A42-L«ncaster Fanning, Saturday, April 1, 2000 Dauphin Soil Conservation Banquet Emphasizes Preservation JAYNE SEBRIGHT Lancaster Fanning Staff DAUPHIN (Dauphin Co.) Honoring farmers, organiza tions, and students for their ded ication to conservation, the Dauphin County Conservation District held its 2000 annual awards banquet at the Agricul ture and Natural Resource Center last week. During the meeting, three awards were presented, along with presentations to the high school speech contest winners. Award presentations focused on the efforts of award winners to conserving Dauphin County re sources. The Leffler Family was recog nized as the 1999 Outstanding Conservation Farm Family. Mother Alfreida and sons Neal and Dennis farm 206 acres in Lykens Township, northern Dauphin County. The District commended them for their con servation ethic on their farm, implementing many conserva tion practices to conserve Dau phin County’s water resources. The Lefflers own 71 acres and rent 132 acres of land, all of which is included in their con servation plan. They also milk 80 head of dairy cattle. The Lef flers have been cooperating with the District for 10 years. Neal Leffler accepted the award for the family. Joseph Ibberson was awarded the 1999 Forest Steward Conser vationist Award. According to award presenter Jay Book, Dis trict board member, it takes 17 trees to clean up after every car that is driven today. “This gen tleman helps those of us who don’t own our 17 trees,” Book said. Ibberson owns 1,800 acres of timberland, which has been cer tified as a Tree Farm for 31 years. He has planted 12,000 seedlings, improved 1,095 acres with timber stands, built IS miles of access roads, and con structed nine ponds on his prop erty. Ibberson’s natural sanctuary is also used as part of many educational programs. In 1999, Ibberson donated about 200 acres of forestland and adjacent fields to the Bureau of State Parks. Known as the Ibberson Conservation Area, the park is used for infor mal recreation and forestry edu cation. He recently endowed the Joseph E. Ibberson Chair of Forest Management at Penn State University. He was also honored as the 1998 Pennsylva nia Tree Farmer of The Year. The 1999 Outstanding Conservation Organization award was presented to Wiconisco Creek Restoration Associa tion. Accepting the award for the association was from left Bill Nare, treasurer; Walt Finch, president; and Dave Fen nell, secretary- The 1999 Outstanding Con servation Organization award went to the Wiconisco Creek Restoration Association, which includes 15 volunteer members. The association was honored for their commitment to the promo tion of conservation and im provement of the Wiconisco Creek Watershed. Some of the projects the asso ciation has been involved in in clude repairing and restoring a diversion well near Muir to cor rect the pH of the water flowing into the creek, sanddosing proj ects in the watershed’s stream, stream debris cleanup in north ern Dauphin County, and plant ing more than 6,000 trees in the Rodichok riparian buffer area near Sheridan. The ultimate goal of the Wiconisco Creek Restoration Association is to make the Wiconisco Creek fishable, canoeable, and swimmable from its headwaters to the Susque hanna River. Winners of a high school Annual Ohio Bull BELLE VALLEY, Ohio Belle Valley will echo with the sounds of determined buyers and bellowing cattle at the Ohio Bull Test Sale, April 15, begin ning at 1 p.m. This year’s 31st annual per formance tested bull sale is a cooperative effort of the Ohio Cattleman’s Association, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. The sale will feature several breeds including Angus, Charolais, Chimaine, Gelbvieh, Polled Hereford, and Simmental. “The Ohio Bull Test is a 112- day performance test that pri marily examines a bull’s growth potential by measuring traits such as average daily gain (ADG) and weight per day of age (WPD)," said Eric Dorr, OSU Extension associate and director of beef improvement programs for the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association. The test serves as a way for seedstock producers to have' their animals compared against those of other breeders, while providing them a proven mar keting outlet at the end of the test, Dorr said. “The test is an educational tool that demonstrates the vari ation in growth patterns of dif ferent types, breeds and kinds of cattle. It provides a standard, impartial post-weaning test for speech contest were also hon ored during the banquet. The speech focused on the topic, “Wetland Preservation.” Award winners included Patricia Min choff from Upper Dauphin High School who received first place, Rachel Dutcher from Milton Hershey High School who re ceived second, and Kenya Lewis from Milton Hershey High School who placed third. The girls received framed certificates and cash awards. Minchoff gave her award winning speech during the ban quet, which highlighted ways to conserve wetlands. According to Minchoff, wetlands are disap pearing at a devastating rate, up to 100,000 acres per year throughout the United States. Educating people about the role of wetlands in the food cycle and in preservation of our envi ronment was one suggestion that Minchoff gave for conserv ing wetlands. President of the Dauphin County Conservation District rate of gain, soundness and con dition. It’s also an opportunity for breeders to collect progeny group information on herd sires,” Dorr said. . The bull test begins in early November with the delivery of young, weaned, registered bulls to the Eastern Ohio Resource Development Center in Belle Valley, Noble County. Every 28 days, the bulls are weighed and their progress documented. On day 84, the bulls are weighed, ultrasounded for ribeye area and fat thickness and intramus cular fat (marbling), measured for hip height and frame score, and measured for scrotal cir cumference. The test ends March 15, and at that time, the bull test committee determines which bulls will qualify for sale. Dorr said in order for a bull to qualify, he must have a Performance Index ratio of 90 or higher within his own breed test group. “The ratio is established using a combined index of ADG and WPD between all the bulls in the same breed group. If a breed group has fewer than six head entered in the test, they are grouped with other breeds with fewer than six head - form ing one mixed group.” A ratio of 100 equals the average ADG and WPD within each group. A bull with a ratio of 110 grew 10 percent faster than the average of the test group. A bull whose ratio equals 90 grew 10 percent slower than the aver age of that test group. The other minimum qualifications for sale bulls include a minimum scrotal circumference of 30 centimeters and a minimum frame score of 4.5. In addition to meeting these sale requirements, bulls are also evaluated on breeding sound ness, which includes a semen check and reproductive exami nation, and must be classified a “Satisfactory Potential Breeders” to be included in the sale. There is a minimum bid of $l,OOO on every bull. Producers will be able to purchase bulls The Soil Conservation District honored the top three high school speech contest winners, including from left Rachel Dutcher, second place winner; Patricia Minchoff, first place winner; and Kenya Lewis, third place winner. Board of Directors David Coble vation District was established led the meeting and recognized * n with primary emp asis board members and staff who on so *' conservation wi e attended the meeting. The guest f arm community. To eep up speaker was Ken Hunter, an with changing landscapes in award-winning wildlife artist, Dauphin County, the is ric who presented a program on now focuses 60 percent of its “Research of a Wildlife Artist.” work on urban or nonagncul- The Dauphin County Conser- tural programs. Test Sale April 15 from four remote sale locations again this year. Bulls purchased from a remote location will be delivered free of charge to that remote sale location. Each remote site will have a video available. The video will feature bulls that will be sold on April 15. Anyone interested in pur chasing bulls from a remote site should contact the following individuals for details about sale day procedures. •Carroll County OSU Extension office: Court House, 119 Public Square, Carrollton. Contact Mike Hogan, (330) 627- 4310. •Knox County OSU Extension office: 1025 Harcourt Road, Mt. Vernon. Contact Troy Cooper, (740) 397-0401. •Shelby County OSU Extension office; 810 Fair Road, Sidney. Contact Woody Joslm, (937) 498-7239 or Steve Foster, (937) 548-5215. •South District OSU MTBE A Boon WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Farmers Union (NFU) applauds the announcement by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol Browner and USDA Secretary Dan Glickman that phases out the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). More importantly for farm ers, their announcement encour ages additional use of renewable fuels that use farmer-produced commodities such as corn, a component in the production of ethanol. The Environmental Protec tions Agency (EPA) proposal calls for an eventual ban of the gasoline additive MTBE. The agency strongly backs the use of oxygenated fuels, but for some time has questioned whether it is safe to use MTEB as an oxy genate in gasoline. Because to its propensity to seep out of stor age tanks and contaminate groundwater, the agency has recommended Congress elimi nate it as one of the additives that cut exhaust emissions and Extension office: 17 Standpipe Road, Jackson. Contact Dave Mangione, (740) 286-2177 or Dave Samples, (740) 286-5044. •Printed sale catalogs will be available by the end of March. To obtain a catalog or for more information, contact Eric Dorr, Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, (614) 873-6736. •Visitors are welcome to stop at EORDC’s Bull Test Station to review and observe the bulls. A field day will be held at the branch on April 14. The event, sponsored by the American Simmental Association, Ohio Simmental Association, and the Ohio Cattleman’s Association, will provide an excellent oppor tunity to see the bulls. The event begins at 4 p.m. and features speakers from ASA and OSU Extension. A free hamburger fry is included in the activities. Contact Wayne Shriver, EORDC manager, (740) 732-4275 for more information. raise octane. “This announcement is wel come news for family farmers,” said NFU President Leland Swenson. “Establishing a renew able fuels standard provides a solid foundation on which the ethanol industry will grow,” he said. Last year, the NFU endorsed a national renewable fuels stan dard as well as legislation by Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., that encourages the use of ethanol as the most practical additive for reducing ozone-forming carbon monoxide in reformulated gaso line. “With the issues of sustain able energy and environmental integrity regaining prominence in the national consciousness, farmers are uniquely positioned to respond to this challenge of stewardship and production,” said Swenson. “We are pleased with the leadership EPA has taken in proposing this change. We hope that Congress will work swiftly to enact this vital proposal.*
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers