Here are this week’s top stories from Farm and Dairy:
1. Feud at the fair: Beaver County 4-H club leaves fold and take livestock with it
The Beaver County Stockman’s Club has renounced its 4-H affiliation and will not display animals at the Hookstown Fair this August. The market livestock show and sale will still take place at the Big Knob Grange Fair, also in Beaver County.
Penn State Extension made changes to rules about showing livestock at fairs, and the club advisers felt that the members did not benefit from them. Penn State Extension officials state that the changes were made to bring western Pennsylvania counties to the same standards as those of the rest of the state.
2. Mike Bardo: Teacher by day, farmer by night
Even though Mike Bardo retired this year from West Branch Local School District after teaching vocational agriculture for 40 years, he can still be found in the ag lab. He’ll serve as a vo-ag field trip driver, plus he’ll help the new teacher get acquainted with the position.
Besides teaching for four decades, Bardo is a dairy farmer alongside his father and brother. Even in retirement, he says his routine won’t change.
3. Bird flu biosecurity: Pa. imposes interstate quarantine
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has developed an order that requires 72-hour testing, paperwork and reporting requirements for poultry moving to live bird markets and eggs headed for commercial breaking operations from states with flocks infected with the bird flu.
So far, the bird flu has been detected in flocks in 20 states. Since December 2014, more than 48 million birds have been killed by the virus.
4. Medina girl finds a way with 4-H animals
Thirteen-year-old Allie Loftus may not have grown up on a farm, but she’s dedicated to raising her own farm animals for the fair. This year, she won overall beef champion at the Ohio Beef Expo, and she’s thinking about a career in agriculture down the road.
After asking Medina County farmer Mike Boyert, who lives about ten minutes from Allie and her family, if she could keep a hog at his farm, Boyert finally decided to give her a try. Allie has proven herself by working hard in the barn, caring for her hog and now turkeys, chickens and a heifer, and by helping out with other work on the farm, such as mulching, painting and cleaning up.
5. Manure expo: Don’t miss a minute of the action
At the North American Manure Expo, held in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania July 14 and 15, attendees will have the opportunity to see the latest technology, watch demonstrations and improve their knowledge.
On the dairy side of the event, a tour including three dairy farms will be included. For beef and equine, attendees will visit Wilson College for a stable training facility and pasture tour and will learn about various management practices. A trade show will open July 15 and will offer education sessions.
