»«<HMHMMHMM»«M««M»<Mt<MMHMMM»«S-DIGIT 16802 |f| M ~ 823 P 3 ### n I *"*- I 036034 980930 f I 1 1 J , PERIODICALS* DIVISION 048 II /' PENN STATE UNIVERSITY ■H W 209 PATTE UNIV PARK PA 16802 Vol. 43 Mo. 52 For their efforts to conserve soil and protect the watershed, Dave and Sharon Bishop of Ensenada Farm in Piumstead Township, Bucks County, were honored early this month by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) at its annual awards banquet in Scranton. Photo by Andy Andrews Flood, Erosion Control Vital To Conservation Award Winners ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff DOYLESTOWN (Bucks Co.) David and Sharon Bishop remember the night of “no sleep.” On a day in mid-July 1988, monsoon-like rains began and, by early evening, four inches of rain had fallen. 1 The tropical storm caused a tri butary, which runs between the house and the bam, to flood. Floodwater from the creek came up to the second step on the house and tore a four-foot deep ditch through their lane. The floodwater flowed through the bam, where cows were in water up to their udders. The rain stopped late in the evening. However, at 2 a.m. the Bishops were still standing in water. David said, “I know wc didn’t get any sleep that night.” Poultry Association Faces Challenges LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff WILLOW STREET (Lancaster Co.) "This year has brought the stark realities of the industry to a head,” said John Mattilio, presi dent of the Lancaster County Poul try Association, at its annual ban quet held Tuesday evening. The reappearance of avian influenza (A. 1.) in county flocks last winter resulted in additional problems for both producers and industry. Challenges with manure disposal, stockpiling litter, weather-related problems, and preventing and controlling AI all contributed to taking money out of producers’ pockets. Four Sections The rain “washed the lane out,” said Sharon. She said an excavator had to come with stones to put the lane back together before the milk truck could get in. The same year a stream over flow channel was placed around the house and bam. In 1991, pipes to allow flows to pass through the original channel but route exces sive flows around the buildings and back into the original stream below the farm were installed with the help of the organization for merly known as the Soil Conserva tion Service (now Natural Resour ce Conservation Service or NRCS). Cost for the pipe system: about $6,700, including engineer ing fees, said David. Before long, the work to control stormwater flow paid off there was no more flooding. The Bishops’ only worry has been to make sure the flow continues, The Association tackled envir onmental, food safety, and rural urban issues this past year. The Association’s annual Poultry Progress Day, where poultry pro ducers are taught how to best tackle these problems, needed to be cancelled because of the A.I. scare. Not all the news was downcast. The industry released its first professionally-prepared video, “It’s Not Just Chicken Feed," which tells the story of the egg. To the beat of peppy music, the story is comically presented but packed with facts. Inspector George and Chicken Farmer Sam illustrate the biosecurity methods used to guar- Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 31, 1998 despite severe ice and snow storms in the past several years. All told, the use of 1,600 feet of grassed waterways and 4,900 feet of diver sions to control water flow have stemmed soil erosion on the Bishop Farm. For their efforts to conserve soil and protect the watershed, the Bishops of Ensenada Farm in Plumstead Township were hon ored early this month by the Pen nsylvania Association of Conser vation Districts (PACD) at its annual awards banquet in Scranton. David is a fourth generation far mer on the dairy. David’s father, George, developed a conservation plan in 1967 and promptly had the farm contoured and stripcropped. Dave Bishop practices conser vation tillage on all cropland. This spring, he no-tilled 235 acres of (Turn to Pago A2O) antce that eggs are safe to eat The video is to be used in school presentations and as an education al tool in other public events. A copy of the video is available upon request Another outstanding achieve ment was that Kendra Weaver, for mer poultry ambassador, was fea tured on the cover of Lancaster County Magazine. “We (the poultry industry) received publicity we never had before through Kendra’s efforts," Mattilio said. Sarah Woodling was introduced as the newly appointed Poultry (Turn to Pag* A 32) $29.50 Per Year Aquaculture Now Legal As Agriculture In Pennsylvania VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Farming Staff HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co,) Aquaculture in Pennsyl vania is to soon be formally recog nized as agriculture and encour aged in its development On Oct. 16, state Gov. Tom Ridge signed into law the state Aquaculture Development Law, which goes into effect mid- December. Though the law was expected to be passed by the current Legisla ture, the importance of the now officially recognized branch of agriculture has not been lost on the industry. Pa, Cooperatives Council Recognizes Outstanding Efforts VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Fanning Staff ALTOONA (Blair Co.) The Pennsylvania Council of Coopera tives (PCQ held its annual meet ing and awards program Wednes day at the Altoona Ramada Inn. The annual meeting of the more than 25-year-old organization is held to recognize outstanding achievements of members, discuss issues of concern, provide educa tional forums, and conduct associ ation business. In association business, the directors re-elected its slate of officers. They are Randall Mea bon, president; James Barnett, vice president; and Bruce Stainbrook, executive director. The position of secretary is non-electcd and is fulfilled by the executive director. Crystal Smithmycr. The day’s program began with Lancaster County Poultry Ambassador Sarah Woodling accepts a scholarship from George Georges on behalf of the Poultry Association, which held its annual banquet Tuesday evening. Photo by Lou Ann Good. 600 Per Copy That goes for the state Farm Show Commission, as well. In fact, the Farm Show Com mission, which oversees the state Farm Show Complex and the orga nization of the annual state Farm Show, has been aggressive in help ing to promote the industry. For the first time this year, there’s to be a new state Farm Show judging division for show classes that reflect student aqua cultural projects currently con ducted by high school students. (They must be enrolled in classes taught by agricultural instructors, which, to knowledge, follows (Turn to Pago A3O) leadership training in the morning; was followed by an awards lunc heon featuring state Secretary of Agriculture Samuel E. Hayes Jr.; then two speakers Dennis Hat field, a senior leadership consul tant with the Gallup Organization, and state Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding; and a discussion by two representa tives of the large dairy coopera tives Land O’ Lakes Cooperative and Dairy Farmers of America Inc.. The afteroon finished with the business meeting and the election of officers. In Secretaty Hayes’ talk to the group, consisting of representa tives of many of Pennsylvania's and regional cooperatives with concerns from energy to dairy ser vices to supplies, Hayes said that a (Turn to Pago A 36)
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