The topics in this newsletter are considered to be timely and
of interest. Comments and suggestions are invited. The use of trade names in
this newsletter is not an endorsement of any company or product by the Maryland
Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland, College Park.
David S. Ross, Extension Agricultural Engineer
The following Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service publications are being highlighted this month for growers and marketers.
Orders should be sent to NRAES, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701. Quantity discounts are available. Major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES. For information about quantity discounts, or for a free publications catalog, contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax (607) 254-8770, or by E-mail at nraes@cornell.edu. NRAES also maintains a web site at http://www.nraes.org.
In today's competitive dairy industry, producers look to optimize each component of the dairy farm to increase production, efficiency, and profitability. While cow nutrition is a science with many experts in the field to provide advice, the impact of housing and equipment on milk production and costs is not as well known. On February 1-3, 2000, in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, more than 25 experts on dairy housing, equipment, and management will share their knowledge and answer your questions at a conference entitled "Dairy Housing and Equipment Systems: Managing and Planning for Profitability." This conference is a must for producers and producer advisors that want to optimize existing systems or plan new facilities.
The conference will present the state of knowledge on the impact of housing system design and management on cow comfort, operating costs, and milk production. Freestall options and management will be thoroughly reviewed including information on sand as bedding. Principles of planning new facilities will be presented, including site selection, farmstead configuration, and freestall barn layout. Natural and tunnel ventilation will be discussed along with the impact of facilities on health. Housing and equipment needs for special cows will be presented, and several speakers will present overall management guidelines. The program includes thirty-five presentations, eight question and answer sessions, and a panel entitled "Producer Satisfaction with Expansion Decisions." Half-hour breaks and a long lunch are included to promote informal discussions.
After the first day's program, an industry-sponsored tabletop exhibit session will occur and include hors d'oeuvres. Companies should contact NRAES if they are interested in sponsoring the conference or participating in the tabletop exhibits. The second evening will offer three concurrent discussion sessions with topics chosen by the audience on the registration form. Proposed topics include "All About Sand as Bedding," "Planning Manure Management Systems," "Housing and Facility Impacts on Cow Health," "Financial Planning for New Facilities," and "Milking Centers and Parlor Performance." Which one do you want to attend? Register early to be sure your vote counts!
The registration fee for the conference is $225 in U.S. funds if postmarked on or before January 13, 2000; and $275 after January 13 or at the door. The fee includes one conference admission, one lunch, break refreshments, reception refreshments, evening discussions, and a copy of the conference proceedings. Checks should be made payable to NRAES in U. S. funds. All major credit cards are also accepted.
Complete conference information can be found on the NRAES Web page, WWW.NRAES.ORG. Registrations will be accepted by Internet or by telephone or fax for those who wish to pay by credit card. To register or to receive copies of the free conference brochure, contact NRAES, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701; phone (607) 255-7654; fax (607) 254-8770; e-mail NRAES@CORNELL.EDU.
A block of rooms has been reserved for conference participants at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel and Convention Center. To reserve a room, call the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel at (717) 763-7117 or (800) 333-3333. Mention "Dairy Housing" to receive the special conference rate of $68, plus 6% tax, for a single, double, triple, or quad.
Because farmers face a competitive and volatile market, growing a high-quality product may no longer be enough to guarantee financial success. A new video shares the experience of managers of eight farms, who show how the right combination of products, customers, and marketing strategies can help build financially rewarding businesses. Farmers and Their Diversified Horticultural Marketing Strategies: An Educational Video on Innovative Marketing, NRAES-139 ($15.00 plus S&H/sales tax, 49-minute video, 1999) profiles vegetable, fruit, and horticultural growers in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont who have pursued a variety of rewarding approaches adapted to their unique products and conditions. The video was produced by Vern Grubinger, director of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Vermont and vegetable and berry specialist for University of Vermont Extension.
The growers interviewed for Farmers and Their Diversified Horticultural Marketing Strategies successfully sell their products through a broad range of retail and wholesale outlets: roadside stands, farmers markets, large-scale community-supported agriculture organizations, multiple markets, internet sales, pick-your-own businesses, restaurant sales, and wholesale cooperatives. In their own words, the growers summarize the history of their marketing efforts, explain why their chosen strategies suit their products, geographic conditions, and personal goals, and reflect on how they have developed good relationships with loyal customers. The video will help both new and established growers and their advisors carefully consider the marketing options for their particular situations that can enhance income and promote the sustainability of their farms.
Funding for Farmers and Their Diversified Horticultural Marketing Strategies was provided by the Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE), a USDA competitive grants program.
Farmers and Their Diversified Horticultural Marketing Strategies: An Educational Video on Innovative Marketing, NRAES-139, is priced at $15.00 for one video, plus shipping and handling and sales tax. The shipping and handling charge is $3.75 for a single copy within the continental United States.
Waste management has been a concern in poultry operations for many years. Problems with storing, handling, managing, and utilizing the byproducts of production have come to the forefront in planning, establishing, and operating poultry farms. Poultry growers have become sensitive to potential nuisance litigation should their farms generate odors, problems with insects and vermin, leachate, or runoff that offends neighbors or poses a risk to the environment. A new book published by the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES) was written to aid growers and their advisors in designing and implementing effective waste management plans for poultry operations. The Poultry Waste Management Handbook ($16.00 plus S&H/sales tax, 72 pages, September 1999) covers all aspects of solid, semi-solid, and liquid poultry waste management - from manure production to utilization. The publication will be a valuable resource for producers, cooperative extension educators, manure management consultants, regulatory agencies, and soil and water conservation district staff.
The Poultry Waste Management Handbook contains nine chapters that cover the following topics: manure production and characteristics; environmental regulations and hazards; poultry housing and waste management; manure storage within and outside of the poultry house (including solids systems and liquid, slurry, and semi-solid systems); waste treatment and utilization (such as composting, anaerobic lagoons, aerobic digestion, and direct incineration); nutrient management; application equipment (from solids handling equipment to irrigation systems); dead bird management (rendering, composting, and incineration); and alternative uses for manure. The nutrient management chapter explains the steps involved in developing a nutrient management plan and contains worksheets for estimating nitrogen availability and application rates. The chapter on application equipment reviews equations and procedures for calibrating various types of equipment. Forty-three illustrations and 14 tables supplement the text.
The Poultry Waste Management Handbook was written by Eldridge R. Collins, Jr., Professor and Extension Agricultural Engineer, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; James C. Barker, Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University; Lewis E. Carr, Ph.D., Instructor-Agricultural Engineering, Department of Biological Resources Engineering, University of Maryland at College Park; Herbert L. Brodie, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biological Resources Engineering, University of Maryland at College Park; and John H. Martin, Jr., Former Associate Professor, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware.
The Poultry Waste Management Handbook, NRAES-132, is available for $16.00 per copy plus shipping and handling from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701. Shipping and handling for one copy is $3.75 within the continental United States.
Many livestock operations have high-traffic areas that become muddy or rutted during wet weather. Mud can be a problem wherever there is heavy equipment traffic. Muddy conditions can limit equipment mobility, hinder access to feed or manure, and limit movement of those materials. Muddy conditions also have been shown to affect animal health and performance.
A new Agricultural Engineers Digest, Using All-Weather Geotextile Lanes and Pads, AED-45, from the MidWest Plan Service ($4.00 plus S&H/sales tax, 12 pages, 1999), addresses one way to combat mud and the adverse conditions it creates. AED-45 describes how to develop all-weather surfaces designed with geotextile fabric, which is a synthetically engineered spun or woven polypropylene material used below the surface of the soil to provide additional stability to the soil and to distribute loads over a wide area.
In addition to describing what geotextile lanes and pads are, All-Weather Geotextile Lanes and Pads explains why using geotextile fabrics is a good idea and explains how they work. The publication illustrates some typical designs and common layouts for geotextile applications. It also contains photographs depicting the proper way to install geotextile fabrics.
Along with the engineering details of how to develop geotextile lanes and pads, All-Weather Geotextile Lanes and Pads presents a comprehensive example comparing five options for the surface of a cow lane. The example shows that the annual cost of an investment includes direct costs for interest, principal, repairs, taxes, and insurance as well as the indirect impact the investment has on other aspects of the operation.
Authors of the 12-page booklet are Kevin Janni, professor and extension agricultural engineer from the University of Minnesota; Ted Funk, assistant professor and extension agricultural engineer from the University of Illinois; and Brian Holmes, professor and extension agricultural engineer from the University of Wisconsin.
According to the authors, cattle lanes and yards and feed and manure storage pads are areas that can make good use of geotextile surfaces to improve labor efficiency and animal performance. The authors say building lanes and pads with geotextile fabrics is a good alternative to using concrete or other all-weather surfaces. They note that geotextile lanes and pads require some maintenance and cannot withstand as much traffic or cleaning as concrete, but say the geotextile surfaces can be installed for about one-third the initial cost of concrete.
Using All-Weather Geotextile Lanes and Pads, AED-45, is available for $4.00 per copy plus shipping and handling from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701. The shipping and handling charge for one copy is $3.75 within the continental United States.
