Custom built spreaders made to your specifications! Glenn Beidler, Freeburg, PA - 570*539*8993 David Fink (Continued from Page El) Fink increased his hay growing acreage from 900 acres last year to about 1,100 acres this season. Handling the increased volume has been a breeze with the new double compressor, according to Fink. He noted significant labor savings over his previ ous double-compressor. “If we wouldn’t have had it, we would have worked like crazy,” he said. His older machine operates on the same basic principle as the new one, but lacks Local mechanic Jim Mackey works on adapting the ability to handle large the processor’s scales unit. square bales unless they are first sliced in half in a separate process. With the new machine, the large bales (normally 3- X 3- X 8-foot) are fed directly into the processor. The new double-compressor features a number of other improvements, including a precision scales for monitoring bale sizes. The machine requires two workers; one to operate the controls, and another to load and unload. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 13, 2003, Foraging Around-El5 The double-compressor operates on a 260-horsepower diesel engine which pro vides the power to compress hay from a den sity of about 10 pounds per square foot (psf) to about 20 psf. Fink paid $440,000 for the machine. He expects it to pay for itself in five to seven years. Smaller double compressors are also avail able, he said. In offering the Oct. 18 field day, Fink said he is targeting “not only hay producers, but ‘wannabe’ hay producers.” Beside hay compressing demonstrations, the event will feature a number of speakers, including: • Donna Foulk, Rutgers University, on the hay needs of horses; • Dr. Ann Swanker, Penn State equine specialist, on horse nutrition; • Les Vough, University of Maryland Ex tension forage specialist, on harvesting hay; • Stan Steffen, Oregon hay producer, pro cessor, and exporter; and • Pennsylvania Department of Agricul ture representative. Equipment and forage preservative repre sentatives will also be on hand. Equipment displays will include a hay macerator and super-conditioner rolls. For more information or to register for the field day, contact Fink at (610) 767-2409. PFGC Officers And Board The following is a list of the current officers and board of directors of the PFGC. If yu have questions, concerns or suggestions on how the PFGC could serve you better, please contact one of these people. Officers President, Tim Fritz, (610) 593-9931 Vice President, Dave Hartman, (570) 784-6660 Secretary-Treas., Richard Hann, (717) 520-2349 Exec. Vice-Pres., Marvin Hall, (814) 863-1019 Board of Directors Producer; Titus Martin, (717) 352-8676 Duane Hertzler, (717) 789-3070 John Thompson, (724) 533-3286 Public: Craig Williams, (570) 724-9120 Dave Hartman, (570) 784-6660 Jana Malot, (717) 485-3812 Industry: Dave Galer, (800) 338-2137 Tim Fritz, (610) 593-9931 Jeff Schnedk, (610) 375-7272
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