~ DIGIT 16SOZ
W2(jy n. I I
V 01.45 No. 33
Grazing Lowers Capital Investment, Improves Herd Health
JAYNE SEBRIGHT
Lancaster Farming Staff
Editor’s Note: This is the
third article in a special June
Dairy Month series on “Dairy
Profit Possibilities. ”
HANOVER (York Co.)
Cow health and a low capital in
vestment are the two reasons
why Jeff Wolfe decided to graze
his dairy herd.
“I have higher profit returns
because I have lower feed costs,”
said Wolfe. “Last year my pur
chased feed costs averaged $6.12
Facility Siting: .
Building Long-Term
Relationships That Work
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
Animal confinement housing
siting involves more than select
ing a space.
According to A 1 Wenger,
“Siting has to include an obvi
ously early and very thorough
evaluation of the current land
use, the neighbors, of the kind of
people that are already there,
the kind of farmer that was
farming it before, the type of
township it’s in, the kind of reg
ulations it already has, the way
they treated other development,
and the direction you can see
that township is going as far as
development.”
Importantly, said Wenger of
Wenger Feeds, Rheems, before
moving any ground, “talk to
nearby neighbors personally and
early,” he told about three dozen
poultry producers and agri
industry representatives
Monday afternoon.
Wenger spoke during the
Penn State-sponsored Poultry
Noah, left, and Oliver, 3-year-old twins of Rob and
Bonnie Wentworth, taste-test an orange milk punch with
new Lancaster County Dairy Princess Elizabeth Young last
Saturday at the Farm and Home Center. Turn to page 816
to read about the pageant. Photo by Andy Andrew*
Four Sections
per hundredweight even with
the drought.”
Jeff and his wife Sandy milk
63 cows and raise about SO head
of replacements on 90 acres of
pasture ground in Hanover.
Their herd is a mix of Jerseys,
Brown Swiss, Ayrshire, and
crossbred Holsteins.
“Holsteins are difficult to
keep on pasture,” said Wolfe.
“You would have to supplement
with a total mixed ration be
cause a Holstein eats a lot and
(Turn to Pago A 32)
Management and Health Semi
nar at Kreider’s Restaurant in
Manheim.
Being “proactive” rather than
“reactive” can save hassles
tlmej-nWney, and the reputation
of a business and an industry.
“You end up winning battle
and losing wars,” he said, if you
blatantly ignore opposition and
if you treat the “guardians,”
those landowners that will react
intelligently to your plans, with
indifference.
Location is a problem every
where, Wenger noted. “Just up
the street, they’re looking to put
a cemetery in, in Manheim
Township,” he said. “It’s being
objected to because it’s too
‘creepy.’
“This isn’t just us, it’s every
body,” Wenger said. That in
cludes churches, parking lots,
car washes, “you name it,” he
said. “And of course, confined
animal feeding operations, im
agine that.”
(Turn to Pago A 37)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 17, 2000
Jeff Wolfe of Hanover grazes 63 cows on 90 acres of pastureland. Freshening the herd
In the springi Wolfe keeps his cost down by purchasing little renting the farm, and
hiring custom work. Photo by Jayne Sebright
Practical Research Part Of PDA Budget
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Editor
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) - A rehearsal of the accom
plishments to date of the agri
cultural research projects
funded by the Pennsylvania De
partment of Agriculture was
part of the Agriculture Research
Symposium held last week in
the Capitol East Wing. Hosted
by Samuel Hayes Jr., Pennsylva
nia ag secretary, the reports cov
ered such subjects as dairy
quality assurance, mastitis, agri
cultural odors, international
markets, E.coli, salmonella, and
aquaculture. “We need original
research,” Hayes said. “But of
utmost importance is practical
applied research that helps
farmers do their job today. The
common denominator is PDA
with research that affects agri
culture’s profitability in a posi
tive manner.
“We have a great domestic
market place and we have the
responsibility to feed, clothe,
and shelter the people of Amer
ica. But we also have products
available on the international
markets. And we must position
ourselves in this global arena.”
To do this, research is done in
foreign countries with political,
cultural, demographic and in
frastructure analysis. One major
benchmark of a good possible
foreign market for Pennsylvania
products relates to the consump
tion of electricity. In addition,
the country is investigated not
only for ability to pay but also
the willingness to pay.
In other research projects, it
was found that Pennsylvania
$32.00 Per Year
ranks very high in loss of milk
production from high somatic
cell counts. One study shows we
loose $73 per cow from this re
duced milk production. This
equates to $1.3 billion lost prof
its in the industry. High SCC
problems are the number one
deterrent to profitability in our
Sunday is Father’s Day, a day to celebrate with family
and thank your dad for the impact he’s had on your life. It’s
a reminder that fathering is a year-round responsibility,
and one that Chet Hughes, Lancaster County extension
agent, takes seriously. Turn to page B 2 to read how
Hughes and his children, Allison, 14, and Andy, 11, build
strong bonds. Photo by Lou Ann Good
600 Per Copy
country. The research projects
are looking at antibacterial
proteins produced from bovine
immune cells to form a natural
deterrent to high SCC. While
eliminating many of the prob
lem bacteria, there are no unde
sirable chemical residues. This
(Turn to Pago A3l)