Corner
(Cont)nua*.setm Page 1)
But as a grazing farm we are bet
ter able to handle a drought with a
little foresight and a plan. For us
that plan includes, first, making
additional hay for a 60-day feeding
program. We use net-wrapped round
bales stored in a paddock along a
wooded fence row that protects the
bales from the afternoon sun. If not
needed it is the first hay fed in
November.
Second, we do not graze our pad
docks short - we leave an extra inch
or so from normal. This results in a
one-day paddock only providing a
half day of grazing. Therefore we use
up our permanent paddocks quicker.
The hay fields are used for the usual
August slump in pasture growth. We
are about two grazings behind a nor
mal year.
Third, our orchard/grass/alfalfa
mixed hay/pasture fields held up for
an extra cutting or grazing than did
the bluegrass, or orchard grass, or
white clover paddocks. In a cool, wet
year, all of the above would provide
excellent grazing forage.
Fourth, we use our New Holland
haybine to clip all pastures that
have old over-mature alfalfa or
dead-top orchardgrass at about 4
inches in height. With the first good
rain, we can get 3 inches to 4 inches
of new growth on our orchardgrass.
As I write this, Aug. 20, this is what
happened on our farm as a result of
a 4-inch rain Friday, Aug. 13.
Fifth, in order to conserve, feed
and prevent overgrazing, we weaned
pur calves Aug. 1, one month early.
Calves were put on good hay and the
dry cows were put on old grass on
waterways and diversion. They are
now being fed round hale hay that
If your cows could
talk, they would beg for
Abundant
TETRAPLOID ANNUAL RYEGRASS
"Udderly Delicious
Bovaciously Productive"
• Big broad leaves
• Tender & juicy
• Very vigorous
• Abundant yields
• Disease resistant
• Stress tolerant
• Extended season
• Rapid establishment
• High quality Teed
Smoketown, PA Phone (
Hours: Mon.-Frl. 8:00AM-S:0QPM. Sat. 8:00AM-12:00Noon
was sto*& outside the, past two
months, 'rae stock&r catfife continue
to thrive on green pasture.
For those producers that need to
buy hay or have hay to sell, contact
Hay Net - a service of Penn State
Cooperative Extension. You can
view the list on the Internet or by
visiting any office of Penn State
Cooperative Extension or USDA
Farm Service Agency.
I recently received a letter from
the USDA Risk Management
Agency (RMA). RMA has been
charged by congress to continue
development of the farm safety net
throughout the expansion of the cur
rent crop insurance program. Forage
is one of the largest segments of
agriculture that does not have a suc
cessful, producer-accepted crop
insurance program.
Do you have any ideas that would
improve the program already in
Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 11, 1999—Page 3
concept be developed? What type of
insurance program for forage crops
should be developed? If you would
be interested in attending a meeting
to help RMA develop a producer
accepted crop insurance program,
call or write me, giving your name,
address, and telephone number. If
you have an idea of how to fix the
existing program, contact USDA
RMA, 4407 Bland Road, Suite 150,
Raleigh, NC 27609.
Attention graziers. If you are a
grazier who plants annual forage
crops, you may be interested in try
ing a bag of Abundant, a tetraploid
annual ryegrass. If more than one
grazier is interested, a drawing will
be held at the spring grazing confer
ence in Grantville. Call or write me,
giving your name, address and jiae
phone number. **' '