D44.ancaster Farming, Saturday, December 19, 1998 AREYOI iEADY FOR .zK? Leon Ressler Lancaster County Extension Agent Agriculture/Environment Much has been in the news lately about the millennium computer or Year 2000 (Y2K), bug. Many computer programs still in use today were developed years ago when computer mem ory was much more limited then it is today. Because of that, many programmers used only two digits for the year in dates used by the programs. So the year 1998 is recorded as simply 98. Problems could occur after December 31,1999, when the 99 date turns over to 00. The com puter may confuse the year 2000 for the year 1900. This could cause some computers to fail. Experts differ in their assess- Finished with Baked on TGIC Polyester Powder Coating With Kverneland Forged Steel Spears • Electrically Heat Treated These spears are stronger & allow easier bale penetration fCOM 2502 • Fits any 3 pt hitch or loader boom with 1 or 2 cylinders • Easy to change from 1 to 2 spears • 2500 lb. capacity 2 PT 1000 • Attaches to lowi 3 pt. arms only • Safety chains prt •10001 b capacity Feed Big Round & Regular Bales or Stacks Hay Bale Feeders with 4’, s', 6’, 8’ & 10’ panels Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. 295 Woodcorner Rd. • Lititz, PA 17543 Hours- Call or write for additional information T/738“7365 Mon. thru Fn.: 7-5 & the name of your nearest dealer 1 mils West of Ephrata Sat. 7-11 ment of how serious the prob lems will be. Some feel we will have inconveniences similar to a major winter storm while oth ers project serious failures in infrastructure. Worst case sce narios include loss of electric power, loss of public water and sewer, and a major economic downturn because of computer failures in manufacturing and distribution industries. So what should a poultry pro ducer do to be prepared? First, evaluate what equip ment and processes are using computer programs in your operations. Does your climate control system have computer-, ized control of the ventilation fans? Although any problems that may occur will happen in January when ventilation is needed less than during the warm months, Failure of the ventilation system could still have very serious consequences. £ |M PFL 4000 ' tB • Front end loader fork ■ m • Includes chain & binders • 1500 lb capacity Added Value With Our 2 Coat Process! Five step metal preparation, including iron Jnm phosphate conversion coating, to enhance adhesion & prevent undercoat corrosion. 2. Zinc rich epoxy powder undercoat, 3. TGIC polyester powder top coat, baked at 400° to fuse coats, forming a cross link molecular bond. Contact your equipment sup plier to see if your products are Y2K-ready. If they are not, dis cuss with the supplier what can be done to get your equipment ready in time. Start with the most critical systems such as ventilation and water supply first. Do not test the system simply by advancing the clock. This could trigger major failure which could be very difficult and time-consum ing to repair. Consult your equipment supplier for profes sional help to test your systems. It is important to understand that many pieces of equipment today have imbedded computer chips which may not be obvious. These chips may contain date sensitive programming which could fail when the date turns to 00. Check with your supplier to determine which items have imbedded chips and then seek help from them to test the equipment. Prepare an emergency back up plan to be used in case major disruptions in supplies and ser vices do occur. This plan should cover your household needs as well as your business enterprise. How long will your fuel supply for your emergency electrical 3 PT 2502 • For 3 point hitch • Easy to change from 1 spear.to 2 • 1500 lb. capacity 3 PT 1252 • Easy to change from 1 spear to 2 • 1250 lb. capacity • 1 7/8” CRS-C1144 steel spear SSL 2500 • Great for front loaders • Mounts in minutes • 1500 lb capacity generator last? If an interrup tion in the power supply lasts for more than a day or two, would you be prepared to deal with it? How about an interruption in your feed delivery? Again, con sult with your input suppliers to see what steps they have taken to be Y2K complaint. White the year 2000 may seem far away, it is imperative that you do not wait to begin your evaluation. It could take a substantial amount of time to repair any problems you are able to identify. While no one knows for sure how much disruption will occur at the turn of the century, it is wise to make sure your systems are Y2K complaint and prepare a contingency plan in case dis- Landowners Conference Jan. 3i ERIE (Erie Co.) The Third Annual Forest Landowners Conference is scheduled Saturday, Jan. 30, here at the Penn State Behrend College. Cost for the program, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. is $l3 and pre registration is required by Jan. 20. The conference is targeted toward private forest landown ers interested in taking care of their woodland. Cooperatively sponsored by Penn State MARTIN ELECTRIC PLANTS • Manufacturer of: DIESEL, LP GAS, NATURAL GAS, PTO ■ Automatic & Manual Start Systems USED UNITS ALSU AVAILABLE | Call Us For All Your Generator Needs! | MARTIN ELECTRIC PLANTS 280 Pleasant Valley Rd., Ephrata, PA 17522-8620 800-713-7968 Tel: 717-733-7968 Fax: 717-733-1981 ruptions do occur. A number of internet sites, contain information related to the Y2K issue. These include the USDA Year 2000 Program Office, USDA Office of the Chief Information Officer site at http://www.ocio.USDA.gov/y2k/! ndex.htm and the President's Council on Year 2000 Food Supply Working Group site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/y2 k. Ohter sites dealing with lie issue are the USDA National Information Technology Center site at http://www.ocio.usda gov/nite/y2kindex.html and the USDA Cooperative State Research. Education, and Extension Service site at http://www.reeusda.gov/y2k. Cooperative Extension, the Bureau of Forestry, and the Behrend College, the day is opes to anyone with an interest is natural resources and theii stewardship. Contact Warren County Cooperative Extension, 1609 House Ave., Suite 200, Youngsville, PA 16371, (814) 563-9388, warrenext@psu.edu, for a program brochure and reg istration form. heal ESTATE i SALE j A Grain, Vegetable & \ K Hunting Farm One of * f the largest single 1 A contiguous property ' \ on Maryland’s ‘ I f Eastern Shore 800+/- \ A acres with 500+/- I \ acres tillable mostly | f irrigated, irrigation J A equipment included I \ $1,875,000.00 I ft “Can be 1 A subdivided” f _ \ Shown by j *ft appointment only’ 1 A NO LOOKERS ? \ All Buyers must be I f qualified by broker \ A 2% to Buyers Broker J \ Contact: Judy j ft Hopkins at j A 302-653-4538 7 \ Chabbott Petrosky 7 f Commercial Realtors J A 2 North State Street | \ Dover, Delaware ft 1 . 19901 Phone « #302-678-3276 f Or BQO-678-7105
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