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Show enice Operation Does More Than Cube Hay Mixing and storing feeds, and corraling feeding animals and cubing and storing hay are all part of Venice Feed and Cattle Company and Cowley Farm and Feed Lot operation. The Venice Feed operation mixes almost any kind of feed for farmers, says employee Richard Van Dyke. Barley, corn or other feed, can come in by truck, be weighted, then dumped into the shed. It is the moved by loader to a pit where an elevator conveys it into , grain bins, it is then premixed as it proceeds to a cooker. An airlift helps dry the grain and prevents molding. The operation consists of five inside feed bins, holding 25 tons each and three other metal bins outside the feed plant. Two of these hold 200' tons of barley each and one holds 200 tons of corn. Another shed stores up to 2,000 tons of feed. The feed is then sold by bulk only. No fertilizer is locally. Cowley says cattle-wis- e, their worst problem is having a place for cattle to be slaughtered. Cowley likes the farm business, because its fun to watch things grow, it feels like we are doing the world a good thing. I feel like we serve the farmers. Last year, Cowleys sold nearly $3 million worth of feed, but they have no further plans for expansion until the economy gets better. One disadvantage of this business he says, is $12,000 a month fuel bills and the tight margin of profit a business runs on feed and purchasing costs. Last year, Cowley said they were selling cubed hay for $94 a ton, a now sell for $80 a ton. The biggest is problem expensive equipment, fuel and parts. It is also hard to hire good labor because they cant afford to pay the high wages that area coal miners get. sold. Across the street are Still business has been good corrals owned by the Cowley and hopefully will become Farm and Feed Lot better. operation for handling 6,000- 7.000 cows during peak winter months. During the the need summer, for corraling cattle drops some, according to employee Greg Harwood. Cowley s utilize 15 fulltime employees, but during the summer, hire several high school boys to help with head of cattle on Booby Hole Mountain. The advantage of the grazing . 400 corraUndieetLoperatioo, is .. having all their equipment and milking on location so Cowley s can roll their feed and truck it easily to the animals. In addition, Brent Cowley, of Cowley Farm and Feed Lot, says they farm about 500 acres, 225 of which goes for cubing and the rest for barley and corn silage. Cowleys cube about 8,000 tons a year some of which comes from other farmers, and export about 4500 tons of that to Japan. Part of the hay is made into alfalfa food for human consumption and also for dairies. Cowley Farm supplies about 1000 tons cubed hay a year to dairies and feeds about tons through the rest to Phoenix, Ariz., to horsemen, cattlemen and dairies. Cowleys can store up to 5.000 tons of cubed hay on a flat cement storage area near U.S. 89. Trucks from all over the country, load and unload at this spot. Much of the hay is taken to Long Beach where it will be shipped to Japan. Cowley s can also store 12.000 tons of silage in their pits across the street. Silage is brought in locally and sold 2,000 feedlot, then ships the Thursday-- , shipped either to Japan or to other locations. The Cowley Be alert for apple scab Apple growers are advised to be alert for apple scab infections this year, warns A. H. Epstein, extension plant pathologist at Iowa State heavier-than-usu- al University. The organism that causes the disease overwintered successfully, and the right weather conditions could result in severe primary infection on newly expanding apple foliage, he re- Primary infections usually do not cause much damage to the apple leaves, according to Epstein. But secondary infections, resulting from spores produced by the primary infections, can cause severe defoliation and can reduce quantity and quality of the apple crop. Apple scab is caused by a plant parasitic fungus that overwinters in infected leaves of the previous season on the orchard floor. During the winter, the fungus produces fruiting structures in which the spores of the fungus are borne. During periods of wet weather in the spring, the spores are ejected into the air and dispersed by air currents. If the spores land on a susceptible apple leaf and moisture is present such as dew or rain, primary infection will occur. There are usually few primary infections, and they do little damage. However, this is the best time to control the disease because there are so few infections. In about 10 to 14 days, the primary infections produce spores of the secondary or summer stage. The disease causes greatest damage to the the apple crop in the secondary or summer stage because it can build up rapidly throughout the growing season. Susceptible varieties may be y completely defoliated by if they are not protected by fungicides. Preventive sprays should be in place by the time long apple leaves are and prior to wet periods. mid-Jul- one-four- " w head of cattle can be kept in corrals throughout the winter where they are fed silage, cubed mi Some 6,000-7,00- IVIM 0 hay or feed from Venice Feed and Catt,e Company. The cattle operation is owned by Brent and Ivan Cowley. 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