Mid-Atlantic Dairy Conference Set For Feb. 24-25 L ‘" c ”* ef CHAMBERSBURG (Franklin Co.) Successful dairy produc ers need a plan to meet the chal lenges they’ll face in the next millennium. How can they develop a workable business plan and adopt the latest tech nology? Can it be done without compromising the family’s val ues and goals? The 1999 Mid-Atlantic Dairy Management Conference, “Systematic Approach to Dairying in the Next Millennium,” promises to be a valuable conference with practi cal presentations on Business Viability, Specialization, Biosecurity, and Information and Nutrient Management. Each topic and speaker was cho sen to help dairy producers think through their future busi ness and family needs. The con ference, planned by industry and university representatives from the Mid-Atlantic region will be held at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel and Convention Center in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania on February 24th and 25th, 1999. The Decision Case “The Final Permit; Will Environmental Policy Crack the Retirement Environmental Issues On Tap CHAMBERSBURG (Franklin Co.) A major environmental concern for dairy farmers is nutrient pollution of surface water, but many farmers are unaware of cost-effective tech niques available to reduce losses of these nutrients from farms, according to Katharine Knowlton, research scientist at Virginia Tech Department of Dairy Science. “Environmentalists, scien tists, farmers and the public are increasingly concerned about the amount of phosphorus in surface water such as lakes, rivers and streams,” says Growth In Dairy Business Requires Changes On Farm CHAMBERSBURG (Franklin Co) Dairyman Tom Frey of Frey Dairy Farms Inc. in Conestoga, Lancaster County, is no stranger to change. In fact, he currently is building a new freestall barn and milking par lor expected to be completed by late March 1999. With the help of 20 full-time employees, Frey milks 1,000 cows and farms 900 acres. Soon after construction is completed >n March, he will begin milking three times a day. He expects a 6 percent to 8 percent growth in cow numbers through home raised replacements. Frey readily admits that the approach he has taken to man aging his farm operation usually has been in response to a change 'n circumstances or conditions. I’m in it for the long term,” he s ays of dairy farming. “If I’m not Willing to change, then I would eventually go out of business.” That’s the philosophy Frey "ill share with other dairy man- a gement farmers and industry leaders at the Mid-Atlantic Hairy Management Conference Feb. 24-25 in Camp Hill. Nest Egg?” will be an integral part of the conference with the audience and speakers interact ing to find the most practical solution. This is a case of a farm expanding from a 65-cow dairy/grain farm in the early 1990 s to possible 525-cow spe cialized farm by 2007. The case will be presented at the opening of the conference and then speakers will contribute their expertise to different aspects of the case. After breakout discus sion groups and presentations of possible solutions, a producer panel will respond to what is practical from their point of view and attempt to integrate the bits of knowledge into a unified solu tion of the case. Speakers include dairy producers, indus try experts and university facul ty from across the United States. Make your plans now to attend so that you can hear the latest about nutrient loading, information management, co minghng, water quality and con tracting heifers and forages. The program has been approved for American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) credits and Knowlton, who is researching the impact of phosphorus in dairy feeding programs on the resulting excretion - manure - and on the environment. Knowlton, scheduled to speak at the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Management Conference Feb. 24-25 in Camp Hill, says dairy farmers have a real opportunity to reduce surface water pollu tion by changing their feeding programs. “Most farmers feed phospho rus in excess of current require ments,” Knowlton says. “It is commonly believed that over feeding phosphorus reduces Frey began farming with his brother, Clifton, in 1987 follow ing the death of their father. In 1992, while constructing a 600- cow freestall barn, Clifton left the operation and Tom began buying out his brother’s share of the business. This change “forced the way I do things,” Frey says In response, Frey went from three-times-a-day milking to milking more cows twice a day. He also sold some peripheral real estate and slowed down aggressive debt payments at the bank. Other changes, particularly in operations management, were to follow. These included custom cropping, custom manure handling and custom calf raising. The number one reason for these changes, Frey says, is labor. Frey will talk about these changes and other plans for his dairy operation at the Mid- Atlantic Dairy Management Conference. For more informa tion or a registration brochure, contact Beth Moore, conference coordinator, at 717-375-2639 or beth@innernet.net. for Pennsylvania Continuing Education Credits for Veterinarians. The registration fee for the two-day conference and tradeshow is $l5O with a $25 reduction for the second person from the same farm. The fee includes a copy of the conference proceedings, three meals and access to all conference activi ties. The registration deadline is February 10th, 1999. For more information or a registration brochure contact Beth Moore, Conference Coordinator by e mail at beth@innernet.net or call her at 717-375-2639. Dairy Farmers Strive For Balance CHAMBERSBURG (Franklin Co.) More and more dairy farmers today are seeking a bal ance between time spent manag ing their dairy operations and time devoted to family and leisure activities, according to Joe Conlm of the University of Minnesota. “Dairy farmers want more time off and more quality time with their family,” Conhn says “There is a lot of value living in the country and being your own reproduction problems in the dairy herd. However, there is no research to support such a bene fit.” In recent years, excess phos phorus in water has been pin pointed as a cause of algae blooms and fish kills. “We thought if we controlled soil ero sion we could control the amount of phosphorus leaving the farm,” Knowlton says. “But we’ve discovered that phospho rus runoff can occur even with out erosion in intensive animal production areas.” Decreasing the amount of phosphorus in feed rations by 20 percent to 30 percent will decrease the amount of phospho rus excretion per animal by the same proportion, this directly reduces the amount of phospho rus that needs to be land applied, reducing the risk of phosphorus runoff. The obvious beneficiary of such action is the environment, but farmers benefit, too. “Farmers will benefit by reduced feed costs,” Knowlton says, adding that phosphorus is the most expensive feed ingredient. Savings on feed costs could total $2,500 per year fqf a 100-cow farm. And for farmers facing envi ronmental regulations in the next five to six years, there is an added benefit of reducing phos phorus in feed. “If we begin making changes now, it will be easier to meet the phosphorus based regulations when they are imposed,” Knowlton says. Knowlton will talk in more detail about “Feeding Management to Reduce Nutrient Loading” at the Mid- Atlantic Dairy Management Conference. For more informa tion or a registration brochure, contact Beth Moore, conference coordinator, at 717-375-2639 or beth@innernet.net. boss, but the constant work can take its toll ” Conlm, scheduled to speak at the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Management Conference Feb 24-25 in Camp Hill, says growth in profitability is the key to striking a balance between farm and family goals “There are a lot of opportunities for farmers to make changes and to improve profitability,” he says Among these “opportunities” are controlling the costs of pro duction, increasing milk produc tion and improving labor effi ciency. A “huge cost,” for exam ple, is feed “Look at ways to improve rations and improve consumption,” Conhn says “Also consider alternative feed sources that can be worked into rations with excellent nutrient resources ” Farmers also can consider Registration Form Full Namei Business Each name as desired on name tag Address Cit State Telephone ( ). Walk-in Registration fee is $l7O, $145 for the second person from the same farm Please bring this form and your payment to the registration table at the Radisson Penn Harris on Wednesday, February 24 th between 10 AM and noon. A call to Beth Moore, Conference Coordinator on Monday or Tuesday would be appreciated (717) 375-2639; e-mail: beth@innernet.net. Makes checks payable to: Dairy Management Conference February 20, 1999-A37 Management Conference increasing their milk produc tion. This can come in one of two ways more production per cow or more cows. “Many herds tend to be too small to meet lifestyle goals,” Conhn says “How much milk does a family need to mar ket to support those goals 9 ” Conhn also suggests improv ing labor efficiency For some dairy farmers that may mean moving from a tie-stall to a free stall barn “A lot of farmers ai e producing milk in stall barns that are physically wearing and tearing them down,” he says Conhn will address these issues and others dunng the “Business Viability Session” of the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Management Conference For more information or a registra tion brochure, contact Beth Moore, conference coordinator, at (717) 375-2639 or email beth@innernet net Zip Mid-Atlantic Dairy