Stakeholders Report Progress, Honor Pacesetters DAVE LEFEVER Lancaster Farming Staff GRANTVILLE (Dauphin Co.) Pennsylvania Dairy Stakehold ers honored industry pacesetters, reviewed 2003 accomplishments, and outlined goals for 2004 at their breakfast meeting Dec. 11, during the annual two-day con ference in Grantville. President Gary Heckman said the organization grew its mem bership this year and initiated some new programs. These in clude a new Dairy Advocacy and Resource Team (DART), a Web site (www.padairystake.org), and a milk production record book designed to help producers in crease daily production per cow. Heckman said the aim of the advocacy and resource program is to make 1,000 DART represen tatives available for the 9,000 dairy farms across the Pennsylva- Stakeholders also placed three members on the new Dairy Task Force created by Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff. More than 90 applications for the Business Planning Assistance Program (BPAP) came in this year. Begun in 1999, BPAP has paid a total of $62,165 in grants to 47 producers through this past November for strategic business planning. Lancaster Poured Walls • Agriculture • Commercial • Residential l| J Call for Prices On: • NRCS approved Manure Storage Pits • Concrete • Basements • Retaining Walls Pumping • Footers • Foundation Walls Customer Satisfaction Is Our Goal Lancaster Poured Walls, Inc. 2542 Horseshoe Rd.» Lancaster, PA 17601 (717) 656-7370 » Fax (717) 656-7350 ALUMINUM GRAIN BODIES & ALUMINUM REPAIRS by These ultra-light bodies are designed for strength through engineering, not strength with bulk. For example, a 16' grain body with tailgate and 48" sides weighs only 1490 I length or any side height up to 60" Also • Double swinging hay hauling tailgate • Barn door type tailgate • Slide out cattle chutes HEWEY WELDING 1045 Wampler Rd. Lebanon, PA 17042 (717)867-5222 Rod Hissong of Mercer Vu Farms, Pacesetter Award winner, says that business planning assist ance has played a big role in the success of his fami ly’s dairy operation. Russ Redding, Pennsylvania deputy secretary of agriculture, spoke to the group about growing options for risk management in the state. About 16,000 Pennsyl vania farmers have taken out crop insurance, including what he called a “whole farm pro gram.” The policies have resulted in “significant renumeration” to farmers, according to Redding. “Education is changing pro ducers’ behavior,” he said. We'll build you any ivailable: • Diamond flooring • Puli out panel tailgates • Any size grain chute Redding pointed out the need for Pennsylvania to team with other states in order to leverage U.S. Congress to allow greater risk management tools for agri culture in the future. The Pennsylvania Dairy Stake holders presented two outstand ing dairy operations in Pennsyl vania with the 2003 Pacesetter Award. Award recipient Clifford Haw baker is credited with being the creative engine in the formation of the Professional Dairy Manag ers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) in 1994. “I’m a dreamer,” Hawbaker said. “My wife Maggie asks me if I’ve ever been in a box.” Hawbaker’s drive to succeed and to help his contemporaries in the dairy industry do the same prompted him today the ground work for PDMP. The organiza tion provides a unique opportuni ty for progressive producers to interact in an educational and in formational way with other pro ducers and agribusiness persons. “I’m excited about the future of what can happen here in Pennsylvania,” Hawbaker said in accepting the award. He pointed out that 50 percent of the U.S. population is within a one-day drive of the state. “Half the people in the country at our fingertips,” he said. are Holstein USA Approves ID Program BRATTLEBORO, Vt. Holstein Association USA, Inc. recently approved the Cattle Identification Database (CID) to identify any breed of cattle, including crossbred animals. CID will be available for pro ducers late in 2004. The CID program, under de velopment by Insinc USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Holstein Associ ation USA, Inc., will record lin- WE INSTALL COMPLETE DUST SYSTEMS • Blowers STOLTZFUS WELDING & REPAIR 76 S. Vintage Rd., Paradise, PA 17562 717-442-9148 “The Pennsylvania dairy indus- try is alive. Hawbaker and his wife Maggie operate a progressive 410-cow dairy near Chambersburg. Haw baker’s emphasis is not on pro duction awards or top genetics alone, but on profitability and en vironmental stewardship. His self-designed and somewhat unique manure system is revolu tionary in its design and is the foundation for his effective nutri ent management model. The farm consists of 300 acres of grassland. Hawbaker contracts other forages from local farmers. In addition to PDMP, Haw baker’s activities have included the Franklin County Farm Bu reau (past president), Franklin County Farmland Preservation, Franklin County Soil Conserva tion, Mount Joy Farmers Cooper ative, and the Pennsylvania Dairy Stakeholders. This year, he joins the Pennsylvania Dairy Sta keholders board of directors. The Hissongs of Mercer Vu Farms were first presented with the Pacesetter Award in August at the PDMP summer education al meeting at their farm. Their mission is “to produce high quali ty milk efficiently, safely and profitably as to benefit manage ment, employees, cows, the envi ronment and the community in which we live.” eage and available performance data on crossbred animals. The program offers the convenience of recording every animal in a herd, regardless of breed, and gives producers the ability to meet their identification needs. “Holstein Association USA would like to obtain informa tion on crossbred animals be cause most crosses today con tain Holstein genetics,” said • Pipe • Cyclones • Bins Lartdaster fidcterflbfei 1 20, 2003 J A3/' TIRE BALLAST W Manufactured By: Rim-Guard Inc. P.O. Box 4012, East Lansing, Ml 48826 • Ready to use liquid, • Weight approx easier to handle than 10 7#/gal. traditional weights . Patented and OSHA • Non-corrosive to tire rims approved • Non-toxic & biodegradable • Use with tubes or • Safe to -30 C tubeless tires on new, Non-flammable Reduces tire rusting to rim Clifford Hawbaker ac cepts the Pennsylvania Dairy Stakeholder Paceset ter Award for his vision that helped form the Profes sional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania. Ron, Rick, and Rod Hissong are all active in the dairy indus- try and in their community, The farm’s Website, www.mer- cervufarms.com, has evolved into a vehicle to keep the public in- formed and updated on modern agricultural practices. The site even contains information about the positive economic impact the operation has, and will have the in the future, on the community. Tom Lawlor, Ph. D., director of research and development, Hol stein Association USA, Inc. “We are interested in measur ing how other breeds benefit from the Holstein cross because of genetic improvements such as increased production and de creased inbreeding.” The Holstein Association USA, Inc. board of directors approved CID at their Novem ber board meeting. antique, full size or compact tractors
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