A2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 20,2001
Environmental Stewardship
(Continued from Page A 1)
cil (NPPC) and National Hog
Farmer magazine, which annu
ally co-sponsor a contest.
In an effort to reward “a
strong environmental conserva
tion ethic,” the contest high
lights producers from four
regions of the U.S. as outstand
ing environmental stewards.
A national selection commit
tee evaluated the applicants in
seven areas that include general
production information, manure
management, financial manage
ment, farm aesthetics and neigh
bor relations, wildlife habitat,
innovative ideas, and an essay
on the meaning of environmen
tal stewardship.
Other winners included
Maple Grove Pork Co., North
English, Iowa; 3-L Farms,
Optima, Okla.; and Arends Sow-
Farm, Webster City, lowa.
Farm Growth
“Steve is a progressor,” said
Darleen. “He always had a
vision of what he wanted to suc
ceed to in a couple of years to
improve and grow his hog busi
ness that’s why I named it
‘Greater Vision Farms’,” she
said.
After a lifetime of farming
with his father in the swine in
dustry, in 1985 Stephen bought
his father’s 100 sows and began
incrementally increasing hog
numbers.
In 1993 he purchased his fam
ily’s home farm and added two
barns, including a Five-room,
1,500-head finishing barn ex
panded to include 450 PIC sows.
The Burkholders sell half of
the hogs as feeders and keep half
to finish out. In the future, hopes
Stephen, they will expand to
feed out all of their own hogs.
They market 8,800 hogs an
nually, which means that Ste
phen takes an almost-weekly
trip to market.
The couple lives on a 70-acre
property five miles away from
the home farm that houses the
hogs. They rent and own 600
acres, with 450 of that acreage in
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corn
Darleen, who grew up on a
dairy farm in Annville, is a full
time nurse and takes care of the
operation’s bookwork.
Neighbors and development
proximity have brought environ
mental issues to the front burner
for the Burkholders.
A large factory, located in
view of the fahn, employs more
than 3,000 people, plus the
highly-trafficked road running
below the farm is a main stretch
into nearby towns, said Darleen.
Consequently, odor control is
a priority issue. By devoting
themselves to learning about the
industry and environment and
becoming involved in odor con
trol studies, the couple has been
able to form good working rela
tionships with the nearby busi
ness and community and keep
up with the latest odor control
technology.
In the mid 1980 s Stephen
served on the NPPC, which pro
vided not only valuable experi
ence but also gave him a glimpse
into what he would need to do as
a pork producer.
“I saw that in the future, lean
ness is what producers would be
paid on, and that environmental
issues would play a big role in
agriculture. We talked about
this stuff 15-20 years ago, and
now it’s here,” he said.
“Agriculture is changing so
much. What you do today you
may not be doing next year.”
To stay on the cutting edge of
the industry, Stephen was a
member of, and later president
of, the Eastern Pennsylvania
Pork Producer’s Association. “I
saw a need to attend meetings to
learn,” he said. He is vice presi
dent of the state pork council
and past president of the state
pork council.
Greater Vision Farms was a
pilot farm in 1998 for an on
farm odor and environmental
assessment program sponsored
by the Environmental Protec
tion Agency (EPA) and the pork
checkoff program. They have
earned the Audit Program Seal.
which signifies that their farm is
in compliance with EPA regula-
tions.
In addition the Burkholders
participated in a Penn State
University study addressing
odor control. Also, in September
1997, Stephen became involved
in the national pork board’s en
vironmental assurance program.
Odor Control Techniques
Ninety percent of the farm’s
manure is injected, according to
Stephen. In 1997, the Burkhold
ers purchased a liquid manure
spreader complete with injectors
on the back. The injection
method saves SS,OOO-$6,000 a
year on fertilizer, according to
Burkholder.
Spring, before planting, and
fall, after harvest, arc the desig
nated times to empty the two ef
fluent tanks and spread manure
at Greater Vision Farms. A crop
consultant helps to draw up the
nutrient management plan to
ensure that the nutrients are
most efficiently used, a job made
Pa. Weekly
13 Livestock Auctions
Friday, October 12
Report Supplied By PDA
CATTLE 4001... Compared with 4168
head last week and 4271 head a year
ago. Compared with last Friday’s sum
mary,.si. steers reversed their downward
trend and closed 1.00 to 2.00 higher,
heifers closed 1.00 to 3.00 higher, cows
gained 1.00 to 2.00, bulls mostly 1.50
higher.
STEERS: High Choice and Prime 2-4
67.60-70.75, Choice 2-3 65.00-69.00,
Select and Low Choice 2-3 63.00-67.00,
Select 1-3 58.75-65.00, Standard 1-2
50.00-59.00.
HOLSTEIN STEERS: Choice 1-3
57 00-61.35, Select 1-2 51.50-56.00, Stan
dard 1-248.00-5000.
HEIFERS Choice few Prime 2-4
64.00-68.50, Select 1-3 60.00-64.00, few
to 57 00, Standard 1-2 50.00-58.00.
COWS: Breakers 75-80% lean 40.00-
44 50, Boners 80-85% lean
Lean 85-90% lean 33.00-38.00. Shells
33.00 and down.
BULLOCKS: Choice 2-3 60.25-61.00,
Select 1-3 49,75-51.75.
BULLS: Yield Grade 1 1000-2500 lbs
51.50-59.75, Yield Grade 2 900-2400 lbs
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Stephen is joined by herdsman Floyd Huber, left, and
employee Gary Hagenbuch.
more difficult because of the va
riety of the farm’s manure.
The manure from the often-
43.50-51.00.
FEEDER CATTLE: STEERS:
Medium and Large 1 300-500 lbs 82.00-
96.00, 500-700 lbs 76.00-85.00, Medium
and Large 2 300-500 lbs 72.00-85.00,
500-700 lbs 52.00-76.00; HEIFERS:
Medium and Large 1 300-500 lbs 75.00-
94.00, SOO-700 lbs 69.00-82.00, Medium
and Large 2 300-500 lbs 70.00-80.00,
500-700 lbs 63.00-76.00; BULLS:
Medium and Large 1 300-500 lbs 82.00-
95.00, 500-700 lbs 60.00-68.00, Medium
and Large 2 300-500 lbs 60.00-80.00.
CALVES 2113... Compared with 2407
head last week and 2453 head a year
ago Vealers steady to weak. VEALERS:
Choice 150-325 lbs 87.50-90.00, Good
140-275 lbs 79.00-84.00, Standard and
Good 75-120 lbs 30,00-50.00, Utility 50-
100 lbs 10.00-37 00. FARM CALVES:
Holstein bull calves steady to 15.00 spots
20.00 higher, Holstein heifers 20.00 to
50.00 higher..No 1 Holstein bulls 80-120
lbs 90.00-137.00, late sales to 142.00, No
2^Bo- 120 lbs 70.00-102.50; No 1 Holstein
heifers 80-120 lbs *20.00-695.00, No 2
70-120 lbs 220.00-450.00.
Beef type bulls and heifers 75-140 lbs
90.00-265.00.
HOGS 900 ..Compared with 1215
head last week and 1105 head a year
ago. Barrows and gilts steady to .50
Our 20,000 Sq. Ft. Facility Enables Us To Serve You Better
washed nursery, for example, is
“npt as potent as the manure
(Turn to Page A 22)
lower, spots 1.00 lower, sows steady to
1.50 higher.
BARROWS AND GILTS: 49-54%
lean 220-265 lbs 41.00-44.50, 45-50%
lean 220-275 lbs 40.00-41.00, 40-45%
lean 245-300 lbs 35.00-40.00.
SOWS: 1-3 300-500 lbs 32.00-34.00,
500-700 lbs 34 00-37.00.
BOARS: 21.25-29.50.
FEEDER PIGS 139... Compared with
168 head last week and 40 head a year
ago. 1-3 20-40 lbs 10.00-24.00, 40-65 lbs
39.00-52.50. per cwt.
SHEEP 848... Compared with 1270
head last week and 542 head a year ago
Slaughter lambs 5.00 to 10.00 higher
SLAUGHTER LAMBS: Choice 40-60
lbs 90.00-110.00, 60-80 lbs 70.00-90.00,
80-110 lbs 45.00-75.00.
SLAUGHTER SHEEP: 20.00-40.00.
ONE GRADED FEEDER PIG SALfe
443.. with 1097 last week and
653 head a year ago. Feeder pigs 5.00 to
10.00 lower spots 40.00 lower with light!
demand for slaughter pigs. FEEDER
PIGS; 1-2 25-40 lbs 70.00-75.00, 40-50
lbs 52.00-72.00; US 2 20-40 lbs 55.00-
57.00. 40-55 lbs 50.00-67.00; Slaughter
20-40 lbs 60.00-90.00, 50-80 lbs 46.00-
68.00. per cwt.
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