Shelly Ogline
York County
Conservation District
Mark Goodson
Penn State
Cooperative Extension
York County
A postcard in the mail, a flier
at the fertilizer dealer, or an-an
nouncement in a newsletter an
nounces an upcoming “Pasture
Walk.” What on earth is a pas
ture walk? you wonder.
A pasture walk is an opportu
nity to visit a grazing operation,
USD A Establishes Volume Regulation
To Assist Cranberry Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. The
USD A has announced a final
rule regulating the volume of
cranberries that can be mar
keted during the 2000-2001 crop
year.
A producer allotment of 85
percent will be implemented for
the new season beginning Sept. 1
to stabilize plummeting prices
due to expanding production
and mounting inventories.
The allotment establishes the
quantity of cranberries that han
dlers may purchase from, or
handle for growers.
The industry’s Cranberry
Marketing Committee met on
June 6 to discuss three options
offered in the proposed rule
published May 30, with a com
ment period ending June 14. At
this meeting the committee rec
ommended an alternative option
incorporating aspects from the
three proposed options.
USD A is adopting the com
mittee’s June 6 recommendation
with two changes. The first
change would continue to allow
excess fresh cranberries to be ex
ported. The second change
would recognize established
growers’ sales of cranberries
from recently planted acreage.
Details of these changes are con
tained in the final rule.
The final rule establishes a
marketable quantity of 5.468
million barrels and an allotment
percentage of 85 percent. Total
growers’ sales histories were set
at 6.432 million barrels.
The allotment percentage
equals the marketable quantity
divided by the total of all
growers’ sales histories. Fresh
and organically-grown cranber
ries are exempt from the volume
limitations to facilitate market-
Be Prepared For Tougher
Poultry Waste Regulations
OCEAN CITY, Md. Learn
the latest technology and infor
mation about poultry waste
management at the 2000 Na
tional Poultry Waste Manage
ment Symposium at the
Sheraton Fontainebleau Hotel,
Ocean City, Maryland, October
16-18.
The symposium is targeted to
meet current and future needs of
the poultry industry when
responsibly dealing with envi
ronmental issues.
The program begins with a
MILK.
IT DOES A
BODY GOOD.
What On Earth Is A Pasture Walk?
visit with other farmers inter
ested in grazing, and to learn.
“Go with an open mind and
learn all you can,” said Frank
Lucas, Natural Resources Con
servation Services project leader
for the Pequea-Mill Creek
Watershed in Lancaster County.
One upcoming pasture walk is
at the Roman Stoltzfoos farm in
Kinzer, Lancaster County, Aug.
3-4.
At a recent pasture walk in
Adams County, topics discussed
included herd health, plant
ing of these products. Imports
are not regulated under the mar
keting order.
USDA’s Agricultural Market
ing Service, which oversees the
Cranberry Marketing Order, re
ceived 131 comments on the
proposed rule. By far, the major
ity of commenters were cran
berry growers.
Seventy-three comments op
posed volume regulation in gen
eral or opposed a specific
portion of the proposals. Fifty
eight comments favored one of
the options under consideration.
The final rule will be pub
lished in the July 11 Federal
Register and can be viewed at
www.ams.usda.gov/fv/moab.
html.
“The U.S. Department of Ag
riculture and the cranberry in
dustry have worked together in
considering the best options to
address the oversupply situa
tion,” said Enrique E. Figueroa,
deputy under secretary for mar
keting and regulatory programs.
Kathleen A. Merrigan, ad
ministrator for USDA’s Agricul
tural Marketing Service, said,
“In view of the difficult circum
stances faced by the cranberry
industry and the many variables
considered, USDA determined
that this option is the most equi
table means of establishing
volume regulation at this time.”
The eight-member Cranberry
Marketing Committee, ap
pointed by the secretary of agri
culture, oversees the Cranberry
Marketing Order that regulates
shipments of cranberries grown
in Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New Jersey, Wis
consin, Michigan, Minnesota,
Oregon, Washington, and Long
general session covering broad
topics related to poultry by
products and social issues, fol
lowed by concurrent sessions
addressing specific issues such
as air and water quality, utiliza
tion, and marketing alternatives
and regulation.
The target audience is mid
level managers, university and
allied industry personnel, regu
lators, growers, and farmers.
Reduced registration is avail
able to encourage producer and
student participation.
palatability, forage quality, ex
tending the growing season, sup
plemental feed, fencing,
watering systems, soil health,
and “the bottom line.”
Both experienced and novice
graziers will attend. Through
nonformal discussion and dem
onstration, producers can gain a
wealth of knowledge.
“You keep experimenting and
learning. Never assume you’ve
done enough,” Dave Forgey, a
rotational grazier with eight
years of experience from New
York.
Island, N.Y.
Cranberry production in 1999
reached an ali-time high of 6.39
million barrels (one barrel
equals 100 pounds of cranber
ries) 17 percent above the
previous year and a 377 percent
increase since 1960. In the same
40 years, harvested acreage has
expanded 76 percent and
growers have increased their
yields 171 percent. Most domest
ically produced cranberries
about 95 percent are pro
cessed, while the remainder is
shipped to fresh markets.
Consumer demand for cran
berries has leveled off in recent
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Betts Equipment
3139 Windy Bush Road.Rl 232
New Hope, PA 18938
215-598-7501
Hoober, Inc.
Mam Street
Intercourse, PA 17534
717-768-8231
Hoober, Inc.
East Mam Street
McAlisterville, PA 17049
717-463-2191
Deerfield Ag &
Turf Center, Inc.
RR 2 Box 212
Watsontown, PA 17777
570-538-3557
Detlan Equipment, Inc
141 East Mam St
Silverdale, PA 18962
215-257-5177
Thomas L, Dunlap
Rt. 220, Main St. Exit
Jersey Shore, PA 17740
570-398-1391
Frank Lucas, NRCS, advises
not to adopt all the new ideas at
once.
“You don’t have to convert
the whole farm. Start slow with
a few paddocks and see how you
like it.”
Titus Martin of Franklin
County agreed. “If you are a
dairy farmer interested in graz
ing, start with your heifers and
dry cows. That way your pay
check won’t be affected while
you are experimenting, getting
your feet wet.”
The pasture walk provides an
years, with total U.i>. sales peak
ing in 1994 at 4.7 million barrels
and dipping to 4.5 million bar
rels in 1998. Prices have suffered
as a result.
Growers have watched prices
decline from a peak in 1996 of
$65.90 per barrel to $38.80 per
barrel in 1998, and returns for
the 1999 crop are expected to
fall below $30.00. At the same
time, inventories have mounted,
and the Cranberry Marketing
Committee estimates that nearly
a year’s worth of production is
expected to be held in inventory
when the current marketing
year ends Aug. 31.
La
Eckroth Bros Farm Equip.
Rd 2, Box 24A
New Rmgold, PA 17960
570-943-2131
Eckroth Equipment Co.
4910 Kernsville Rd.
Orefield, PA 18069
610-366-2095
Hines Equipment
RT. 220, Belwood, PA
814-742-8171
Keller Brothers
R 7 Box 405
Lebanon. PA 17042
717-949-6501
1950 Fruitville Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601
717-569-2500
M.S. Yearsley & Sons
West Chester, PA
610-696-2990
Pikeville Equipment Inc.
RD 2, Oysterdale Road
Oley, PA 19547
610-927-6277
ideal opportunity for the novice
to learn from more experienced
graziers.
In addition to attending a
pasture walk, you may want to
do a little reading on the subject
of rotational grazing. The “Penn
State Agronomy Guide 1999-
2000,” section 8, contains exten
sive facts and data relating to
pasturing, and “Agronomy
Facts 43: Four Steps in Rota
tional Grazing” explains the
concept, provides recommenda
tions, and gives examples of cal
culations.
Contact your local extension
office for more details.
The next opportunity for you
to attend a Pasture Walk/Field
Day is Aug. 3-4. The same topics
will be covered on both days.
The walk is at Roman
Stoltzfoos’s farm in Kinzer.
Roman is a well-known organic
dairy farmer who practices rota
tional grazing. The pasture is a
major feed source for the cows.
Topics will include soils, grass
species, test plot results, water
quality, alternative treatments
for animals, breeding, and dem
onstration of vacuum silage.
Contact Roman Stoltzfoos at
610-593-2415 for more informa
tion.
The York County Conserva
tion District is willing to provide
transportation to the event. Call
Shelly at 717-755-2966, ext. 107
for transportation details.
landpnde com
Stoltzfus Farm Service
Cochranville, PA
610-593-2407
Stouffer Bros Inc.
1066 Lincoln Way West
Chambersburg, PA 17201
717-263-8424
Rodio Tractor Sales
North White Horse Pike
Hammonton, N.J. 08037
609-561-0141
Warren County Service
Center
228 Route 94. Blairtown, N J.
908-362-6916
Frank Rymon
& Sons, Inc.
RD 3, Box 355
Washington, N.J. 07882
908-689-1464