Page 6—Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 15, 2000
Easy accessibility, good ventilation, and a closeness to hay markets are key to the success of
the Holloway Brothers Farm. From left, Richard and son Rick Holloway.
Good Haymaking Requires Drying,
Storing, And ‘Patience ’
(Continued from Pago 1)
ularly, according to Henry. The horse
markets are a “tremendous user of
feed,” he said.
Landscapers use straw for sedimenta
tion control, which keeps the straw
market steady.
The farm makes silage bales, which
are baled at 50 percent total moisture
and wrapped in plastic. Dry hay is cut,
tedded, and a drying agent and preser
vative are applied before rectangular
baling.
In a good year, within two days, the
dry hay can be readily baled. Last year,
however, with a persistent drought,
some hay was baled in only a day.
The farm follows a soybean/corn/hay
/corn rotation.
Rick Holloway at the stack wagon, which can load many bales at once to be delivered to the
storage area and shipped.
A no-till grain drill is used at plant
ing. Alfalfa is fertilized and limed ac
cording to soil test results after first and
third cuttings. Leafhopper pressure is
also closely monitored and sprayed as
needed.
At harvest, the keys are weather and
“patience,” noted Richard. “You think
it’s ready and it’s not.”
Critical are the drying times and to be
“ready to cut when it’s ready,” he said.
In a good year, five cuttings are possi
ble. In 1999’s drought, the farm contin
ued the scheduled 28-30 day cuttings,
though hay was at times uneven and
sparse.
The past year was the first year the
Holloways ever collected on crop insur
ance. Corn yields were only about 70-75
bushels per acre. Silage was shorter, but
the farm had some to sell.
In all, there are 250 acres in hay at
the Holloway farm, of which 75 percent
is alfalfa. Half the hay goes to horse
farms, a quarter is sold as haylage to
Amish farms, and the rest is kept for the
cow/calf herd they raise at the farm.
In addition, the Holloways maintain
about 120 acres in pasture (on 20-acre
lots) and rent additional acres. Cattle
are pastured on a rotational system.
The Holloways are converting new
pastures, mostly in bluegrass, to an or
chardgrass/clover mixture.
The Holloways maintain about 100
beef cows and calves, which they sell to
a local freezer and freezer beef market
supplier and at Lancaster County auc
tions.
SEE YOUR NEAREST
l\E W HOLLAND
DEALER FOR DEPENDABLE
EQUIPMENT & SERVICE
PENNSYLVANIA
Messlck
Equipment
RD 1,80x255A
717-259*6617
AnnvHlt. PA
BHM Farm
Equipment, Inc.
RD 1, Rte, 934
717-867-2211
Carlisle.,PA
R&W
Equipment Co.
35 East Willow Street
717-243-2686
Messick
Equipment
Rt. 283 - Rheem's Exit
717-367-1319
Greencastle.PA
Meyers
Impiements, Inc.
400 North Antrim Way
; 717-59742176 V
Halifax. PA
Sweigard Bros.
R.D. 3, Box 13
717-896-3414
MARYLAND
FrgdericK. MR
Ceresville Ford New
Holland, Inc.
Rt. 26 East 2Q27 Leitersburg Pike
301-662-4197 800-553-6731
Outside MO, 800-331-9122 301-791-1200
Rising Sun, MD
Ag Industrial Equipment
Route 1, 50 N. Greenmont Rd.
1-800-442-5043
NEW JERSEY
Washington. NJ
Smith Tractor &
Equip., Inc.
15 Hillcrest Ave.
908-689-7900
ICWHOUAN)
I\EW HOLLAI\D
Credit Company
Norman D. Clark
& Son, Inc.
Honey Grove, PA
717-734-3682
Loysvflle, PA
717-789-3117
A.B.C. Groff, Inc.
110 South Railroad
717-384-4191
Pttqian- PA
Schreffter
Equipment
Pitman, PA
570-648-1120
TameguaLEA
Charles S.
Snyder, Inc.
R.D.3
570-386-5945
S.Glewis & Son, Inc.
352 N. Jennersvilie Rd.
610-869-2214
1-800-869-9029
Antietam Ford
Tractor, Inc,
oridgg.tQ.n..ty
Leslie G. Fogg, Inc,
Canton & Stow Creek
Landing Rd.
609-451-2727
609-935-5145
down
Owen Supply Co,
Broad Street &
East Avenue
609-769-0308