A32-Lancaater Farming, Saturday, January 29, 2000
Dairy
of Wt
Distinction
Dairy Of Distinction
Is Public Relations Tool
For Farm And Industry
(Continued from Rage A 1)
does,” said Zimmerman. “It’s a
good public relations tool —just
the name means there’s some
thing special about the farm.”
According to Hileman, the
program's objective is not just to
reward farmers for keeping their
barns painted, it’s to promote
milk. “What better promotion
for milk is there than keeping
the farms neat and clean,” said
Hileman.
In Hileman’s district, the
committee hosts a banquet to
honor the new Dairy of Distinc
tion award winners. During the
banquet, slides of each farm are
shown and the entire family is
recognized.
“The committee contacts
local banks and businesses to
sponsor the banquet,” said Hile
man. “Because of our fund rais
ing efforts, we are able to
provide four tickets for each
winning family.”
Past Dairy of Distinction
winners are also invited to the
banquet. Last year 88 people at
tended the banquet honoring the
District 14 Dairy of Distinction
winners.
The Northeast Dairy Farm
Beautification Program oversees
the Dairy of Distinction pro
gram for Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, New York, and Ver
mont. Winners are presented
with a Dairy of Distinction sign
that they can post at their farm’s
entrance.
Pennsylvania winners of the
Dairy of Distinction program
are also honored during Ag
Progress Days in State College
and are featured in a special sec
tion of Lancaster Farming. The
paper will also provide Pennsyl
vania winners with an 11x14
color photograph of their farm.
Zimmerman encourages
fellow farmers to apply for the
Dairy of Distinction award. “It
shows people that we are proud
to be farmers,” said Zimmer
man. “It’s an honor and a privi
lege to display that sign.”
‘You don’t have to have some
big wonderful showplace. It’s
just about keeping your farm
nice and clean,” said Zimmer
man. “Besides, as a farmer,
when 1 see a farm that isn’t kept
up, it makes me wonder how
their farming practices are.”
Pennsylvania dairy farmers
can apply for the Dairy of Dis
tinction award by sending this
application to Michael
O’Conner, Penn State Univer
sity, by April 15,2000.
tommutiisußEEl
Interstate Dairy Equipment
Discount Days
Tuesday & Wednesday February Ist & 2nd
10% Cash and Carry Discount on Parts and Farm Supplies
Agri-Service LLC
YORK (York Co.) Area
sheep producers are invited to
attend a three-part sheep series
planned here for three Tuesday
evenings beginning Tuesday,
Feb. 15, from 7 p.m.-9 p.m., and
continuing Feb. 15,22, and 29.
The meetings will be con
ducted at the Penn State Coop
erative Extension Office in East
York in the county Annex
Building.
Keeping up with health infor
mation when caring for live
stock is always important. Dr.
Tom Drake from Penn State’s
Veterinary Diagnostic Lab will
discuss some of the most chal
lenging sheep health concerns.
These include Johne’s disease in
sheep, foot rot, ovine progressive
pneumonia, Caseous Lympha
denitis, and scrapie. Tips for
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prevention and management in
terventions will be highlighted.
This presentation will take place
at the Feb. 15 meeting.
Specialization in the sheep en
terprise may provide some ex
cellent marketing opportunities.
Producers may want to learn
ways to process their wool into
consumer products to add value
to the commodity. Sheep pro
ducers Gretta Disc, Glen Rock,
and Leslie Orndorff, Brodbecks,
will provide tips on what pro
ducers can do with their wool.
This will include ideas for
having wool processed into con
sumer products or carded for
hand spinning or quilt batts. The
discussion will address ways to
utilize wool from meat breeds.
Crafty items made with wool
will be shown at the Feb. 22 ses-
sion.
Dealing with dead sheep is
more challenging without ren
dering plants willing to process
them. Building an on-farm corn
poster for sheep disposal is an
excellent way to handle this
problem. David Greene, retired
Carroll County extension direc
tor and sheep producer, will dis
cuss how to construct a
composter. Opportunities in the
sheep industry are increasingly
available in niche and specialty
markets.
Advance registration is re
quested by the day of the first
session on Feb. 15 to the cus
tomer service desk at the York
Extension Office, (717) 840-
7408. Cost for all three sessions
is $5/farm operation to cover the
cost of materials.
Come see
our Improved
Farm Supply too!
New farm Kippty
prodixMftd
more!
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