o:? Agri^^ture^
VOL 18 No. 4
Feed - A Crisis Situation
Farmers and feed dealers are facing the most
serious feed cost situation since the last world
war. Soybean meal, the prime source of the
protein that goes into dairy and feeder cattle
rations, has more than doubled in price since
March of this year.
One Lancaster County feed dealer reported
that he was buying soybean meal for about $75 a
ton earlier this year. On Thursday of this week, it
was up to $2lO a ton. What happened? And
what's the outlook? To answer those questions,
LANCASTER FARMING contacted farmers, feed
dealers and other who’ve been keeping a wary
eye on the soaring price of feed ingredients and
supplements.
Generally, the feeling is that it’s not going to
Eshelman
To Visit
Fanners
The Lancaster County Far
mers Association has announced
that Congressman Edwin D.
Eshelman will tour county farms
next Thursday, December 21, to
discuss agricultural prospects
and problems with area farmers.
He will be accompanied by Mrs.
Eshelman.
A spokesman for Represen
tative Eshelman said he hopes to
meet with farmers and their
wives at a number of locations.
During the day, he will be at
these farms at the following
times:
8:30 a.m. - John Myer,
Quarryville RD2; 9:30 a.m. -
Harold Rohrer, Book Rd.,
Lampeter; 10:45 - Clyde Martin,
East Earl RDI; 12:45 - Ried
Wissler, Ephrata RDI; 1:45 -
Donald Hershey, Manheim RD2;
3:15 - Circle Creek Farm,
Columbia RDI.
form Calendar
Sunday, December 17
1 p.m. - Special News Conference
on Hog Cholera, 1580 Radio
(WHEX).
Monday, December 18
8 p.m. 4-H County Council
Christmas party, Farm and
Home Center.
Tuesday, December 19
7:30 p.m. Ephrata Young
Farmers family Christmas
party, Ephrata Junior High
School Auditorium.
7:45 p.m. Garden Spot Young
Farmers monthly meeting,
vo-ag department, Garden
Spot High School.
Thursday, December 21
Farm Tours by Congressman and
Mrs. Ed Eshelman; see page 1
for details.
Zimhaven Astronaut Douglas, shown here with consignor
Loren Zimmerman, was one of the young bulls auctioned off
during Thursday’s 10th annual Golden Harvest Sale at the
Guernsey Sales Pavilion. Zimmerman is a dairy farmer from
East Earl R 2.
9 1426 Average
In Dairy Sale
Average price for the first 50
Holstein cows sold at the 10th
Annual Golden Harvest Sale was
$1426, according to a spokesman
for R. Austin Backus, Inc.
The sale was held Thursday at
the Guernsey Sales Pavilion. This
year, as in past years, the sale
was sponsored by the Backus
organization from Mexico, N.Y.
The highest price of the day
was $3300 for a cow consigned by
Penn-Octo, a New York dairy
Red Rose FFA Officers
The Red Rose County Chapter
FFA officers for 1973 were
selected Thursday night during a
meeting at the Garden Spot vo
ag department.
Richard Hess, Lampeter
Strasburg was named president.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Richard H. Hess, Strasburg Rl.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 16, 1972
get any worse, simply because ingredient
prices have hit the roof. They can’t go any higher
without forcing a lot of feed dealers and farmers
out of business.
Dealers at the moment are more acutely
aware of the price increases than their farmer
customers. Many are using up their existing
ingredient stocks to manufacture feed. And
many of them aren’t replacing those stocks.
PennAg Industries Association, Penn
sylvania's largest feed dealer organization,
reports that their phones have been ringing all
week. Here are some of the things Pennsylvania
feed dealers are saying:
“For the first time in my business life, I’ve
farm. In all, 122 animals went
under the auctioneer’s gavel for a
total of about $115,000. A crowd of
500 people were on hand to wit
ness the sale and to buy.
About half the cows were
consigned from southeastern
Pennsylvania, although some
came from New York, New
Jersey and other parts of Penn
sylvania. Most of the animals
were bought by farmers in
Lancaster and surrounding
areas.
Ray Martin, Garden Spot, was
named vice-president. He is the
son of Mr. and Mrs. E.W. Martin,
New Holland Rl.
Other officers are;
Treasurer - Donald Miller,
Pequea Valley, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Glenn G. Miller, Gap Rl.
(Continued On Page 4)
- —ucv'
told my ingredients supplier to get me the stuff
and tell me what it costs later ”
- “Anyone who did not book meal ahead is
having trouble finding it, let alone getting it
delivered, even if he can afford it ”
- "We’ve had two farmers disperse their herds
this week because of feed prices. Others are
culling real hard ’’
- “Decisions are being made now on winter
stables of steers, and on hog and poultry con
tracts, and the price of feed is discouraging. This
will affect the retail price of meat in three or four
months. When the housewife sees the cost of
meat as a result, there’s going to be the biggest
rhubarb ever.’’
Milk Referendum
Slated for State
Pennslyvania dairymen will
decide this winter whether they
wish to participate in a statewide
promotion program designed to
increase the demand for dairy
products
If one-half of the state’s dairy
farmers voting in a referendum
favor the deduction program, all
producers will be assessed to
support a program of market
development, which would in
clude advertising, promotion,
new product research and
education.
Producers making advertising
contributions under any federal
order program will be exempt
from paying into the proposed
state program. They will,
however, be eligible to vote in the
referendum. A deduction of 5
cents per hundredweight would
be collected by the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture to
Hog Cholera Found
In Two State Herds
On Friday, December Bth, hog
cholera was confirmed by
laboratory diagnosis in a herd of
swine in Montgomery County,
says County Agent M.M. Smith.
The disease had its origin in New
Jersey where hog cholera has
forced Federal quarantine of the
entire state.
On Monday of this week, the
disease was reported in a
Cumberland County herd near
Carlisle. This instance of the
disease was believed to have
sprung from feeding uncooked
offal from a slaughter house.
Hog cholera danger is very real
in Pennsylvania, says Dr. Sam B.
Guss, Extension veterinarian at
The Pennsylvania State
University, because it is known
that nearly 80 herds in
southeastern Pennsylvania have 1
had direct or indirect exposure to
New Jersey swine since the first
of October.
The Pennsylvania Bureau of
Animal Industry and the U.S.
$2.00 Per Year
(Continued On Page 33)
finance a promotion program if
approved. The detailed use of
money collected would be in the
hands of an advisory committee
of dairymen, selected by
cooperatives and independent
dairy farmers.
This referendum differs from
the usual vote by dairy farmers
in that cooperative may vote its
entire membership as a bloc.
However, each dairyman will
receive a ballot. If the co-op
member wishes to cast his ballot
individually, it will be deducted
from the total votes cast by his
cooperative. The individual vote
will take precedent over the
organizational ballot.
Every dairy farmer should
receive a ballot from the Penn
sylvania Department of
Agriculture about January 12th.
All ballots must be received in
Harrisburg by January 26th to
qualify for the referendum.
Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health In
spection Service have a team of
veterinarians and inspectors
tracing back all contacts with
New Jersey swine. Their efforts
and the “stop movement order”
of the Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture may have already
saved the Pennsylvania swine
industry from a multi-million
dollar outbreak.
Pennsylvania swine are ex
tremely susceptible to hog
cholera because their vac
cination has been prohibited for
several years. All swine owners
who have purchased swine in the
past month should watch the
animals closely several times
daily, and report any signs of
sickness to a veterinarian. Those
who feed any garbage to swine
should be especially careful to
cook it thoroughly. (At least 30
minutes) Hog cholera does not
affect humans.