Depends On Conservation
They also upgraded the existing
pastures to get more cows out of
the bam for longer periods of time.
While they don’t use intensive
rotational grazing, the pastures are
used as exercise areas for the cows.
Recently the Sells installed 500
feet of streambank fencing and pot
in protected crossings and three
livestock watering troughs. Fenc
ing was also used to set up pasture
subdivisions and to improve for
age quality in a rotational grazing
system. The cows no longer need
to rely on water from Coplay
Creek, which runs through the
farm.
Sell noted, “We fenced in the
side away from the bom and
installed self-contained springwa
ter tile systems for the cows to
drink out of, instead of the cows
going to the creek to drink. The
spring water is cold, it's flowing
constantly, it’s clean, it’s clear, it’s
The dairy Includes 150 milk cows and 75 replacements of
grade Holstein. The Sells are not Pa.DHIA members, and do
their own production tests using a computerized milk sys
tem. The herd averages about 21,000 pounds.
Let
TTcrshcv
mKm mKm equipment co., inc.
do the work!
New expanded services from
Hershey Equipment include feed
mill construction and expansion.
Let us do the work and design
your storage and handling
systems.
We have our own experienced
crews for service and
installation.
T4Rersh€v
■■ EQUIPMENT CO., INC.
SYCAMORE IND. PARK
255 PLANE TREE DRIVE
LANCASTER, PA 17603
so much better than creekwater
and they know that”
Sell noted, “I want us to be seen
as a (family) that is doing their
utmost not to pollute.”
According to information sup
plied by the district, the Sells apply
various conservation practices on
their cropland. They have installed
1,500 feet of grassed waterway,
1,700 feet of diversions, S 3 acres
of contour strip cropping, and one
water control structure.
They double-crop rye on 65
‘lfthere’s a problem, you* re going to hear
that (from customers) real quick . If it’s
really good, if they’re really tickled with it,
you won’t hear as much comment.’
(717)393-5807
acres which allows them to utilize
more of their manure in the fall.
Com acreage numbers about 165
acres and alfalfa about 80 acres.
Sell believes he has an aggres
siveness about practicing
conservation.
But he also knows how things
have changed, compared to the
way he firmed as a Idd.
“My dad was a very aggressive
farmer for his time,” he said.
Back then, Lehigh County was a
big potato-producer. At the time.
blight problems threatened crops
all the time. His dad, Frank, came
up with a way to use lime and
blues tone in water to protect potato
leaves from fungus.
One cool, rainy year, potato far
mers in the county suffered terribly
from the blight. But Hubert’s
father had a crop.
“He was one of the pioneers in
our area in using chemicals (on
that farm) to kill blight disease.”
Only thing is, Hubert remembers
that not much caution was used
when applying the chemicals.
“We were so liberal with
(them),” he noted. “You didn’t
worry about this stuff. When I was
a kid, I used to drive a spray truck. I
smoked then. You’d light up
cigarettes, you’d smoke, and then,
coming from the spray rig, all of a
sudden the cigarette tasted sweet
and you’d throw it away. We had
no shirt on and you’d be wet when
If It's Worth Your Investment Trust It To Hershey
you were done.
“How things have changed,” he
said.
These days, his advice to far
mers starting out is “buy a brand
new big round baler.
“If you make a mistake, which
Back then, they sold milk In varying containers and per
centages of milkfat. Then, “we were lucky” If the store sold
50 gallons of skim milk a week, said Sell. Now, the major
portion of the milk sold at the store Is low-fat. Two percent
milk Is a favorite, according to sales figures.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 8, IM7-A2l
we’re all going to make, just make
up your mind that you’re going to
have to woik hard to overcome it
You can overcome a mistake. The
person that never did anything
never made a mistake.”