REC ORDB Vol. 47 No. 14 World’s Smallest Breed Of Cattle Growing In America I Richard and Sue Powell, Bainbridge, have been raising and breeding Irish Dexter * cattle, the smallest purebred breed of cattle in the world, for six years. Photo by Michelle Kunjappu JConvention Honors Region’s Top Growers I MICHELLE KUNJAPPU A Lancaster Farming Staff HERSHEY (Lancaster Co.) About 300 industry repre sentatives and government offi cials from several Mid-Atlantic states attended the annual fruit and vegetable growers dinner Tuesday evening. After dinner, Sam Hayes, Jr., secretary of agriculture, re marked that “as important as the military is, so too is agricul ture. One of the great strategic strengths of America is agricul ture. To sustain and support our agriculture is one of the things for you and I to live independ ently and without dependence on other nations. “I hope that there will never be a day that we say that it’s no longer possible for us to feed ourselves as a nation. We cannot push agriculture from our shores. “We are bound together voca- (Turn to Page A 26) Keystone Pork Expo Feb. 5 At Expo Center LEBANON (Lebanon Co.) ! he 24th annual Keystone Pork Lxpo will take place Tuesday, .Feb. 5, here at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center. Along with educational semi nars, this year’s event will have one of it largest trade shows ever with 44 exhibitors. Coinciding with the expo, the Keystone Pork Bowl and Junior Speaking Contests will take place u. {' ' Lebanon extension "V www.lancasterfarming.com Henry and Therese Frecon, center, won the 2001 Out standing Grower Award at the annual banquet. They are joined by former Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Associ ation president Brooks Way, left, and Glenn Shaw, presi dent of the State Horticulture Association of Pennsylvania, right. Photo by Michelle Kunjappu office, adjacent to the main buildings. Ken Kephart, Penn State pro fessor of animal science, will preside over the program which will begin at 10:15 a.m. The featured speaker for this year’s expo will be Dr. Roy Schultz, a consulting veterinar ian from Avoca, lowa, who wdF address sow mortality and ileitis. Having been a swine practitioner for more than 40 Four Sections years, he will be providing prac tical as well as up-to-date tech nical knowledge pertaining to swine health. Robert Mikesell, Penn State senior extension associate, will provide Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) training for producers who need initial instruction or recertification. " Lou Moore, Penn State pro fessor of agricultural economics * i (Turn to Pago A 37) Saturday, February 2, 2002 MICHELLE KUNJAPPU Lancaster Farming Staff QUARRYVILLE, BAIN BRIDGE (Lancaster Co.) If your last name is O’Connell, Do novan, or O’Grady, perhaps your relatives owned a few head of the world’s smallest purebred breed of cattle. Originating in Ireland, Irish Producers Gather Decision- Making Tools At Conference Lancaster Farming Staff ALLENTOWN (Lehigh Co.) Grain producers at a market ing conference here Tuesday heard strategies to help them make the most out of corn and soybean selling. They also listened to a long range weather forecast calling for “normal” conditions this year. About 70 people attended the conference sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Grain Producers Assocation. Cattle Feeders Gather In Lancaster This Week MICHELLE KUNJAPPU Lancaster Farming Staff LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) More than 230 cattle producers gathered at the Farm and Home Center in Lancaster Tuesday for Cattle Feeder’s Day. The day included agricultural economy forecasts, a report on a survey of area cattle feeders, presentations about custom Getting a head start on pig farming are these cousins, Micah Martin, 5, left, son of Delvin and Bonita Martin, and Josiah Martin, 4, son of Daryl and Andrea Martin. Turn to page 810 to read more about these farm helpers. $34.00 Per Year DAVE LEFEVER 75c Per Copy Dexter Cattle have made the jump across the ocean to Amer ica and into the hearts of their owners. According to information from the American Dexter Cattle Association (ADCA), based in Prairie Home, Mo., early Dexter cattle were selected (Turn to Page A 25) While corn usage in the U.S. has been increasing, generally good growing conditions across the country have kept supplies up since the mid-19905, said lowa market analyst Scott Davis. “For the last six years, we’ve nailed trendline corn yields,” Davis said. Since 1998, a “captive” corn market has barely strayed out of the $1.85 to $2.35 per bushel trading range, $0.40 to $0.45 < heaper than it should be ac- (Turn to Page A 25) cattle feeding, and information from a Smithfield Beef Enter prises representative. More information about the packer’s plans is in an article on page A 39. Economy Lou Moore, Penn State exten sion ag economist, spoke about what may be on the horizon for (Turn to Page A 24)