Back

To Assess Your Nutrient Management Situation On Your Farm

On December 09, 2017

Several developments in the Pennsylvania Nutrient Management Program are likely to have an impact on many livestock operations. In May of 2017 new standard animal weights were approved by the State Conservation Commission. These new weights for calculating animal units on a farm will be effective on October 1, 2019 which is the beginning of the 2020 crop year. The animal weights were increased to be more in line with current livestock weights. For example, a mature Holstein cow was calculated at 1,300 pounds but the new weight is 1,450 pounds. This will mean for some producers who previously had less than 2,000 pounds of animal weight per acre will now exceed that weight limit per acre. This is very significant since with less than 2,000 pounds per acre only a manure management plan is required. However, if the farm now has more than 2,000 pounds per acre an Act 38 Nutrient Management plan is required.

Another development is the effort to conduct farm inspections to evaluate if the operations are current with their Nutrient Management Plans and Agricultural Erosion and Sedimentation Plans. In 2016 as a part of the Chesapeake Bay Program “reboot” the Environmental Protection Agency initiated a program to inspect 10 percent of the farms in the Bay Watershed each year. In most countys the local Conservation Districts are doing the inspections.  All these programs can be confusing and you may want some help to sort out exactly where you stand.

Over the next few months I am available to visit farms as requested to assist famers in determining if they are current in their plans. If something is lacking I will assist the farmer in getting connected to people and resources to get in compliance before you are inspected. I will do this review for free. As an employee of Penn State Extension, I do not have any regulatory role, Penn State Extension is strictly an educational organization.

There are two reasons to do such a review now. First it would be good to determine if you are in compliance before your turn to be inspected occurs. Second if you need an Act 38 plan there are funds available at the moment to assist with the cost. The funds are limited and some of the funds expire in April of 2018. So now is the time to evaluate what you need and take care of things before the funds run out.

If you would like me to review your situation (for free) call me at the Lancaster Extension Office (717)-394-6851 I will arrange a visit at our mutual convenience.

 

To Participate In The 2017 Census Of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is now mailing the 2017 Census of Agriculture to the nation’s producers. Conducted once every five years, the census aims to get a complete and accurate picture of American agriculture.

The resulting data are used by farmers, ranchers, trade associations, researchers, policymakers, and many others to help make decisions in community planning, farm assistance programs, technology development, farm advocacy, agribusiness setup, rural development, and more.

“The Census of Agriculture is USDA’s largest data collection endeavor, providing some of the most widely used statistics in the industry,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

“Collected in service to American agriculture since 1840, the census gives every producer the opportunity to be represented so that informed decisions can support their efforts to provide the world with food, fuel, feed, and fiber. Every response matters.”

The census will be mailed in several phases through December. Farm operations of all sizes which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2017 are included in the census. The census is the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data for every state and county in the nation.

NASS revised the census forms in an attempt to document changes and emerging trends in the industry.  Changes include a new question about military veteran status, expanded questions about food marketing practices, and questions about on-farm decision-making to help better capture the roles and contributions of beginning farmers, women farmers, and others involved in running a farm enterprise.

“Producers can respond to the census online<https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/> or by mail. We highly recommend the updated online questionnaire. We heard what people wanted and we made responding to the census easier than ever,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “The online questionnaire now has timesaving features, such as automatic calculations, and the convenience of being accessible on mobile and desktop devices.”

The census response deadline is February 5, 2018.  Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required by law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The same law requires NASS to keep all information confidential, to use the data only for statistical purposes, and only publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. NASS will release the results of the census in February 2019.

For more information about the 2017 Census of Agriculture, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov> or call (800) 727-9540

 

To Manage Your Heifers To Prevent Mastitis

The ultimate goal for any heifer management program is to develop a healthy adult cow that produces high quality milk. Extension Dairy Educator Amber Yutzy explains this success depends on how heifers are managed from birth to first calving. Mastitis is considered one of the most significant and costly diseases in dairy cows and results in decreased production and profitability.

Mastitis in heifers is rarely detected before calving, but few farms actively look for an infection before the animal calves. Subclinical mastitis can be difficult to detect because the milk appears to be normal but a high somatic cell count is present.

It is recommended that all producers use the California Mastitis Test (CMT) on fresh cows to detect mastitis in each quarter. The CMT provides an inexpensive option for detecting mastitis early and provides the most accurate results 5 days post fresh. Producers also have other options available to them to detect mastitis. Microbiological exam of milk samples may be obtained from suspect quarters to determine the type of bacteria with which each quarter is infected. This exam can be more time consuming than CMT but also provides more in-depth evaluation. With increased technologies, culturing on farms has become more popular in Pennsylvania and costs to do so have greatly decreased.

The highest risk factor in the development of heifer mastitis can be linked to exposure to mastitis causing organisms. The environment that heifers are housed in year-round can play a large role in the exposure. Heifers should be housed in a clean, dry environment with sufficient amounts of bedding. Animals that have manure cover on the legs and udder area will experience an increased incidence of mastitis at freshening. All heifers should be treated to the same clean environment as the milking herd. These animals are the future of the farm and will soon be relied upon to provide high production levels to keep dairy farms profitable.

A second risk factor that contributes to heifer mastitis is feeding of waste milk to calves. This practice should be discouraged unless milk can be pasteurized prior to feeding. The exact mechanism that the organism is transferred to the udder is unknown but it is likely related to colonization of the teat skin and inner thighs with mastitis causing organisms. Studies have shown that milking herds with a high incidence of mastitis also have a high incidence of heifer mastitis.

Prevention of mastitis is based upon reducing exposure to mastitis pathogens and enhancing the ability of the heifers’ immune system to respond. Prevention of mastitis in heifers includes the following strategies. First control mastitis in the existing adult herd; contagious mastitis is more likely to spread if there is a high incidence of mastitis on the farm. Use individual hutches for pre-weaned calves to prevent suckling. Feed milk replacer or pasteurized milk rather than waste milk and control flies. Milk fresh heifers first using clean milking equipment. House heifers in well bedded areas that are clean and dry. Consider implementing a heifer mastitis vaccination program.

Remember, heifers are the future of your dairy farm. Introducing healthy, viable heifers into the milking herd will help to increase productivity and profitability in the future.

Quote Of The Week: “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” Unknown

 

Go Lions! Beat The Huskies!