Ag Research Leader Speaks At
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
CAMP HILL (Cumberland Co.)
Thanks to the work of the USDA
Animal and Plant Health Inspec
tion Service (APHIS), die threat of
the introduction of animal diseases
to the U.S. from other countries is
reduced every day.
‘There are those who wouldn’t
mind disrupting U.S. agriculture”
in such a way, said Floyd P. Horn,
acting deputy undersecretary for
USDA Research, Education, and
Economics.
Horn spoke to more than 100
producers, educators, and agri
industry representatives on Wed
nesday afternoon during the first of
a two-day Grazing In The North
east Workshop sponsored by the
Northeast Pasture Research Exten
sion Consortium at the Radisson
Penn Harris Hotel and Convention
Center in Camp Hill.
Horn, administrator for the
entire USDA ag research program,
was bom and raised in New Eng
land. He noted that the Northeast is
thought by many “not to have a big
role in agriculture.”
However, the land devoted to
agriculture makes up 8 percent of
the total land area in the country.
Thirty percent of the land is in agri
cultural use and 30 percent of the
U.S. population lives in the
Northeast
Agriculture is in close proximity
to big markets, according to the
USDA administrator.
Ag is in the top three of die main
industries making up the bulk of
the income in the Northeast And
despite notions to die contrary,
large, commercial farms aren’t
pushing away the small farms in
the eyes of USDA research.
USDA is working to make the
family farm “viable” and to pass
along to the children. “The small
family farm has a place in this
country,” said Horn.
Maximum production off of
conventional farming is not neces
sarily optimum productivity. More
so, grazing research will benefit
farmers to who seek new ways to
iqo-iHAMILTON EQUIPMENT. Inc. /SP*
CJlLzi P.O 80X478 wholesale DISTRIBUTORS (60 th )
iWBfl PHONE 717-733-7951
' ll ' For Your Nearest Dealer Please Call Ust
5 HP Rear Tine Gear
Drive Tiller
Look at all these Standard Features... Model 50200
ft Briggs & Stratton Engine ft Handlebar Height Adjustment
ft 2 Speeds Porward/1 Speed Reverse ft Tractor Type Pneumatic tires
ft Bumper Guard ft All Gear Drive Transmission
ft Lock-Out Hubs ft Self Cleaning 8010 Tines
ft Drag Stake Control
Garden Star features a belt take-up gear drive system so simple to use that you’ll actually look
forward to tilling your garden!
“There are those who
wouldn’t mind disrupting
U.S. agriculture” In such a
way, said Floyd P. Horn, act
ing deputy undersecretary
for USDA Research, Educa
tion, and Economics.
be productive.
Fortunately, the federal budget
passed down to the USDA, Horn
told those at the workshop, shows
no reduction in grazing and animal
science research.
But challenges exist
“Agriculture is the Rodney
Dangerfield of Washington.
D.C.,” Horn said. It achieves “little
respect” he said, gaining only 2
percent of the overall research and
development budget a “pittance”
compared to the importance of
food export markets to many ag
related industries in the country.
Qne national focus is to ensure
the efficacy of APHIS}, which
monitors products that come into
the country to keep out pathogens
harmful to the domestic ag indus
tries. Another is the concentrated
research into removing pathogens
in the food system through food
safety guidelines. Another focus is
the role of animal agriculture in the
nation’s surface and groundwater
supplies.
Horn pointed out die advances
that are working to benefit ag and
consumers. He pointed to a new
product that is used in chicken feed
to kill Salmonella. He also empha
sized the low-phytate com (phy
tate denotes the amount of
“unavailable” phosphorous in
com), to help control the amount
of phosphorous that ends up in
poultry manure.
“A lot of ingenious things will
come out of research programs in
years to come,” he said.
Recently, the House and Senate
ag committees approved another
$6OO million to be available for ag
research. That’s comparable to the
$7BO million for the Agricultural
-Spring Dairy Expo '9B
Columbus, Ohio - Jam
packed with all kinds of activity,
the 1998 Spring Dairy Expo is
less than a month away!
Starting Thursday, April 2nd,
the even opens with the Ohio
PDCA Judging Conference at
10:30 AM. This years conference
will be marked with prizes for
the top judges. At 3:30 PM on
Thursday, the Trade show will
open just prior to the ADADC
Mid-East Bar-B-Que/Annual
Meeting. The first evening is
rounded out with the Ohio
Spring Ayrshire and Midwest
Revue Brown Swiss Sales.
Bright and early Friday, April
3rd, the events start again. The
Holstein heifers, dry cows and
bulls will fill the show ring to be
judged by Callum McKinven of
Canada, The Jerseys will show
at 11:00 AM under the evalua
tion of Mike Stiles of VA.
Guernseys and Brown Swiss
will show at 7 PM for judge
Stiles while McKinven will
judge the Ayrshires. There will
be two Holstein sales, 12:30 PM,
sponsored by the Ohio Holstein
Association and at 4:00 PM is
the Buckeye Classic, put on by
the OSU Buckeye Dairy Club.
The Buckeye Dairy Club has
Northeast Grazing Workshop
Research Service program under
the USDA.
Horn praised die effectiveness
of the Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement prog
rams run through the USDA ARS.
The license agreements to compa
nies are in effect for 17 years.
Also at the workshop, James B.
Cropper of USDA/NRCS spoke
about pasture resource assess
ments in the Northeast And
Edward B. Rayburn, extension for
age agronomist with West Virginia
University, Morgantown, spoke
about elements of pasture produc
tion. These and other items from
the workshop will be included in
the next issue of the Pennsylvania
Forage and Grassland Council’s
also organized a Jersey sale slat
ed for 6:00 PM.
Dr. Norman St. Pierre of The
Ohio State University will pre
sent a seminar at 11:00 AM and
1:00 PM on "Factors in Farm
Profitability-Where To Go From
Here". Information that he pro
vides should help to make your
operation more profitable and
competitive in the future. A
lunch, compliments of
Countrymark Co-op/Gromark
Inc., will be available for all
seminars attendees.
To coincide with all the activ
ity on Friday, the trade show
will be open from noon until 8:00
PM. The Silent Auction with
many great items will run con
currently with the trade show
Saturday, April 4th is the
Lancaster Arming, Saturday, March 28, 1998-A29
Foraging Around newsletter to be
published by Lancaster Farming
April 18.
The workshop is sponsored by
the Northeast Pasture Research
and Extension Consortium, a
public-private partnership of land
grant university research and
extension faculty and staff,
USDA/ARS and USDA/NRCS
representatives, livestock produc
ers, and other agribusiness people
from the northeast region of the
country, and affiliated members.
The workshop is also sponsored by
the Northeast Regional Agricultur- *
al Engineering Service (NRAES).
NRAES is sponsored by coopera
tive extension in the 13 Northeast
land-grand universities.
April 2-4
final day of the Spring Dairy
Expo. It begins with the All
Youth, 4-H and Open FFA
Judging contest. No other spring
contest can boast such a high
quality of cattle. If this isn't your
officia 1 contest, it's a great place
to practice! The trade show and
silent auction will be open from
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The
Holstein show begins at noon
with the milking cow and cham
pion classes. Things will climax
in the show ring with the selec
tion of Supreme Champion at 3
PM.
Jam-packed with action and
events, the 1998 Spring Dairy
Expo is the Total Dairy
Experience-you won't want to
miss it
Fire sWH> All Traction 23"
18.4R3«|'*- $540.00
20.8R38 lit $715.00
20.8R384*- $840.00 MB
20.8R4?e* $870.00
All Purpose Rear gjß|
Tractor Made by
12.4x24/4US $150.00
11.2x28/4171 $152.00
18.4x34/8 L7L $368.00
15.5x38/6 L/L $246.00
20.8x38/8 L7S $540.00
Most Sizes Available
Also Have Implement, Front Tractor,
and tight Truck Tires. Call For Prices.
24 Hour Emergency Farm Tire Service
717-445-4993
MARTIN’S TIRE &
ALIGNMENT
Located in Churchtown
119 Water St., Narvon, PA 17555
UGIIMiIIMM
U.L.P.A. & N.F.P.A.
FREE ESTIMATES
ter, Owner P.O. Box 136
'4-7090 Freeburg, PA 17827