i2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 30,2002
Al
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Capitol Region Dairy Team
PRODUCING HIGH
QUALITY MILK
Galen Kopp
Lebanon County
Extension Agent
Dairy/Livestock
Good quality raw milk is es
sential for the production of
dairy products acceptable to the
consumer. The key to their ac
ceptance is the delivery of consis
tent high-quality products having
good favor, odor, and texture at
the time of consumption.
What are some of the general
reasons for high counts?
Most high raw milk counts in
volve improper cleaning and san
itizing of dairy equipment, poor
production practices, inadequate
cooling, or mastitis problems.
All milk handling equipment
must be properly cleaned after
use and sanitized before reuse. A
cleaning program based on water
conditions should be set up and
followed. You should seek advice
from your dairy sanitarian or
technical representative of the
cleaning and sanitizing materials
supplier.
Cooling should be adequate to
decrease temperature at the first
milking to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
(F) within one hour of milking.
Blend temperatures should re
main below 4S degrees F on sub
sequent milkings. Milk must be
held between 36 degrees F to 40
degrees F at all times in the bulk
tank to maintain the highest
quality.
Recording thermometers are a
useful tool to monitor milk cool
ing and cleaning practices. They
are also a valuable tool as a
warning system. The recording
thermometer can be wired to in
dicate improper cooling or to
trigger a warning device that the
tank is not functioning properly.
If the loss of one or more tanks of
milk can be avoided, the cost of
the system is recovered. Portable
thermometers should be available
1 Virginia Farm Business 1
Transition Meeting Scheduled
WYTHEVILLE, Va. The
Virginia Department of Agricul
ture and Consumer Services’
(VDACS) Agricultural Vitality
Program will conduct its next re
gional farm business transition
meeting on April 9 at the Rama
da Inn in Wytheville, Virginia.
The meeting will be 5:30-9:00
p.m. Dinner is included.
The purpose of the session is to
discuss basic issues related to
farm business transition: estate
planning, farm business plan
ning, financing and capitaliza
tion, mediation and negotiation,
and farmland preservation.
The department has sponsored
general seminars and conferences
on a statewide basis and is now
moving to a regional format to
allow for greater participation
among Virginia farmers in specif
ic areas of the state.
Galen Kopp
for you to check the accuracy of
the bulk tank thermometer from
time to time.
When trying to determine the
cause of high bacteria counts, one
should look at all phrases of his
or her dairy operation. Do not as
sume that the same practices are
followed by everyone on your
farm. Be thorough and check all
possibilities even after you think
you found the causes for a high
bacteria count.
In summary, consider all areas
of animal preparation, milk prac
tices, and cleaning and sanitizing
of equipment. For persistent
problems, have your dairy in
spector or equipment representa
tive do a milking time inspection
to observe your procedures and
practices.
Remember, your dairy inspec
tor or equipment representative
doesn’t like troubleshooting high
counts anymore than you like re
ceiving them on your milk com
pany bacteria card. All milk com
panies would much rather pay
you a premium for producing
high-quality milk then trouble
shooting high counts. Once milk
is contaminated with bacteria or
drugs, it can never be made pure
and wholesome again.
In addition to VDACS’ staff,
program participants will include
Jesse Richardson, Assistant Pro
fessor in Urban Affairs and Plan
ning at Virginia Polytechnic In
stitute and State University.
Mr. Richardson is an attorney
who has both private and public
sector estate planning experience.
The program will also feature a
discussion on transition issues by
several farmers experienced in
the farm business transition pro
cess.
Space will be limited so farm
ers planning to attend are asked
to call 804/225-2996 or email
mseay@vdacs.state.va.us by
Tuesday, April 2, to register.
Sponsors will collect a $l5 per
person registration fee at the
event to cover the cost of speak
ers, materials, and dinner.
Interested In Improving Profits
From Your Dairy Farm?
SUNBURY (Northumberland
Co.) There are many dairies
throughout the U.S. Numbers are
declining at a fairly rapid rate.
The good news is that “pro
gressive” producers, regardless of
size, will survive.
If you want to be a survivor in
the dairy industry, your farm
must generate “sufficient” profit.
In some cases dairy producers ex
pand their farms. There are,
however, many other strategies to
generate “sufficient” profit with
out expanding your dairy.
Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion in the Susquehanna Valley,
along with Monsanto Dairy Busi
ness and Select-Sire Power will
be conducting a “thought-pro
voking” meeting titled, “Ten
Ways to Improve Profit Without
NRCS Accepts Applications For
Excellence In Conservation Award
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS)
has announced the first annual
Excellence in Conservation
Award to honor nongovernmen
tal individuals, groups, tribes, or
organizations for their contribu
tions to natural resource conser
vation on private land.
The nomination must include
the cover page of the NRCS Ex
cellence in Conservation Award
nomination form. All nomi
nations must be submitted with
six copifcs on S'/s-inch by I'l-inch
paper. Nominations must have
the appropriate signature ap
Susquehanna County Dairy Day A Success
ELK LAKE (Susquehanna
Co.) Record crowds came to
the Elk Lake School recently for
the 13th annual Dairy Day. More
than 1,000 spectators enjoyed
demonstrations, exhibits, and a
roast beef/baked fish dinner.
“Dairy Day is an opportunity
for farm families to visit commer
cial and agricultural exhibits as
well as attend educational pro
grams,” said Andrea Gamer,
event organizer and dairy and
livestock agent. “It’s also a
chance for the farming commu
nity to visit with friends and
enjoy the wide variety of fun and
interesting events at Dairy Day,”
she added.
Upon entering the school, par
ticipants got a chance to take a
walk through history, with an an
tique farming exhibit sponsored
by the Endless Mountains An
tique Tractor Club.
Couples Attend
Minn . Conference
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.
Two Pennsylvania dairy couples
recently attended a conference
here hosted by Land O’ Lakes,
Inc.
Arlan and Louise Kurtz, Mor
gantown, and Dale and Jill Zim
merman, Reinholds, were select
ed to attend the four-day event
for dairy producers between the
ages of 20 and 40. The invitation
was based on their dairy opera
tion and interest in community
and cooperative involvement.
“These young producers repre
sent the future of agriculture.
The intent of the program is to
grow together, utilizing their ini
tiative, enthusiasm, and insight,”
said Jack Gherty, Land O’ Lakes
president and CEO.
Expanding.” Dr. Mark Armfelt,
DVM, technical service veterinar
ian for Monsanto Dairy Business,
will be the speaker.
This meeting will take place in
two locations on Monday, April
1. An early luncheon meeting will
be at 11 a.m. at the Country Cup
board Restaurant in Lewisburg
(11 a.m. registration, 11:45 a.m.
buffet lunch, 12:45 p.m.-3 p.m.
presentation). An after-dinner
meeting with pie and ice cream
will be at 6 p.m. at the Montour
Delong Fair Building in Wash
ingtonville (6 p.m.-7 p.m. pie and
ice cream, 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. pre
sentation).
If interested in attending, call
the extension office to make your
reservation at (888) 922-5420 or
provals before submission to the
Human Resources Management
Division.
All awards should be sent to
the following address by Tues
day, April 2: USDA, Natural Re
sources Conservation Service,
14th & Independence Ave., S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20250, Room
6218-S, ATTN: S. Thompson.
For mortTrtfbrmation, contact
Sandra Thompson, Human Re
sources Specialist, HRMD Em
ployment & Classification Team,
Washington, DsG. K at (202)
720-2900 Or* e-mail
sandra.thompson2@usda.gov.
The gymnasium housed 77 ex
hibitor booths ranging from feed
companies and banks to custom
farming operations and genetics
companies. One of the most pop
ular parts of the gym was the
dairy promotion committee’s
dairy bar. Members of the dairy
princess court served 60 gallons
of homemade ice cream. The
Susquehanna County dairy prin
cess and her court also served
cheese and crackers.
The classrooms were packed
with educational programs and
exhibits. Penn State cooperative
extension speaker Dave Messer
smith, agronomy agent from
Wayne County, educated indi
viduals with a variety of topics
including pesticide security, weed
management, and soil biology.
New herbicide and pesticide
Hayes Visits Conrad Weiser
ROBESONIA (Berks Co.) State Secretary of Agricul
ture Sam Hayes Jr., center, presents a state certificate to
the Oley FFA at Conrad Weiser Area High School in Robe
sonia recently in conjunction with National Agriculture
Week.
(570>988-3750, or call Owen
Bewley at (570) 756-3418. There
is no charge for this meeting and
Monsanto Dairy Business will be
providing lunch or after dinner
pie and ice cream at the meeting.
Lehigh To Conduct
Farm Safety Camp
LYNNVILLE (Lehigh Co.)
Agriculture is one of the top three
most hazardous occupations in
the United States, along with
mining and construction.
One in five farm families will
have a serious accident this year.
Children are especially at risk. In
the United States each year, over
200 children die and 3000 are se
riously injured in accidents in
volving tractors, livestock and
grain storage facilities.
Lehigh County Farm Bureau’s
Women’s Committee and Lehigh
County Cooperative Extension
are co-sponsoring a Farm Safety
Day Camp for kids who live, play
or visit farms. Parents, grandpar
ents or guardians are invited to
participate, also.
Ray and Karen Moyer will
host the event at Junge Farm
near LynnviUe on Saturday,
April 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Demonstrations and exhibits
will focus on hazards and safe
practices relating to: farm, trac
tors achinery, electricity, fire,
lawn mowers, animal/s, grain
storages, and agricultural chemi
cals.
The Women’s Committee will
serve lunch for program partici
pants. Far additional information
contact the Lehigh County Ex
tension Office at (610) 391-9840.
points were available through
these sessions.
Mike O’Connor from PSU
gave a presentation on reproduc
tive management. Other speakers
were representatives of the Sus
quehanna County Cancer Coali
tion and the Department of Agri
culture.
A highlight for the children
was a farm safety display spon
sored by the Endless Mountains
Farm and Rural Safety Program.
Many kids got a chance to test
their knowledge about farm safe
ty by pointing out the hazards
and risks on the scaled model of
a common farm.
“It was enjoyable to see kids
having fun and learning about
farm safety at the same time,”
Gamer said.