Farmer Shares Conservation Thoughts By Andrew Bernard Warren County, NJ. Soil Conservation District I caught Russell Smith, Poha tcong Township dairy farmer, on a sunny morning between barn chares and fieldwork. As with any farm, especially with dairy, there is never a lack of things that need to be done. “I have about 120 cows, 60 of which are milking,” according to Russ, “and with 500 acres to tend to, things are never dull.” Russell is a third generation dairy farmer. He graduated from Warren County Vocational Tech nical School in Washington. NJ. with a degree in welding and says it sure hasn’t gone to waste being on the farm. He purchased the farm from his father 10 years ago and now, with help from his wife Karyn, who does a lot of the barn work and finances, and the part time “help” from his three chil dren Lauren, Russell Jr. and Sa vannah, he’s got a full family operation. “Unfortunately dad had passed away a couple of years ago. but mom does a lot with the kids, es epcially when Karyn or I can’t be there like with after school sports,” says Russell. When it comes to his farm and resource conservation on a scale from one to 10, Russell feels he’s a nine. “For years I’ve had grass waterways, terraces, practiced strip cropping and no-till and minimum till crop planting me thods,” Russell said. On top of these practices, Russell is enrolled in the Integrated Crop Manage ment program sponsored by the North Jersey Resource Conserva tion and Development Council. Tom Morgan, who is Russell’s SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (Times and Events Subject to Change) FRIDAY, JULY 23 - SNEAK PREVIEW NO GATE FEE CHARGED! 400- 8 00 Entering of Exhibits 500 - Closing MIDWAY SPECIAL $8 unlimited ndes 6 00 pm Horse Pulls following CLASSIC TRACTOR Horse Pulls PULL -(2 weight classes) SATURDAY, JULY 24 OLD TIME FARM WEEKEND 8 30 am English Horse Show 8 30 am Cecil County Fair 5-K Run 8 -11 am Entering of Exhibits (Home Arts Building) 12 -8 pm Judging of Exhibit Building - Closed to Public 2 - 6 pm Midway $9 unlimited rides 1 00 pm ANTIQUE TRACTOR PULL 6 00 pm Midway Rides open - pay per 7 00 pm Antique Tractor Parade 8 00 pm ANTIQUE TRACTOR PULL 9 30 pm FIREWORKS SUNDAY, JULY 25 OLD TIME FARM WEEKEND 9 am Rabbit Show 10 am Antique Tractor Demonstrations 2 - 6 pm Midway $9 unlimited rides 1 00 pm Slow Antique Tractor Races 1 00 pm Poultry Show (Poultry Building closed during judging) 6 00 pm Midway Rides open - pay per nde 8 00 pm Roper (Band) 7 00 pm ALL AMERICAN RODEO MONDAY, JULY 26 DAY CARE DAY Childrens Entertainment Republican Chicken Bar-B-Que Midway Rides Open - pay per ride Farm Queen contest Dairy Goat Show ALL AMERICAN RODEO Blue Grass Music Night 9am -1 pm 4-7 pm 5 00 pm 6 00 pm 6 00 pm 7 00 pm 900 pm agricultural consultant from the North Jersey Resource Conserva tion and Development Council makes weekly visits to the Smiths’ farm. ’Tom has been a great help in reducing my overall production costs. My weeds are under con trol, which has reduced my use of herbicides, and he has cut out a lot of the legwork that comes along with inspecting the fields,” Rus sell commented. The ICM Program offered by the NJRC&D helps farmers plan crop rotation, determine fertilizer schedules by soil sampling and visual inspections, develop in secticide and herbicide spray schedules by weekly field visita tions, and provides technical in formation on new crop varieties. Along with his existing conser vation practices, Russell is hoping to get assistance from EQIP (En vironmental Quality Incentives Program) and the New Jersey Conservation Cost-Share pro grams. T’d like to start a manure man agement program, construct fenc ing for the animals, and create a rotational grazing program,” Rus sell said. Established in the 1996 Farm Bill, EQIP and the New Jersey Conservation Cost-Share Pro grams provide voluntary plans for farmers to conserve water, soil, and related natural resources. Na tionally, these programs provide technical, financial, and educa tional assistance to install or im plement structural, vegetative, and management practices within five- to 10-year contract period. He’s been happy with die pro grams through the USDA NRCS and believes is the cost-share in AU Roads Lead To The Cecil County Fair W; TUESDAY, JULY 27 AG DAY 10.00 am 10 00 am 10 00 am 12-1 pm 5 00 pm AG Showcase 4-H Bicycle contest Sheep Show AG Lunch Midway Rides open - pay per ride 4-H Fashion Revue Peddle Tractor Pull Hay Toss Contest Needle in a Hay Stack Contest SANCTIONED TRACTOR PULL Musical Entertainment 6 00 pm 6 30 pm 7 00 pm 7 30 pm 7 00 pm 8 30 pm ccntivcs have been adequate. When it comes to water quality, Russell feds it‘s a group effort in order to keep the streams and riv ers clean. “I think industry, farm ers, and individual landowners have to work together to keep the rivers and streams clean. But gen erally I don’t believe the public really knows what I have to go through on a daily basis to kefep a dairy operation going. You can’t take the weekend off and expect the animals to take care of them selves. Maybe if the non-agricul tural community knew that we still exist and care about our com munity that we live in, the public’s outlook on farmers might be different” As we walked through the bam and out the milkhouse, I asked him what inspires him to keep farming. “It’s getting harder every day to get out of bed to keep doing this,” said Russell, “but I want to keep the farm going for my next gen eration. Unfortunately with the way milk prices keep dropping, it’s hard to see a future for the dairy business. Just last month my milk check dropped $3,500. It’s been a slow and steady decrease, but never that drastic. “I’ve got to try to keep up with the times and the new trends in the agricultural world. I might not be doing dairy for the rest of my life, maybe it will be veggies or an other type of crop to make a profit, but in some way, shape, or form, it will be farming,” Russell said. * f * < >< S ** *’'W 'V '>*..W- '• ■-«» s. .... ‘ *■> ~ \ * WEDNESDAY, JULY 26 YOUTH DAY 10.00 am 10 00 am 1 - spm 2 00 pm 5 00 pm 700 pm 7'oo pm 8 30 pm Q Lancaster / -v fL, >, K \ S.\ , v<J *♦, * *. Youth Olympics Dairy Show Midway $9 unlimited rides 4-H Auto Contest Midway Rides open - pay per nde Cow Chip Throwing Contest 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK PULL & CLASSIC TRACTOR PULL (2 Weight Classes) Musical Entertainment Tniwpiiw SMI!HLS Russell Smith cares for this 3-week-old calf at his New Jersey farm. Where's your mustache? “ '■» v ' ■o* ✓ ✓ / / •wark WRi v i ,;j: i : £:iv THURSDAY, JULY 29 SENIORS DAY Hog Show Beef Show Dairy Steer Show Local Artisans and performers Seniors BINGO 4-H Garden Tractor Contest Midway Rides open - pay per ride 4-H Float Parade Pie Eating Contest DEMOLITION DERBY GOSPEL MUSIC NIGHT 9.00 am following Hog Show following Beef Show 10 am -4 pm 10 am-3 pm 2 00 pm 5 00 pm 6-00 pm 700 pm 8 00 pm 8 00 pm Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 17, 1999-A27 i Y- MILK FRIDAY, JULY 30 4-H APPRECIATION DAY Throughout Various 4-H Day Demonstrations 10 00 am Holstein Dairy Show 12 00 pm 4-H Tractor Driving Contest 2 - 6 pm Midway $9 unlimited rides 6 00 pm Midway Rides open - pay per 7 00 pm 4-H Livestock Sale 8 00 pm DEMOLITION DERBY 9 00 pm Long Lonesome Highway Band 8 30 am Western Horse & Pony Show 10 00 am 4-H & Open Obedience Dog Show 10 00 am Pretty Baby contest 12 pm-closing Midway - pay per ride 2 00 pm DEMO DERBY MATINEE 4 00 pm Pretty Animal Contest 4 30 pm Pretty Lamb contest 6 00 pm Big Wheel contest 7 00 pm Tug of War (1500 lb Weight Class) 8 00 pm DEMOLITION DERBY 8 00 PM SH BOOM New Castle (Times To Be Announced) Sonny Dayze the Clown, Banana Derby, Alfie Cocatoo Show ADMISSION CHARGES TO THE FAIR Friday, July 23rd FREE ADMISSION $S PAY ONE PRICE FOR UNLIMITED RIDES Saturday, July 24 thru Saturday, July 31 DAILY ENTRANCE FEES $4.00 Adult (13 to 59 Years) $2.00 Senior Citizens (60 Years and Over) $2.00 Children (6 to 12 Years) Children Under 6 Enter Free FAMILY DAY SPECIAL Good Only 0 am - 5 pm Wednesday, July 28 $lO.OO/Famlly (2 Adults and up to 4 Children) Additional Children $l.OO/Child WEEKLY PASSES GOOD FOR JULY 24 THRU JULY 31 $15.00 • Advance Purchase Adult Weekly Pass* $20.00 - Adult Weekly Pass (Purchase at Gale) $lO.OO - Senior Citizens Weekly Pass $lO.OO - Children's Weekly Pass Weekly passes may be obtained in advance through any Fair Board Member, The Cecil County Extension Office, or at any County Bank Location RIDES SPECIALS Afternoon Pay One Price Special $9.00 July 24,1999,2 pm - 6 pm July 25,1999,2 pm - 6 pm July 28,1999,1 pm - 5 pm July 30,1999,2 pm - 6 pm SATURDAY, JULY 31 DEMO DERBY DAY APPEARING DAILY Jack Foreaker
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers