ATV Dangers
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.)-Many farmers are very
aware of the dangers involved
when children operate tractors
and other large equipment, but
a safety expert in Penn State’s
College of Agricultural Sciences
says motorized vehicles such as
Dairy Of Distinction Seeks Nice Looking Farms
STATE COLLEGE (Centre °
Co.) Do you take pride in
maintaining your dairy farm?
Does your farm project an at
tractive, wholesome image to
consumers? If so, the Dairy of
Distinction Program of Pennsyl
vania, New York, New Jersey,
and Vermont is looking for you.
The Northeast Dairy Farm
Beautification Program that
oversees the Distinction pro
gram was first started in 1983 in
Pennsylvania. The Dairy of Dis
tinction recognize the hard work
and dedication of the farmers
who maintain attractive farms,
The purpose of the program is
to instill a greater sense of confi
dence in the wholesomeness of
dairy products, thus increasing
sales.
Farms that apply are judged
on the roadside appearance of
.building, grounds, and sur
roundings, since this is what our
dairy product consumers ob
serve as they drive by the farm.
The cleanliness of the barn
yard, feed areas, and manure
management are all areas taken
into consideration when a team
of judges takes a look at your
farm from the road. Your milk
cooperative or handler will be
contacted to approve your milk
quality.
Judging is conducted during
the month of May. Award
winners are announced during
local June Dairy Month activi-
: •••••»
• Dairy of Distinction X
Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program Inc. * 2000 Pennsylvania Application •
Awards will be based upon neatness, good maintenance, and other * ?
factors that can be controlled by the farmer. Attractive background seen- • PURPOSE OF PROGRAM *
cry should not be weighted heavily in judging. All judging observations * *
should be made from a vehicle at one or more points on an adjacent • Attnclive dairy farms give the consumer greater confidence in the wholesomeness of milk and stimulate milk S
public highway. If the farm is off the road, the judging will take place • sales which encourages public support for the dairy industry The award gives recognition to the dairy farmer for •
from the nearest lane. Judging should give equal consideration to old • maintaining a well-kept farmstead *
wood construction and new construction of metal or concrete block. * 2
The award program may be used for subsequent advertising or pro- • ELIGIBILITY *
motion activities for dairy products or dairy farming. Farmers who • s
apply for the award agree that if selected they will cooperate with these • All Northeast daily farms producing milk for sale are invited to submit an application for the award Dairies I
promotion activities and make all reasonable efforts to maintain both • receiving the 10 highest scores in each of the 21 districts will receive an 18” x 24” Dairy of Distinction sum to •
the exterior and interior of heir properties in an acceptable manner. • be displayed in front of their farm 5 •
HOW IS YOUR FARM SCORED?
HOW THE APPLICATION WORKS
The owner or operator of the dairy farm should sign the application • your Name
and send it to the Dairy of Distinction state secretary by April IS. •
HOW THE JUDGING WORKS
J udging teams will visit farms during the month of May. Farms will be *
judged each year as the award is presented on an annual basis. Any • Cooperative or Handler (where you ship your milk, be specific)
dairy failing to maintain appearance standards will be asked to remove *
their signs. The Dairy of Distinction signs remain the property of the •
committee, not the property of the dairy farmer. All farms must achieve • „
a compliance score of 90 percent on their Dairy of Distinction score card. • 1 6011 to approve your milk quality)
Your cooperative or milk handler will be contacted to approve your milk • Locatlon (dnvmg directions for iud«mg team)
quality. •
R VIES FOR THE DA IK Y OF DISTINCTION AWARD
1) The Dairy of Distinction sign remains property of the Northeast *
Dairy Farm Beautification Committee. •
2) The post and bracket shall be supplied by and maintained by the * County (where your farm is located)
dairy farmer. It is suggested that a wood post 4’ x4’ x 12' or iron pipe •
2’ x 12’ can be used. Posts or pipe should be installed and main- • I hereby apply to the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Committee to have my dairy scored in accordance
tained in true vertical position with 8’ above ground. Top of the « with the mles of the program for the purpose of obtaining a Daily of Distinction sign to be displayed on my
bracket should be lower than six inches from the top of the post. • premises (No producer will be charged for sconng or sign expense)
3) Signs shall be displayed in front of the dairy at roadside. An attractive •
post or bracket, or other frame, shajl be used to display the sign. No •
more than three signs should be displayed from the sign frame or JSijnuweOwncr/Oiieraor •
post, and all shall be of a style, general size, and quality comparable ••aaraaeaaaaaaaaaaaaaiaaaaaMeaaaaassaaaaaaeseaaaaaaeaaa
to the Dairy of Distinction sign. Sign should be secured on all sides n . ......
to avoid wind damages. Rutlini yOUT OppllCQtiOH by April 25 to
4) Signs shall not be moved to other premises. New owners of a Dairy ✓ PENNSYLVANIA Michael O’Conner, 324 Henning Building Dent of
of Distinction farm must apply to retain the sign p. . , . . ,„ . T , _ . *
5) Replacement of damaged signs is at the committee’s discretion. ® Animal Science, Penn State University, University Park, P A
6) No producer shall be charged with scoring or sign expenses. 16802
SiSEi'ST >,... .d M., ■' YORK _ Carol 3993 Jordonville Road,
9) Farms awarded a Dairy of Distinction sign in previous years will be Jordonville, NY 13361
judged between April Ist and April 30th. if they do not qualify. ✓NEW JERSEY Jov Ricker. 91 Beetner Road Sussex NI 07461
they will be rejudged between May Ist and May 31st so they have > n.. V,, ’ O, 3USSCX, ixj 0/401
the opportunity to keep the sign. v ERMON I Elisa Clancy, Vermont Department of Agriculture, 16
10) Farms that do not requalify will return the sign to their regional State St., Drawer 20, Montpelier, VT 05620-2901
Dairy of Distinction committee. r
all-terrain vehicles (ATV) can be
just as risky.
“Many farmers use ATVs to
perform loading and hauling
'.hores in smaller spaces where a
tractor would be inconvenient,”
said Dennis Murphy, professor
of agricultural engineering. “The
Del-Jame Farm near Hamburg in Berks County is a 1999 Dairy of Distinction
winner. Since the program began in 1987 in Pennsylvania, more than 700 farms
have been given this farm beautification award. Entries are now being received
for the year 2000 program. Take time to enter your farm now.
ties. To qualify for consideration,
you must be actively dairy farm
ing and shipping milk.
Applications are available for
Pennsylvania dairy farms from
Michael O’Conner, 324 Henning
Building, Dept, of Dairy and
Animal Science, Penn State Uni
versity, University Park, PA
16802. Phone: (814) 863-3913.
New York State applications
are available from Carol Keene-
Ainsille, 3993 Jordonville Road,
vehicles can range from three
and four-wheel vehicles that
operate much like a motorcycle,
to 4-wheel-drive vehicles that
resemble golf carts.”
Before allowing children to
operative ATVs, adults must
make sure that:
•children under age 12 are
never allowed to operate a three-
Jordonville, NY 13361. Phone:
(315)858-2770.
For New Jersey applications,
contact Joy Ricker, 91 Beemer
Road, Sussex, NJ 07461. Phone:
(973)875-4803.
For Vermont applications,
send to Elisa Clancy, Vermont
Department of Agriculture, 16
State Street, Drawer 20,
Montpelier, VT 05620-2901.
Phone:(802)828-3835.
Ai{ applications must be com
pleted and returned to your re
0 Mailing Address.
• Phone Number.
wheeled ATV;
•an approved helmet with
eye protection is worn by the
child;
•engine size is appropriate
for children between 12 and 15
to drive;
•children do not operate the
spective state secretary by April
15, 2000.
The Dairy of Distinction pro
gram is financed in Pennsylva
nia by dairy farmers through the
American Dairy Association &
Dairy Council Mid East and the
Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion
Program in cooperation with
many local agribusiness organ
izations. The program is con
ducted with advice and help
from the Penn State Coopera
tive Extension.
APPLICATION
Farm Name
Date
lancMter Fanning, Saturday, January 29, 2000415
vehicle in bad weather or at
night;
•the child wears long pants,
non-skid boots, gloves and a
long-sleeved shirt;
•the child can communicate
with adults by cellular phone,
walkie talkie or by other meth
ods;
' «the work area has no haz
ards, and the child knows a safe
route to the work site.
“Adults also need to take time
to test whether children can
reach and operate all controls,”
Murphy said. The child also
should be strong enough to oper
ate the vehicle’s controls with
\ out straining.”
1 Murphy says children operat
ing ATVs must be able to recog
nize hazards, react quickly to
solve problems and solve prob
lems without getting upset.
“Before allowing a child to
drive an ATV, an adult should
demonstrate the farm chore on
the site where it is to be done,”
Murphy said. “If the child shows
he or she can do the job four or
five times under supervision,
then they can be allowed to work
alone, although an adult should
check back every 15 minutes.
Murphy says overturns in an
ATV can cause death or disabili
ty, and inattentive drivers can
suffer serious injuries by hitting
fences, trees or structures. He
emphasizes that children dri
ving ATVs should have a high
level of physical coordination.
“The child should be able to
use their hands and feet at the
same time,” Murphy said, “A
good test is dribbling a basket
ball under control while run
ning.”
Penn State offers a free publi
cation, “Children and Safety on
the Farm,” that shows parents
and others how to make farms
safer for children. Single copies
are available free of charge by
contacting your county Penn
State Cooperative Extension
office, or by calling the College of
Agricultural Sciences Public
ations Distribution Center at
(814) 865-6713.
Parents or other interested
professionals can buy booklets of
six to 10 posters covering simi
lar agricultural tasks or a pro
fessional resource manual by
calling Gempler’s, a Belleville,
Wis., safety supply company, at
1-800-382-8473, or by visiting its
Web site: http://www.gemplers.com.
BUY,
SELL,
TRADE
OR
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Lancaster
Farming