Periodicals Division Jifa
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Vol. 18 No. 44
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FARM USUIS I
A summary of market
and commodity news
for the past week
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Sorry, Charolais
Last year, just about every baby beef event in local fairs
was dominated by Charolais cattle. The dawning of a new day
in the beef industry was forecast by some, with the Charolais
breed shining like the sun. Thursday night, though, ob
servers saw Charolais, Angus and Hereford entries eclipsed
by a very meaty Simmental-Angus cross. Simmental backers
are predicting great things for the breed. They know they're
going to have to reckon though, with the Italian Chiamna
which is now being bred into existing American stock.
Purebred Chiamna are expected to be available here by
1975.
Americans don’t know yet what quality meat they can get
from Simmental, Chiamna and any other exotic breeds that
might come along. They do know they can get a lot of meat
from these animals, and that consideration is probably more
important now that it’s ever been.
Beef Takes a Dip
Consumers are going to find beef prices down con
siderably in the next few weeks, according to predictions
from the American Meat Institute. This downward trend in
retail prices is expected to follow the wholesale price decline
which has materialized since the lifting of the price freeze on
beef. Few prognosticators dared to say prices would fall after
the freeze was lifted, but they were generally agreed they
wouldn’t |go up much. There’s evidently still some consumer
resistance to retail prices, and wholesaler supplies, ac
cording to some figures, are beginning to back up. This
condition must ultimately show up in auction prices, and has
already brought local and national auction prices down to
between $45 and $5O where just a few weeks ago choice
cattle were selling for as high as $6l a hundredweight.
“There, Are Cheaper Ways to Build Character”
To end a column that’s turned into a beef special, we quote
an observer at the Solanco Fair Baby Beef Show on Thursday
night. "There aren’t as many entries this year as last year,
and I think it’s because of the high feeder prices. If a family
has three children with beef projects, they'll have $lOOO tied
up in steers. Baby beef projects are fine, but there are lots
cheaper ways to build character.”
Bob and Joyce Wagner, Quarryviile RD2,
are shown with their Guernseys which took
grand and reserve champion honors in
by Dick Wanner i
breed competition Wednesday afternoon
at the 24th annual Solanco Community
Fair.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 22, 1973
Winners Named at
24th Solanco Fair
Perfect weather greeted
visitors to the 24th annual
Southern Lancaster County
Community Fair, which opened
officially on Wednesday and
closed Friday.
The highlight of Wednesday’s
events was the dairy show,
Farm Calendar
Saturday, September 22
Harvest Fair, Schaefferstown,
September 22-23.
Monday, September 24
7 p.m. - Fulton Grange Com
munity Night, Oakryn.
PA All-American Dairy Show,
Farm Show Building,
Harrisburg, September 24-28.
Bloomsburg Fair, September 24-
29.
Tuesday, September 25
7 p.m -- Inter-State Milk
Producers’ Coop Annual
Dinner meeting. District 6,
Blue Ball Fire Hall.
Ephrata Fair, September 25-29.
Oley Valley Fair, September 25-
29.
Eastern National Holstein Show,
Harrisburg, September 27-28.
Wednesday, September 26
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. - PA. Broiler-
Breeder Workshop, Farm and
Home Center.
West Lampeter Community Fair,
September 26-28.
Thursday, September 27
Lancaster County Swine
Producers Board of Directors
meeting, Farm and x Home
Center.
PA All-American Invitational
Holstein Sale, Harrisburg.
Saturday, September 29
60th Annual Horticulture Show,
Penn State, September 29-30.
which, this year, was bigger than
ever. Close to 140 animals were
entered this year, compared to
Just over 100 in the 1972 show.
Asked if this meant there were
more cows in the Solanco area, or
just more interest in the show,
one fair official said interest in
the competition was the key
factor.
Wednesday also saw the
judging of crops, and the crops
exhibit this year was a real
dazzler. Ken Rutt, general
manager of the fair, said the
crops on display looked better
this year than any other year he
could remember.
Thursday’s competition started
with tractor driving, continued on
through the evening with the
cattle and swine shows and ended
with the FFA and open tug-‘o-war
championships. This year’s
champion FFA rope pullers were
the Oxford chapter. Octorara was
second and Manheim was third.
Results of Wednesday’s dairy
competition, by breed, were:
Holstein
Junior Calf - John Welk, first;
Maurice Welk, second. In
termediate Calf - Linda Akers,
first; Gary Akers, second. Senior
Calf-Jim Bucher, first; Maurice
Welk, second. Junior Yearling -
Donna Akers, first; Carl Troop,
Tractor driving competition was a highlight of Thursday’s
events at the Soianco Community Fair this week.
52.00 Per Year
second. Senior Yearling -
Edgefield Farms, first; Tom
Galbreath, second. Two-year-old
- Edgefield Farms, first; Gary
Akers, second. Three-year-old -
Carl Troop, first; Maurice Welk,
second. Four-year and older -
Maurice Welk, first, Jim High,
second. Junior Get - Jim High,
first. Best Three Females -
Edgefield Farms. Dairy Herd -
Maurice Welk. Dam-Daughter -
Edgefield Farms. Best Udder -
Maurice Welk. Open Champ -
Maurice Welk; Jim High, res
erve. Junior Division Champion -
Gary Akers; Linda Akers,
reserve.
Ayrshire
Senior Calf - Warren Schmuck,
first; Leroy Sensenig, second.
< Continued On Page 12)
In This Issue
Markets 2-4
Sale Register 39
Farmers Almanac 6
Classified Ads 40
Editorials 10
Homestead Notes 26
Lampeter Fair Schedule 5
Ephrata Fair Schedule 5
Lebanon County
No-till Corn Tour 18
Thoughts in Passing 15