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Berries And Brambles
Resource Night In Ohio
PIKETON, Ohio Berry pro
ducers can learn about potential
benefits and drawbacks of early
harvest thanks to research at the
Ohio State University Centers at
Piketon. This and other research
at the Center will be highlighted
on July 18 during the
Horticulture/Soil and Water Re
sources Night, at 1864 Shyville
Road, shortly off of U.S. Route
32.
Black raspberries typically are
not harvested until several years
after the brambles are planted,
said Shawn Wright, an Ohio
State University Extension horti
culture specialist. Researchers at
the Center harvested black rasp
berries early in hopes of benefit
ing local berry growers.
“Growers may be able to re
coop from some of their invest
ments quicker by not waiting
until the third year,” Wright
said. “It’s not done commonly,
but with increasing costs of pro
duction, anything will help.”
Brambles usually are planted
the first year, pruned the second
and allowed to produce berries
the third. Growers do not get a
full crop the second year because
the brambles are establishing
their crown and root systems,
Wright said. The “baby crop”
would aid in getting income to
the grower a year early.
“Some growers think that it’s
not worth the risk to the plant,
but if you need cash for your op
eration, this may be a way to do
so,” Wright said. The experimen
tal brambles will be monitored to
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see if the earlier berries affect the
traditional eight-year production
cycle.
Along with the bramble re
search, the field night will high
light topics ranging from black
berry variety trials to fertilization
application to produce for an eth
nic market. The event, which be
gins at 6 p.m., is free and open to
Planted Acreage
Reporting Deadline
POTTSVILLE (Schuylkill Co.)
July 15 is the final date to re
port planted acreage of 2002
crops at the Farm Service Agency
(FSA). Acreage reporting is re
quired to receive many of the
benefits offered growers under
the new Farm Bill.
The regulations open the loan
deficiency payment and market
ing assistance programs to all
producers of soybeans, com,
wheat, barley, and oats. These
two programs provide farmers
with a benefit when commodity
prices are low. All acreage of the
above-named crops is eligible for
benefit as long as your acreages
are reported to FSA by July 15.
FSA presently is preparing to
administer several other pro
grams under the new Farm Bill.
We expect to conduct a signup
late this summer for growers to
enroll in the new improved pro
duction flexibility program.
public.
The Horticuiture/Soil and
Water Resources Night is spon
sored by the Ohio Agricultural
Research and Development Cen
ter and Ohio State University Ex
tension. For more information,
contact Shawn Wright at
wright.7os@osu.edu or (740)
289-2071.
This program runs from 2002
through 2007 and all growers will
be eligible to enroll later this year.
Reported acreage of planted
crops will be the basis for partici
pation in this program as well.
Farmers can call or visit the
FSA office on the Gordon Nagle
Trail to retain their eligibility for
all the management tools offered
by USDA. Out-of-county produc
ers should contact their area FSA
office.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 13, 2002-A27
Pennfield Feeds Hosts
Open House
MONTROSE (Susquehanna
Co.) For the first time since it
was built, farmers across the
Northeast had the opportunity to
tour Pennfield Feed’s state-of
the-art feed mill located here, re
cently, at Pennfield Feed’s Open
House. According to Herb
Bonnice, Pennfield’s Northern
Regional Manager, sixty farms
were represented at the daylong
event adding up to 300 to 400
people.
The plant, which produces
steam flaked com, steam flaked
barley, pellets and forage replacer
to make all types of dairy feed, is
located at the site of the Kintner
Milling facility, which Pennfield
purchased in November of 1998.
The new facility has been in oper
ation since the fall of 2000.
“We built the new facility be
side the old plant,” said Bonnice.
“We still use the old facility for
storage of incoming ingredients
and for blending meal type
feeds.”
During the event, guided tours
of the mill were offered, and Pen
nfield nutritionist Dr. Tim Snyd
er, and Penn State Dairy Econo
mist Dr. Ken Bailey were on
hand to answer producers’ ques
tions.
“We were doing particle size
analysis for anyone who wanted
to bring a sample of their TMR
(Total Mixed Ration) to have it
analyzed,” said Bonnice. “We
also had samples available for
people to look at.”
Visitors could also mingle with
representatives from First Union
Date Change For
Ohio Muck Crops Field Day
WILLARD, Ohio Weather
has put many things on hold for
the early part of this summer, in
cluding the Ohio Agricultural Re
search and Development Cen
ter’s Muck Crops Field Day.
Originally scheduled for June 27,
Muck Crops Field Day is now
scheduled on July 25 from 10
a.m. to noon.
The field day will take place at
the OARDC’s Muck Crops
Branch, located two miles south
of Willard on State Route 103
South. Admission is free and the
event is open to the public.
“With the rescheduling of this
field day to July 25 it will allow
us to provide more meaningful
information for vegetable grow
ers, processors, and the agricul
tural seed and crop protection
chemical industries” said Ken
Scaife, assistant to the director,
field operations, at OARDC.
This year’s program holds a
Bank, Zinpro Corporation, Al
pharma Animal Health Division,
Arm&Hammer and American
Farm Products. Pennfield’s safe
ty coordinator, Mindy Cosner
also had a display about farm
safety.
Pennfield Feeds
The element of fun was not
forgotten at the event, as kids
were welcome to bounce in a
large inflatable jumper, play
games and eat lots of cotton
candy and popcorn.
Hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken
barbecue and all the milk you
could drink was provided for the
guests and the day was topped
off with Hillside Farm ice cream
served by the Susquehanna
County Dairy Court.
“We wanted to have a family
day,” said Bonnice. “Everything
came together really nicely. We
were real happy with it and ev
eryone there had a great time.”
great variety of topics to interest
ed attendees. Presentations will
be given on weed control, cover
crops, variety evaluation, and in
sect and disease control on many
different vegetables. The Muck
Crops Branch’s fields will be
open for viewing and presenters
will be available for questions.
Scaife said the event will be of
particular interest to commercial
vegetable farmers, crop advisers,
seed and crop protection chemi
cal representatives and home gar
deners.
“People will come away with
information on new varieties and
options for weed, insect and dis
ease control,” Scaife said.