship. Robert Wilson of
Dansville, New York was
awarded the 1996 Leo Briggs
Memorial Scholarship. Both $5OO
scholarships were presented at the
New York State Dairy Princess
Pageant on Tuesday, February 20,
at the Four Points Hotel by Shera
ton, Liverpool, New York
The daughter of Gordon and
Nancy of Don-Dale Farms, Dona
hoe studies agricultural journal
ism at the University of Wisconsin
at Madison. Donahoe is an active
member of the Badger Dairy Gub,
National Agri-Marketing Associa
tion, and the Post Secondary Agri
cultural Student Organization.
With a 3.68 grade point average,
she is a member of Phi Theta Kap
pa Honor Society. Donahoe is a
member of the Oneida-Herkimer-
Montgomery County Holstein
Club and the New York State
Junior Holstein Association.
Donahoe received an associates
degree in agribusiness from
SUNY Cobleskill and served as
ADADC’s 1995 communications
intern. Upon graduation, she
hopes to return to New York and
start a career in agricultural jour
nalism.
The $5OO AD ADC scholarship
was available to former dairy prin
cesses who arc pursuing careers in
dairy product marketing, dairy
manufacturing, home economics,
ag communications or journalism.
mud. Every shoe, every boot that
passes over any of these spots
picks up some mud. Hie dog’s
feet pick up mud. The cat’s paws
add mote.
You get the picture.
April showers are supposed to
bring May flowers. Hopefully
they’ll also help wash away
March’s most plentiful farm com
modity, a hybrid agriculture prod
uct developed right here in our
back yard.
Mudnute.
Free samples available. Just
come scrape it off my kitchen
floor.
j t'i -» * ,V' » V ’*, ,’h - -< * > ' • ** <„ ♦
Tammy Donahoa Is the
Memorial Scholarship
Winner.
The scholarship is offered in
memory of several ADADC staff
and board members for their con
tribution to dairy promotion.
The son of Robert and Donna,
Wilson studies animal science at
the University of Illinois. With a
4.8 grade point average (out of a
5-point settle), he was named to
Alpha Zeta Agricultural Honorary
Fraternity, where he serves as
treasurer. He plays trumpet in the
Marching mini, concert, and bask
etball bands. In addition, Wilson
serves as the vice president for the
Illini Dairy Club and is a member
of the Hoof n‘ Horn Club, (Block
and Bridle Gub), and the 1995
Meats Judging Team. He received
a 1996 undergraduate research
scholarship for the project he is
conducting on dairy nutrition. Lo
cally, Wilson is member of the Al
legany-Steuben County Holstein
Club, and was named a New York
State Distinguished Junior Mem
ber for seven years. Upon gradua
tion, he plans to study veterinary
medicine and someday return to
New York and operate a dairy
YORK (York Co.) —Free Tod
dler Topics leam-at-home lessons
for patents and caregivers of tod
dlers ate available from Penn State
Cooperative Extension. Lessons
include information on nutrition,
health, play activities, discipline.
Free Toddler Topics
Robert Wilson is the Leo
Briggs Scholarship Winner.
farm.
The $5OO Leo Briggs scholar
ship was available to any collegi
ate individual who has promoted
the dairy industry by exhibiting
leadership in dairy industry or
ganizations. Founded in 1983. the
scholarship was established as a
tribute to Leo Briggs for his super
ior leadership in ADADC and
other dairy industry organizations
for 30 years.
ADADC oversees the manage
ment of the scholarship accounts;
however, neither scholarship is
funded by dairy farmer check-off
dollars. As a result, outside dona
tions are critical to ensure the fu
ture availability of these scholar
ships. Any person or organization
wishing to make a donation to
either scholarship may do so by
sending their checks to: Stephanie
Meyers, 219 South West Street,
Suite 100, Syracuse. NY
13202-1205, payable to ADADC.
parenting information, and much
more.
Order your free set by sending
your name, address, and phone
number to Toddler Topics, Penn
State Cooperative Extension. 112
Pleasant Acres Rd.. York, PA
17402.
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