(Continued from Page Cl) and a paralyzed vocal cord. I am doing physical and speech thera py to improve both of these losses and I am pleased to report that my balance control has improved substantially. However, my vocal cord has a long way to go, but I’m getting there. Now, to - report on Project Grass’s Grassland Evaluation Contest The Cambria County team was the first place winner and represented Pennsylvania at the Mid-America Contest in Mis souri. I am so pleased to report that the team placed eighth over all out of 19 teams from all over the country. Of the nine 4-H teams competing, they placed second. This is a fantastic show ing for Pennsylvania’s first year. I would like to say thank you to all the team members for their hard work in preparing for the contest and congratulations for a job well done. I would also like to say thank you to those conserva tion professionals responsible for Pennsylvania’s contest (particu larly NRCS conservationist Bobbi BaiJey-and our NRCS Project;.Grass coordinators) and those' whg .helped the teams pre pare jUrcompetition. They are helnttlg to prepare Pennsylva- Kv x. ■i _ , Round Taarup discs reject stone J' 'W" Benefits: ['Jilil Round discs reject stones more smoothly It is impossible for a round disc Ik. 10 impact with a stone as it has no corners or leading edges Foreign t. ii objects jammed between counter rotating round discs are never seen See our extensive family of hay tools which includes disc mowers, rakes and tedders mEErK-.sge HI Kvemeland - The Number One selling round bale wrapper in The United States and the World! - Keverneland pioneered the wrap system in 1986 - Complete range of machines to suit every need three trailed models, two mounted self-loading, three mounted conventional, and now an ultra high capacity wrapper made expressly for large square bales up to 4'x4'xfv in size McConnellsburg Motors McConnellsburg, PA 717-485-3181 Hess Farm Equipment Glenn Beidler Canton PA 570-673-5143 nia’s future graziers. The sunshine was so wonderful on the day of this writing. It makes all those days of rain and no sunshine seem far away. But we know they are not. I have spo ken to a few folks who were com plaining about the weather be cause they did not know how they were going to get baleage made, let alone hay. I also talked to some people who were not complaining about the rain be cause they remembered last year’s drought. These folks were basically graziers. They were not relying on the sun to dry or wilt forages. They were using their “four-legged” mowing machines to harvest their forages. That’s right, their livestock were able to consume the wet forage even in the rain. When you think about it, there are several reasons that grazing has advantages over mechanical harvesting and feeding stored forages. Several are very obvious but I will list them anyway. I al ready listed the first reason which is that regardless of the weather, livestock can harvest the forages. The second reason is a matter of economics. We make more money on livestock prod ucts because we have lowered our feed costs, thereby increasing the nd excellence Kvemeland Kidd KD 825 Silage Chopper - PTO driven discharge conveyor decelerates the chopped material ensuring an even and positive flow of feed without an excess of dust or loss - Four other models are available for dry hay and straw applications - Hydraulic bale lifter and slip clutch protected PTO together provide safe, smooth, low torque starts Kvemeland P where farming means business Freeburg, PA 570-539-8993 bottomline. The third reason is lower machinery needs because of less planting or harvesting and > jtffe*he associated costs. The ' fourth reason is that livestock helplo spread their own manure which reduces hauling and stor age costs as well as provides envi ronmental benefits. The fifth rea- son is a better personal and family life with less stress and more enjoyment. Let’s first discuss the weather concern and the fact the forage harvest is not overly affected by it. Livestock will not destroy a pasture that is soaked and soggy because of a lot of rain if they are only allowed to have a very short grazing period. You give them a small plot that will meet their nu tritional needs for just a few hours. A pasture is generally ru ined if animals are allowed to camp in field for a longer period of time. They can also find stock piled forage under the snow. When the hay fields only grow six inches or so because of the lack of rain, it is almost impossi ble to mechanically harvest, but livestock can easily graze. Therefore, it is important to in stall the perimeter fence around the farm so all the fields may be grazed. This is especially true in dry periods as long as you consid er heat stress. Ideal weather af fords the best grazing time and also benefits crop growing. We must consider how much ideal weather we do enjoy and remem ber that if we do not have it, the livestock will harvest the forages anyway through grazing. The second reason we listed was increasing the bottom line. You can imag ine that through the live- motion jar flotation iual suspension reacts to jpendent of the ■jhme • Lower ground pressure improves reliability and reduces crop stubble damage • Tool-free cutting height adjustment Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 12, 2003, Foraging Around-C3 stocks’ grazing and keeping the tractor parked that feed costs are reduced. When we put fewer acres under annual crop produc tion, we are saving money. The forage crop is planted for many years of harvest and the cost of establishment is spread out over several years. Excess forages are harvested for winter-feed. Graz ing reduces veterinarian costs and utility costs. In general graz ing reduces input costs thereby increasing profits. Grazing improves the lifestyle of the producer. This is a very in tangible factor but is very impor tant. The reduction of stress can Bale Wrapper Technology In Use On Plain Dairy ELIZABETHTOWN (Lancaster Co.) plain dairy farmers have been making use of special bale wrapper technology that aids in the fermentation process for silage. An Amish farmer from Honey Brook spoke about his operation during a special Lancaster County pasture walk at the Garber Dairy Farm in Elizabethtown in May. The Honey Brook farmer manages about 70 acres, all Holsteins. He uses a sicklebar mower. Using a regular baler, about 16 tales are compressed and wrapped. A cylinder press compresses them and a device wraps them in thick plastic. “The cows have been eating (the baleage). It feeds nice,” he said. The bales are compressed and wrapped when they are fairly'’dry. They cannot be wrapped too wet, noted the dairyman. The Amish farmer is a member of DFA. He cares for about 40 milk cows and is not on DHIA. Gutters to meet S7®QDGr“ QDQOCaJa Land Pride Rotary Cutters offer fast, clean, dependable mowing and have been extensively tested to ensure operating safety. Our cutters are designed with safety in mind and have been tested using rugged industry standards. High blade tip speeds assure a clean cut in a variety of field conditions and standard stump jumpers and safety guards keep you up and running. With Land Pride, you’re assured a product that delivers top quality performance. Detlan Equipment, Inc. 141 East Mam St Silverdale, PA 18962 215-257-5177 Thomas L. Dunlap Rt 220, Mam St Exit Jersey Shore, PA 17740 570-398-1391 Eckroth Bros Farm Equip. Rd 2, Box 24A New Ringgold, PA 17960 570-943-2131 Eckroth Equipment Co. 4910 Kernsville Rd. uc w Orefield, PA 18069 610-366-2095 W«t Chester, PA _ 610-696-2990 Pikeville ™* rr f n County E R%t oSale Road Oley, PA 19547 Blairtown, N J. www.landpride.com 610-927-6277 908-362-6916 improve the grazier’s family and personal daily life. He/she gets more time to enjoy the family and to do off-the-farm activities. By reducing overall stress, there is a tendency for younger family members to remain on the farm. If you would like information on grazing you can contact me by e-mail at HYPERLINK mail to:duane.pysher@pa.usda.gov duane.pysher@pa.usda.gov; tele phone me at (717) 237-2221 or write to me at home at 320 N. Walnut St., Wemersville, PA 19565. Until next time, happy graz ing. Pennsylvania Hines Equipment Stoltzfus Farm RT. 220, Bel wood, PA Service 814-742-8171 Keller Brothers R 7 Box 405 Lebanon, PA 17042 717-949-6501 and 1950 Fruitville Pike Lancaster, PA 17601 717-569-2500 Lehigh Ag Equipment, Inc. 6670 Ruppsville Rd , Allentown, PAIBIO6 610-398-2553 800-779-3616 Cochranville, PA 610-593-2407 Stouffer Bros Inc. 1066 Lincoln Way West Chambersburg, PA 17201 717-263-8424 Valley Ag Turf 817 Tobias Road Halifax, PA 17032 717-362-3132 New Jersey Rodio Tractor Sales North White Horse Pike Hammonton, N J 08037 609-561-0141
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers