—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 9, 1361
4
FROM WHERE WE STAND -
The Minus Side Of Contract Farming
. Contract farming on any large scale
is a relatively new facet of American
Agriculture. Contracts for broilers a
few years ago were looked upon by
many as the best thing to hit the poul
try industry in many years.
Vertical integration in farming has
taken many paths of late. It has come
in for a great deal of controversy and
criticism Some of the criticism we
feel is justified.
A report on chick placements in
the Delmarva broiler raising area indi
cates there won’t be any relief from
the overproduction plagueing that in
dustry for at least another ten weeks.
Contracts in that area are so numerous
and common that there have been
charges of attempts by national feed
companies to price the independent
grower out of the broiler business.
A recent university survey in one of
the hog-belt states showed an amazing
iO per cent of the feeder hogs "under
contract throughout the state.
Recently the Agricultural Committee
of the U. S. House of Representatives
began hearings as a result of the House
Small Business Committee investiga
tions into alleged monopolies in the
food business.
At the same time, the Commerce
Committee of the house began hear
mgs on almost the same subject.
The commerce committee considered
legislation which would make it "illegal
l o sell food products at a loss in one
area of the country while selling the
same item at a profit in other areas.
The agriculture committee consider
-2d bills that would make it illegal for
retail food -chain stores to engage in
meat packing on one hand, and on the
other hand making it possible for the
b:g meat packers to engage in retailing
Milk pricing practices in retail
stores has been under criticism and
surveillance across the country for
several years. These includes installa
tion or refrigerated units by large dair
ies in return for exclusive distribution
or, at least, top priority; rebates to the
grocer on quantity purchases; prices at
a loss to the dairy and so low the store,
whether independent or chain, cannot
turn down the offer.
Wisconsin, the nation’s leading dairy
state has had its share of these abuses.
The attorney general’s office now has
cases pending against several larger
nationwide dairy chains. But Wiscon
sin, to the best of our knowledge, has
not had its main product bantered a
hout grocery advertisements as has
happened in other states. In fact, in a
search through the four grocery edi
tions of two state papers, we found
milk advertised but twice—both times
at prevailing prices.
The situation is not the same in oth
er states And if it continues, dairy far
mers might be the ones to ultimate 1 y
suffer. In Indianapolis recently, a
chain store advertised milk at 99c for
three half-gallons, or 16 5c per quart
That same brand of milk was offered a
week later by another store, this time
• Brubaker
(From page H
v'ania State University The
r.rst award made by the
.Lancaster meat packing firm
jast year went to James Hu
per, Lancaster R 7.
Brubaker, a graduate in
vocational agriculture at the
•Varwick Union High School,
is enrolled at the University
and will begin classes Sept
24 He will pursue an Agri
culture Economics curricul
um with a minor stud> in
Political Science
During his high school
term. Brubaker served as a
chapter officer for two years
and as Junior chapter advis
or for two years
He won the Keystone Far
mer Degree m the state Fu
ture Farmers Association in
January and was named Star
n armer of the 12-county re-
Federal Milk Marketing Orders
gion
An active member of live
stock and dairy judging
teams, Brubaker won a silv
er medal m state competi
tion in 1960
He has been active in 4-II
club activities and served as
president of his community
club as well as the county
Ayrshire-Jersey club
Since his junior year in
high school, Brubaker has
farmed a 72 acre farm which
he rented He owns 12 pure
bred Ayrshires, six purebred
Yorkshire sows, a Tennessee
Walking horse and fattening
pigs and capons
He was selected for the a
ward by the county teachers
of vocational agriculture on
the basic of general agricul
tural excellence
Brubaker is married to the
former Virginia Landis, Lit
itz R 3 Mrs Brubaker plans
„ operations.
Small Business Committee' members
predicted not only farmers but small
town dames, retailers, and etc. are in
danger of being wiped out by the pric
ing practices of large national compan
ies They expressed fears that retail
food chains are spreading out with res
pect to meat into the feedlot and other
operations and that these chains may
eventually go all the way from the calf
to retail beef sales.
The bills before the commerce com
mittee would refer to all businesses,
but it was made clear that food chains,
national dairies, national bakeries and
other food processors and sellers were
the main targets.
Unless Farmers themselves take the
situation in hand -r unless farmers
themselves realize what easy money
and corporation financing do to the
farming economy unless farmers
themselves face up to the fact that con
centration of the production decisions
in the hands of a few companies is
making hired hands out of the farm
owners, the government will step in
with more regulations.
.The following editorial which ap
peared recently in a farm paper in an
other state shows what can happen to
an agricultural commodity when the
producers of the commodity do not
take steps to safeguard their interests.
Fortunately Keystone State producers
are protected from such practices.
The pendulum swings, but some
times it has to swing so far that the
farmer is put in jeopardy before he
gets around to doing anything about
the swing It is time we all looked this
vertical integration thing over pretty
carefully.
At least that’s how it looks from
where we stand.
free with a $lO purchase
Another time the same brand of
milk was offered at 49c a gallon with
a $5 purchase, this at a third store.
That is slightly more than 12c per
quart. This milk was a ] l from one of
the top three dairy firms in the coun
try.
As a result of this advertising, Indr
anapolis independent dairies respond
ed with similar prices, prices they ac
tually could not afford. They were giv
ing it away and it appeared as if they
were forced to do so by the large dai
ry.
Wisconsin dairy farmers are com
paratively well protected with a bal
ance between independent dairies and
co-operatives. In addition, the Federal
Dairy Cooperative, a 23-cooperative or
ganization that bargains with Chicago
milk handlers, an effective voice in
pricing policies.
Such evidently is not the case in
Indiana and other states. If farmers
are protected by federal milk orders
and the dairies must pay the price set
by the order, it seems only fair to that
dairy, especially the small cooperative
and independent dairy should be pro
tected from predatory nractices of
large, more integrated operations.
—Wisconsin Farmer, Friend
to accompany her husband to
State College where she en
rolled for part-time classes
Lancaster County's Own Farm
P O Box 1324
Eancastei, Penna.
Offices
"l -Noith Dube St
Lancaster Penna
Phone - Lane i=ter
EXpicss 4-30-J7
•lad, Oucn, Editor
Robert G Campbell, AeUertising
Lhrectoi Easiness Manager
Established November 4 1553
Published ectrj Satuulaj. by
Lancaster Farming, Lancaster, Pa
Entered as 2nd class matter at
Lancaster Pa under Act of liar
8, UTJJ additional entry at Mount
Jot Pa
Snbsci ipt on Rates $2 per tear
three \eais So Single cnp\ Price
) cents
Members Pa Xcuspaper Publish
ers Association, Xational Editorial
Association
Lancaster Farming
Weekly
easy trade. We know that . ■
Paul left the city of Corinth p
cilia and Aquila went with v,
which makes us think that p r '
bly Paul had converted 1 «!
■while living in their home •
rate, the next thing we hen'
them is as woikers of a diff,
kind, not with cloth and w
but with people These tent-m
Bible Material: Acts 18 1-3, 18 21. ar«c 4nvitpd tn
24-28, Romans 16 3-sa, V s invu ® a 10 meir one
Devotional Reading: 2 Corinthians the most famous and pjw
7 ‘ lB “ preachers of his time,- a ry
———————————j namet 3 Apollos They did not
Teachers at Home sociable They took him so a°j
Lesson for September 10, 1981 t7f'w
—— - God” as St Luke puts it
QNE TEST of a successful mar- We hear just a little more abl
w na £ e would come in this these two people. Paul ment,
question: Do you ever think of the “church m their house» -r
one of them without thinking of means they must have
the other at the same time? Do money with their trade, othei*
you often speak- of one without no house. But it also suggests t
referring to the other’ We have they were the responsible lead
in the Bible a no- of a Christian group tnat p
table example of calls a church, not meaning t
a couple neither there were no other chuichts
of whom is ever the city We wish we knew tn
mentioned alone, about that. We wish also that
but both always had the whole story of which p
together: Aquila gives a tantalizing hint when'
and Priscilla. If says that these friends (ment
you had inquired mg the lady first) risked
around in places necks to save his life.
-where they lived,
you would have
heard different things about them.
In Rome they would have told
you: “Oh, I ’don’t know them.
Jews I think they were, and we
Why are people rememoere
Sometimes, like Aquila and p,
cilia, for something they do '1
the side," something they ne\
get money for doing. Able (
eloquent men who have been
center in their religious think
have done the Christian reiig
much harm It was a bless
that the early Christian chu
was not tom by a ha!t-ba
Apollos preaching a half gosi
So this harmonious husbands
wife team are specially noted
for their Jewish family tiee,
for their hardships as refugj
not for the skill as craft-ivc
ers, not even for their heron
Above all, they were ‘each*
teaching by example, by unit?
love, teaching by word and ar
ment They did not found a i
So you might say that Aquila Jege, they asked for no pay i
and Priscilla didn’t make a very got none They taught i ight wh
strong impression on their world, they were —at home They did
the Roman Empire But there was wait _ for opportunity to tea
more to that couple than some of they made it Of such are
their neighbors guessed For one great teachers
never mix with Jews. In fact the
Emperor ran them all out, and a
good thing too." If-you had asked
m Corinth, you would have been
told: “Oh yes, you mean the tent-
makers. They have plenty of busi-
ness, they work all the time. But
I don’t remember ever seeing
them out and around." If you had
asked their neighbors a few years
later, they might have said, “That
must be the couple that have
those big parties once a week.
Mighty quiet parties though, 1
guess it’s sorpe new religious
sect."
With things and people
thing, they were host and hostess —„
to the Apostle Paul This (we may the Division Q“ 1 Ch”s Oa n S E d u t'al
surmise) was before they became c &Tt °i T
Chustians, for at that point they Community Press Service.)
are called simply “Jews,” and
Paul went to stay with them
partly because he also was a Jew,
partly to set up shop with them.
for all three were tent-makers, no
Now Is' The Time . ♦ ♦
BY MAX SMITH
TO PLANT COVER CROPS—Many L:
caster County soils are low in oigai
matter (or humus); this is due to rapid
tations, high temperatures and humidi
and the tilling of the soil. Green mam
crops, or cover crops are the best sub
tute for sods and barnyara manure G
dens, truck patches, and fields should i
be open over winter; the sowing of soi
winter cover crop such as domestic r;
grass, field bromegrass, or any o£ the w
MAX SMITH ter grains will give wind and water P
tection as well as help maintain organic matter
TO WORK LIME AND FERTILIZER INTO THE SOIL
Many new seedmgs of pasture and winter gram will be sei
ed in the coming month or so, much of the winter gram
be followed by a sod crop for hay or silage If hrr-i pb
phorus, and potash is to do much good, it should be v
into the soil for at least 4 to 6 inches before the seeding
made It takes much longer to do any good when put
top of the ground. Soils going to winter gram this fa ll a
then to a legume next spring or summer should = et
complete soil test now and the requirements added befc
the ground is seeded this fall.
TO CLEAN AND SANITIZE RODS FOR BULK W ll
MILK TANKS—The measuring rod for bulk tanks sh°'
be kept out of the tank when not in use. After making
reading, wash it thoroughly and hang it on the milkho'
wall; before using again, rinse it off and sarhtize it be |
inserting in to the tank of milk. If the rod is n ot
clean, it may spread contamination and give maccuiate i
ings
TO SPRAY ROSES FOR POWDERY MILDEW P °"
Mildew is causing severe damage to roses this suintnei
fall, the affected leaves and buds have a white
pearance, are dwarfed and distorted, and develop P°
The fungicide, Phaltan, is recommended at the rate 0
teaspoons per gallon sprayed weekly for the control o
mildew and black spot Other fungicides such as nian^ a |-,
captan many be used for black spot and add one
spoonful of wettable sulfur per gallon for the mildew
(Turn to page 11)
Teachers above ail