"I t Pig* 2-Com Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March '7, 1'998 Soil Organic Contents On Chester County (Continued from Pago 1) testing on the soil. Also, no manure is applied. With high organic content, good CEC, and impressive ENR, the soil was able to bold moisture, despite the drought Mitchell was recently hon ored as the champion of the 3-year average awards, shelled com tegular harvest size from a plot that garnered 206 bushels per acre in 1997. Average yield for three years was 197.5 bushels per acre. Mitchell received his 5-Acte Com Club Contest Award at the Pennsylvania Com and Soybean Conference recently at the Holiday Inn in Grantville. Mitchell, who grew up in Lionville, owns a 90-acte farm near Reinbolds, Lancaster County. At the home farm last year he grew 45 acres of com and some bay. This year he plans to grow 35 acres of com and 17 acres of wheat. With additional leased land Jeff built this custom tractor bed for his son Matt in their newly renovated home. L. ROHRER & BRO., INC* Smoketown, PA PH. 717-299-2571 Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00-5 PM, Saturday 8:00 AM -12 Noon AgriPro* is a Registered Trademark of AQRIPRO SEEDS, INC., P. O. Box 2962, Mission KS 66201 in Chester County, altogether Mitchell hopes to cate for about 700 acres of com. “We used to do more than that in Chester County,” he said. “But the land is lost to building and development.” All told, Mitchell cares for about 520 acres of com, 260 acres of soybeans, 75 acres of wheat, 25 in alfalfa bay mixes, and 18 acres of barley. A large part of the com land is in the Exton area. In Reinholds, Mitchell man ages about 66,000 chickens in two houses under contract for Pennfield. Mitchell and his wife Susie care for about five flocks per year. The Lancaster County growers also finished about 150 hogs last fall for Hat field. He also maintains a small stock of finishing beef. On the 5-acre contest plot, part of land owned by the Church Farm School a single-parent boys boarding school from sixth through 12th In Relnholds, Mitchell manages about 66,000 chickens In two houses under contract for Pennf leld. Mitchell and his wife Susie care for about five flocks per year. grade Mitchell follows a two-year com program with soybeans. Using no-till, Mitchell planted the Pioneer 3335 varie ty at a planting depth of 114 inches on May 2,1997 at a row width of 30 inches, for a final plant population 0f25,265 per acre. He used a starter fertil 'ays ice es • Farm Bins • Galvanized Fans and Heaters • Hopper Bottom Tanks • Commerical Flat Bottom High Corn ah ip , - /. DIVISION OFGSI “The Standard in Grain Drying” Combination Dryer One of the Most Modern Dryers on the Market Check Our Prices Before You Buy WE CUSTOM MANUFACTURE. " “ WWW m •mmmim "»W m Minted, Galvanized and Mjilittaa Steel v Fabrication, Feed Bins, ’ Covers, Dump Fils, Augers, andtf&rftrol Systsmi toAutomateYourOperation. . So Are Yields Grower’s Farm izer of 250 pounds of 10-34-0 fertilizer. No sidedress was applied. Herbicide applied was a Roundup/Broadstrike combi nation in a nitrogen solution. There was no cultivation at sidedress. Mitchell saw little economic advantages to using insecti- automatic farm systems 608 Evergreen Rd., Lebanon, PA 17042 (717) 274-5333 cides because little or no Euro pean com borer or com root worm was evident. The most difficult weed to deal with in the area, Mitchell noted, is bur cucumber, which is a “real nas ty weed to control,” said Mitch ell. However, the weed can be handled by herbicides when the (Turn to Pag* 4) ON FARM STORAGE FOR MAXIMUM PROFITS Flex Flo Feed Systems Safety Access Equipment STORAGE BINS