Sunday, July 15, 2007


Jul. 15, 2007 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) --
An invasive weed walk for land owners who manage acres in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program will take place Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Emerald Valley Farm of Ron and Joy Weyer, Perry Township.

The program, rain or shine, will feature talks on weed identification and biology and management, backpack sprayer tips and a demonstration of woody trees. It is sponsored by Penn State University Cooperative Extension, Southeastern Pennsylvania Resource Conservation and Development County and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Dairy industry grows: By increasing milk production and making farms more profitable, Pennsylvania's dairy industry has increased its contribution to the state's economy by $185 million, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said.

The industry contributes more than 37 percent of the state's agricultural revenues, Wolff told the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force. He credited the task force and the Center for Dairy Excellence for improving the industry's profitability.

Besides increasing total milk production, the groups have helped generate $82 million more in on-farm profits, he said.

Field trip: The summer field trip of the Berks-Southeast Cattlemen's Association will take place Tuesday starting at 7:30 a.m. from the parking lot of the Berks County Agricultural Center in Bern Township. Stops include Hempt Brothers, Mechanicsburg, which features commercial Angus cows and Mountain View Farm in Adams County to view purebred Simmentals.

The cost is $23 for members and $29 for nonmembers.

Ice cream: July is national ice cream month. Pennsylvania ranks sixth in the overall production of regular hard ice cream at nearly 35 million gallons, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

Family festival: The Pennsylvania State Grange family festival will take place Thursday through Sunday at the Centre County Grange Fairgrounds.

Deadlines approaching: Two crop insurance deadlines are nearing. Acreage reports for 2007 spring crops are due Monday, and 2008 fall forage seeding enrollment must be in by July 31.

The acreage reporting deadline is for all 2007 insured crops planted in the spring, other than small grains. Participants must file the reports with both their insurance agent and the county Farm Service Agency. To find a crop insurance agent, visit www.rma.usda.gov. For more information on the crop insurance program , call 717-787-6041 or visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us and click on 'Crop Insurance.'

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