Question: We started to test
for MUN two months ago and
are wondering what should
MUN values be for our herd?
By now, almost everyone has
heard or read that average MUN
values should fall between 10
and 14. This is the range where
we see the highest and most con
sistent production on all the cows
Pa, Growers Sought For 2001 Farmers ’ Markets
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) State Agriculture Secre
tary Sam Hayes today encour
aged Pennsylvania’s growers to
participate in the 2001 Farmers
Market Nutrition Program
(FMNP).
“Farmers markets are a great
tradition of Pennsylvania Agri
culture,” Hayes said. “The
Fanners Market Nutrition Pro
gram provides the opportunity
for low-income Pennsylvanians
to purchase fresh, nutritious
Pennsylvania produce.”
The Farmers Market Nutrition
Program provides checks to eligi
ble recipients to purchase fresh
fruits and vegetables from ap
proved growers. The dates of the
program will be June 1-Nov. 30.
For a farmer to participate in
the Farmers Market Nutrition
Program, the farmer must own
or lease farmland within the
commonwealth on which they
produce and sell more than
$l,OOO of agricultural products.
In addition, more than 50 per-
recorded in the PA DHIA test
database; the range where all
“individual” cows use dietary
protein most efficiently. How
ever, when we look at the “herd”
overall, we should consider some
other factors.
Recently, I visited a herd that
serves as a good example of how
a factor can help determine
where to set the goal for MUN
within the acceptable range. We
will start out by observing that
this is a single ration TMR. This
factor presents a challenge as we
try to determine protein-feeding
efficiency through MUN testing.
We see these numbers in this
herd.
Lactation 1
cent of the retail value of pro
duce sold by the farmer under
the FMNP must be grown in
Pennsylvania or purchased from
another Pennsylvania farmer.
The Bureau of Food Distribu
tion is sending out notices to all
farmers who participated in the
2000 Farmers Market Nutrition
Program. If a farmer is interested
in receiving information about
the FMNP, contact the Bureau of
Food Distribution at (800)
468-2433 or (717) 787-2940.
The Agriculture Department’s
Bureau of Food Distribution re
mains strong in its commitment
to fight hunger through the ad
ministration of several different
programs.
In 2000, Farmers Market Nu
trition Program received $1.5
million in state funds and $1.9
million in federal funds. More
than 400 farmers participated
last year in the Farmers Market
Nutrition Program.
The State Food Purchase Pro
gram, one of the largest in the
0-40 days
avg. MUN = 7.4
41-99 days
avg. MUN = 8.9
100-199 days
avg. MUN = 11.3
200-299 days
avg. MUN = 12.7
Avg./total
11.8
These numbers represent a
common trend in herds that use
a single fed TMR. This type of
feeding strategy calls for a little
different evaluation of the MUN
numbers. The low numbers in
the early lactation cows indicate
that there is a lack of dietary
protein, especially rumen avail
able.
This is easy to fix, but you
U.S., provides cash grants to addition, The Emergency Food In the last two years, $5 mil
counties to purchase food for dis- Assistance Program (TEFAP) lion was made available to coun
tribution to those in need. In the provided $8 million of USDA ties to strengthen emergency
2000-2001 year, there is $l6 mil- commodity to those in need in food-assistance networks across
lion committed to the effort. In Pennsylvania. the commonwealth.
Understanding Dairy Markets,
Pricing Meetings To Be Conducted
LEESPORT (Berks Co.)
Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion in southeast Pennsylvania
will conduct four meetings on the
topics, “Understanding Dairy
Markets and Pricing”:
Berks County
• Session #1: Date: Tuesday,
Feb. 13. Time: 10:30 a.m. 2
p.m. Place: Berks County Ag
Center. Cost: $2 for lunch, pay
able at the door. Registration:
Call Clyde Myers at (610)
378-1327 by Feb. 9.
• Session #2: Date: Tuesday,
need to realize that the trend is
established for this herd and fix
ing the protein for early lactation
wiU also cause the tail enders to
become somewhat inefficient in
protein utilization.
My recommendation is to look
at the profile of the herd first. In
this herd, we used the first lacta
tion group to set parameters be
cause 52 percent of the herd are
first lactation. Furthermore, the
distribution of milking
2-year-olds was even through
days in milk.
This feeding strategy is grow
ing among herds and when we
give all the cows the same oppor
tunity for feed consumption, we
must address where we generate
Feb. 13. Time: 7:30 p.m. Place;
Kutztown High School Agri
culture Classroom. Registration:
Not required. Directions: Con
tact Jon Stutzman at (610)
682-4138.
Montgomery County
• Date: Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Place:
Montgomery County 4-H Center.
Cost: None. Lunch is free if pre
registered. Registration: Re
quired for lunch. Call Montgom
ery County Cooperative
Extension at (610) 489-4315 by
* $
K, *
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Most corn herbicides need rain to
work. But Basis Gold® herbicide works
with or without rain. Because it has
contact control that starts killing grass
and broadleaf weeds immediately.
And residual control that kicks in
when it rains. So whether it rains
or shines, it's always a bad day for
weeds. For more Information, see
your local DuPont Ag Retailer.
UP TO *3/ACRE LESS
than the leading competitive program.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 3,2001-A25
■y* £f
the most profit potential This
would occur during the early
part of lactation.
We contacted this herd’s nu
tritionist and fixed the diet to op
timize production potential while
still maintaining rumen health.
We did so by changing to less use
of bypass protein and more use
of soluble protein.
We now anticipate that the
MUN numbers should rise
throughout the lactation and the
average needs to be 13 to 14.
This change will address the
highest profit potential animals
with some slight protein waste in
late lactation. We even got bonus
points reduced cost to the
dairyman.
Feb. 9. For information, contact
John Berry, Lehigh County Co
operative Extension, at (610)
391-9840.
Chester County
• Date: Thursday, Feb. 15.
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Place:
Russellville Grange, Russellville
(near the intersection of Rt. 10
and Rt. 896). Cost: None. Lunch
is free if preregistered. Registra
tion: Contact Steve Dietrich,
Chester County Cooperative Ex
tension, by Feb. 13, at (610)
696-3500.
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