•i -Lancaster Farming. Saturday. August 29.1970 Poor Diets - Farm Opportunity A national survey by the USDA indi cates thal onlv half ol t he 15,000 families 'lndies had diets rated “good." About one m fi\e lanulies. a very large ‘.I per cent, had diets rated "poor." Diets rilled "good" had mitnents meet hi*' tullv, or exceeding, recommended dietarv allowances set In the Food and Nutrition Hoaid of the National Research Council Diels rated “poor" provided less than two-thuds ot the recommended diotaiv al lowance foi one or more of sc\en nutrients studied What docs this mean for the fanner and the large agn business complex winch senes him? It certainly should mean OPPORTUNI TY. Only half of the people in the most prosperous country m the world ha\e good diets.* It’s a challenge and an opportunity to impnne the eating standards ol the other half. Learn the Diet Issue Every farmer, e\ery farm business man, e\ery farm organization should be come thoroughly familiar with this situation and do some serious thinking about how he or his organization can profit by filling a very real need, the .need to improve the •diet of the other half. Before the farmer can profit fully from this situation, he must understand it. For instance, the study shows that adequate income alone does not guarantee good diets. Among households with incomes of $lO,OOO a year or over, nine per cent had poor diets. This means that opportunity does not lie just with the poor and disadvantaged. It exists at all levels of society. Some more specific findings of the study revealed that as a rule the diets of females were not as good as those of males. Adolescent gnls and women, from ages 9 through 54, averaged below the recommend ed allowances for calcium, iron and thia mine. Older men and women, especially those aged 75 and above, were low in calcium, riboflavin and vitamin A. Infants and children under the age of On Cutting Out the Middle Harold E, Neigh. Penn State extension consumer economics specialist, says that marketing costs in 1969 accounted tor 59 cents of the consumer food dollar, while the producer got 41 cents. He continues, “Labor is the biggest part of marketing costs. Earnings and fringe benefits of food marketing employes are expected to continue rising during 1970 “Prices of most inputs, such as materi als, equipment, rent, and taxes, that mar keting firms will pay are expected to be higher this year than m 1969. Marketing’s share of the consumer food dollar probably will average 60 cents.” Neigh projects. What does this mean to the farmer? For one thing, it means food costs for the consumer will almost certainly continue to rise, whether or not the farmer gets any more income. Some three-fifths of the average totai LANCASTER FARMING Lancastei County’s Own Farm Weekly P 0 266 - Lititz, Pa 17543 Office 22 E Mam St, Lititz. Pa 17543 Phone Lancastei 394 3047 or Lititz 626-2191 Robei t G Campbell, Advertising Director Zane Wilson, Managing Editoi Subscuption puce S 2 pei yeai in Lancaster County SSelsewheie Established Noi ember 4,1955 Published evety Satin day by Lancaster Fanning Lititz Pa Second Class Postage paid at Lititz, Pa 17543 Menibei of Faim Editors Assn Pa Newspapei Pubhsheis Association, and National Newspaper Association six were below for iron Think about it Mr. Dairyman, Egg Man. Beef Man, Mr. Farmer Whatever Your Product. Think about it Mr. Allied Industry man and Farm Organization Leader and Member. Can You Help? Can your product meet the need of in fants for iron? Can your product put adequate calcium, riboflavin and vitamin A into the diets of the elderly? Can your product put adequate calcium, iron and thiamine into the diets of adoles cent girls and women? Can your product do it at a price that everjone can afford? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, poor diets in the U.S mean op portunity for you Why Not Act? The only really important question is Why aren’t you meeting the need? Is it because you don't understand the need and the opportunity? Then, get with it, learn. Is it because those who need don’t un derstand or know about their need? Then, become a teacher, educate them. Is it because you don’t have the product to meet the need? If so, shame on you. Im prove your product or get a new one. To sum it all up, get where the action is. Hunger-Quality Food This nation for many years has been gearing up to eliminate hunger and pover ty. While the means of doing the job may change from time to time and while the speed and cost involved is often debated, the job will be done. So why shouldn’t the farm community help pioneer, help get the job done better and faster, and profit from it. In the past several decades farmers have proven repeatedly that they can pro duce far more than the people of the nation can consume. With the quantity problem largely solv ed, farmers can profit by turning to the issue of quality. They can profit by making sure they’re part of the movement which pro\ ides a quality diet for every one. food costs is accounted for by non-farm costs In other words, more than half of the cost of food is accounted for by non farm sources and these non-farm costs will rise. For another thing, this means that farmers should examine very carefully their own products in relation to this non farm cost. Can the individual farmer cut out the middle man, either partially or completely? If so, if the farmer cah sell directly to the consumer, or e\ en eliminate some of the middle costs, it is obvious that the farmer stands to reap tremendous rewards. Many Southeastern Pennsylvania farm-' ers have recognized this fact. It explains the many roadside stands, the farmer pro duce delivery routes, the farmer owned stores, perhaps even the move toward co- As national wage rates and other pro cessing costs continually rise/ compelling the middle men to take an ever greater share of the food dollar, the rewards for the farmer who can figure out how to go direct ly to the consumer are going to grow. As the middle man’s share grows, so does the profit margin for the farmer who sells direct. While urban development and tourism are generally, at best, a headache for the average farmer, these modern trends can also benefit the farmer who decides to sell direct. Both urban development and tour ism provide the large and available market the farmer needs to side-step the middle men. In today’s dynamic agricultural econo my, it's one way of beating the price-cost squeeze. the recommended levels NOW IS THE TIME... By IMax Smith Lancaster County Agent To Beware Of Silo Gas Most of us ha\e heaid this oicl of caution and will sureiv uu and lead ol it main times in the next month At silo filling time theie may be main kinds of gases develop fiom the feimen tation Most of these aie dangei ous to man and beast and all membeis of the faim familv should be warned to stay out of the silo chute and away fi om the silo Giovveis should not enter a paitly filled silo until they aie suie it contains no poisonous gases Additional details aie available To Control Weeds In New Alfalfa New stands of alfalfa seeded eail> in August will be needing some weed control attention in the next few weeks Producers should spiay to conti ol weeds even though few may be notice able the fiist month after seed ing The use of 2,4 D-B when the weeds aie 1 to 2 inches high is THE FAT LIFE Lesson for August 30,1970 Scripture- Genesis 131-13; II through 17, 2 Peter 2 6 9. Devotional Reading 1 Corinthians 10 6 13, It is said that, as a boy, John D. Rockefeller, Si - ., was a strong, husky farm lad. When he en teied the business world he used his gieat strength to duve him 'lf unmercifully. At the age of thirty-three he had earned his ~ first million dol irs. By age forty iree he was m