D4-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, November 16, 1996 COLUMBUS, Ohio With Ohio’s alfalfa prices ranked sec ond-highest in the nation, dairy farmers should carefully plan their forage needs for winter, said Maurice Eastridge, an Ohio State University dairy specialist. The U.S. Department of Agri culture’s price report showed that Ohio’s alfalfa prices are $l3O per ton, a $45 per ton increase from the same time last year. Texas’ prices lead the nation at $l4O per ton. Ohio’s all-hay prices, which in clude alfalfa, are fourth in the na tion, averaging $lO5 per ton. That is a $35 per ton increase for the same time last year, the USDA re ported. Eastridge said Ohio’s problems stemmed from winter soil heaving that damaged alfalfa stands and a rainy spring that delayed first cut ting. “We had a difficult forage year,” Eastridge said. Other feed sources aren’t doing so well either, Eastridge said. Spring rains delayed com plant ings, resulting in low yields of com silage, he said. In addition, spring rains delayed plantings for feed grains, resulting in a second straight year of unseasonably high prices for com grain and soybean meal. The forage and feed grains problem come at a tough time be cause Ohio’s milk production per cow has been dropping since last year, Eastridge said. The problems started in 1995 when an extremely hot summer cut into cows’ output. That was further compounded by poor-quality alfalfa production, he said. To cope with the current trend of high prices and low supplies, farmers need to check forage in ventories now to determine how long supplies will last, Eastridge said. They should test hay to de- A LESSON WELL LEARNED... LANCASTER FARMING'S CLASSIFIED ADS GET RESULTS! High Alfalfa Prices Require Forage Management termine grain supplementation strategies. Farmers can have hay tested through a private laboratory or by Ohio State’s Rescarch/Ex tension Analytical Laboratory (REAL). Fanners can get test kits from their local extension office or by calliri| REAL directly at (330) 263-3760. Farmers who need hay should contract now, because prices peak annually in winter, Eastridge said. Farmers might also consider planting winter wheat or rye to ex tend their forage supplies to next year’s harvest “Decide upon a forage feeding program and make any needed purchases right now,” Eastridge said. Farmland Protection Program Adds 14 Farms HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Agriculture Secretary Charles C. Brosius announced the approv al of easement purchases fra* 14 farms encompassing 1,333 acres of prime farmland. The 145-acre Butler County farm of Edward W. and Lorraine A. Thiele was approved, the first for the program in that county since its inception in 1994. ‘These farms will be protected for future generations as a result of actions taken by the State Agricul tural Land Preservation Board,” said Brosius, who chairs the board. “This is a firm commitment by the commonwealth to ensure that there is adequate land for pro duction agriculture to continue to thrive.” He commended Butler County officials for paving the way for protecting more farmland in the future with the approval of the Thiele farm. Other properties approved are: • Blain County - John B. and Karen K. Morrow Farm, Tyrone Township, 130 acres, $91,298 See one of these Boumatic Sales & Services Centers: JONES-DAIRY WandJ TRI-STATE J.S.AG PRINGLE McNEAL SERVICE DAIRY SALES FARM SERVICES, FEED STORE FARM Massey, MD Oxford,. PA AUTOMATION INC. Greenville, PA SERVICE ~ 1-800-801-2082 717-529-2569 Hagerstown, MD Brookville, PA 412-588-7950 Towanda, PA 301-416-7340 814-849-1937 717-364-5460 Farmers should plant winter wheat for forage only as a last re sort because Ohio is well past the best planting dates to get an opti mal forage or grain yield in the spring, said OSU plant pathologist Pat Lipps. “Right now, since we’re in No vember, it’s chancy that wheat will produce a reasonable crop due to the possibility of winter in jury to late-planted fields,” Lipps said. Furthermore, farmers might have problems finding wheat seed this fall. Lipps said. Not much seed is available because exten sive head scab infections hurt wheat yields this past season. • Bucks County - Mary H. Leathcrman, Bedminster Town ship, 82 acres, $294,300 • Butler County - Edward W. and Lorraine A. Thiele, Jefferson and Winfield Townships, 145 acres, $363,432 • Lackawanna County - Wil lard, Karen, and Andrew Keating Farm, Jefferson Township, 29 acres, $51,408 • Lancaster County - John M. and Martha L. Hess Farm, War wick Township, 123 acres, $494,461 • Lancaster County - Kenneth D. and Teresa M. Wenger, West Donegal Township, 93 acres, $177,100 • Lehigh County - Clarence D. and Frances A. Lichtenwalner Farm, Lower Macungie Town ship, 83 acres, $249,029 • Lehigh County - Larry and Linda Moyer Farm, Lower Ma cungie Township, 23 acres, $51,288. • Lehigh County - J. Howard and Claire D. Shelly Fahn, Lower Milford Township, 84 acres. Farmers should also consider how much forage to plant next year as they buy seed near the end of the year, Eastridge said. They may have to increase their forage acreage to make up for this year’s losses. An alternative for some farmers may be a low-forage diet with cot tonseed or byproducts from grain processors, such as soybean hulls, distiller’s grain, brewer’s grain, wheat middlings or com gluten feed, Eastridge said. Ohio State researchers had good results from a ration with 33.6 percent forage and soy hulls used to limit starch level to 35 percent. Ohio State is doing more research on feeding low-forage diets. $209,200 $107,000 • Lycoming County - Margaret • Schuylkill County - Franklin Hunter Farm, Upper Fairfield C. and Edna M. Specht, Eldred Township. 98 acres, $88,200 Township, 177 acres, $177,300 • Lycoming County - James L. * Union County, Masserville and Deborah E. Steppe, Lime- Farm Partnership, Gregg Town stone Township, 52 acres, ship, 107 acres, $119,103. $44 238 • Schuylkill County - Henry J. To date ’ 674 farms ta 34 coun " and Wanda L, Reiner, Upper Ma- ties have been approved for pre hantongo Township, 107 acres, servation. They total 83,911 acres. Ohio fanners aren’t the only ones facing increased forage prices, according to the USDA. Nationally, alfalfa prices in creased by 12 percent from last year. Alfalfa is averaging S9S.SO per ton, or a $10.50 per ton in crease from 1995, USDA re ported. The Ohio Agricultural Statistics Service forecasts the state’s alfalfa yields will be down by mote than a half-ton this year. The service’s tentative estimate is that alfalfa yielded 3.2 tons per acre com pared to 3.8 tons last year. Other types of hay yielded 2.7 tons per acre compared to 2.5 tons per acre last year.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers