Seminar Presents Benefits Of Upright Silos MIDDLETOWN (Dauphin Co.) —The Crop Storage Institute from Lafkyette, Indiana, held a for age and storage seminar for the agricultural media, bankers, coun ty agents, and a few farmers. The benefits of upright silos were pre sented from research conducted at two separate universities. Experts spoke about the long range advantages of having the more expensive upright systems, which can go a long way to make up their initial investment costs by providing less dry matter (DM) losses, better feed, improved inventory control, and ultimately better milk, and beef production. Mary Kay Siefers, graduate research assistant with Kansas State University Department of Animal Science, and Brian J. Hol mes, extension ag engineer with the College of Ag and Life Sci ences, University of Wisconsin- Madison, spoke recently at the Double Tree Club Hold. For com silage, an upright or lower silo can return as much as 90 percent DM content, with 10 per cent or less spoilage. Undo’ best Dairy Of Distinction Program Again Seeks Nice Looking Farms STATE COLLEGE (Centre Co.) - Do you take pride in main taining your dairy farm? Does your dairy farm project an attrac tive, wholesome image to con sumers? If so, the Dairy of Dis tinction Program of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, will consider your farm for the pro gram’s annual recognition awards. The Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program that over sees the Distinction program was first started in 1983 in Pennsylva Dairy of Distinction 1998 Pennsylvania Application ,| PURPOSE OF PROGRAM ! Attractive dairy farms give the consumer greater confidence m the wbolesomeness of rralk and I I'stimulate milk salee whidi encourages public support for the dairy industry The award gives I Ireoogamon to the dairy farmer for mamtamoig a well-kept farmstead. « | ELIGIBILITY i All Northeast dairy {arms producing milk for sale are invited to submit an application for die award. I kl Dunes receiving the 10 highest scores m each of the 21 districts will receive an 18” x 24” Dairy of | fl Distinctioa sign to be displayed in front of thexr farm. I Your Name. ' Phone Ni 1 1 Cooperative or Handler (where you ship your milk). L (Your Handler will be contacted to approve voor milk quality) Location (driving directions forjudging team). >ur farm is located] Li 1 hereby apply to the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Committee to have my dairy scored ml accordance with the rules of the program for the purpose of obtaining a Dairy of Distinction sign to be| | dnplayed on my premises. (No producer wiQ be charged for scoring or sign expense.) | 1 1 Signature of OwnetfOpemor I Return your application by April IS. Send to: • PENNSYLVANIA, Michael O’Conner, 324 Henning Building, Dept, of Dairy and Animal Science, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802. • NEW YORK STATE, Carol Keene, RDI, Box 31, Giibertsville, NY 13776. • NEW JERSEY, August Knispel, 641 Sidney Road, Pittstown, NJ13077. management strategies, according to the graduate research assistant, for upright silos the average is about 4 percent DM loss at “maxi mum,’' she said. Siefers indicated that the key to any feed storage system is to pro vide “forage in silage out, qual ity and quantity,” she said The presentation, she said is from a “silage maker’s perspective getting the best quality feed to the animal.” For “perfect silage,” it’s also important to use an additive, she noted. She recommends an inocul anL An inociilant used on com sil age provides a $3-$4 return for every $1 invested she noted in dry matter recovery and quality. Using an inoculant for haylage provides an even better return $6-$8 for every $1 invested. Put an inoculant in every struc ture, Siefers told the producers. Brian J. Holmes, extension ag engineer from the University of Wisconsin, compared various costs between different storage systems, including new glass-line steel towers, rebuilt steel towers. nia to recognize the hard work and dedication of the farmers who maintain attractive farms. The purpose of the program is to in still a greater sense of confidence in the wholesomeness of dairy products, and increase their sales. Farms that apply are judged on the roadside appearance of build ings, grounds, and surroundings, since this is what our dairy prod uct consumers observe as they drive by the farm. r APPLICATION Finn Name. cast-in-place towers, concrete stave towers, above-ground bunk ers, packaged silage piles, plastic baggers, and wrapped bales. When deciding on a storage sys tem, Holmes believes producers use the capital investment as a deciding factor. He said “My con cern is that the capital cost is not necessarily the cost the producer pays.” Importantly, the long-term ben efits of having an upright can pro vide improved economic benefits in keeping the silage or forage clean and dry, away from elements that will reduce DM content of the stored feed Dry matter losses, in his research, were low —6 percent for either the steel/glass towers or the cast-in-place towers. Drew Freeman, president of the Crop Storage Institute noted that new manufacturing technology can produce some large upright stor age systems. Tower silos can be built to 40 feet by 120 feet at a capacity of 5,087 tons. There is also a misconception that when loading silos, you can’t The cleanliness of the barnyard, feed areas, and manure manage ment are all areas taken into con sideration when a team of judges takes a look at your farm from a roadside point of view. Judging is conducted during the month of May. Award winners are an nounced during your local June Dairy Month activities. To qualify for consideration, you must be actively dairy farm ing and shipping milk. Applications are available for Pennsylvania dairy farms from Michael O’Conner, 324 Henning Building, Dept, of Dairy and Animal Science, Penn State Uni versity, University Park, PA 16802. Phone: (814) 863-3913. For New York State applica tions are available from Carol Keene, RD 1, Box 31, Gil bertsville, NY 13776. Phone: (607) 783-2169. For New Jersey applications, send to: August Knispel, 641 Sidney Road, Pittstown, NJ 08867. Phone; (908) 735-4989. All applications must be com pleted and relumed to your state secretary by Wednesday, April 15, 1998. The Dairy of Distinction pro gram is financed in Pennsylvania by Dairy Farmers through the American Dairy Association Dairy Council and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program in coopera tion with many local agribusiness organizations. The program is conducted with advice and help from Penn State Cooperative Ex tension. go fast with uprights, according to Freeman. But he showed examples of a Wisconsin producer using trucks to dump the material in win drows, which are then scooped up and blown inside. This “dump and go” filling worked to load the silos Mary Kay Siefers, graduate research assistant with Kan sas State University Department of Animal Science, at left, and Brian J. Holmes, extension ag engineer with the Col lege of Ag and Life Sciences, University of Wlsconsin- Madison, right presented their findings recently. In center is Drew Freeman, president of the Crop Storage Institute in Lafayette, Ind. Dairy of U Distinction HOW IS YOUR FARM SCORED? Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program, Inc Awards will be based upon neatness, good maintenance and other factors which can be controlled by the farmer Attractive background scenery should not be weighed heavily in judging. All judging obser vations should be made from a vehicle at one or more points on an adjacent public highway (or if farm is off the road, the nearest lane) Judging should give equal consideration to old wood construction and new construction of metal or concrete block. The award program may be used for subsequent advertising or promotion activities for dairy p cducts or dairy farming Farmers who apply for awards agree that; il selected they will cooperate with these activities and make all reasonable efforts to maintain both the exterior and interior ol their propei lies in an acceptable condition. HOW THE APPLICATION WORKS The owner or operator ol the dairy farm should sign the applica tion and send i' to NEDFBP secretary by April 15 HOW THE JUDGING WORKS Judging teams will visit farms during the month ol May Farms will be judged each year as the award is presented on an annual basis Any dairy failing to maintain appearance standards will be asked to remove their sign The Dairy of Distinction signs remain the proper ty of the committee, not the properly of the dairy tarmer All farms must achieve a compliance score of 90 percent on their Dairy of Distinction score card Your cooperative or milk handler will be con tacted to approve your milk quality RULES FOR THE DAIRY OF DISTINCTION AWARD The Dairy of Distinction sign remains the property of the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Committee The post and bracket shall be supplied by and maintained by the dairy fanner It is suggested that a wood past 4’ x4’ x 1 2’ or iron pipe 2’ x 12’ be used Posts or pipe should be installed and main tained m true vertical position with 8’ above ground Top of the bracket shou' 1 be lower than six inches Irom the top of the post Sign shall b„ displayed in front of the dairy at roadside. An attractive post and bracket, or other Irame, shall be used to dis play the sign No more than three signs should be displayed from the sign frame or post, and all shall be of a style, general size and quality comparable to the Dairy of Distinction sign Sign should be secured on all sides to avoid wind damage Signs shall not be moved to other premises New owners of a Dairy of Distinction farm must apply to retain the sign Replacement of damaged signs shall be the discretion of the committee No producer shall be charged with scoring or sign expense Judges’ decisions will be final Judging will take place between May Ist and May 31st Farms awarded a Dairy of Distinction sign in previous years will be judged between April Ist and April 30th If they do not qual ify, they will be rejudged between May Ist and May 31st so they have the opportunity to keep the sign Farms that do not requalify will return the sign to their regional Dairy ot Distinction Committee. quickly. Freeman said there are 20 mem bers of the Institute nationwide and in Canada. This is the second such forum conducted, the first time in this part of the country. There is a large base of silo companies in Pennsylvania and New York, he noted.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers