UNIVERSITY PARK expert suggests taking a hard jured, but plants do vary widely cultural Sciences. “ In ™ n y
(Centre Co.)-If your indoor look at softened water as the cul- in their to erance for softened cases, water f ™ m a n^chanica
plants or plants brought in for prit water,” said J. Robert Nuss, softener will harm plant
the winter seem to be faring “There isn’t any research that professor of ornamental horti growth. . .
poorly, a Penn State horticultur! ‘ells us which plants can be in- culture m the College of Agn- Nuss explains that hard water
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-
••••••••••••••••••••••a**** »{
• Dairy of Distinction
I 2000 Pennsylvania Application
Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program Inc. •
Awards will be based upon neatness, good maintenance, and other •
(actors 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 • Attractive dairy farms give the consumer greater confidence in the wholesomeness of milk and stimulate milk
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 fanner 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. •
The award program may be used for subsequent advertising or pro- a ELIGIBILITY
motion activities for dairy products or dairy farming. Farmers who
apply fur the award agree that if selected they will cooperate with these • All Northeast dairy farms producing milk for sate are invited to submit an application for the award Dames
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 sign to
the exterior and interior of heir properties in an acceptable manner. • be displayed in front of their farm
HOW IS YOUR FARM SCORED?
HOW THE APPLICATION WORKS
The owner or operator of the dairy farm should sign the application J Your Name
and send it to the Dairy of Distinction state secretary by April 15. •
0 Mailing Address,
HOW THE JUDGING WORKS
Judging 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 *
ihc-ir signs The Dairy of Distinction signs remain the property of the •
committee, not the property of the dairy farmer All farms must achieve # (Your Handier will be contacted to approve vour milk qualitv)
a compliance score ol 90 percent on their Dairy of Distinction score card. •
Your cooperative or milk handler will be contacted to approve your milk • Location (driving directions for judging team)
ipiulitv J
RULES FOR THE DAIRY OF DISTINCTION AWARD • •
1) The Dairy of Distinction sign remains property of the Northeast • .—_ •
Dairy Farm Beautification Committee. • . , r . . ~ •
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’x 4’x 12’ or iron pipe • ~ . 5
■>’ \ 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 J
t'amed in true vertical position with 8’ above ground. Top of the • with the rules of the program for the purpose of obtaining a Dairy 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 scoring or sign expense ) J
1) Signs shall be displayed in front of the dairy at roadside. An attractive • *
post or bracket, or other frame, shall be used to display the sign. No • ■ ■ ■ — Da,c •
more than three signs should be displayed from the sign frame or ••••••••••••• •••••••!
post, and all shall be of a style, general size, and quality comparable
to the Dairy of Distinctiqn sign. Sign should be secured on all sides Jf e ( urn your application by April 15 to:
4) shalDvof be'nuwed to other premises New owners of a Dairy ✓ PENNSYLVANIA Michael O’Conner, 324 Henning Building, Dept, of
of Distinction farm must apply to retain the sign Dairy and Animal Science, Penn State University, University Park, PA
5) Replacement ot damaged signs is at the committee’s discretion '
6) No producer shall be charged with scoring or sign expenses. M,OU
-7) Judges’ decisions will be final. ✓ NEW YORK Carol Kecne-Ainsille, 3993 Jordonville Road,
S) Judging will take place between May Ist and May 31st lordonville NY 13361
>J Farms awarded a Dairy of Distinction sign in previous years will be joruonvilie, m I IJOOI
judged between April Ist and April 30th. If they do not qualify, ✓ NEW JERSEY Joy Rkkcr, 91 BeCUICr Road, SuSSCX, NJ 07461
they will be rejudged between May Ist and May 3ist so they have VERMONT Elisa Clancy, Vermont Department of Agriculture, 16
Itll'Fmnis'tha^do^o^rcquahfy^will return the sign to their regional State St., Drawer 20, Montpelier, VT 05620-2901
Softened Water Can Cause Hard Times For Indoor Plants
Dei-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,
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.
All applications must be com
pleted and returned to your re
Phone Number.
Farm and Home Section, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 18, 2000—Page
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
contains large amounts of cal
cium and magnesium, which are
plant nutrients. However, these
minerals reduce how well soap
lathers when washing clothing
or other items. “The minerals in
hard water often combine with
soap to form the ring you see in
bathtubs or wash bowls,” he
says.
Many homeowners soften
their water by using a filtration
system to exchange the calcium
and magnesium in the water for
sodium, creating a softer water
that allows soap to function
better.
“Sodium is used by plants
only in very small amounts,”
Nuss says. “Over long periods of
time, too much sodium becomes
toxic.”
Nuss says excess sodium will
damage the soil quality around
the plant’s root system by break
ing down the soil structure, thus
reducing drainage. Nuss says
savvy plant lovers can save their
plants in several ways.
•Leaching. Using rainwater
or unsoftened water to water
your plants will leach high levels
of sodium out of the soil.
•Elevation. By placing your
plant on gravel or a similar ma
terial, a reservoir is formed to
collect water passing through
the soil. “Never allow plants to
stand in softened water,” Nuss
warns.
•Repotting. Fresh potting soil
will provide a new environment
for the roots, free of excess salts.
Other water additives used by
municipal water systems, chlo
rine and fluorine, also can harm
some plants. Trace elements are
needed in very small amounts to
keep plants healthy. “In excess,
like sodium, they can be toxic,”
he says.
Chlorine generally presents
less of a headache for
houseplants, Nuss explains.
“Chlorine can be eliminated
from water by heating or aera
tion, or by letting the water
stand in a container overnight
before watering the plants.”
Fluorine can adversely affect
plants at concentrations as low
as .1 part per million. In some
municipal water supplies, 10
times that amount is added to
prevent tooth decay. “A good in
dicator of fluorine content is the
spider plant, or Chlorophytum,
which will show spotted leaves
or burned tips when fluorine is
present,” Nuss says.
Houseplant gardeners can
deter the effects of fluorine by
adding two teaspoons of lime
stone per six-inch pot of soil.
Lime raises the pH of the soil
and combines with fluoride in a
chemically insoluble form that
plants cannot take up through
the roots, according to Nuss.
A LESSON
WELL
LEARNED...
LANCASTER
FARMING’S
CLASSIFIED
ADS
GET RESULTS!
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