Virginia BCIA Announces Plans For Test Station Program CULPEPER, Va. Rules and regulations for the 2003-04 Vir ginia Central Bull Tests and Sales are now available through the Virginia Beef Cattle Improve ment Association. This will be the 46th year for the Central Bull Test Stations in Virginia. A total of four tests will be conducted at the two test stations located in Culpeper and Wytheville. The Culpeper station at Glen mary Farm in Rapidan will test two sets of bulls. Senior bulls Tree Fruit Expert Predicts Big Crop, Despite Wet Spring UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Cool, wet, foggy and windy this spring has been bad news across Pennsylvania un less you are a plant. Fruit trees, in particular, seem to be growing extremely well, according to an expert in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, who predicts a bumper crop this summer and fall. As miserable as the weather Quality hay production Is the focus of the July 12 edition of the Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Council's Foraging Around newsletter in Lancaster Farming. Also scheduled: Project \ p *,/ Grass youth contest coverage, conservation updates, reports \fef7 on forage preservation, and a calendar of events. \Cy Custom Fabricators of Galvanized Barn Equipment FISHER& DAIRY & MILKING THOMPSON sausTSce JwtNC6RP O R A T e" D Main Office 15 Newport Rd„ Leola, PA 17540 »717-656-3307 (bom August IS to December IS, 2002) will be delivered July IS and tested for 112 days with eligi ble bulls selling December 13. The junior test group (bulls bom December 16, 2002 to March 31, 2003) will be taken in at the sta tion November 4, tested for 112 days, and sold April 2,2004. The Southwest Bull Test Sta tion in Wytheville will test two age groups of bulls senior bulls bom October 1 to December 31, 2002 and junior bulls bom Janu- has been for people, there have been no late frosts and conditions have been just warm and dry enough for fruit crops to get a good start. The only factor that may hold back fruit yields this year will be last year’s drought, according to horticulture profes sor Robert Crassweller. “We have seen some effects of drought last year we haven’t had die dense ‘snowball’ blooms we get occasionally,” he said. ary 1 to March 31, 2003. Both sets of bulls are scheduled to ar rive at the station September 30. Senior bulls will be tested for 112 days, and junior bulls for 133 days. Eligible bulls in both test groups will be sold on March 20, 2004. In addition to the traditional tests, the opportunity exists for breeders to custom feed bulls through the BCIA program so that contemporary groups may be maintained. Additionally, pro- “But we have had medium to moderate blooms across the state, which indicate we’ll have lots of fruit.” Crassweller noted this has been an unusual spring. “It stayed.so cold for so long there was little difference north to south normally there is a 10-day difference as the early growing season progresses,” he said. “But once it got warmer, things progressed rapidly. Cher- PASS Reveals HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Processors in Pennsylva nia intend to contract 7,300 acres of snap beans in 2003, 4 percent less than the 7,600 acres con tracted in 2002, according to the Pennsylvania Agricultural Statis tics Service (PASS). Sweet com processors in tend to contract 1,000 acres, down 29 percent from the 1,400 contracted in 2002. To mato processor data is not published for Pennsylvania in an effort not to disclose in dividual operations. U.S. processors plan to contract 1.28 million acres of vegetables in 2003 for the na tion’s five major vegetable crops (snap beans, sweet com, cucumbers for pickles, USED RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT • Pitco Donut or Funnel Cake gas fryer - $1,650 • Howard 4 door glass freezer - $2,700 • Kelvinator 3 door glass refrigerator (like new) - $1,850 • Federal European Style deli case - $1,250 • Hobart 60 quart mixer • Hobart 20 quart mixer • Vulcan 4’ gas grill on stainless stand • U.S. Berkel automatic slicer • Bakers Pride Y-600 gas pizza oven • Blodgett 1/2 size double stack electric convection ovens • 3 compartment pot sink • Vulcan 6 burner gas range w/single oven w/12” grill • Federal 70” open dairy case • Gas floor model fryers • and much mote. Call Seigfried’s @ 717/933-5419 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon. through Fri., and 9 a.m. til Noon on Sat Join us for Coffee and donuts on Saturdays in June and July. Thin females may be popular in fashion magazines, but in the breeding shed and milking parlor it will cost you money. First estrus is a function of both age and weight. Therefore, heavier heifers breed earlier, enter the milking herd earlier and offer a return on investment earlier. Sweetlix GamPro® Poured Blocks put added weight on heifers for just pennies per day. Easy to use and proven to work, the economical supplement comes in convenient, non-returnable plastic tubs. Patented EnProAl® technology results in a consistent block with known consumption rates. Simply place tubs in the pasture with replacement heifers for a convenient self-fed supplement program For more information on Sweetlix products, contact JCT FISHER AND THOMPSON, INC. (717) 656-3307 jf 15 Newport Road, Leola, PA 17540 FISHER&t Also available at these other locations: HOMPSON Belleville, Chambersburg, Mifflinburg and New Enterprise nco«>o.«t.p as r GMNPMW )■ a ragMamd kadmart o( Mwnl, bic. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 21,2003-A29 visions to the program have been added to allow breeders more flexibility in developing both sale eligible and custom tests bulls. Registered bulls of any recog nized beef breed, or recorded per centage bulls of breeds which have an open herd book are eligi ble for the central tests. All bulls must be recorded in their respec tive breed association, and have a complete performance record (in cluding EPDs). Bulls must also meet breed-specific minimum ries, peaches, and apples were all in bloom at the same time. Nor mally one dies out by the time another starts to bloom. This is the first time in 25 years I have seen them all bloom together.” The past five years brought drought conditions, but this spring has been almost too wet, bringing growers concerns about disease. “We came into spring in pretty good shape across most of the state with moist soils. But all Vegetable Contract Intentions green peas, and tomatoes), un changed from 2002. Acreage for freezing at 411,300 acres is down 2 percent, while acreage for canning forecast at 873,100 acres is up 1 percent from 2002. Increased acreage for cucumbers for pickles, green peas, and tomatoes offsets de creased acreage for snap beans and sweet com. U.S. snap bean processors in tend to contract 194,400 acres, down 12 percent from last year. Contracted acres for freezing are at 59,800, down 8 percent from 2002. Contracted acreage for canning, at 134,600 acres, is down 13 percent from 2002. Sweet com processors intend to contract 438,600 acres, down 1 percent from file previous year. YW EPD requirements, individu al performance specifications, as weU as pre-delivery health and management protocol to be eligi ble for the tests. Breeders in Virginia and bor dering states who are members of Virginia BCIA are eligible to con sign bulls. For copies of the rules and regulations as well as entry information regarding the 2003-04 central bull tests, contact the Virginia BCIA office at (540) 231-9163 or visit http:// bcia.apsc.vt.edu. the rain we have had in May might cause an increase in dis eases such as apple scab, peach scab, peach leaf curl, brown rot, and fire blight. “Fruit growers are never happy with the weather, but they will take what they can get,” said Crassweller. “It’s ironic that after so much drought, we are getting too much rain. But despite wet conditions, there is potential this year for a really good crop.” Contracted acreage for freezing at 216,400 acres is 3 percent less then last year’s total, and con tacted acreage for canning, at 222,200 acres is 1 percent more than last year. Tomato processors plan to contract 312,600 acres in 2003, up less than 1 percent from last year. Contract production at 11.49 million tons is 1 percent above 2002. U.S. green pea processors in tend to contract 243,200 acres, up 6 percent from last year. Con tracted acreage for freezing, at 135.100 acres is 4 percent more than last year’s total, and con tracted acreage for canning at 108.100 acres is 10 percent above last year. -if 1* i. ! n ’* **| Sweetlix. * LIVESTOCK SUPPLEMENT SYSTEM
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