Congress Passes Ag Spending Bill WASHINGTON, D.C. According to National Fanners Union (NFU), the FY-2001 agri cultural appropriations confer ence report will be beneficial to farmers and ranchers because it contains emergency assistance. But the farmer and rancher or ganization is disappointed that Successful Ohio Farms Need Good Environmental Management COLUMBUS, Ohio Most farmers want to do all they can to be good neighbors, and under standing what is needed for good environmental management should be on the top of their list, said Dale Ricker, Ohio State University Extension swine asso ciate. “Water quality and air quality are both on the top of people’s mind, and we need to do as good a job as we can to ensure envi ronmental quality is maintained, for our own safety and well being, as well as others,” Ricker said. Ricker, who completes envi ronmental assessments of hog farms as part of the National Pork Producers Council On- Farm Environmental Assessment Program, has developed a list of helpful things livestock produc ers can do to better manage their For more information on this and other Ag Loan Programs Call 808 ZOOK at 717-721-5220 or email bzook@ ephratanationalbank.com Serving Farmers Since 1881 Congress again missed an oppor tunity to address important long term concerns of farmers, ranch ers, and rural communities. “We commend the members of the Congress for their work to provide needed assistance to crop, livestock, and dairy pro ducers who have suffered greatly farms’ environment. It all starts with a manure nu trient management plan a written plan outlining how farm ers will manage the manure nu trients their operation produces and the resulting acreage needed. These plans are often developed with the help of local soil and water conservation district per sonnel. “Producers who do not own enough ground for manure ap plication often secure manure hauling agreements with neigh bors or landlords to secure enough total acres for their ma nure management plan,” Ricker said. Manure analysis and soil tests accurately determine how much manure should be applied to par ticular fields. For example, a 1,000-head hog finishing opera tion may need 100 to 350 acres ✓ ✓ ✓ Minimum Loan $lOO,OOO. 5 Year Rate Fix. Ist Lien on Qualifying Farm required. Appraisal, Title Insurance, Documentation and Closing Costs to Borrower. ✓ ✓ ✓ Maximum 75% Loan to Value. Qualified Ag Purpose Only. Offer Expires 12/15/00. from weather-related, production and quality disasters, as well as market-related losses that are out of their control,” said NFU Presi dent Leland Swenson. “We are, however, disappointed that Con gress, once again, has, not chosen to address the failures of current farm, trade, and competition pol- for manure spreading, depending on existing levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil and corre sponding levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the manure, Rick er said. “If soil tests high in phospho rus, then a farmer may need a bunch of land for hauling, but if it is low in nutrients then more could be applied,” he said. “Ma nure nutrient management plans ensure manure is not overap plied.” There are a number of private laboratories that will do soil and manure analysis, Ricker said. Field maps are a good way to keep records of where, when and how much manure was applied in different areas. Farmers can mark on a field map what date manure was applied and shade ip how much land was covered. “This provides an accurate icy that have led to the lowest commodity prices in 20 years and economic crisis in our rural communities.” Farmers Union cites the legis lation’s failure to include long term farm policy provisions that could stem the price crisis faced by producers today through an adequate safety net and mean ingful trade sanctions reform. The bill severely limits U.S. farmers’ opportunities to trade written record that can be re ferred to for crop planning and future manure hauling events,” he said. “Field maps also can help coordinate manure applica tion with crop rotation because often as farmers rotate crops they also rotate the fields where manure is applied.” Livestock producers who store manure in pits or lagoons, often for six months to a year until ap plication is appropriate, should keep a record of freeboard space empty space left in the pit or lagoon until hauling is needed. If producers kept a weekly record of how fast the manure levels were rising and suddenly the rate changed, they would know to check for leaks or reasons for ab normal increases, Ricker said. “A pit could fill rapidly be cause of a heavy rain, but there also could be an undetected wa terline break that could be fixed. Producers don’t want to pay to haul excess water in manure, and the extra water could affect storage time,” he said. “Checking and record ing free board space is a method Member F.D.I.C. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 11, 2000-ACT of tracking volume that could eliminate surprises.” Air quality in a livestock build ing is often variable, depending on the time of year, and can have negative impacts on animals and workers. Air quality should be as good as possible to maintain ani mal growth, health and efficien cy, and not expose animals and workers to gases that can build and cause problems, Ricker said. “Periodically check air flows and make sure they are working as they are designed to work. Even in new facilities we some times see design flaws that im pact the ventilation of bams,” he said. “Air exchange rates and rel ative humidity are important to disease control through removal of contaminants.” Fans, shutters and air inlets should be regularly cleaned to re move dust and debris and ensure maximum efficiency of the venti lation system. It has been report ed that dirty fan blades and shut ters can reduce the capacity of a fan by up to 20 percent, Ricker said. Testing farm water can docu ment bacterial contamination, mineral content, hardness, total dissolved solids and pH. The pH of farm water should be between 6.5 and 7.5. Producers can take necessary action to correct water problems once they have been targeted, he said. Finally, livestock producers should maintain the outward ap pearance of their operation to eliminate “conceptual odors,” Ricker said. David S. King Iron Worker Manufacturer of Church Bench folding hinge*. 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PA 717-866-6556 Rovendale Ag - Watsonlown, PA 570-538-9564 with Cuba by restricting export funding and codifying travel re strictions to the island country. “Farmers and ranchers are under tremendous economic pressure,” said Swenson. “There is no excuse for not having these vital issues addressed when farm commodity prices are at crisis levels. We are grateful that the bill provides needed assistance to crop, livestock, and dairy farm ers.” “If an operation isn’t neat, clean, well landscaped and doesn’t look good on the outside, then peo ple may ask how it could possible be well managed on the in side,” he said. For more informa tion about proper envi ronmental manage ment on the farm, producers can contact their county office of Ohio State University Extension or Soil and Water Conservation District. Interested people can get more information about the NPPC On-Farm Envi ronmental Assurance . Program by calling the Ohio Pork Council at (800)320-7991. .(■HYDRA JNWORKER 120 TONS
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