"Basically" Farming | Helpful hints for new \p I and existing farmers PhNNSIAI b College u! Agricultural Sciences IB Cooperative Extension - Southeast Region PLANNING AHEAD FOR PASTURE CONVERSION Mena Hautau Berks County Cooperative Extension Producers are looking to con vert select acres or whole farms to pasture for intensive grazing, horse production, or livestock and exotic animal production. Before any seed is sown or fence built, here are some items for consideration that should work into a plan of action. • Evaluate the soil types on the farm. Get ahold of a USDA Soil Survey for your county. Find your farm on the soil map, identi fy the soils and become aware of the strengths and limitations of your site. Avoid conversion of wetlands to pastures. If the soils are wet or droughty, plan for the grasses and animal traffic pat terns adapted to your soil type. Once the total number of acres devoted to pasture is known, the stocking rate, especially the upper limit, can be figured. • Take a soil test and become knowledgeable about what you need to do to bring soil fertility to optimum production. The need for high soil fertility is relative in the northeastern U.S. But in southeast Pennsylvania, where land values and animal stocking Organic dairy production will be a highlight of the Sept. 20 Lancaster Farming Dairy Plus booklet. Scheduled: features on organic dairy farms and strategies for success in organic milk production from university. In addition, news and information from the breed associations and cooperatives rates tend to be high, good fertili ty is needed to have a productive pasture. Soils that have been farmed in rotation for a long time with manure can have medium to very high levels of fertility, espe cially phosphorous and potassi um. Cropland that has a history of renting can have low pH and low fertility. The soil test result will help with the decision to add soil amendments, especially lime, before any seed is planted. • Know the crop history. A piece of land with an unknown cropping history can hide limita tions. If triazine herbicides have been used for com production, the field may not be able to be seeded. If possible, try to obtain knowledge about the pesticide history from the former operator. The Penn State Agronomy Guide can assist with understanding any herbicide restrictions. Anoth er consideration is noxious, woody or poisonous weeds. They may need to be controlled one year ahead of renovation, espe cially where these weeds have taken over rented crop ground or old hay stands. • Fencing and facilities. Plan on paper for any facility and fencing layout before anything is built or rebuilt. Facilities should ®*«***»®*®***®<t****(i**(#(i*«l * P.O. Box 31 * § Conestoga, PA 17516 f | 717/629-2756 | ****®****#********®******* gLI PAINTINGj All Types 1 C Intcrior/Extcrior 1 Including Aerial Work i Also Roof Coating • Water Blasting • Repair All Types of Spray Equipment - Pumps & Guns be placed away from any streams, wetlands, or wet areas. Manure should not be stored near the well or streams. Home septic mounds should be kept separate from any of the pastured or fa cility areas. Lay out paddocks on paper first, and then flag out your per manent fencing lines and lane ways to visually see where the fencing and water lines should go. (This also helps to control costs by analyzing feet of fencing or water lines needed.) Ideally, each paddock should be about one acre in size. Lanes should be sized to fit machinery. Finally, bam and fencing contractors should use specific traffic lane ways on the farm to prevent rut ting or compacting pastures. • Economics. Are you a producer who is depending on this conversion to in crease profitability, or are you a part-time producer who has other income sources? Establish goals and figure out the cost to make the change. Consider dry matter output, winter feed costs, infrastructure costs such as fencing and machinery, and variable costs such as seed. Penn State has several fact sheets on Alternative Agri culture Enterprises that can help with understand ing these costs. Resources • USDA Soils Survey: contact your Natural Re source Conservation Serv ice office, Penn State ex tension office, or county conservation office on how to access the survey. • Penn State Agronomy Guide: http:// agguide.agronomy.psu.ed u/. • Agronomy Fact Sheet 49: Successful Forage Crop Establishment Go to: http:/pubs.cas.psu.edu/ forage.html or contact your local county extension office for a copy. • Alternative Ag Fact Sheet Series: http:// agaltematives.aers.psu.ed u/ or contact your loc,al county extension office. o°^ Water wagon “The Freshest Water on the Trail" Pools • Power Washing • Wells • Cisterns Stainless Steel Water Truck Rentals 24 hours a day • 8 days a week Conestoga Water Wagon Specialists in Sand Blasting and Spray Painting Farm Buildings Fisher’s 4056 A N Kinzers. On Rt. IT. Pequea 717-7 Small Farm Expo Sept. 20-21 PHILLIPSBURG, N.J. The Northeast Small Farm & Rural Living Expo and Garden State Sheep Breeders’ Sheep & Fiber Festival is scheduled for Sept. 20-21 at the Warren County Farmers’ Fairgrounds, Phillips burg. The event will focus on topics pertaining to small farm and rural life, offering 75 educational THE GRAIN OF OUR ECONOMY* MID-ATLANTIC. agn systems Liquid M/icis Equipment Specialists LIVE DEMOS IN THE FIELD WILL INCLUDE: Cadman Drag Hose System with Manure Boom fBi UMiai 53 gjjf ■i' 1 VISIT OUR DISPLAY BOOTH AT EAST STH STREET TO SEE: Feed Equipment from VfIimETBLI #BALE MASTER Stationary Bale Chopper Chops round or square, small or large bales for AGRI-CHOPPER Round Bale Chopper TMR FOUR AUGER MIXER Both mobile and stationary models available for true, total mixed feeding Built energy-efficient and rugged for heavy-duty use. nnnna Spreaders and Pumps -JWp 4^*l workshops, livestock exhibits, lec tures and demonstrations, coun try crafts, a farm market, and en tertainment. The fairgrounds are located along Rt. 519 in Harmony Town ship, four miles north of Rt. 22. For more information, call (800) 554-8540 or log onto www.smallfarmexpo.org. Join Us for AG PROGRESS DAYS! AU6 19 W -21 5T v>^l v A « Vetter "Avenger" Injector iid-Atlantic griSystems 800-222-2948 717-529-2782 4019 Ashyille Rd Quarryville, PA 17566 1
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers