A36-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 30,2002 TECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE Agriculture in central Pennsyl vania in the year 201 S will have a distinctive new dimension. Agriculture is undergoing changes in all sectors. Production agriculture will have two size classes of farms in the next 15 years. The first class will be the very large or integrated enter prises. The second important size class will consist of small and part-time farms. Large, independently owned farms and integrated agriculture serve the needs of increasing food exports abroad and commercial food distribution domestically. The major impact in the market ing scheme for large and inte grated farms is wholesale pricing determined by supply and de mand of commodities. Usually their profitability is based on lower cost of production relevant to the prices that are paid. Since marketing opportunities have been narrowed by company consolidations and integration, producing commodities at lower costs is important for large farm survival. A new marketing system is be ginning to emerge and gradually being applied by innovative farm ers. There are two systems that determine the marketing and production practices applied on the farm. The two marketing systems in agriculture are: • Commodity-based market ing • Product-based marketing Small and part-time farm en terprises are becoming increas ingly dependent on product based markets. Direct marketing will have a major role in profita bility. The identification of a niche market is important for small farms to remain profitable. Farms in this size category will need to develop direct marketing skills and produce value-added products to remain viable enter prises. Small and mid-sized enter prises can market services or products to a larger audience be yond the local area through tech nology applications such as e- Lancaster Farming’s annual booklet, A Reference Guide To Animal Health and Housing, is scheduled April 6. The booklet's scheduled lineup includes a focus on animal care Included are features on heat stress abatement in the summer months, hoof trimming guidelines, a look into a special-design milking parlor, heifer contracting, and a lambing story. Did you know farmers and ranchers make up less than 2 percent of the U.S. population, and each one feeds 129 people, 101 in the U.S. and 28 abroad? - Colorado State University Ag News commerce. This technology offers farmers tremendous marketing potential through extended mar ket regions. Many businesses out side of agriculture are discover ing the potential of internet sales. The Internet caused a para digm shift so severe that even Bill Gates missed its significance at first. The folks at Microsoft thought that the ’Net was just a plaything for academics, college kids, and military-industrial es tablishment spooks. Now they are betting the future of their company and their stock options on this worldwide communica tions phenomenon. There is nothing evolutionary about the Internet. It is not the natural outgrowth of the tele graph or telephone or even televi sion, although it shares some common characteristics. The In dustrial Age is dead, and it has been replaced by the Commu nications Age. It’s not the Computer Age, even though it is powered by computer technology. The Com munications Age as this era is identified, like the Industrial Age, entails a revolution in how the folks earn a living and ex change goods and services. It dis rupts and reshapes markets and the very lives of those fortunate to be part of it. When we talk about the new economy, we’re talking about a world in which people work with their brains instead of their hands. Communication technolo gy created global competition everything from running shoes to laptop computers but also bank loans and other services that can’t be packed into a crate and shipped. In business today, innovation is more important than mass production. People are investing in new concepts or the means to create them, rather than new machines. In business, rapid change is a constant a world at least as dif ferent from what came before it as the industrial age was from its agricultural predecessor. A world so different its emergence can only be described as a revolution. As all of agriculture struggles to remain profitable in an ever changing global economy, both large, small, and mid-sized farms will need to apply e-commerce and other technology to remain sustainable. As markets contin ually change, farmers will need to be familiar with implementing cutting-edge technology. E-com merce is an example of technolo gy being used as a valuable mar keting tool. Morrison’s Cove Announces LINDA WILLIAMS Bedford Co. Correspondent NEW ENTERPRISE (Bedford Co.) The Southern Cove Power Reunion Association will conduct its annual Spring Plow Days and Show April 6-7. The plowing will begin at 9 a.m. and run through 6 p.m. on Saturday and continue on Sunday afternoon. Located on the club’s 47-acre club show grounds, plowing equipment will include the horse drawn variety as well as antique tractors and machinery. Hit and Miss engines, a saw mill, and chain saw carving will also be a part of the day. Smells of Southern Cove cook ing are expected to fill the air and entice the appetites of spectators. There will be a drawing for a 1948 Ford BN. Both exhibitors and campers are welcome. For more informa- Drinking Water Clinic Offered In Lebanon County LEBANON (Lebanon Co.) Lebanon County residents who rely on a private well, spring or cistern may be drinking tap water that contains some form of contamination, according to a Penn State Cooperative Exten sion educator. “Between 60 and 70 percent of all private well water supplies in the state don’t meet all drinking water safety standards,” said Tom McCarty, water quality agent. “There are about one mil lion private water supplies in Pennsylvania, mostly springs and wells fed by groundwater, and about 20,000 new wells are drill ed in the state every year. Be cause private water systems are largely unregulated, water quali ty and quantity problems are all too common.” To address these problems, water specialists from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Blair County Honors Top Breeders, Herds KRISTIN RUSSELL Blair Co. Correspondent WILLIAMSBURG (Blair Co.) The Blair County Holstein Club conducted its annual meet* ing and banquet in conjunction with the DHIA awards presenta tions, March 18 at the Williams burg Elementary School. Presiding over the meeting was Holstein Club President Dennis Brumbaugh. Guests for the evening in cluded Blair County Dairy Prin cess Emily Kinch and Pennsyl vania Dairy Princess Rebecca Mowrer from Huntingdon Coun ty. The dairy princesses served a milk punch reception before the banquet. The Blair County Holstein club recognized Judy Black and John Burket for their efforts in organizing the 2002 Pennsylvania Holstein Convention that was hosted by Blair County in Altoo na earlier this month. Both were given a fruit basket. Club Presi dent Dennis Brumbaugh express ed the club’s sincere appreciation for all of their hard work that re sulted in one of the most success ful and memorable state conven tions. New directors were elected to serve a three-year term on the Blair County Holstein Club board of directors. Serving until 2005 are Wesley Metzker of Mar tinsburg, Wesley Smith of Mar tinsburg, Bradley England of Spring Plow Days Plowing under all circumstances throughout history will be demonstrated at the Spring Plow Days April 6-7 at New Enterprise. tion, contact Darin Helsel at (814) 766-3715, Mel Calhoun at (814) 224-5861, or Fred Mellott at (814)766-2703. Sciences and the Environmental Resources Research Institute will offer a satellite clinic, which will be presented at Lebanon County extension office from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. April 8. The aim is to provide rural residents with the information they need to cost-ef fectively maintain a safe and plentiful water supply. “Residents who receive water from a public water company or authority can be confident that their water meets drinking water safety standards,” McCarty said. “But if you own your own private supply, you have sole responsibil ity for managing the quality and quantity of your water.” Common problems in private water supplies include bacterial contamination, lead, radon, ni trate, iron, acidity and corrosivi ty. Residents attending the clinic can learn how to avoid, detect, and treat the contaminants they Williamsburg, and Judy Black of Tyrone. Judy Black presented the Hol stein Junior member awards for the milk, fat, and protein produc tion contest. Deanne and Donna Delp, daughters of Durreil and Donna Delp of Williamsburg, swept that competition with their two outstanding production cows. Delside Delaware Bingo won first place milk, fat, and protein award in her age division. She is owned by Deanne Delp. Delside Counselor Heidi also won first place in all three categories in her age division. She is owned by Drama Delp. Rebecca Shaw, daughter of Steven and Karyn Shaw of Wil liamsburg, was recognized for having die only Junior All-PA show winner from Blair County this year. Her project calf, Windy-Knoll-View Jennifer, was the reserve Junior All-PA spring calf for 2001. David Bigelow from Pennsyl vania DHIA/Dairy One pres ented the production awards to top herds in Blair County. He brought greetings from the man agement of his organization and Also recognized were the herds commended Blair County on its with the lowest somatic cell 10th place rank for milk in Penn- counts. Top herds in this catego sylvania. • ry were 1. Andrew and Jennifer! Bigelow recognized Frederick IldlzeL 2. {tarns Brothers. 3. Jo-J Farms of Martinsburg as the high "FarmsT W**9mith Hollow] herd in Blair County for 2001 Farms. 5. Thomas W. Kelly. I The Power Reunion grounds are located off Rt. 36 on Brum baugh Road. Turn onto Cave Road. are likely to find in their water. Water conservation and manag ing a private water supply in times of drought also will be dis cussed. “We’ll cover drinking water standards, proper well construc tion and location, land-use activi ties associated with individuals pollutants, water testing,, and water treatment,” McCarty said. McCarty recommends that pri vate well owners hire a certified laboratory to test their water for bacteria annually, and for other chemicals at least every three years. 1 The clinic is free, but please call the office if you are planning to attend so that we can have enough materials for all attend ees. For more information on the clinic or maintaining a private water supply, contact the Leba non County office of Penn State Cooperative Extension at (717) 270-4391. with ,a herd average of 28, 323 pounds of milk, 1,137 pounds of fat, and 877 pounds of protein per cow. Also recognized was the top Jersey herd in Blair County, the Jo-Be Farm, with 18,634 pounds of milk, 824 pounds of fat, and 623 pounds of protein per cow. In the mixed breed competi tion, Harold and Bernard Bai ley’s Roaring Spring herd ranked on top with 18,760 pounds of milk, 725 pounds of fat, and 586 pounds of protein per cow. The toj) Ayrshire herd for Blair Coun- Sr is owned by Andrew and Join er Heltzel of Martinsburg with 18,055 pounds of milk, 693 pounds of fat, and 543 pounds of protein, Pennsylvania DHIA presents a herd management award. This award is based on a point system. Points are awarded for increase in production from one year to the next, low somatic cell counts, and other good management practices. Ranking in the top for Blair County were 1. Frederick Farms. 2. Thomas W. Kelly. 3. Smith Hollow Farms. 4. Rodrick and Trudy Hinish. 5. Mill Hill Farms.
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