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Vol. 42 No. 42
Blue Mountain High School Team Is National Envirothon Champion
In the front row, from the left, the national Envlrothon team is Pennsylvania’s Blue
Mountain High School team, from the left is Aaron Clauser, Phil McDonald, Tamie
Smerlick, and Caroline Watral. In the second row, from the left, Is head advisor Glenn
Luckenbill, and assistant advisors Chris Brommer, Bob Bylone Jr., and Richard Eck
ert. Not show Is team member Jeremy Johnson.
Lancaster County tobacco farmers have begun harvesting their $2O million cash
crop a little behind schedule. Eugene Rohrer, Strasburg, said they started last Thurs
day and had about 3,000 lath done by the time the photographer caught up with the
operation Tuesday afternoon. This was only about half the number Rohrer usually has
done by the middle of August. But cool weather early and then dry weather made the
crop mature later this year. But quality Is expected to be good. Last year the extra wet
weather made the stalks heavy and leaves of lower quality. This season the stalks are
lighter because of the dry weather, but the late rains put quality into the leaves. Rohrer
has 23 acres of Type 41 tobacco and reports that demand for this type of tobacco Is
expected to be rather good this year. Increased world market demand Is expected to
Influence local demand.
John Yocum, head of Penn State’s research farm at Lahdlsvllle, agreed the price
this year may make the crop value exceed the average. But he said the remaining
effects of blue mold and curing In the bams will determine the final outcome. Yocum
said after the heavy rains several weeks ago, farmers should have gone In and spray*
ed right away. But many farmers didn’t spray for the disease, and now they are in a
situation where they need to decide If they are losing more from blue mold or from cut
ting early.
One characteristic of the disease works In the farmers’ favor. After the tobacco is
topped, the disease seems to not spread as fast. Yocum said scientists are not sure
why the plant seems to have more natural defenses at this time. The dry weather cer
tainly did help the blue mold disease problem and made the leaves thicker and of bet
ter quality. Good growing and curing weather the next several weeks will help to deter
mine the final outcome of this year’s tobacco crop. In the photo, Rohrer Is driving the
Four Sodlono
Lancastor Farming, Saturday, August 23, 1997
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Stair
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN (Schuy
lkill Co.) A team of five just
graduates from Blue Mountain
High School in Schuylkill County
recently were named the national
Envirothon champions at the
national event held at the Johns
town campus of the University of
Pittsburgh.
The team was recognized at the
Schuylkill County agriculture cen
ter in Schuylkill Haven on Mon
day, during the annual awards
luncheon of the county Conserva
tion District.
Other awards made Monday
included the county conservation
award winners.
The win is perhaps more signif
icant since this year’s event
marked the 10th year that the
national Envirothon has been held,
starting with the first national
event held in Pennsylvania.
The sixth national champion
ship by a Pennsylvania Envirothon
team, it is the fourth national
championship won by OWua IHUn
Blue Mountain High School.
The members of the team were
Aaron Clauser of Schuylkill
Stale
Hay Show Winners Named
ROCKSPRING (Centre
Co.) The 1997 Pennsylvania
Forage and Grassland Council
sponsored Hay Show at Ag Prog
ress Days was held last week.
Returning judge was Dr. Lester
Vough, crop specialist for Univer
sity of Maryland. Dr. Marvin Hall
Penn State researcher and exten
sion specialist, coordinates the
show. *
There is no entry fee and all
entries are automatically entered
into the next Pennsylvania Farm
Show hay show.
Hay entries are first judged
based on visual appearances, and
then on tested content
Ike show is organized by recog
nizing three different treatments of
hay.
Midwest Expert
Looks At Dairy Situation
ROBERT CROPP
Dairy Marketing Specialist
University of Wisconsin
Cooperative Extension
MADISON. Wis. Milk produc
tion for the month of July for 20
reporting states was released on
August 14. Milk production was up
4.8% from a year ago. the strongest
monthly increase this year. This
was somewhat suprising because
there were reports of hot weather in
parts of California and elsewhere
that reduced milk per cow. But July
$28.50 Par Yaw
Haven, Phil McDonald of Orwigs
burg, Tami Smerlick of Adams
dalc, Caroline Watral of Schuylkill
Haven, and Jeremy Johnson of
Schuylkill Haven. All but Johnson,
who is employed full time as a car
penter, were able to attend Mon
day’s awards ceremony.
Nearly 200 students on 37
teams, representing 34 states and
three Canadian provinces com
peted for the honors during the
five-day Envirothon.
The winners each receive a
$2,300 scholarship from corporate
sponsor Cannon Corp. The second
place team receives $1,500 scho
larships, while the third place team
receives $l,OOO scholarships.
All of the Pennsylvania team,
except Johnson, are planning to
begin pursuing environmental or
science-related college degrees
this year.
According to Glenn Luckenbill,
team coach and 28-year science
teacher with the Blue Mountain
school system, not to take anything
away from the winning teams of
the past, but die level of competi
tion has increased over the decade
of competitions started with Pen
(Tum to Pag* A3B)
Section I includes hay that is
field cured, or partially field cured,
but definedy mow finished (no
heat or preservatives).
Section II is for partially field
cured hay with preservatives. Sec
tion in is for partially field cured
and heat dried (but no
preservatives).
Each section is then divided into
10 classes of hay two classes
each, reflecting first cuttings or a
later cutting (except for mixed hay,
’which is rated according to the per
centage of legumes and grass), of
five different hay types: alfalfa,
alfalfa-grass, clover, grass, and
mixed hay.
The grand champion of the Sec
tion I entries was an emery by Tra
(Turn to Pago A 43)
milk per cow was up 5.7% from a
year ago.
Milk cow numbers were down
just .9% which shows that the
nation’s milk cow herd is not
declining like it was a year ago
when grain prices were much high
er. Cumulative milk production for
January through July for theU.S. is
estimated to be 1.6% higher than
for the same period last year. Milk
production las not declined sea
sonally. July milk'productioa was
.5% more than June and down just
3.3% from the peak in May.
60* Per Copy