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Show Thursday, November New Feedlot 16, 1978, THE HERALD, Provo. I tan -- Page Sb Designed For Water, Fish - WASHINGTON 1 PI An increasing number of American farmers are trying their hand at running a new style of feedlot une filled with water and Jesigned to raise fish Current estimates are that perhaps as many as 5.000 farmers are raising fish for harvest, but no one knows for sure Unlike most other farm crops there is no regular crop reporting system The Agriculture Department indicates the 1977 fish was about 100 million crop of pounds, not including fish raised in hatcheries for stocking And the star of that production picture accounting for about 70 percent was the catfish Fish production may seem small alongside such things as pork production, which often reaches a billion pounds per month but catfish production has increased dramatically In 1960 the catfish total was probably 320.000 pounds This year's leap in U S production is due to relatively high prices offered for catfish last year, NATIONAL WINNERS of the about 60 cents per pound for live fish Larger producFFA Farm Mechanics competition this year forced prices down to about 52 cents tion are. from left, John Neilsen during the summer and forced many operators out of and Dave Nielsen, both of Juab the business The I'SDA estimates that about 95 percent of those people who entered aquaculture for the first time dropped out for money reasons, but there is a common bond linking most of those who stay in the business they are professional farmers. The department says a farming background lends itself well to fish farming Professional farmers treat aquaculture the same as any other farm ven1ARILYN KBYTE ture, with problems in marketing, fertilization, and NEPH1 Juab High School team transportation, in addition to the special difficulties members of the Mt. Nebo FFA came found in fish farming back from Kansas City. Mo., last The advantages of fish farming include such things a highly efficient about one weekend pinching themselves to make ratio pound of catfish for every two pounds of feed, but tha sure they really had won first place in the national Farm Mechanics competidisadvantages include not being able to detect disease until dead fish begin floating to the surface of tion their pond Every time they doubted that it was Most of the fish farms can be compared to cattle really true they had a nice plaque and a gold trophy with which to reassure feedlots, but without fences. Farmers buy fingerlings themselves. weighing just a few ounces and feed them high proThe team, which consisted of Skip tein pellets or mash until they weigh up to a pound and a half. The feeding process usually takes about Warwood, John Neilsen, and Dave six months. Nietsen, had already taken first place As with most farming, catfish farming is hard honors in the state competition held work. The fish need almost constant attention. Ponds ast Spring in Utah, in order to qualify must be cared for; undesirable, wild fish that comfor the National meet. pete for feed must be removed; oxygen, feed and According to instructor Dalley there water levels, quality and acidity must be checked are approximately 10,000 schools in the daily; and mud and silt must be cleaned from the United States that carry the FFA in pond. Many farmers avoid the problems involved in harvesting and transporting their crop to market by letting the customers do the work. In 1976, 43 percent d of all catfish were sold in to customers who paid a fee to drop a line and hook in the farmer's BOISE (UPI) pond and catch a fish. Idaho's 1978 potato The USDA has found that a typical catfish farm crop is expected to total 95.3 million consists of two or three ponds, covering a total area hundredweight or 6 percent above of about 50 acres. Water supply is usually from wells, last year, the Idaho Crop and Livestock Fish farmers can see a good market ahead of Reporting Service said today. them. Americans ate nearly 14 pounds of fish of all This estimate is 2 percent above the October 1 forecast. The report said extypes last year, continuing an annual rise in concellent conditions prevailed during sumption that has been steady since 1969. harvest and yields turned out better While the number of wild fish is slipping, demand than earlier expectations. is growing stronger and the fish farms will be able to Quality of the crop which went into take up much of that slack. storage, the report said, is outstanding. However, the Agriculture Department says fish The state yield of 261 hundredweight 5 farming needs to expand even faster than it has in per acre is hundredweight above last order to avoid being swamped by the growing tide of month and 16 hundredweight higher than last year. fish. - farm-raise- 11 CHICKENS RAISED in the BYL Poultry Laboratory's modern new brooder coop allow agriculture students to have experience with modern tools used in the industry. Dr. N Paul M i I Johnson, left, coordinator of poultry projects, and Bill Thompson, manager of the laboratory, examine one of the chickens. Agriculture Students Get Experience in Poultry Raising BYU Students working in the brand new brooder coop at the Brigham Young University Poultry Laboratory can get valuable "hands-on- " experience with the kind of sophisticated mechanical tools being used in industry, a BYU scientist says. Dr. N. Paul Johnston, associate professor of animal science and coordinator of poultry projects for the Department of Animal Science, said the new facility benefits students by providing them experience they could not get at many other universities, and it brings greater efficiency in the raising of laying hens. Bill Thompson, manager of the Poultry Laboratory at 2230 North and University Avenue in Prove, said the three-tiere- d caging system in the new building allows twice as many chicks to be raised in almostnalf the amount of space used when the birds run loose on the floors of old style brooder coops. The new coop provides about 2,800 square feet of floor space for the birds Mr Thompson said BYU graduates are in demand for jobs in the poultry industry because they have had experience handling live birds. Dr. Johnston explained that programs at many universities, even agricultural schools, provide no opportunity for students to do significant work with live birds. Feeding and watering, air flow, and manure removal can all be controlled through automatic equipment built into the new building. Some 8,000 chicks can be raised to maturity at one time in the new coop. Dr. Johnston explained that g hens have a useful life of one year. The Poultry Laboratory replaces half of its laying hens every six months to assure continuity in egg producegg-layin- tion. Eggs from the Poultry Laboratory go to cafeterias on the BYU campus, in the LDS Church's Missionary Training Center, and in the Provo LDS Temple. Some eggs are sold through small stores at the Poultry Laboratory and at the Dairy Products Laboratory on the north side of the BYU campus. d t t High School A third team winner. Skip Norwood, was absent when the photo was taken. Nebo FFA Team Wins National Farm Award - - their school curriculum From this number there were 40 state winners, entered in the national meet. The test itself had four divisions, small gasoline engines, tractor power, soil and water management, and . building construction. "I met with the boys once a week as nearly as we could all last summer.'' said Mr Dalley "However, I took a fall and broke some ribs during that i i: J '. i! j as. i geil as mum uone time anu 1 uiun I wanted to." T Above Forecasts - Writer Gives Farm Bill By LISA SHEPARD Herald Washington Writer WASHINGTON - These prices are sup- posed to cover most of the production costs for a The commodity. The Agriculture Trade recently ended Congress passed a mixed bag of Act of 1978 seeks to legislation designed to Eromote export sales by federal exhelp depressed segments of the nation's port credit programs. agriculture and improve China was made eligible credit and farm incomes. However, for three-yea- r one group the Agriculture Departsays Congress did little to ment was authorized to help stop the rising open six to 25 overseas sales promotion offices. growth of Congress also passed a farming. The Agriculture Credit disclosure bill requiring Act of 1978 offers all foreigners owning emergency refinancing U.S. farmland to file with the assistance and expanded reports Farmers Home Ad- Secretary of Agriculture ministration Loan levels within 180 days. New land to commercial farmers. acquisitions or transfers Small farmers gained a to foreign individuals or loan corporations must be new program under the bill reported within 90 days. and farm production Representatives for the cooperatives are now Rural America claim be eligible for assistance real issue should absentee ownership, not from the agency. "But no other congres- possession by a foreigner. Another piece of sional action this year is of significance to small legislation passed would farmers," writes Peggy change a 1964 beef import Borgers in a newsletter formula. The new forimpublished by a group cal- mula would reduce U.S. when producled Rural America. ports The Emergency tion is high and allow Agricultural Act of 1978, more imports when a result of last winter's domestic supplies low grain prices, in- decline. It also restricts creases support target the President's power tos prices for grains and cot- suspend or modify import ton in seasons when quotas. The President, who has government set Nov. 11 to sign the until effect. in are programs bill or let it die, is not The legislation set a to put his minimum loan rate for cotton while continusignature on the legislaing to tie the cotton loan tion. He has called the program to a formula bill inflationary and said it will hurt international aimed at keeping it in world trade. The National Camarkets. It also raised ttlemen's Association the target price for wheat stronglv supports the new from $3 to 3.40 a bushel bill. A new system for in 1978 and continues the determining how much price in 1979. The government will livestock producers will make cash payments to pay for grazing cattle and farmers if market prices sheep on federal lands fall below target prices. also came out of this small-farmer- Wrap-U- p Congress. The revised system is tied to livestock prices and ranching costs which means fees may rise when ranchers are receiving high returns or shrink when they are pinched by low cattle prices. At least half of the fees will go into a new program for range im- provement. Bidding methods for National Forest timber were changed from sealed back to oral . This is not the first time a Juab HiglK School team has placed first in state Mechanics meets under Jay Dalley, the school has earned 10 first place pla ques since competition started in 1963 Mr. Dalley stated that to his . .J .... 1.. L ,L.,, ... Miuwieuge, iiuwevei uus was umy uie second time in fifty years that a Utah 'Jr team has taken first place National" honors. The other win was made by Bear River in a dairy products competition. In commemoration of the event this year's team was awarded a plaque by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, who have sponsored the event on both state and national levels, and a trophy given by the rrA. Idaho Potato Crop farm-raise- I r jiit , , imported A nice thing to have next o low-intere- st G set-asi- BP I com-petiti- 3 Local Men Honored At 5CS Convention Four Utah County men were honored Friday at the annual convention of the Utah Association of Soil Conservation Districts, held last weekend at St. 30th George. Tim-panog- UNIVERSITY MALL 225-782- 5 , aecona ana mira piace winners u the competition were Iowa and Califor nia respectively. 's Selected to receive the Goodyear Award as outstanding conservation farmer for the year in the Nebo Soil Conservation District was Leon Zeeman of Lakeshore. Karl W. Johnson and Wallace K. Johnson, both of Provo, received the same award for the Soil Conservation District, and Boyd Anderson, Pleasant Grove, for the Alpine Soil Conservation District. Jim Matsumori, Salt Lake City, state president, directed the convention. Guest speakers Included Dr. Kenneth B. Creer, Utah State Commissioner of Agriculture; Senator Jake Garn; and Kenneth Williams. Washington field representative for the SCS. r a once in a lifetime thrill for these boys, said Mr. Dalley. I really think a major part of their earning itp was the fact that they listened well to the instructions given and followed, , them well during the competition." "It's J "78 i |
