A36-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 28, 2002
Eastern Regional Hereford Classic Show At KILE
Joe Detweiller, Salesville, Ohio, exhibited the champi
on Hereford heifer in the open breeding show.
Cara Stockdale, Dayton, exhibited the grand champion
bull in the open breeding cattle show.
Pa. Grange Objects To
New Over-Order Premium
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The lowering of the over
order milk premium in the new
year will create further hardship
for Pennsylvania dairy farmers,
according to a statement released
by the Pennsylvania State
Grange.
Arthur Zug, a dairy farmer
from Juniata County represent
ing the Grange, had testified
Nov. 6 before the Pennsylvania
Milk Marketing Board (PMMB)
recommending that the $1.65 per
hundredweight over-order premi
um be extended for at least a six
month period.
The over-order premium is the
amount paid to Pennsylvania
dairy farmers above the federally
mandated price for Class I (fluid)
milk produced, processed, and
sold in Pennsylvania.
On Dec. 4, the PMMB issued a
general order which reduces the
present $1.65 per hundredweight
over-order premium to $1.50 for
January. $1.40 for February,
$1.30 for March and $1.25 for
April through June 30.
The PMMB stated that the de
cision to incrementally reduce the
premium was made in order to
prevent Pennsylvania milk pro
Cornell Offers Sheep-Shearing Schools
HARFORD, N.Y. Two
sheep-shearing schools will be
conducted in 2003 at the Cornell
Sheep Farm on Slaterville Road
off Rt. 38 near Harford, N.Y.
A beginners’ shearing school is
scheduled for Jan. 25 from 9 a.m.
to 3 p.m. This course will be
taught by Jim Baldwin, an expe
rienced shearer from Ithaca.
Registration is limited. To reg
ister, contact Brian Magee at
(607) 844-8367 or by email at
bhms@cornell.edu. The fee is $25
(cash or check to Jim Baldwin on
the day of the school.)
A professional shearing school
is set for March 8-9 from 8 a.m.
cessors from looking to other
states for cheaper milk.
In recommending the $1.65
over-order premium extension,
Zug had told the board: “Econo
mists continue to tell us the mar
ket for milk remains tight in
Pennsylvania. In fact, according
to the Pennsylvania Agricultural
Statistics Service, milk produc
tion was down 0.8 percent from
last year’s September produc
tion.”
Zug said that the total number
of milk cows in the state has de
creased by 9,000 head from Sep
tember 2001. Dairy farmers are
in financial trouble, he said. Not
only are they contending with
low milk prices, but the recent
drought conditions have taken a
toll on the dairy industry causing
up to 50 percent yield loss in the
past two years.
Dairymen would like a fair
price for their product, instead of
programs to support price levels.
“Art and dairy farmers alike
must be given the opportunity to
receive a fair price for their prod
uct,” said Brenda Shambaugh,
legislative director for the Penn
sylvania State Grange.
to 5 p.m. Registration is limited
and the fee is $lOO. This course
will be taught by Doug Rathke,
an award-winning professional
shearer from Hutchinson, Minn.
The information taught in the
course will include the shearing
pattern, blade sharpening tech
niques, physical fitness, hand
piece maintenance and more.
To register, contact Doug at
Liberty Land & Livestock, 61231
Minnesota Highway 7, Hutchin
son, MN 55350, by phone at (320)
587-6094 or by e-mail at lamb
shop@hutchtel.net.
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The Hereford breed took
center stage at the 46th annual
Keystone International Livestock
Exposition (KILE) with their
Eastern Regional Hereford Class
ic Show, exhibiting some of the
best of the Hereford breed.
Rising to the top of the show
was Four-L Hereford Farm hail
ing from Murfreesboro, Tenn.
with the winning of the premier
breeder and exhibitor banners.
In the bull classes, the winner
of the grand champion rosette
was CS Book ’em 37 L owned by
Stockdale Farms in Dayton.
Joe Detweiler’s junior yearling
bull, SSF JJD Shrek 669, was se
lected as the reserve grand cham
pion. The reserve grand champi
on winner is from Salesville,
Ohio.
Continuing his show success,
Joe Detweiler won the grand
champion female rosette with
JJD Cashmere 662 111. Tiffanie
Tioga County Farmers Left Behind
MESHOPPEN (Wyoming Co.)
According to reliable reports
from Washington, D.C., the
USDA in all probability will not
honor Tioga County farmers’ sin
cere request to be eligible to re
ceive payments under the Live
stock Feed Assistance Program.
Arden Tewksbury, manager of
Progressive Agriculture Organi
zation (Pro-Ag), said, “With the
severe adverse economic condi
tions facing most farmers, it’s un
believable the USDA will not re
lease payments to the Tioga
County farmers.”
All the counties surrounding
Tioga were declared eligible for
the feeding programs earlier in
the fall of 2002.
Dairy Feeders School Planned At Mason Dixon Farms
GETTYSBURG (Adams Co.)
Mason Dixon Farms will host
a Dairy Feeders School on Tues
day, Jan. 7. The Penn State Co
operative Extension Capital Re
gion Dairy Team is conducting
this program to enhance the feed
ing management skills of dairy
farm owners, managers, and their
employees. Most of the day’s pro
gram will be hands-on training
activities!
The morning session begins
with registration at 9:30 a.m. The
program will begin at 10 a.m.
During the morning session, Dr.
Jud Heinrichs, Penn State dairy
and animal science. Dr. Allen
Mills, Capital Region dairy herd
health agent and Vinton Smith,
Capital Region dairy program
coordinator, will discuss using
dry matter, visual appraisal, and
pH to evaluate silage samples.
AgrAbility to Exhibit At Farm Expos
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) AgrAbility for Pennsylva
nians, the USDA funded project
that provides assistance to farm
ers and farm family members
who are coping with a disability
or long-term illness, will be host
ing an exhibit at upcoming state
agricultural expositions.
Jan. 7-9 producers can find
Agr Ability at the Keystone Farm
Show in York. At the Keystone,
AgrAbility will be sharing space
with Penn State Cooperative Ex
tension, at booths 219 and 220.
Jan. 11-18, AgrAbility staff
will be found at the Pennsylvania
Farm Show in Harrisburg, where
they will be located with the Penn
State Cooperative Extension Ag
Safety and Health exhibit.
Brad Seiss, Thurmont, Md., showed the junior champi
on heifer in the junior breeding cattle show.
Bishop from Shoreham, Vt. rose
to the top of the female classes as
the winner of the reserve grand
However, according to Tewk
sbury, Tioga County farmers
were left “holding the bag” when
the reports submitted by the
Tioga County Farm Service
Agency (ESA) officials to the
Harrisburg office failed to qualify
the Tioga County farmers for
drought assistance.
For a county to be eligible for
the drought assistance, local offi
cials had to declare at least one
major crop to have at least a 30
percent loss before Sept. 19,2002.
Tewksbury claims that Pro-Ag
received calls during July from
farmers in Tioga County con
cerning dry conditions in that
area.
Hands-on activities will include
procedures to test dry matter and
what to look for when visually
appraising a forage sample. Cal
culations to adjust rations using
these measurements will be re
viewed.
The afternoon program will
look at particle size and the ef
fects of mixing time on particle
size of finished TMRs. Partici
pants will then tour the bunkers
and feeding system at Mason
Dixon Farms. Doyle Waybright
will discuss the farm’s manage
ment system and answer ques
tions about the farm operation.
An optional tour of Mason Dixon
Farms will be conducted at the
conclusion of the session.
Directions to Mason Dixon
Farms are as follows: Take Rt. 15
south from Gettysburg to the last
exit before the Maryland line.
AgrAbility for Pennsylvania
supports farmers and their fami
lies through the combined re
sources of Penn State Coopera
tive Extension and Easter Seals
of Central Pennsylvania. The
project can assist those who are
struggling with arthritis, back in
jury, amputation, chronic pain,
head injuries, hearing impair
ment, heart conditions, stroke,
respiratory diseases, visual im
pairment, and many other health
conditions.
Project staff helps by providing
on-site assessments of farm oper
ations and identifying the limita
tions of the prospective client.
Staff then recommend farm
equipment adaptations, home
champion female with her win
ning animal, SMB FI Limoge 2J
17L.
The Drought Assistance Pro
gram was announced by the U.S.
secretary of agriculture on Sept.
19, 2002. However, according to
Tewksburg, “there was no grace
period given to any state to up
date their reports to the USDA.”
Sixteen U.S. Senators sub
mitted a letter to U.S. Secretary
of Agriculture Ann Veneman,
urging her to reopen the drought
program. In addition, U.S. Sena
tors Arlen Specter and Rick San
torum submitted a letter to the
secretary. Other key local and
state officials also contacted the
secretary.
Pro-Ag can be reached at (570)
833-5776.
Exit at Steinwehr Avenue and
cross the bridge heading east on
Steinwehr Avenue. Take an im
mediate left onto Bullfrog Road.
Follow Bullfrog Road VA miles to
Mason Dixon Road. Take a left
on Mason Dixon Road and go a
few hundred yards to the visitor’s
center located on the right side of
Mason Dixon Road.
Cost for the training including
program materials and lunch is
$25
articipant. The session is
limited to the first 25 people who
apply. To register for the train
ing, please call the York County
Cooperative Extension at (717)
840-7408. You may also fax your
registration to (717) 755-5968 or
e-mail Vinton Smith at
(vsmith@psu.edu). Please register
by Jan. 3 so adequate materials
may be prepared for the sessions.
modifications, and adaptive
equipment. The project refers
families to local service pros iders
and funding sources; and can
also provide peer and caregiver
support from other farm family
members with disabilities.
Those interested in learning
more about the AgrAbility pro
gram are invited to visit the dis
play at either exhibition. To con
tact AgrAbility for
Pennsylvanians, call toll-free
within Pennsylvania at (866)
238-4434, or (814) 863-7490. The
AgrAbility website may be found
at: HYPERLINK “http://
AgExtEd.cas.psu.edu/agrab/”
http://AgExtEd.cas.psu.edu/
agrab l.