SECURING A JUDGE FOR A JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW Everyone who has the uneviable task of securing a judge for a junior livestock show has a different method of operating. During the past 11 years, I have found that the most effective sys tem of securing a judge basically follows the seven-point guidelines that I have outlined below. 1) Start early. I have received calls in July asking me to judge a show in August. Some of these calls were out of necessity, as a judge who agreed previously to judge a particular show was unable to fulfill the obligation because of unexpected circumstances. This is understandable, but I find perplex ing the vast number of “last minute” calls for judges. • Welght-Tronlx • Bucket Elevator* ■ Feed Bln* • Air Drying Systems Feed Mill • Stirring Systems • Wet Tanks • Grain Dryers • Transport Augers • Utility Augers • Grain Bins • Parts & Motors ★ Full Line Parts DepL * Sell, Service & Install Rt. 272 South -14 Herrvilie Rd. Willow Street, PA 17584 Ph: 717-464-3321 or Toll Free 800-732-0053 _ .. . . ' ' _—rz-rr Store Hours: Mon.-Sat. 7:30 AM to 8;00 PM Strvlng Th» Induttrv For Ovor 9S Yoon To the opposite extreme, for the past 10 years I have received in December a letter or phone call asking me to judge a show during the third week in August. This is what I call ‘-‘planning ahead” and “starting early.” For most fairs in Pennsylvania that occur during the months of July, August, and Sep tember, initial contacts between fair officials and prospective judges should occur during Febru ary, March, and April. Also remember, highly sought after judges will have their fair obligations fulfilled earlier in the year. 2) Have a list of several poten tial judges. The most effective show committees develop a list of five or six potential junior show judges. During the winter months from November through February, names can be solicited from mem- AVI BINS AND iscounts - • » ■ k bers of the committee, and poten tial judges can be ranked from one through six. This is also the most opportune time to compile phone numbers, references, and any other pertinent information needed to aid in the selection and securing process. The likelihood is slim that the first person on your list of potential judges will be available and accept your invitation. By planning ahead and having several options, you can eliminate the need to call meet ings repeatedly. 3) Call first and have the details in front of you. I have always appreciated speaaking with some one about the details of the show (date, time, what shows ate to be judged, etc.) when they contact me to judge. Sometimes the initial contact is in writing, but invariab ly, I wind up calling someone with questions that I have regarding details of the show. Having the details in front of you may require a little homework. Make certain the person making the contact understands any limita tions imposed by the fair board concerning fees, expenses, and other limitations that would impede the process of securing a judge. 4) Ask questions. Every fair operates differently, and every judge operates differently. By call ing and making initial arrange ments over the phone, both fair officials and judges will have a better idea of the arrangements NEED YOUR FARM BUILDINGS PAINTED? Let us give' you a price! Write; Daniel’s Painting 637-A Georgetown Rd. Ronks, PA 17572 (or leave message) I* (717) 687-8262 Spray on and Brush in Painting Uncitff Farming. Saturday, March 30, I«9*C5 agreed upon. 5) Follow up in writing fnd enclose a postcai&'AfteTl tenta tively agree via phone to judge a show, I ask that someone asso ciated with die fair send me a letter of confirmation. This letter of con firmation should be complete and thorough. All of the details con cerning date, time, location, direc tions, honorarium, expenses, lodg ing. meals, contact person, etc., should be provided in the letter of confirmation. Lastly, one extremely good idea that a few fairs have used is a con tract or pastcard to be signed and returned by the judge. By having the judge sign and return a copy of the letter or a postcard, fair offi cials know that they have a judge who has committed to judging a particular show. 6) Call or write one.or two weeks before the show. A friendly reminder never hurts! It may save considerable embarassment to fair Pork Prose (Continued from Pago C 4) to about 22.4. Adding the radiant barrier so that it faces the room interior would increase the R value to about 21. S (this assumes an expected loss of reflectivity in a swine bam environment ). The question is, would the increased R value (under the best of conditions) be worth the increased cost? Adding a radiant barrier to the side walls and ceiling of a 48-crate, insulated farrowing house (24 X 120,6 inches of insu lation) would add about $1,500 in material expenses. The expected reduction in heating costs would be less than $3O/year not enough to pay for itself in a reason able time. Why are the savings so small? Most heat losses in conventionally-insulated livestock facilities are via the ventilation system. Would the radiant barrier reduce electrical consumption during the summer? As far as we know, that question has never been addressed in any research in a livestock facil ity. Buta couple of things are clear. First, warm ceiling temperatures on a sunny day shouldn't be a problem if the facility is properly insulated. Second, we move a lot of air through swine facilities dur ing die summer anyway. That will keep the ceiling temperatures even lower. Bottom line: it wouldn’t seem that electrical usage would change much with the addition of a ther mal barrier. Does foil-coated, rigid foam insulation have reflective proper ties? Yes, the same as those of the radiant barrier. Inch-for-inch, rigid foam insulation provides a higher R value than that of fiberglass baits, but at a higher cost For example, a 6-irich thick wall insu lated with fiberglass would have an R value of about 20. S (at a cost of $.30/square foot for the insulation and vapor barrier). A similar wall insulated with 2 inches of foiled-coated rigid insu lation would have an avenge R value of 18.3 (at a cost of about officials and/or the judge to make certain the no details have been overlooked accidentally. 7) Nobody likes surprises! Last ly, especially for those of you who judge shows, wh|n t watlhc last timd'yoa arrived althe fairgrounds expecting to judge a particular spe cies, and at the conclusion of that show, a fair official approached you and said, “Now we only have three long-haired Milking Buffalo entered in this year’s fair and we couldn’t afford to bring in a judge solely for that class, would you mind judging them?” Ninety-nine times out of 100, most judges are glad to help out and I am in that group, but just once I would like the opportunity to look at my long haired Milking Buffalo judging manual, glance at the LHMB Stan dard of Excellence scorecard, and brush up on the appropriate termi nology before arriving on the fairgrounds! $.68/square foot for the insula tion). Producers sometimes choose the rigid insulation for ease of installation and also because it pro vides a natural vapor barrier as long as the joints are taped. Summary 1. Radiant barrier insulation is designed to reduce radiant heat transfer. 2. When installed as the only source of insulation, even when a dead air space is incorporated in the wall or ceiling, it does not appear to perform as well as con ventional insulation. 3. Dust accumulation, any con densation, and the corrosive nature of gases in livestock facilities will significantly decrease the reflec tive properties of radiant barrier within 2-3 years after installation. 4. Foil-coated foam insulation provides the same reflective prop erty as that of radiant barrier. 5. Adding a radiant barrier to conventional (fiberglass or blown in) will improve the R value of the system when installed properly. But the return on the investment is questionable. Refoenca Banco, M.R. and H.A. Trethowen. 1984. Effect of condonation on emittance of reflective insulation. J. of Thermal insu lation. 8:127-135. Cook, J.C., D.W. Yarbrough, and ICE. Wllkei. 1989. Contamination of reflective foils in horizontal applications and the effect on thermal performance. ASHRAE Transactions 95(2)^677-681. Bottcher, R.W., L.B. Driggers, G. R. Baughman, P. Bisesi. 1992. Field evalua tion of reflective bubble-pack insulation in broiler housing. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 8(3):369-374. Riskowski, G.L. 1996. Personal communication. Riskowski, GX., LX. Christianson, and R.G. Miller. 1991. Effect of environmental contaminants from agricultural buildings on emnittanoe of reflective surface insula tions. J. of Thermal Insulation 14:323-341. Riskowski, GX., LX. Christianson, and R.G. Miller. 1991. Thermal performance of agricultural building sections with reflec tive surface insulation. Applied Engineer ing in Agriculture. 7(6);761-766. Riskowski, OX., LX. Christianson, and R.O. Miller. 1991. Thermal performance of light frame walls with reflective surface insulations. ASHRAE Transactions 95(2):671-676.
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