V 01.46 No. 16 Graziers Learn ‘Maximum Techniques At Conference / MICHELLE RANCK Lancaster Farming Stqff QUARRYVILLE (Lancaster Co.) Careful management, agreed speakers at the Southeast Pennsylvania Grazing Confer ence, is the key to a successful, profitable grassland operation. The conference brought to gether producers and speakers to exchange ideas during the two-day event at the Solanco fairgrounds. In its eighth year, the confer ence attracted approximately 200 people for the educational event sponsored by the Lancas ter County Graziers. Cove Mountain Farm Glen Moyer, Cove Mountain Farm, Mercersburg, Franklin County chose to try operating a grass-based farm because of fi nancial reasons. In 1996 Moyer took up the challenge to develop a seasonal dairy farm from the ground up on a farm willed to American Farmland Trust.- Qf the IgnOrT3oo acres, 200'of the acres are in grass. Duane Hertzler, Mover, Mercersburg; Dave Forgey, Logansport, Ind.; Kenneth King, Hutchinson,Aan.; HeMy Strife. Williamsport, Md.; and Tim Fritz, farm management extension ageht, Chester County, each shared their grazing experiences and expertise during the recent two-day conference at Solanco fairgrounds. Photo by Michelle Ranck The Pennsylvania Junior Holstaln Assoolatton recently conducted its 2001 state con vention at the Radisscn Hotel. West Middlesex* Distinguished Junior member contest winners include, from left to right, Christopher Vanco, Sarah pay, Scott Walton, Megan Sehanta, Jaaen Troutman, and Melissa Sehuier. See photo essay on page A2B. Four Sections Last year Moyer and his family milked 118 cows. Having begun with registered Holsteins, Moyer was intro duced to the Jersey breed by a neighbor and over time has added Jerseys to his crossbreed ing program. “We’re definitely into color. It’s not all black and white.” To make a lane for the cows, he topped an old diversion ter race with loose gravel. Moyer feeds his herd round bales with an unroller. . Cove Mountain Farm weath ered a tough lesson and was in troduced to its “number one challenge” with an endophyte fescue problem. Irrigating the pasture too late, said Moyer, al lowed the fescue to grow while leaving other plants dormant. The endophyte problem, esti mates Moyer, has affected pro duction, body condition, and even reproductive efficiency. The seasonal setup means that the Moyer family milks from.., apqrmiimatelv early Lancaster Farming, Saturday, FobrujCSfe+Z, 2001 March to early or middle ianu-j ary. c. Additional informatioiv'mis grass-based farming systems and Cove Mountain Farm is available at Grassfarmer.com. The Strite Family Pastoring a church and rais ing four homeschooled boys helped to put Harry Strite, Wil liamsport, Md., on a mission for a lower-stress, less time intensive way to farm. Besides the Ayrshkres, Suite’s crossbreeding program includes Holsteins, Normandes and Dutch Belt cattle. The “rainbow herd” also includes New Zea land genetics and even Guern sey and Jersey cattle, besides recently-purchased Linebacks. Once the calves afS% big enough to go out on a pasture, they are introduced to the “calf mobile.” Inspired by the “chicken mobile,” this setup, 50 feet square, is constructed of two-by (Tum to Pago A4O) Calvin Ernst plants about 2,000 acrss, which are divided among five townships and spread throughout a 15-mile radius. All of the plots are in Crawford County. Ernst spends his time cultivating what most farmers try to de stroy In their fields what most of us label as common weeds. With more than 2,000 acres in production, Ernst Conservation Seeds markets the seeds and cuttings of about 200 different native perennials, which he sells to anyone who wants to return land to its natural state. Photo by Santfy Bradley They’re Not Weeds, But ‘Conservation Seeds’ SANDY BRADLEY Crawford Co. Correspondent j MEADVILLE (Crawford Co.) —Although Calvin Ernst is a farmer, he doesn’t raise live stock or animal feed. Althougl) his clients are people, he doesn’t raise produce for human con sumption. 5 And, while Ernst can be called progressive, his success isn’t based on new technology. To many people’s surprise, Ernst spends his time cultivat ing what most farmers try to de stroy in their fields what most of us label as common weeds. With more than 2,000 acres in production, Ernst Conservation Seeds markets the seeds and cuttings of about 200 different native perennials, which he sells to anyone who wants to return land to its natural state. “We’re a telephone-based in dustry,’’ he said of his mail order business. “We have five lines and three girls answering phones. We try to service from Indiana to North Carolina and up into the Maritime provinces. That’s where our. seeds are adapted to. Kentucky and Ten nessee are pretty good all the way up to Maine and[ Canada. $32.00 Par Year We sell to seed companies or in dividuals. We have a network of distributors and direct sales. “This product never goes to the retail sales,” he said. “We sell more to the restoration range of people like the contrac tors that want to restore really bad strip mines and wetlands and sfltff like that. Nothing that a Wal-Mart would sell. (As far as) the Wal-Mart stuff people want to see something bloom right away. Ours is perennial and takes several years to estab lish. Our stuff is a native ecotype and will be there for 50 years if established and maintained right. “But we do sell to a lot of golf cpurses that want out-of-play areas like with the native grasses, asters, goldenrods, and things like that. If they want to have butterfly or bluebird habi tats and want to quit mowing that’s the kind of thing that we do well.” Ernst earned an agronomy degree in 1963 from Penn State, and he planted his first commer cial crop in 1962, a five-acre plot on his parents’ farm consisting mostly of crowned vetch. 60<t Per Copy (Turn to Pago A 36)
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