David Fink works the controls of his new double-compressor hay processing unit. He will demonstrate the machine Oct. 18 during a field day at Heidel Hol low Farm. Photo by Dave Lefever Quack grass Makes A (Surprisingly) Good Forage ANDY ANDREWS scape turf weed is making a Editor resurgence in paddocks for LANDISVILLE (Lancaster grazing cattle. Co.) A well-known land- Quackgrass, long the arche- Dr. Heather Karsten, assistant professor of agroe cology, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Penn State, spoke about grass species and pastured poul try during the Penn State Agronomy-Industry Field Day in July. Photo by Andy Andrews, editor Pennsylvania Forage & Grassland Council Newsletter - Section E - September 13,2003 nemy of turf managers, actu ally can be a better grazing feed. Believe it or not, quack grass has a hardy root system during drought, is leafier, and contains potentially good feed value and improved bite. Both quackgrass and or chardgrass should be top con sideration when choosing a (Turn to Page E 3) Forage Harvesting During Hazy Days INTERCOURSE (Lancaster Co.) - A Plain farmer cuts hay during a wet summer near the corner of Fieldcrest and East Newport Road (Rt. 772) near Intercourse mid-August this year. Photo by Andy Andrews, editor Fink To Demonstrate New Hay Processor DAVE LEFEVER Lancaster Farming Staff GERMANSVILLE (Lehigh Co.) With his new machine that turns large hay bales into small dense ones, David Fink says he has the means to han dle about 1 percent of all the hay produced in Pennsylva nia. It’s hard to put an exact tonnage figure on it, but one thing’s for sure: that’s a lot of hay. Fink, of Heidel Hollow Farms, Germansville, is plan ning an open house Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to give farmers and other in terested people the chance see Tim Fritz PFGC President Forages are critical to the had to separate because stock success of our farms, our agri- ing rate was getting too high.) culture, and ultimately the Stored forages (hay in par health of our world. ticular) extended the range of Pastures have been the civilization. Unfortunately, backbone of many peoples most of today’s population going back thousands of years. (j oes no t know or even care For example, in the Old Testa ment, Abraham’s wealth was Turn ° a ® e * the stationary setup, known as a double compressor. The machine was shipped from Salem, Oregon to Heidel Hollow this past May. Fink has been double-com pressing hay into super-dense 40- and 80-pound bales for years, including his own crop and other hay that he pur chases. He exports much of the hay to places across the sea, in cluding Europe and the Carib bean islands. Transportation efficiency is the biggest benefit of the double-compressed bales. (Turn to Page El 5) built through livestock raised on grass. (Abraham and Lot
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