May 2005

Boost your insect-fighting arsenal: CDC approves ingredients as effective for mosquitoes ( Poughkeepsie Journal.com , May 25, '05 ). "People who spend a lot of time outdoors now have new options to protect themselves from mosquito bites. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has approved new guidelines for insect repellent use for two new active ingredients - Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. . . . Picaridin is widely used in Europe and is marketed in the United States as Cutter Advance. Oil of lemon eucalyptus, a plant-based or botanical repellent, also is effective, but it must be used in high concentrations, the CDC said. Repellents containing the ingredient are already on the market in products such as Off! Botanicals." Read the complete article at http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/projects/health/052905s1.shtml .

5 most dangerous jobs for teens (CNNMoney.com, June 10, 2005 ) "Agricultural field work topped the list. The report said the agricultural industry accounted for 42 percent of all work-related fatalities of young workers between 1992 and 2000. Construction work, which is the third leading cause of death among young workers, was No. 2 on the list." The No. 3 most dangerous was "outdoor jobs in landscaping, groundskeeping and lawn services . . . The NCL said work involving tractors and all-terrain vehicles was ranked as No. 4. Rounding out the list at No. 5 were jobs that require teenagers to travel door-to-door selling candy, magazine subscriptions or other items." Read the complete article at http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/09/pf/worst_jobs/index.htm?cnn=yes .

Bankruptcy Reform from Both Sides by Mark Battersby ( Landscape Construction , June '05) notes, "Chapter 11 is used mainly by businesses that want to keep operating and pay creditors under a plan of reorganization. . . . The new law established a new, expedited form of Chapter 11 reorganization for small businesses with less than $2 million in aggregate debts. The process includes a standard form for disclosure statements and reorganization plans, uniform national reporting requirements and rules, enumerated duties that must be performed on schedule and a general rule that plans must be filed within 180 days. . . . Under the new rules, if no reorganization plan is filed within 300 days, the bankruptcy case can be dismissed or converted into a Chapter 7 liquidation."

EPA extends sign-up period for AQCA to July 29, 2005 reports Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences Air Emissions web page. Read the EPA notice and other information on the Air Quality Control Act at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/agreements/caa/cafo-agr-0501.html .

Penn State opens Latino agriculture center ( Penn State News ). Responding to the growth of the Hispanic population in the United States and its growing involvement in agriculture, Penn State 's College of Agricultural Sciences has established a Latino Agricultural Resource Center . . . . The center will coordinate several key activities, including: development of Spanish language instruction and materials; translation of educational materials; and design of educational programs for Penn State Cooperative Extension county-based educators and their clientele. "The Hispanic workforce has become vital for the survival of some agricultural sectors, and managers need to be able to bridge language and cultural barriers to maintain employee morale and productivity," explains Daney Jackson, director of Penn State Cooperative Extension. Read the complete article at http://aginfo.psu.edu/News/february05/latino.html .

West Nile Virus Expected to Pose Strong Threat this Year reports Lawn&Landscape Online. " This year, health officials are citing an increase in the more harmful aspects of the disease and are urging vigilance in keeping it at bay. . . . With no vaccine, CDC and other health professionals note that the best protection against WNV is to avoid mosquitos as much as possible. . . . Apply insect repellent containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) to exposed skin when you go outdoors. Even a short time being outdoors can be long enough to get a mosquito bite. Mosquitoes that carry the West Nile Virus are most likely to bite around dusk and dawn, so wearing repellant during these times of day is especially important, though the safest decision is to apply repellant whenever you are outdoors." Read the complete article at http://www.lawnandlandscape.com/News/news.asp?Id=3418

Lyme Disease Facts are available on the OSHA website. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a national Lyme disease risk map in which CDC identified areas of the U.S. as minimal or no risk, low risk, moderate risk, or high risk for predicted Lyme disease. View the map and read the fact sheet at http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_LymeFacts/lymefac.pdf .

Know when it's time to pull the plug on a business ( Hoard's Dairyman , May 25, '05) reports on four symptoms, identified by Dave Kohl, Professor Emeritus, Agricultural Finance and Small Business Management at Virginia Tech, that should lead to "corrective action . . . or the business should consider dispersing." The symptoms are: Open accounts, accounts payable, and credit card debt keep getting larger; refinancing is needed in order to carry debt; real estate taxes are unpaid; and cash flow and earnings cannot service debt."

Ag Buildings Exempt from Uniform Construction Code Permit Fees PA Vegetable Growers News, May ’05 reports that the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau “requested and obtained from the PA Department of Labor and Industry a letter stating that townships may not assess UCC building permit fees on UCC-exempt Ag buildings. The letter has caused at least one township to reverse its initial position on permit fees on ag buildings. PFB has posted the letter on their website at http://www.pfb.com/issues/05-aprillaborletter.pdf.

CWT Switches Gears reports Pipeline (MD&VA Milk Producers, May ’05). “The final Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) dairy herd retirement bidder has been paid and now CWT management has shifted its primary focus to the overseas export market for American-made dairy products. . . . CWT operates the export assistance program in an effort to maintain cheese prices above $1.40 per pound, and $1.30 per pound for butter.” Visit the CWT website at http://www.cwt.coop/ for more information.

Updated Food Guide Recommends Dairy (Pipeline, MD&VA Milk Producers, May ’05). “Three-a-day of dairy is the message according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recently unveiled MyPyramid, a new symbol and interactive food guidance system.” Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns “said there were 100 million visits to the USDA’s Web site within the first 48 hours of the guidelines’ release.”

Reproduction and Profits Start with the Dry Cow says John Hibma, dairy nutritional consultant, in Farming (May ’05). “I would make the argument that reproduction efficiency has more long-term effect on your dairy’s gross revenue and profitability than any other area of management. Some dairy farmers might suggest that daily milk production or the growing of high quality forages have the greatest effect on profitability, but, while those two areas are necessary for adequate revenue flows, I would counter that getting cows bred, keeping days-in-milk and herd turnover rates low all have a greater long term impact on profitability, and each of these areas are directly influenced by dry cow and early lactation management.”

Pennsylvania’s production is encouraging reports Farmshine (May ’05). Gary Heckman, executive director, Center for Dairy Excellence, says, “Congratulations to Pennsylvania dairy producers on the nice growth in milk production during the first quarter of 2005. Milk production versus last year was +2.8% in January, +3.1% in February (adjusted) and +1.2% in March. You are headed in the right direction to address the increased demand for your product in the Northeast.”

Try to wean at four weeks recommends Penn State dairy scientist Jud Heinrichs in Dairy Herd Management (May ’05). Heinrichs says, “When weaning your calves, four weeks is a good goal to shoot for. . . .(This should coincide with the calf eating 1.5 to 2 pounds of grain or more per day for three consecutive days.) By weaning at four weeks of age, you will save money compared to the average weaning age of eight weeks, he says. The cost per day to raise calves prior to weaning is approximately $2.50, compared to $1.50 per day after weaning.”

Ask these questions before you renovate recommends Penn State agricultural engineer Bob Graves in Dairy Herd Management (May ’05). “Most people overestimate the value of an existing building and underestimate the cost of renovating it for cattle housing,” he says. “Before you renovate a building, ask yourself. . . : Why is the building available? Are there other building needs on the farm? If you didn’t own it, how much would you pay some else for it?”

Questions to Consider Before Signing the Air Agreement by Penn State’s Virginia Ishler, Robert Graves, and John Becker are featured in the “Farm Flashes” section of Hoard’s Dairyman (May ’05). “There are still many unanswered questions about the air quality consent agreement . . . The Penn State team recommends considering these seven questions as you decide whether or not to participate. . . . Remember, the agreement is voluntary, and participating may not be the best decision for your dairy. Seek out as much information as you can, and make an informed decision.” Read the Penn State report at http://nutrient.psu.edu/whatif.pdf. The seven questions are on the second page.

May 19 Class I Premium Hearing (Cream O’ the News, PA Assn of Milk Dealers, 5/10/05). “All parties testifying at the May 19 over-order premium hearing before the Milk Marketing Board agreed the premium should remain at $1.55 per hundredweight for the second half of 2005. Dairylea economist Ed Gallagher . . . testified milk supplies are plentiful now with manufacturing plants operating over 100 percent capacity. He predicted milk production will decrease later in the year as demand increases.”

Most profits come during early lactation according to University of Pennsylvania research reported in Farmshine (May ’05). “Early lactation cows have a return on investment for feed of 3:1. By the end of lactation, the return drops to 1:1. Furthermore, almost half of the total profit per lactation is made in the first 100 days. Fresh cows hold the most potential for profits, but they are also at high risk for losses during the stressful post-calving period.”

9 Commandments for Community Relations (Dairy Herd Management, May ’05) offers “tips to keep public opinion favorable for your dairy.” Tips include practice proactive communication; practice direct communication; maintain a neat appearance at your dairy; make little gestures count; and be open and honest with neighbors. Read the complete article at http://www.dairyherd.com/directories.asp?pgID=724&ed_id=4401 (free registration required).

Challenges Facing Farm Families (Country Focus, PA Farm Bureau, May ’05). “Nearly 300 farmers converged on the State Capital April 12 to talk to members of the General Assembly about key issues affecting agriculture as part of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s State Legislative Conference. . . . Some of the key issues farmers discussed with lawmakers included: The need for relief from illegal local ordinances that violate Pennsylvania’s Right to Farm Act and other state laws. . . . Passage of health care reforms to help control the spiraling cost of health insurance. . . . Restoration of funding in the proposed state budget for crop insurance, agriculture research, the Animal Health Commission and money to support the environmental work of conservation districts. . . . A long-term approach to funding for farmland preservation to ensure there is a place in Pennsylvania for family farmers.”

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