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BIRIALS RECORDS ,
~ PATTE LIBRARY 11—,
7 y PI NN STATE UNIVERSITY I I | ~
V 01.47 No. 23
A young farmer directs a six-horse team near the corner of Farmersville Road and
Gtoffdale Church Road near Leola Tuesday afternoon. Temperatures were in the 60s,
suitable for working the ground and getting it warm for planting. According to the Penn
sylvania Agricultural Statistics Service, for the week ending March 31, there were 2.1
days suitable for fieldwork. Soil moisture was rated 6 percent very short, 22 percent
short-, 49 percent adequate, and 23 percent surplus. Farm activities included spring
plowing, planting oats, fixing fences, etc. Some areas around the commonwealth re
ceived generous amounts of rain but not enough to cover the drought conditions from
last year. Spring plowing was 26 percent complete, 19 percent ahead of the previous
year and 18 percent ahead of the 5-year average. Ten percent of the oat acreage has
been planted, 6 percent more than the 5-year average. Corn and soybean planting have
not started at this time. Wheat, barley, and rye were starting to green up.
Photo by Andy Andrews, edito~
Lancaster Farming’s annual booklet, A Reference
Guide To Animal Health and Housing, is included this
issue. The booklet includes articles 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.
www.lancasterfarming.com
Four Sections
New Bolton Center Dedicates Aquaculture Lab
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Farming Staff
KENNETT SQUARE (Ches
ter Co.) Approximately 100
legislators, faculty, staff, and
board of overseers of New
Bolton Center, along with aqua
culture industry representatives
gathered to dedicate the Fair
child Aquaculture Laboratory at
New Bolton Center, Kennett
Square, Wednesday afternoon.
Christine Connelly, chair,
board of overseers, said that the
building dedication was exciting
because “it brings together ev
erybody who was instrumental
in the project.”
Connelly thanked the leader-
Let’s ‘Spring Ahead’
With the arrival of spring
conies Daylight Saving Time,
providing additional hours of
daylight for farmers.
It’s time to “spring ahead”
to Daylight Saving Time, which
begins tomorrow. We “spring
ahead” one hour at 2 a.m.
Sunday, April 7.
So turn your clocks ahead
one hour before going to bed
tonight. Remember, animal
feeding and milking schedules
need to be adjusted accbrd
ingly.
Saturday, April 6, 2002
Farm Bureau To
Meet With Legislators
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) An estimated 400 farm
ers from across the state will
travel to Harrisburg Monday,
April 8, to meet with lawmakers
on issues important to Pennsyl
vania agriculture.
The farmers are members of
the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
(PFB) participating in the or
ganization’s annual Harrisburg
Legislative Conference. PFB is a
voluntary organization repre
senting more than 28,000 farm
and rural families in 54 local
units.
NFU President To
Visit Jefferson County
DWE LEFEVEK
Lancaster Farming Stuff
BROOKVILLE (Jefferson
Co.) Leland Swenson, to;mer
president of the National Farm
ers Union (NFU), will speak at a
banquet hosted by a local branch
ot the union here April 9.
Swcnson served 14 years as
NFL president, recently turning
the post over to Dave Fredenck
son ot Minnesota.
Rita Shaffer of the Jefferson/
Clearfield/Clarion chapter of
the Pennsylvania Farmers
Union said that Swenson will
likely talk about the importance
of emerging farm policy to area
farmers.
ship and “enthusiastic” donor
Robert Fairchild, who is an avid
fisherman. “I hope God blesses
you, that you catch the big one
this season,” she said.
According to Alan Kelly, dean
of the school of veterinary medi
cine, the lab is also the result of
the work of Leon Weiss, profes
Holstein Spring Show A Success
Winning lineup at the 49th Pennsylvania Holstein Asso
ciation Spring Show, from left, LeAnn Witmer, Cumberland
County dairy princess; Sara Jennings, Pennsylvania alter
nate dairy princess; Dusty Schirm, for H. Edwin Thomp
son, reserve grand champion; Scott Walton, grand
champion; Michael Stiles, judge; and Becky Mowrer,
Pennsylvania dairy princess. See story page A 29.
Photo by Dave Lefever
$34.00 Per Year
In addition to meeting with
legislators, the farmers will be
attending an Agriculture Unity
Rally co-sponsored by the Penn
sylvania State Grange and
PennAg Industries Association
in the Capitol Rotunda at 3 p.m.
The conference concludes with a
banquet at 6:30 p.m. to which
legislators are invited at the
Harrisburg Hilton and Towers.
Guy Donaldson, PFB president,
will speak at the banquet.
Issues the Farfh Bureau mem
bers will be discussing with their
(Turn to Page A 25)
The Farm Bill is being negoti
ated by a joint House and Senate
conference committee in Wash
ington, with a final version ex
pected sometime this month.
A main goal of the local
Farmer’s Union is to inform
both farmers and consumers
about agricultural issues, ac
cording to Shaffer.
“We’re trying to make people
aware of what’s going on in the
Farm Bill,” she said.
Shaffer and husband, Wayne,
milk about 60 Holsteins and Jer
seys near Brookville. Their two
grown children, Kelly and Jed,
(Turn to Page A 27)
sor and laboratory head ot the
new facility. Weiss helped to ad
vance “the belief that fish farm
ing is important and that fish
are veterinary animals,” he said.
Weiss has also played a critical
role in forming the school’s
internationally-recognized
(Turn to Page A 26)
75c Per Copy