f Va. Dairy Festival Is Chance To Visit Modem Dairy Farm STAUNTON, Va. The Shenandoah Valley Dairy Farm Festival and Educational Tour at Staunton, Friday and Saturday, May 16-17, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., is a chance to enjoy a fami ly-oriented outing that is both fun and educational. The festival will be conducted at Christians Creek and Holsteins, Inc., Stu arts Draft and is hosted by Lloyd Lee and Disa McPherson and Vernon and Lucy Wright. The festival is a free education al program geared towards peo ple from non-agricultural back grounds. It is sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension. The festival aims to teach visi tors of all ages about the daily ac tivities and technologies of a modern dairy farm. Visitors will have the chance to learn about dairy housing and cow comfort; dairy nutrition and rations; equipment and farm safety; ani mal waste, Best Management Practices and the environment; and milk nutrition and dairy products. In addition to educational ac tivities about milk, ice cream, and cheese, there will be fun for the whole family with face paint ing, a calf palace, milk mus taches, a petting area, and bal loons. MMB Announces April Class I Price HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) The Milk Marketing Board (MMB) announced the prices to be paid to Pennsylvania dairy farmers for April Class I milk (beverage) as an average of $13.59 in the western areas of the commonwealth, and an average of $14.08 in the central and eastern areas of the commonwealth. These prices do include the overorder premium of $1.55 per one hundred pounds of milk. Farmers, whose milk pro duction is pooled under a federal order, will receive a marketwide blend price based upon the value of all classes of milk. However, the blend price received will vary as the component com position of a farmer’s milk differs from the established benchmarks of 3.5 percent butterfat, 2.99 percent pro tein, and 5.69 percent other solids. Since 1988 the MMB has mandated overorder premi ums on Class I milk because of adverse conditions affec ting Pennsylvania dairy farmers. Chairwoman Bev erly R. Minor announced that since the inception of the MMB’s overorder premi um, Pennsylvania dairy farmers have received $290,912,000 in additional income. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 10, 2003-A33 OPINION death of the industry has been: According to PASS, Lancaster County in 2001 had the majority of “other tobacco” production, including 2,500 acres harvested for a yield of 1,996 pounds (a total of 4.99 million pounds in production) for a value of $7.7 million. If you add the remaining 500 acres in the state for tobacco harvest, the total value in 2001 was a little more than $8 million. In the past 23 years, one year stands out for tobacco production in Lancaster County, according to PASS 1981. That year there were 12,240 harvested acres at 25.1 million pounds of tobacco cigar filler Pennsylvania Seedleaf Type 41. Since then, in 1985, there were 7,050 harvested acres at 13.7 million pounds. In 1988, the first year of both Type 41 and tobacco air-cured light southern Maryland Type 32 pro duction, there were 5,340 harvested acres at 9.22 million pounds of Type 41 and 3,390 acres of Maryland Type 32 at 6.2 million pounds. By 1998, the numbers decreased even more, to 3,900 harvested Type 41 acres at 8.1 million pounds and 2,500 Maryland Type 32 acres at 4.75 million pounds. In 2001, the latest year for which data are available. Type 41 regis tered 1,700 acres at 3.5 million pounds and only 800 acres of Mary land Type 32 at 1.48 million pounds. For all classes of tobacco, the 23 years show stark differences. In 1981 for all of Pennsylvania, the best year in the past 23, there were 13,300 harvested acres for 27.26 million pounds. By 2002, harvested acres for all tobacco dropped way down, to 3,400 harvested acres for 6.8 million pounds. To those whose income (as well as mortgage) depended on tobacco, we wish you well. If you take out loans and depend on tobacco, you could be wishing upon a star, or so the saying goes. We are even reminded of the quote from Shakespeare about how money can build and destroy: Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine ownself be true. And it must follow, as the night the day. Thou const not then be false to any man. Polonius in “Hamlet” In the coming months, Lancaster Farming will be examining niche markets and ways in which producers are taking advantage of them in several of our special sections. We hope to pass along their success stories so that others can benefit in these tough times. Now Is The Time (Continued from Page A 10) and late bloom. There are a number of products labeled for Botrytis con begin in the blossom, it is essential to trol in strawberries, including Ele apply fungicides during the bloom vate, Captan, Thiram, Benlate, and period. Research has shown that if Topsin M. Read and follow the label the blossom sprays are applied in a directions, especially the “days to timely manner, spraying during har- harvest” restrictions. Consult the vest does little to improve control “Commercial Berry Production and and may not be needed. However if Pest Management Guide” available the blossom sprays are missed, from your local extension office for sprays at harvest time alone will not more details, be very effective because the infec- Quote Of The Week: tions started during the blossom peri- “No matter what the size of the od. bottle, the cream always comes to the Apply the first spray at 10 percent top. ” bloom apply again at full bloom Mother’s Day Free For Moms At Hershey Gardens HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) Hotel Road in Hershey. Hershey Gardens has announced Open daily April 1 through Oc that its popular tradition of free tober 31, hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. admission for all moms on Moth- April through September; and er’s Day continues this year on unt n 8 p . m . on Fridays, Satur- Sunday, May 11. days, and Sundays, Memorial Mother s Day visitors can p> a y through Labor Day. Regular enjoy springtime disp ays of dog- admissioil is $7 adults, $6.50 sen wood trees, azaleas, lilacs, rhodo- iors 62+ $4 youth 3 . 15> cha . dendrons and tree peonies as dren under 3 members are they stroll the groimds of Her- admitted free . sey ar p o r more information call dens’23 acres (717 ) 534.3492 or log on to located on www.hersheygardens.org. (Continued from Page A 10) PIT POWER Farmers and composters - Here is a breakdown for compost and manure pits and manure piles! Pit Power is bacteria and bacteria feeders that break down solids m manure pits and septic tanks and breakdown compost faster. Clean out your pit with ease, use Pit Power! One gallon of Pit Power per 10,000 to 20,000 gal of pit volume. Should be repeated approx. 2 times a year’ If aeration of the pit is possible, it will help the bacteria to grow and work faster to break down solids Pit Power’s pur pose is to add life (bacteria) in the manure, which then is returned to the soil where a bacteria is working The smell of pit manure is not so strong Pit Power is a non toxic product - Life to Feed Life! Pnce is $58.00 per gallon (6 gal or more - $55 per gallon) Full UPS fee will be charged if payment is not with order Send orders to Pleasant Valley Country Store 429 Sproul Rd. Kirkwood, PA 17536 Charles Wilson
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers