Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, February 12, 2000, Image 33
Speakers at the Southeast Grazing Conference were from left Jeff Wolfe, 7 d ® m ® County farmer; Dr. Gerald Fry, reproduction specialist from Arkansas; John Thyssen, representing Barenbrug Seed in Oregon; John Cockrell, Wiscon sin extension agent; Dale Neufeld, Bradford County farmer; and Jonathan Rup pert, from Ampack Seeds. On The 6100 Series Rigid And Vertical Fold Planters. Precision farming starts with precision seed placement. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with the White 6100 Series planters. Our pull-type planters feature an exclusive air-metering system that’s designed to singulate every seed. Its low air pressure, edge-drop seed discs and short, 18” seed drop ensure precise seed placement for maximum germination. Adaptable To Any Tillage Situation. Our 4,6,8 and 12 row planters have the flexibility to meet most tillage The Mark, Set, Grow! practices both now and in the future. They’re built rugged with a massive 7” x 7” frame and strong, welded tongue design to handle the demands of heavy residue. Add a 6900 splitter attachment for interplant capability. This season get the planter that places each seed where it’ll grow the best and perform the best. Stop by your AGCO® White Planter dealer today. Al WHITE I AGCO ) PLANTERS PRECISION PERFORMANCE UwcMter Farming, Saturday, i-eoruary 12, 2000-A33 Grazing Conference Shows How Gold Is In Grass JAYNE SEBRIGHT Lancaster Farming Staff QUARRYVILLE (Lancaster Co.) 165 producers recently attended the seventh annual Southeast Grazing Conference at the Solanco Fairgrounds in Quarryville. The theme for this year’s conference was “Gold Is In The Grass.” Out of the 165 producers at tending the conference, about 30 farmers were new to the grazing arena. Debra Young of West Grove was one of them. Young farms with her husband Charles on Pure-Ayr Farms, where they milk 70 Ayrshires and Brown Swiss. “I wanted to learn more about maintaining pastures,” said Young. “We have 32 acres of pasture that needs replanted, and I wanted to find out how to plant them for the most effi ciency.” Young got a lot of informa tion from the speakers about the different grasses to plant and what works on different farms. See Your AGCO White Dealer Listed Below. Delaware Georgetown Baxter Farms Maryland Dayton J.D. Mullinix Pennsylvania Bechtelsville Miller Equipment Bethel Zimmerman’s Farm Service Elizabethtown Hernley’s Farm Equip Glen Rock Wertz Farm & Power Equip Greencastle Meyers Implements Klingerstown Stanley’s Farm Service Lebanon Umberger’s of Fontana Oakland Mills Peoples Sales & Service Somerset Lincoln Supply “The speakers discussed plant ing plots on your farm to see what grows best before you plant the whole pasture,” said Young. Speakers during the two-day conference covered everything in grazing from planting differ ent grass species for maximum efficiency to breeding cows to be the most profitable grazers. Jeff Wolfe and Dale Neufeld also re ported on their personal experi ences as dairy farmers who graze their cattle. “I learned a lot from listening to the dairy farmers, especially Jeff Wolfe,” said Dan Delp of Whiteford, Md. “I’ve known Jeff since he got started in dairy ing, and I really respected his advice. He has learned a lot and could offer good advice from his experiences.” Delp owns Deep Creek Farm, where they have milked any where from 65 to 70 cows. Right now Delp is pasturing both beef cows and dairy replacements. ’ve been grazing for a good while, and I came not only to learn from the speakers, but also from the people attending the confer ence,” said Delp. “It’s good to talk to other people who are graz ing. It makes you feel less like the lone ranger.” Bonnie Wentworth of Wentworth Farms in Quarryville agreed. She and her husband milk 65 Ayrshires. “Mastering a graz ing operation is a learning process,” said Wentworth. “You should always be shar ing ideas with each other.” Wentworth’s hus band attended Mon day’s sessions, while Wentworth attended Tuesday’s conference. She said that Mon day’s session was just what her husband needed to gear up for this spring. “There is just some thing so natural about grazing your cows,” said Wentworth. “It’s a much more relaxed way of dairying.” “Once you don’t worry about achieving the high production numbers, the other things really fall into place. Herd health, breeding ratios, and other performance factors improve. And your bottom line stays solid.” In between the speaker sessions, par ticipants had the op portunity to visit the seven companies who exhibited at the con ference. The exhibitors featured the latest in grass species, technol ogy, and feed supple ments for grazers. The conference was