10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 30, 1972
Corporate mass production techniques
which revolutionized American life by
turning out low-cost manufactured goods
on huge assembly lines appears to be ill
suited to the growing end of agriculture.
Such is the burden of an analytical article
on corporate farming in Fortune magazine
by Dan Cordtz.
The article, entitled “Corporate Far
ming: A Tough Row to Hoe," traces the
anything but illustrious record of some of
the largest farming operations undertaken
by conglomerates and other companies
seeking to adapt industrial mass
production to the growing of food corps.
The record, as he traces it, completely
negates the popular belief that corporation
farming poses a threat to the family farm.
More often than not, when corporations
attempt to apply the “ . . economies of
scale.. "tofarm operations the result has
been spectacular failure. The problem has
been that overhead costs very often have
grown faster than sales. Observes Cordtz,
“In fact, farming has turned out to be so
profitless and trouble-filled that many of
the corporations that invaded agriculture
m the late 1960’s are now in full retreat.”
The greatest mistake the corporations
have made m entering farming is traceable
to the assumption that crops could be
produced like automobiles. However, as
Mr. Cordtz writes, “An old adage holds that
the essential factor in profitable farming is
the shadow of the owner on his land’ ..
The modern assembly line is based on the
control of variables, on the establishment
of repetitive procedures that eliminate the
need for workers to make choices.
‘Farming’, as Professor Sidney S. Hoos of
the University of California (Berkeley)
points out, ‘is saturated with un
certainties: weather, soil, seed, yields.’
Such uncertainties call for countless im
portant decisions that must be made out in
the field, not behind a distant desk."
Another factor in successful farming,
observes Cordtz, is that many decisions
must be intuitive and based upon a
willingness to take a calculated risk.
Decisions must also be backed by a far-
WANTAGH, N.Y., SEAFORD CITIZEN;
“We often wonder if parents take the time
to warn their children of the dangers of
shoplifting and vandalism. Quite often
young people decide they are out to defy
the ‘establishment’ by setting out to steal
or destroy. Not only are they in danger of
ending m jail, but also, of finding them
selves with a police record because they
did something on a dare or a thrill. Parents
should check on articles brought into the
home, to be sure they have not been taken
out of a store without permission. The
saying, ‘Where are your children tonight 7 ’,
holds true more than ever. Trust; but know
what is going on!”
ALTOONA, PA., MIRROR: “Nations that
won’t spend enough on their military
defenses end up spending more to support
the military offensive forces of the
conquering aggressors who hold them
captive ”
SPIRIT LAKE, lOWA, BEACON: “There
would probably be a greater number of
scientific breakthroughs each year if so
many scientists were not engaged in trying
to develop the ultimate washing powder.”
GREENSBURG, KANS, KIOWA COUNTY
SIGNAL. “ Agovennment report shows the
cost of living for the average urban family
of four is now $10,971. There were no
firgures for rural areas, but we can assure
them that the cost of living out this way is a
lot less than $lO,OOO as there aren't that
many even making that kind of salary. I can
The Family Farm -
A Going Business
Grassroots Opinions
mer's familiarity with his land—there is no
such thing as an operating manual for a
farm or any substitute for close, personal
involvement.
This “ ... helps to explain,” says Cordtz,
"why independent farmers, agricultural
economists, and even many corporate farm
managers agree that the most efficient
producing unit is a farm that can be run by
its owner.” As Cordtz explains it, "... as
the operation grows beyond the ability of
its owner to stay on top of his field
operations, where critical decisions must
be made daily, costs begin to mount.
Overhead . . . can soar as extra layers of
management are needed."
These factors working against large
scale industrialization of agriculture are
reflected significantly in farm statistics. A
number of farms with annual sales above
$lO,OOO (in current dollars) has tripled
since 1939. Such farms typically net about
35 percent on sales and can be operated by
the members of a family and perhaps a
hired man or two. Farms of this size ac
count for 30 percent of all cash receipts by
growers.
“Only 1.2 percent of commercial farms,"
says Cordtz, “in the U.S. are incorporated,
and nine tenths of them are merely family
owned farm businesses that have grown to
a size that makes a corporate structure
desirable for tax or inheritance purposes.
Just 1,800 farms —less than 0.1 percent of
the total—are operated by corporations
with more than ten shareholders. They
cultivate about 15 million acres (1.6
percent of all land in commercial farms)
and account for less than 3 percent of total
farm sales."
The fear that corporations are going to
take over food and fiber production and
drive the backbone of private land
ownership—the family farm—out of
business appears to have been greatly
exaggerated. The greatest threat to such
ownership, corporate or otherwise, still
remains taxes, inflation and government
encroachment on the affairs of private
citizens.
imagine there are thousands of families in
the urban areas that don’t see $lO,OOO a
year either. It makes us wonder how the
government takes a survey and what they
consider ‘average family’."
MORRIS, MINN., TRIBUNE: "In this
computerized age, it is well to remember
the superiority of man's brain. According to
Professor John Meier of Colorado College,
there is little doubt that the human brain is
by far ‘the most perfect computer.’ He
says: ‘lt has several billion circuits; it can
operate four hours on the energy of a
single peanut: it is completely mobile; it
occupies less than a cubic foot of space;
and probably best of all it is produced
by unskilled labor."
BENSON, ARIZ., NEWS-SUN: “One thing
we DO advocate heartily is that every adult
citizen of the United States become in
formed of the issues at stake in the for
thcoming election before pulling the lever
in the voting booth. Never before have
Americans faced so many clouded issues
which will affect our lives the next four
years and, perhaps, the next century. It’s
your future... and mine. Let’s not blow it!”
ALTOONA, PA., MIRROR: “We put price
raising taxes on everything and keep in
creasing these price-raising taxes and then
wonder why prices are rising. We put
controls on most everything except these
price-raising taxes.”
NOW IS
THE TIME . . .
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
To Be Careful with
Wheat Seeding
Barley seeding time is at hand
but could be too early for most
varieties of Winter wheat. In
recent years some of the
varieties that were reported to be
resistant to the Hessian Fly came
down with the infestation.
Therefore, wheat growers who
are seeding any variety except
Arthur 71 should not sow wheat
until after a killing frost or after
October 10 here in Lancaster
County. The Hessian Fly is an
insect that works in the stem of
the plant next spring, weakens it,
and the head will break over and
not develop properly. Even the
newer variety of wheat named
Arthur 71 may not be as stiff
strawed as some of the other
varieties such as Redcoat or
Blueboy, it has demonstrated
good resistance to Hessian Fly.
To Manage Dairy
Herd Carefully
Dairymen who are grazing the
last cutting of alfalfa or red
clover with their milking cows
should be careful so that the milk
will not have a “grassy” flavor;
this has often happened in the fall
of the year when the herd con
sumes fresh alfalfa or clover. The
herd should be grazed when the
forage is dry and after they have
had a feeding of other dry matter
such as hay or silage. Also, in
order to prevent off-flavored
milk, the cows should be removed
from the legume three to four
hours before the next milking
period. Careful herd
management is needed to
prevent a loss of a tank or two of
milk.
ITCHING EARS
Lesson for October 1,1972
Backsrounrf Scripture: Ephesians 4 11-
16/ 25-32, Philippians 4*2-1, 2 Tim
othy 4 1-5, James 3 1-12.
Devotional Reorfms Romans 15 14-25
The politician says: “I promise
you ....”
The merchant says; “We guar
antee ....”
The tax-payer says; “I certify
The propagandist says: “We
can prove ...”
The promoter says: “We will
demonstrate ....”
—And no one
takes any of them
seriously!
A number of
years ago my son
and I were watch
ing television and
during a high-
pressure commer-
cial, he turned to
Rev. Althouse me and, as if he
had just discov
ered the secret of the universe;
said “They don’t really mean it,
do they Daddy!”
Whatever is true ...
No, they don’t “really mean it.”
And one of the reasons fre
quently given for this game of
benign deception is that “it is
precisely what the people want.”
The newspapers concentrate on
the sensational, they say, because
‘that’s what sells newspapers"
i—we just reflect the public taste;
( —“We just reflect the public
taste; we do not create it”—).
To Be Careful with
Corn Pickers
This is an annual word of
caution to corn growers but it
seems each year a number of
men do not take it seriously and
get caught in the corn picker. All
shields and protective devices
should be kept in place and
the machinery should be totally
stopped before any cleaning or
adjustments are made. It is
tragic to read and learn about the
loss of fingers, hands, arms, and
even a life because of a com
picker accident. Take time to be
safe and keep all of your ex
tremities. Hired employees
should be given firm instructions
on safety in the operation of com
pickers. The harvest season is
ahead of us and now is the time to
prevent accidents.
To Handle New
Cattle with Care
Cattle feeders bold enough to
make the investment at this time
is replacement cattle are
reminded of the need of special
care for the first several weeks.
There are many “do’s and
don’ts” in order to reduce the
amount of trouble. Several of
these are to handle the cattle
quietly and with a minimum of
stress; also, keep them
segregated from other cattle, and
give them mostly fresh air, fresh
water, and roughage for the first
several days. The “Eye of the
Master” is also very important to
detect sick animals and treat
them promptly. The investment
is big; the care should be very
intensive.
Plane Wood
Balsa wood is the lightest
weight commercially im
portant wood, and is almost
white in color. Because of
its light weight it is used in
life preservers, floats and
model airplanes.
The televisions major in trash,
they say, because that’s what peo
ple want to see and hear (
“We’re in business, not educa
tion”—).
There must be some truth in
these allegations. The Apostle
Paul in 2 Timothy says: “For the
time is coming when people will
not endure sound teaching, but
having itching ears they will ac
cumlate for themselves teachers
to suit their own likings, and will
turn away from listening to the
truth and wander into myths” (4:
3,4).
It is so today Where there is
something new and different and
bizarre that someone wants to
hear, there will be found some
one who is willing to give it to
them Promises, lies, innuendos,
slander, blasphemy—whatever it
is someone will be found to pro
vide it because there is someone
who wants to hear it
Think about these things
Yet, having said that, it is not
enough to simply identify the
trends that respond to people’s
“itching ears.” We must give peo
ple what their ears desire, but
also what their hearts and minds
need l As Paul puts it, , . what
ever is true, whatever is honor
able .... think about these
things” (Philippians 4:8).
Preaching may not be “your
bag,” but you still have a respon
sibility for “whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever
is just, whatever is pure, what
ever is lovely, whatever is gra
cious ...”
(Based on outlines copyrighted by the
Division of Christian Education, National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Released by Community Press Service }
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