f Cornell Swine School Features Small-Scale Systems ITHACA, N.Y. As more and more consumers are looking for healthful products grown closer to home, Northeast farmers have some new opportunities to pro duce livestock profitably on a small scale. In response to growing interest from small farmers, the two-day 2003 Cornell Swine School will include one full day of education al programming specifically for small-scale producers and those thinking about getting started in small-scale pork production. This is the first time that organizers are offering a focus on small scale systems since 1983, when the Swine School first began. “There is a real need for this small farm initiative,” says Tro Bui, Extension Associate with Cornell’s Department of Animal Science. Bui regularly fields inquiries from people wanting to convert old dairy barns for production of swine, goats or sheep. “I get all kinds of basic questions, like ‘where can we buy breeding stock? Where is the market? What should I feed?’ ” With a focus on show horse success, Lancaster Farming’s Boarder & Trainer for March 15 includes ways to improve horse health using a new treadmill developed at the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va. Also scheduled for that issue: highlights of the Steeplechase in Leesburg, Va., the work of farriers, and lots more! Smile...weVe got yon covered! One-stop shopping for yout Farm Insurance Program • Horse Farms • Boarding • Care Custody & Control • Riding Instructions • Carriage & Buggy Rides 20 minutes n from Lancaster rhilip Fleetwood, PA D , Toll Free Insurance Services, Inc. 888«647*2276 pbakerls@juno.com www.philbakerinsurance.com Gmmgvntbyou! The first day of the Cornell Swine School on Thursday, March 20 is for producers of any size, while the next day is tar geted for smaller producers. Stu dents in the small farm session will leam about basic swine health management; artificial in semination; managing baby pigs; feeds and feeding; group housing systems; marketing opportuni ties; and more. The Cornell Swine School is conducted at the Livestock Pavil ion and in Morrison Hall on the Cornell campus, with some ses sions at the Cornell Swine Farm. The program includes both class room and hands-on training, in cluding practice with injections, tail clipping, castration, artificial insemination, and diagnosis of health problems by necropsy. It’s a great way to get started in swine production or to improve your skills and knowledge. To register for the 2003 Cor nell Swine School, call Tro Bui at 607-592-1438. For information on a variety of small farm topics, visit Cornell’s Small Farms Web Site at www. smallfarms.comell.edu. • Shows & Clinics • Dairy Farms Residence • Bams • Farm Machinery • Hay & Grain • Crop Insurance ♦ Let us help you harvest maximum tax savings! Smoker 13 Xompany www smokercpa com Certified Public Accountants and business DEVELOPMENT ADVISORS 49 E Mam St, Leola, PA 17540 717-656-7544 431 W. Mam St, Ephrata, PA 17522 717-721-3299 24 s. Mam st, Callto schedule Manheim, pa 17545 your appointment! 717 665 5979 before March 1 IfH- NPPC Report Concludes County-Of-Origin Labeling Program Will Be Very Costly For Pork Industry WASHINGTON, D.C. An economic analysis of the manda tory country-of-origin labeling program, performed by econo mists for the U.S. pork industry and lowa State University, con cludes it will be very costly for the U.S. pork industry, the Na tional Pork Producers Council (NPPC) stated today. The analy sis, which was conducted by Der mot Hayes, an economist at lowa State University and Steve Meyer, a U.S. pork industry economist, examined the poten tial impacts of country-of-origin labeling on several levels of the industry. According to Hayes and Meyer, the estimated costs for pork producers of implementing a full traceback system associated with country-of-origin labeling will be $10.22 per hog or $4.00 per hundred pounds. This is equivalent to a ten percent in crease in the costs of on-farm production or approximately $1.02 billion for the U.S. pork in dustry. In addition, assuming the ten percent increase in costs is passed on to the retail level, U.S. consumers will likely demand seven percent less pork due to higher prices, Meyer said. “The research shows that the mandatory country-of-origin pro gram will result in negative im pacts all across the board for U.S. pork producers, with no real ben efits,” said NPPC Board Member and President-Elect Jon Caspers, a pork producer from Swaledale, lowa. “Some surveys have shown that U.S. consumers prefer that meat be labeled as to its country of-origin but there is no research Specializing in agricultural tax issues: Farm income averaging Ag preservation Depreciation AMT calculations Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 22, 2003-A3l evidence that U.S. consumers are willing to pay any premium for such labeled product, let alone a premium high enough to cover the costs.” The net effect on U.S. pork exports could be equally devastating. According to Hayes and Meyer by year 2010, U.S. pork exports could be 50 percent lower than they would be without the label ing program. This is because Canada, which supplied 5.7 mil lion hogs and pigs last year to the U.S., would be forced to process these hogs in Canada. According to Caspers, this would lead to negative impacts on U.S. pork exports. “The U.S. would no longer add the value of com and soybeans to these Cana dian hogs,” he said. “Canada would add the value and export the pork. Therefore, it would turn the U.S. into a net importer of pork rather than a net exporter as we are now,” he said. An additional area of concern for pork producers is the burden of recordkeeping and audits for country-of-origin labeling. “The paperwork that is involved with the country-of-origin full trace back system, promises to be quite burdensome and will add to the already lengthy list of costly re Potato Growers To Meet SCHNECKSVILLE (Lehigh Co.) Commercial potato grow ers will meet on Wednesday, March 5, at the Schnecksville Grange Hall to learn more about new potato varieties, potato re search, insect pest updates, and other issues relating to potato production. The educational part of the meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. rtSCAROV^ * " 2240 Shermans Valley Road, P.O. BOX 64 ELLIOTTSBURG, PA 17024 (717) 582-4122 Fax: (717) 582-7438 email: sales@tuscarorahardwoods.com Manufacturers of Northern Appalachian Hardwoods “WANTED” Timber orTimberland l/l/e pay cash before cutting Manufacturer of Quality Kiln-Dried Lumber Woodland Management Buyer of Standing Timbers FREE Appraisal with NO Obligations, NO Brokerage Fee, NO Hidden Cost “MULCH FOR SALE” Two basic grades to choose from. 3 colors to choose from Red, Bteck, Brown • sponsibilities for producers,” he said. Caspers said the study makes it veiy clear that country-of-ori gin labeling would be very detri mental to pork producers of every size and type with signifi cant losses predicted due to re duced export demand for U.S. pork, the increased costs of im plementing a full traceback sys tem and the burden of on-farm recordkeeping. “We believe that given Hayes' and Meyers’ find ings, Congress must conduct Congressional hearings on this issue and reevaluate the potential impacts on the U.S. pork indus try,” he said. NPPC has long opposed man datory country-of-origin meat la beling due to additional on-farm costs placed on pork producers. NPPC believes the country-of origin labeling program, should remain voluntary. A copy of the analysis may ,be found at http://www.nppc. org. For more information on coufllry-of-origin labeling, please go to the U.S. Department of Ag riculture’s (USDA) website: http://www.ams.usda. gov/cool. The meeting will qualify for pesticide credits toward your Pennsylvania update license. Reservations for lunch are re quired. Send a check for $9 to Potato Day, Lehigh County Co operative Extension, 4184 Dor ney Park Road, Allentown, PA 18104-5798, by Feb. 28. Make your check payable to Lehigh County Extension Special Ac count.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers