The Rural Voice, 1993-05, Page 29the forage harvester to chop up the
spoiled hay and blow it back onto the
field so it wouldn't kill out the next
growth of alfalfa. Sometimes, Ackert
says, the farmer would already have
been paid before the wet weather
would let up long enough for the
harvesters to get on the wet fields and
dispose of the rotting crop. "We had
months that had 16 or 17 days' rain in
the month. It's pretty hard to make
hay."
Timing, in an operation this
big, is essential and weather
delays can create problems.
"It's crucial for us to be
through our first cut by July
1, otherwise your whole season is
wrecked. " To make weather less of a
factor the company has been
investigating some huge new
harvesters which speed drying of the
hay so that only three or four hours in
the swath on a sunny day are
required.
Although the company doesn't try
to make alfalfa completely chemical -
free, it does put high emphasis on
environmental aspects of farming,
part of the European heritage of the
company's founders, Ackert says. In
Europe, with its limited land -base,
people seem to be more aware of
protecting the land, he says.
Alfalfa fits perfectly into that way
of doing things. It puts the green into
the green movement and, for some
farmers, the green into the bank
balance too.0
A high -dump wagon unloads freshly
harvested alfalfa.
VitesPiedRii°1434
FIRST CHOICE GENETICS - A.I. DIVISION
Offering Top Notch Semen for the Commercial Industry. High quality fresh semen from
superior " Ztf ill " genetics. WILL WORK WELL WITH PIC AND NPD GENETICS!
Special A.I. Breeding Programs Available for those wanting to save their own gifts.
We have a good supply of SUPERIOR F1 GILTS and BOARS of GOOD and EXCELLENT
health status waiting to upgrade your herd.
Richard Stein
R. R. 6, Woodstock
Ontario N4S 7W1
(519) 655-2942
Fax No. (519) 655-3404
"First Choice Genetics" - A.I. (519) 272-0350
Warren Stein
R. R. 2, Tavistock
Ontario NOB 2R0
(519) 462-2704
IT'S YOUR ONE STOP
FOR SPRING SUPPLIES
Ultra Modern Diesel Powered Flotation Fertilizer Spreader
• Liquid starter fertilizer
• Liquid nitrogen 28%
• Bulk and bag fertilizer
• Complete line of seeds: cereal grains, seed
corn, soybeans, white beans, plow -down clover
and all forage seeds
• Complete line of herbicides and insecticides
• Three petroleum trucks to serve you plus a
large stock of motor oils and lubricants
This spring shop at Mitchell Co-op.
Your one-stop farm supply centre.
Mitchell Co-operative
Mitchell Fertilizer Warehouse 348-9043
Mitchell Branch 348-8441 Monkton Branch 347-2232
MAY 1993 25