What Kind Of Research Do We Need?
There is widespread assump
tion that all research is good,
that science holds the key to un
lock all our problems. But this
conventional wisdom falls apart
on the further assumption that
all scientific research occurs in
the test tube and the chemical
laboratory. *
National Farmer’s Union Pres
ident Tony Dechant recently
pointed out that there are other
kinds of research, and he has
called for new priorities in our
agricultural research program.
We need economic and social
research, as well as biological
research, he said. Dechant be
lieves that the emphasis in the
A good farm manager
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vast research program now be
ing carried out in agriculture
may be misdirected.
For example, in 1965 (the last
year for which total figures are
available) 85 percent of our re
search was in the field of the bi
ological sciences. This included
plant) and animal research relat
ing to such things as breeding,
varieties, diseases and insects. “I
do not want to suggest that I be
lieve any of this research mon
ey was misspent or misused,”
said Dechant, “but I do suggest
that in selecting projects for re
search, we are obligated par
ticularly where public funds are
tor information on USS Anhydrous Ammonia see Bill Brubaker
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Phone: 392-4963 or 392-0374
involved—to make choices based
on the priority of needs.’’
“One of the disappointing as
pects of our research priorities,”
said Dechant, "has been the at
tention or lack of it that
we give to protecting the farm
er in his relationships with the
people to whom he sells his
pioducts, as well as the people
from whom he buys his equip
ment and supplies The name
for this field is ‘faimer bargain
ing power.’ ” Dechant said that
you have to search hard to even
find the categoiy in the research
program of the USDA and the
land grant colleges. In 1965. only
20 man yeais of scientific effoit
•v2&.,'> *» ~ *
-V ,
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For more Information about the use of USS
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were devoted to research in the
category of “farmer bargaining
power.”
"We were doing eight times
as much research on appraising
soil that means making maps
and soil surveys that helped
people build septic tanks and
highways. We were doing four
times as much research on the
preparation of foods. We were
doing 43 times as much research
to improve the biological effici
ency of field crops,” Dechant
said.
“I say that it is time foi us to
re-evaluate our reseal ch pio
grams,” he continued "New
pioblems and new coi.Jit.-ons
demand new prionties”
Dechant call? fo’ - s *ur es on
3|l
jP
Organic
Plant Food
Company
Lancaster Pennsylvania
SEE BILL IRUBAKE'r
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 2.1968—"
how to make better use of cc
operatives, computer program
ming for livestock producers U
match that of buyers, a national
land policy, and what are prop
er import levels for agricultural
pioducts. It’s not all research, o
course. Part of it is spreadin
available information There a
numeious institutes, forums an
seminars on how farmers mus
be more efficient, on how to us
bigger and more complicate
equipment, on larger inputs anc
greater output. “How about ,
piogiam to bring about bette
understanding among producei
of bargaining techniques tha
are available?” asked Dechan"
“How about seminars on how
we can put together federal mai
keting orders for potatoes? ...
We (in Farmers Union) are
working on putting together egg
mai keting orders I happen to
feel that this is just as important
a program as it was for a land
grant college to design egg fac
tories that produce over 300,000
eggs a day, or finding new ways
to keep eggs from breaking
when they hit fast-moving con
veyor belts.”
Part of the problem, Dechan 1
says candidly, is that land gran'
colleges find themselves in .
conflict of interest between fair,
ily farmers and the large coi
porations that provide giants fo.
lesearch that will help the proc
essor and other middle men
The list of failures to face th
real problems is long in our pic
grams of research and informa
tion “For example,” said De
chant, “we take for gi anted that
a 7-billion-dollar national secur
ity reseive of strategic metals is
good for America Have we real
ly made an effort to sell the
American consumer on the need
for an emeigency leseive of
food and fibei 9 ”
WREN FOOD BUDGET’S
OFF BALANCE. LAY BLAME
ON THAT HIDDEN FIFTH
About one-fifth of our ave>
I ge gi ocery bill isn’t food at all
It’s something to woai. or read
ir listen to, or clean with, 01
cook in
For every dollar’s worth of
F ood that goes into oui supei
market basket, we put in 20
cents worth of laundry soap, in
.ecticides, children’s socks pott
ed plants paner towels hi-fi re
cords, and even multi-volume
encyclopedias o r childi en’s
■•lassies
About 90 peicent of all sales
of cat and dog food go over the
'upermarket checkout countei
along with about half the
hair spray, asmnn and tooth
we buy for personal and
family use.
We spend more in giocer
'tores for dog food than we dr
for commercial canned bab:
food for our growing infants
And, nationwide, we als r
spend more for three product
canned and bottled beer fo
off-premise consumption, cigai
ettes, and pet foods than w
do for fresh beef That’s the wa:
our “food” dollar goes.
This is the time of year when
insects are looking for warm
places to hibernate, the State
Department of Agriculture ad
vises
Boxelder bugs and hackberry
gall makers are among the r
sects currently looking fo.
warmer abodes Millipedes als
frequently migrate in the fa
and may get into homes, espec
ally damp areas such as base
ments.
None of these insects bite o
are harmful according to the D=
partment’s entomologists.
They suggest housewives us
vacuum cleaners indoors to ge
rid of the unwelcome intruder;
Insecticides are available foe