I iJi' 1 * f ft!’l. '< ,h f I I* f' , I 'lJi
4—Lancaster-Farming,-Saturday,.June--15, 1963
From Where We Stand...
The Power To Produce - - And Sell
America’s living habits have chang
ed and so have many of our eating ha
bits. We are less active. We Americans
today are eating less food on a product
weight basis. Food consumption has
dropped from 1668 pounds per person in
1945 to less than 1500 pounds in recent
years.
At the same time, people are hav
ing to make more decisions about what
to eat and drink because they have
more food and beverages to choose from.
This means milk -and dairy products
must be aggressively sold if they are to
retain their proper share-of the consum
er’s dollar.
Another factor in today’s food buy
ing picture is the rash of diets and food
fads. Most of the so called “crash” diets
are based on incomplete or misapplied
scientific discoveries, but such dieits
have received a tremendous amount of
publicity, and the only way to combat
their harmful effects is through a strong
campaign of information directed at the
consuming public.
The American dairyman is a pro
duction genius.
According to information released
by the American Dairy Association,
there were approximately four million
dairy farmers 20 years ago compared
with about one million today. Twelve
years ago there were 22 million dairy
cows in America; today there are 17
million.
Average herd size is up 61 per cent
in 15 years from 27 to 44 cows, and
average milk production .per cow is up
70 per cent in 20 years. In the last 15
years ‘alone, production has gone up
more than 50 per cent.
Agricultural productivity per man
' hour is going up three times as fast as
industrial productivity up 90 per
cent in 12 years, an average of seven
per cent per year, and is still climbing.
Faced with a cost-price squeeze, an
acute labor -shortage and other changes
in the years following the war, the
dairyman met the challenge by stream
lining and modernizing his business with
bulk tanks, mechanized feeding and
milking systems and greater efficiency
of manpower, coupled with herds hav
ing higher bred-in production potential.
Today we face new challenges. In
creased production and efficiency are
not enough. We must match the “power
to produce” with the “power to sell”, if
dairy products are to hold the place of
prominence they have always had in the
eating habits of the American people.
At least that’s how it looks from
where we stand.
★ ★ ★
Of Scapegoats
It’s easy enough to blame someone
or -some institution for a real or imagin
ed injustice. But putting blame where
blame belongs can be a very different
matter.
This little truism applies to the
current beef situation. In many areas, a
record number of cattle are now on
feed. The going price for fat cattle is
below that which many feeders paid for
their stock. As a result, numbers of cat
tlemen have charged that the other ele
ments in the meat industry such as
the packers and retailers are re
sponsible.
Road Safety
When you and your tamily
tiavel, allow plenty of unic to
teach your destination, advises
Helen Bell, Penn State e,%ten
sion home management specia
list Be alert to your own
dining and that of otnei tim
et s, and be read to liandle
the unexpected II gome a long
distance, don’t dine unti' you
lietome overtired Pei iodic lest
slops aie impoitant ty your
salety
But it is not nearly so simple
that. The root of this difficulty was -
ii j i i ttt n t-v n j>£ toward this idea sup*
well described by Herrell DeGraff, an ■ poses-so that we do not have to
agricultural economist of high standing, IUSTICc try hard, much less-fight, for jus
in a book which the University of Okla- Lesson for June 16 1963 tlce - Everything will come out
homa 'Press published some time ago. ’ ri Sht in the end if you will just
He wrote: “Beef-marketing indeed has leave everything alone! Of course,
i . • ; „, . mie Material; Psalms ii; 72; 82; it does not. Whenever injustice, in
changed. Cattlemen participate in an p sa im «7 any form, has passed away or be
economy that becomes ever more com- n Psalm e - come less> it has becao3e somVs
plex. With live animals as their unit of DEOPLE who talk about the one ‘was bold enough and strorfg
sale, they are not turning out a product separation of church and state enough, not only to speak up for
in either the form or the place that is w ? at ? ey yktims of injustice, but to
desired bv consumers Marketing firms talking about. As the founding stand up for them. Justice, men
desired by consumers. Marketing arms fathers of America saw it, there turned in the Old Testament so oft
far removed from the ranch perform is a danger in the possibility of en, means‘taking sides when one
m'any intermediate services to ' convert .’ting one church side is unfair to the other; “the
cattle to beef and to make beef attrac- or one form of re- poor,” “the needy,” the oppress
ive and competitive in the consumer S lon against all ed” these words are common. The
market. It is easy for the rancher to be others. The fram- Ten Commandments begin with
suspicious of another man who handles J* IT*
his product when he is far away, un- Hire examples of Lord thy God who brought thee
seen, unknown, and little understood. tate religions odt of the house of bondage.” God
Yet the packer is the rancher’s packer id they did not is the kind of God who is every
— and the retailer is the rancher’s re- want to make the where and always on the side of
tailer. He needs them both and they th if °P p^ ssed and against those
„„„j Llrv. ” J nere - However, it who do the oppressing. Justice, If
need him. Dr. Foreman was not their in- you believe in it, often demands
Consumer demand for various kinds tention to rule religion out of pub- that you-fight for it. Justice is de
and cuts of meat varies, often very sub- bee life. These were the same fense.
stantially, from season to season. This P e °Pk who started the custom of i us »j ce s s divina '
change has a strong influence - up- SgKdafs wl?SgioS oISs Unjust people seldom think of
ward one time, downward another and pubhe prayer _ Th ese were the themselves as unjust. Every one
on both livestock prices and the retail same people who adopted the knovvs . m , his heart of hearts that
prices of which they are a reflection, motto “In God we Trust.” injustice is wrong. Every one re-
No one, in an economy such as ours, can Justice is demanded tof vmtm-'^ery 8
effectively-control prices and peg them m the view of the Bible, justice see injustice being done wheS
at some given level. is not optional. When the prophets they are the oppressors, not the
If— from the cattlemens’point of spokeof justice, they-wefe speak- oppressed. Injustice has many
view the beef situation has changed ' as a requirement, not-op- evil -consequences, but itself Is
for the worse of late, it will change for bmmjbut demanded. The prophet rooted in "selfishness. In the day's
the better on some coming dav But ?u lca Jj speaks °5 3UStI - e as °? e °! when society was organized in the
IvT 501X16 comm s . y ;.. . C the three great requirements of feudal pattern, nobody thought it
there is neither reason nor profit in religion along with mercy and wrong that the serfs, at the bot
seeking scapegoats. humility before God. Justice is tom of the ladder, were cruelfr
The same can be said for most woven into the Ten Command- treated. “Noblemen” would re
agricultural commodities. We all know ™ enls and “to American ideals, sent, at sword’s point, the kind A
that the difference in price between jL”« Lhey gaye the serfs ev
wholesale -nrire at fVie -firm anr) retail “gioua, he dare not fancy that he dry.day. -If you.asked a nobleman
wnoiesaie price at tne farm and retail can please God, if he is not just about this, he would'have said a
price is often quite high, but the pro- in all his dealings, so far as.he -was no'injustice, he was so much
cessor of farm products can not be eX- is -able. All forms of Christianity superior that he deserved supe
pected to operate without profit any' bavc this (and much else, to 'be nor treatment. In every age those
more -than the farmer can. If farmers on * wko battle for justice have thh
have nroblems thev should accent their ther the religion of the equivalent of the feudal so-called
+v,fl!!! ! t ~ Jews; Religion and right conduct noblemen against-them. There Ik
share of the blame for causing those pro- go hand in hand. Religion that is one comfort; for the fighter tor
blems. genuine calls for a life devoted -justice: He may be sure that the
At least that’s how-it looks from to justice. This does not mean that God who hates injustice is on hi«
Where we stand. every man is called to be a lawyer side.
★ i j or a judge. It does mean that ev- (Bnid 1 on ontiinos -opyriiMei if
'K yc "K cry day every person is faced with
j* • • __ , . National Council of the Churches if
a i tin • , some decision, perhaps many, m otrist in the u.s. a. b#
And Whipped CrGSlin which he is tempted to be unjust. community rrt, ‘ ser»io«.)
Justice i$ dsfsnst
How do you like them straw
berry shortcake, strawberry pie, mashed
in abowl with a little sugar, frozen, or
just out-of-hand?
Well, no matter how you eat them,
strawberries are better with good
cream, or a glass of cold, refreshing
milk.
Nothing brings out the delicious,
tart flavor of fresh strawberries like
good, thick cream, and strawberry
shortcake just lacks about half its value
without cream or whipped cream.
If dairymen miss the opportunity
to encourage the use of cream with
strawberries at this time of year, or if
they miss the opportunity of eating
some themselves, they need to wake up
to the possibility of building sales.
Everyone knows milk and dairy pro
ducts are “good .for you”. Now let’s
tell everyone just how “good” they can
be.
At least that’s how it looks from
where we stand.
The hot sun along with high Growers who plan to ha'r
humidity reduces livestock V est a crop -of hay or 'barley
comfort' at all times; animals aiw j then plow if or corn should,
out on pasture should be pro- plow down either nitrogen or
vided with plenty of shade a complete fertilizer, the nvtro
during daylight, hours. If trees gen in the fertilizer will not
Box 1524 Established November 4. are not in the area, then tern- only help to get the corn mi-
Lancaster, Penna. 1955 ‘ Published every Satur- porary shade constructed will tured faster but will hasten
Box 266 - Lititz, Pa. by Lancaster-Farmlng, Lit- increase yields and give greater the rotting of the sod crop.
itz. Pa, returns. The root of the shade When plowing during the hot
Entered as 2nd class matter should be at least 10 to 12 summer months it is advisable
at Lititz Pa. under Act of Mar. feet Irom the grollnd m order *<> roll or cultipaclc imirjed
8, 1879. ' * t 0 l P rov i'd e better air elroula- iatelyi to pfefen't -ltfss"’bf soil - >
Lancaster Farming
Lancaster County’s Own Farm
Weekly
P. O
P. O,
Offices;
22 E. Main St,
Lititz, Pa.
Phone - Lancaster
EXpreas 4-3047 or
Lititz MA 6-2191
Strawberries are ripe,
•4
Jack Owen, Editor
Robert G. Campbell,
Advertising Director
> -
Now Is The
pick up and bale all available 'straw this
MAX M SMITH , yeai " there is an acute shortage of straw aa&
bedding throughout the country and this
crop might be an additional income for
those who do not need it in their barn.
To Provide Shade
tion.
Time . . .
BY MAX SMITH
To Delay Grazing
Many temporary pastures have bee*
seeded this spring such as the sorghujh
sudan grass hybrids and sudan glasses; both
of these forages will give good summer
growth for either grazing ,or green-chopping.
However, -'growers should wait until the
growth is at least 16 to 18 Inches tall;
when consumed too young there is some
danger of prussic acid poisoning.
-To Harvest All Straw-
All small grain growers are urged ifc>
To Plow Down Fertilizer
moisture.
h
■i£