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W 209 PATTE LIBRARY II I f« , ■ ,
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY IF
UNIV PARK PA 16SOZ
V 01.46 No. 3
State Farm Bureau Celebrates 50th
With Founder’s Call To Order
MICHELLE RANCK
Lancaster Farming Staff
HERSHEY (Lancaster Co.)
The Pennsylvania Farm
Bureau recently reminisced over
the past several decades during
a 50th anniversary conference
and banquet at the Hershey
Lodge and Convention Center.
Clay Shaw, 83, York, called
the start-up meeting of the Farm
Bureau, then the Pennsylvania
Dairy Conference Reviews Importance
Of Forage Quality, New NRC Book
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
GRANTVILLE (Dauphin
Co.) Dairy producers who
rely a lot on forages should keep
in mind that, in general, low
quality forages in the animal’s
diet will send energy values
“substantially lower,” according
to an Ohio State dairy nutrition
specialist.
And cows on pasture need
more energy than cows on
drylot, said Bill Weiss, Ohio
State University professor of
dairy science.
Weiss provided details re
garding latest nutritional recom
mendations to more than 200
dairy feed specialists Tuesday. It
was the start of a two-day Penn
State-sponsored Dairy Cattle
Nutrition Workshop at the
Grantville Holiday Inn.
Overall, pastures provide a
substantial source of Vitamin E,
essential to boosting a rumi-
Perrydell Dairy Farms was honored by the York County extension service for its in
volvement in agriculture outreach and program support. In the photo taken at the York
County farm-city tour last month, the Perry families, Laurie and Greg with son Calvin,
left, and Donna and Tom, were on hand topreet visitors to their farm. See story on page
A 27. Photo by Joyce Bupp, York Co. correspondent
Four Sections
Farmer’s Association, to order
on November 24, 1950. That
meeting was attended by 32
farmers representing eight coun
ties at the Brunswick hotel in
Lancaster.
Fifty years later Shaw was
honored to call the banquet and
subsequent meeting to order.
This time approximately 1,100
people attended. Shaw, who
served on the farm bureau board
nant’s immune response and
helping to keep diseases such as
mastitis at bay.
“If you don’t put up high
quality forage, it could cost you
big bucks,” said Terry Etherton,
distinguished professor of
animal nutrition and depart
ment head, Penn State Dairy
and Animal Science.
Most experts agree that the
qqw’s nutritional needs, along
with providing a healthy envi
ronment, can go a long way in
improving milk production.
Weiss, along with several
Penn State dairy nutrition spe
cftßfWft!pWldiled information on
an update of the National Re
search Council (NRC) “Nu
trient Requirements of Dairy
Cattle” guide, a seventh edition
and revision of the 1989 book.
The book is used widely to
calculate nutritional needs of
the dairy animal.
Much of the book includes im-
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 18, 2000
for two years, presided over the
first two organizational meet
ings years ago. He is the only
living member of the original
“founding fathers.”
The events of the conference
focused on acknowledging the
foresight of the founders in ad
dition to acknowledging the sub
sequent efforts of the thousands
who have also served in the or
(Turn to Page A2l)
portant revisions, reviewed by
several speakers at the confer
ence.
For forage producers, a key
finding of the revision commit
tee was that “not all midbloom
alfalfa is the same,” Weiss
noted. And feed by-products
(Turn to Pa&e A 32)
Lancaster Farmland Trust
Announces Senior Advisory Council,
Launches Harvest Appeal
LANCASTER (Lancaster
Co.) Dr. John Schwartz,
chairman, Lancaster Farmland
Trust Board of Trustees, this
week announced the launch of
the trust’s 2000-2001 Harvest
Appeal to save Lancaster
County farms.
He also released the names of
A former president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and
current state senator, Noah Wenger, left, received the Dis
tinguished Service to Agriculture Award. The award was
presented by Farm Bureau President Guy Donaldson at
the 50th anniversary conference and banquet at the Her
shey Lodge and Convention Center. Photo by Michelle
Penck
nine well-known community
leaders who will serve on the
Trust’s newly formed senior ad
visory council. Those members,
in turn, serve as honorary co
chairmen of the Harvest Appeal.
The senior advisory council
will function in an advisory ca
pacity to the Board of Trustees
and to the staff in matters of de
velopment, program planning,
and community relations. The
nine members are:
• Darvin Boyd, farmland
preservation pioneer and agri
finance leader.
Genetic Foods Debate
At Chester Extension Meet
MICHELLE RANCK
Lancaster Farming Staff
WEST CHESTER (Chester
Co.) Those who attended the
Chester County extension meet
ing had the opportunity to not
only hear about county activities
but also hear a debate about the
controversial topic of genetic en
gineering.
Conducted at the Italian
Social Club in West Chester, the
meeting included an introduc
tion of Chester County exten
sion staff and an update on the
county’s 4-H center.
The evening’s debate, with
more than 80 in attendance, fea
tured Paul Backman, director,
Pennsylvania Agricultural Ex
periment Station at Penn State
University; Terry Medley, West
Chester, vice president of
biotechnology regulatory affairs
at Dupont; and Bill Freese,
$32.00 Per Year
• H. Eugene Garber, retired
major league baseball player,
preserved farm owner, and
former supervisor of West
Donegal Township.
• Robert Hershock, retired
3M executive, entrepreneur, and
owner of preserved farm.
• Dorothy Lyet, farmland
preservation pioneer and recog
nized leader in Lancaster
County Arts and Education.
• Carolyn S. Nunan, leader
and benefactor in numerous
Washington, D.C., who repre
sented environmental organiza
tion Friends of the Earth at the
forum.
Backman said that biotech
nology is needed for answers,
pointing out that it has already
helped solve problems. For ex
ample, said Backman, biotech
nology has impacted
environmental pollution as
modified organisms help break
down oil spills. Genetically
altered crops have decreased
pesticide residues and special
ized corn varieties may improve
herd health.
Biotechnology, said Back
man, may help to address
animal, plant, and human
health issues. Bioenergy may
ease fuel price concerns and
help alleviate concerns about the
consumption of unrenewable re-
600 Per Copy
(Turn to Page A 37)
(Turn to Pago A 29)