El4-Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 22, 2003 Duane Pysher NRCS It is hard to think about grazing when you are trying to keep warm during this pe riod of cold weather. One’s mind tries to think warm but Mother Nature brings us to the reality of the cold grip that is upon us. However, the cold is giving us time to do some of those things indoors that we have put off. I was thinking about a topic for these ponderings and it dawned on me that in the September 2002 ponder ings, I briefly discussed Proj ect Grass but failed to give you the whole story about their expansion in Pennsylva nia. In the July 2001 Ponder ings I gave you the history of Project Grass. Now I am pleased to bring you the story about their growth from one chapter to five chapters that will soon cover all of Pennsyl vania. Project Grass started in Southwestern Pennsylvania in 1980. Yes, 23 years ago. It was a way of promoting the effective establishment and utilization of grasslands in that region. The concept of Project Grass is the creation of a grazing partnership of producers, industry represen tatives, and agency personnel. Cimarron ALFALFA jStt Top Forage Quality Cimarron SR produces larger leaves than other alfalfa varieties (See photo right.) And it holds its leaves better in the field and in the baling process. The result is a leafier hay with higher protein and TDN Break open a bale of Cimarron hay, and you can see the difference. High Yields - Long Stand Life Cimarron SR is producing excellent yields in the Penn State trials. And unlike other alfalfa varieties Cimarron SR was bred on the East Coast, so it stands up well under the difficulties of Eastern con ditions You can count on Cimarron SR for long stand life and top productivity Sclerotinia Resistance Sclerotinia crown rot is a significant problem for alfalfa growers on the East Coast Cimarron SR provides the protection against sclerotinia that growers need Weevil Tolerance Cimarron SR's unique alfalfa weevil tolerance reduces weevil damage by 50% In a heavy infestation spraying can be cut in half. In lighter infestations, spraying can be avoided altogether A local partnership was de veloped in each county in the project area and representa tives from each county serve on the Project Grass Coordi nating Committee. An execu tive committee is elected from the coordinating com mittee and serves as the board of directors. They op erate under a set of by-laws that governs the administra tive operation of Project Grass. Eighteen counties made up the original Project Grass. The Board was approached by several counties outside of the project boundary asking for inclusion into the project area. As a result of this inter est, the board decided to take their concept outside of their original area and offer other areas the opportunity to de velop regional chapters. Proj ect Grass adopted a goal to “Promote outreach and edu cation to graziers in Pennsyl vania by establishing new chapters of Project Grass.” This goal has resulted in the inception of four new chap ters. This new expansion takes Project Grass to the four corners of Pennsylvania. The original chapter is now called the Southwest Chap ter. The second chapter to be formed was the South Cen- For the dealer nearest you call: Wetsel, Inc. tral Chapter. The Northwest and the Northeast Chapters formed next. Currently a Southeast Chapter is forming. The first four chapters have a coordinator, a Natural Re sources Conservation Service (NRCS) grazing specialist, who performs administrative and technical tasks to accom plish the business and goals of the chapter. Each chapter has drafted and adopted a set of by-laws that provides the policies for the chapter to op erate under. Last issue, I discussed the Pennsylvania Grazing Team of NRCS and where they were located. The individuals that I listed as team members are serving as Project Grass Coordinators, except for the Southeast Chapter. In that case, NRCS is currently plan ning to hire a person to fill that slot. The growth of Project Grass from the original chap ter to statewide coverage has been a dynamic process. The cooperation and dedication of the coordinating commit tees has been outstanding. Producers and agency people that have the interest and de sire to see a Project Grass chapter have worked long and hard to put all the pieces in place to make it happen. In November of 2002, the first Statewide Meeting of Project Grass was held in State College. The attendees met to discuss ideas and de velop goals and objectives for PA Project Grass. One of the goals set was to develop a Quality Field Sprayers youth outreach program. As part of that program, it was proposed that a Grassland Evaluation Contest be estab lished for FFA and 4-H youth. A Grassland Evalua tion Contest committee quickly formed and, as a re sult, a contest has been or ganized. This contest is a terrific op portunity for FFA and 4-H students to learn more about grazing and grasslands, plus earn scholarship funds. Each FFA Chapter or 4-H club can enter a team of three to four students. The team will have to evaluate a typical grazing site on its merits for livestock grazing. The contest will be scored on four sections: 1) Grassland evaluation, 2) Soils, 3) Plant Identification, and 4) Wildlife benefits. The winning team will be pres ented with a $5OO scholarship for each member. The second place team will be awarded $250 scholarships for each team member. In addition, a $5OO scholarship wifi be pres ented to the highest scoring individual. The first place team will also be provided with the opportunity to go on to the Mid-America Contest to compete for a chance to win the National Contest. The first state contest will take place May 7 in the State College area. A preliminary training session for interested teams will be conducted March 12 in State College at Hoss’s Steak and Seahouse Restaurant from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You can contact me at the address or telephone • 200, 300, 500 and 750 Gallon Trailer Sprayers • 25, 55, 110, 200 and 300 Gallon 3PT Hitch Sprayers listed at the end of this article for more information or to register for the training ses sion. A study guide will be sent to teams upon receipt of their registration form. Project Grass has adopted this contest for youth as part of their outreach project. The contest has been put together by many federal and state agencies and organizations. One of those organizations is the Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Council. Funds are being solicited from many Pennsylvania groups and companies to be used to con duct the contest, as well as for scholarships to the winners. It is exciting to see all these new events taking place in Pennsylvania. Project Grass is now covering the state and offering technical assistance to producers to develop graz ing systems. They are also planning educational pro grams that will give graziers and interested producers a chance to learn more about grazing. The grassland evalu ation contest is also a way to offer educational experience for our youth. If you would like further information on any of these subjects or any grazing topic, please contact me by e-mail me at HYPERLINK mail to:duane.pysher@pa.usda.gov duane.pysher@pa.usda.gov , or write to me at NRCS, One Credit Union Place, Suite 340, Harrisburg, PA, 17110-2993 or telephone me at (717) 237-2221. Until next time, happy grazing. Availabl • 12, 20, 30’, 35’ & 40’ Manual Fold Booms • 30’, 45’ & 60’ Hydraulic Fold Booms • Tee Jet Automatic Rate Controllers • Manual or Electric Boom Controls •Tee Jet Valves & Nozzles • Tank Rinse System • Chemical Induction System • Power wash with Jug Rinse • 5 Gal or 15 Gal Foamer Markers • Hypro Roller, Centrifugal or Diaphragm Pumps ns
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers