12 THE f*RM-A6R»US«HESS HOOKUP When an agribusiness firm decides to hook up with farming, it’s not likely to latch on to just any farm enterprise. A recent study by the USDA’s Economic Research Service of 410 firms with both farm and nonfarm operations found some common bonds in the types of agriculture these firms went into. There was quite a spread m the firms’ annual sales, ranging from $1 million a year to over $5OO million. A few had gross sales in the billions new grain PROCESSING DID YOU KNOW There is a new method of processing corn and other small grain. We believe we are the first in the East to use the JET-SPLODER Method on a commercial basis. > Tests have proven that gram processed by this method has increased its digestability as well as the intake per animal. Many of you are familiar with our Feeds but are not aware that we recently expanded our facilities so that we now can offer a textured complete Dairy Feed as well as a complete Dairy Feed Pellet. Why not call and have a representative arrange an appointment to explain our Feeding Program to you. We offer a Complete line of Dairy, Swine, Poultry and Horse Feeds; also Bulk quantity Ingredients or Bagged, for complete or custom mixing Grain Drying, Storage and Gram Exchange Programs JOHN J. HOOBER, Inc. GORDONVILLE, PA. 17529 Phones: A.C. 717-768-3216 or 768-8481 mm 11. 1974 Most, however, seemed to be attranted to farm en terprises that require a lot of labor and management savvy. The commodities they produced also shared certain traits--they are highly perishable and subject to wide variations in quality. Basing their analysis on data provided by Dun and Bradstreet, the researchers identified 10 major types of farming among the 410 firms. Four commodities stood out from the rest. Most commonly produced were beef cattle-27 percent of the firms produced this commodity—followed by vegetables at 18 percent, poultry other than broilers, 18 percent, and fruits, 17 percent. Researchers also classified the firms by primary business or in dustrial activity: 'farms, suppliers of agricultural inputs, agricultural processors, agricultural distributors, and nonagncultural activities. Big on farming. Over a third of the firms (149) gave farming as their main business. Of these, 18 per- •MODE MILK*MORE meat • more PROFIT MADISON SILOS Div. Chromalloy American Corp. 1070 Steinmetz Rd. Ephrata, Penna. 17522 Ph. 733-1206 LOCAL DEALERS Frank Snyder Akron Caleb Wenger Quarryville Landis Bros Inc Lancaster 393-3906 Carl L. Shirk Lebanon Sollenberger Farm Supply Centerport, Pa Ph. 215-926-7671 rant were mainly frait producers, the same proportion were primarily vegetable producers, and 17 percent were mainly beef cattle producers. Supplying agricultural inputs was the chief activity of 52 firms, nearly half of them being feed manufac turers. Feed manufacturers, together with poultry hat cheries and distributors of farm equipment and sup plies, accounted for over 95 percent of all the input firms. Agricultural processors, numbering 57, largely dealt in dairy products and fruit and vegetables. With meat packers, these firms made up over two-thirds of all processors. Sixty-four of the firms were agricultural distributors. Wholesalers of fruit and vegetables, poultry, and other farm products accounted for over four-fifths. Fums primarily engaged in non-agricultural businesses counted 88, 40 percent of which were in land-based industries such as mineral extraction, forestry, and real estate WHITE WASHING with DAIRY WHITE - Dries White - Does Not Rub Off Easily - No Wet Floors - Is Compatible With Disinfectant Also BARN CLEANING SERVICE Available With Compressed Air MAYNARD L. BEITZEL Spraying Since 1961 Witmer. Pa. 717-392-7227 HAVE YOUR BARN SPRAYED & CLEANED NOW. Cleaning Service after Sept. Only as Time Permits. LATE SPRING SPECIALS Cndet Riding M«w*rs Specifications Cadet *55 Cadet 75 Engine Speeds Cutting width Cutting height Wheelbase Overall length inside turning radius Ignition 859-2688 CADET 55 $ 435 °° 548-2116 ALL NEW TRACTORS GUARANTEED 1 FULL YEAR rit 867-3741 development. Next were trade and service firms (31 percent), manufacturing firms (28 percent), and nonglomerates (20 percent). Taking a closer look at the firms which made farming their main business, the most commonly produced commodities were vegetables, beef cattle, and fruit and tree nuts. Farm suppliers. Firms specializing In farm inputs went heavily into poultry production (other than broilers), with broilers a distant second. A significant number of the non-broiler poultry operations, however, were breeder flocks for broiler hatching eggs. The agricultural processors were big on dairy, beef cattle, fruits, vegetables, and poultry other than broilers. Eccept for dairy, the agricultural distribution firms also concentrated on these commodities. In the nonagncultural category, beef cattle headed the list, followed by fruits and grains. Nonfann types. As was true for the 410 firms as a NEW INTERNATIONAL LAWN RIDING TRACTORS shp 4-cycle gasoline Ist gear 2 2mph 2nd 3 3 3rd 49 Reverse 3 3 28 32 7hp Vz to 4 mV* increments Easy spin recoil start with magneto Electric key start with 12 vott battery optional on 75 only COPE & WE AVER CO. NEW PROVIDENCE INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER - SAL€S & SERVICE group, thooe -whose main business was not fanning mostly produced fruits and vegetables, poultry other than broilers, and beef cattle. Most of the cattle were produced in feedlots. a smaller but significant number of these firms were involved in broiler and dairy production. The nonfarm agribusiness firms, the EBS study said, perfer intensive types of agriculture becase they readily lend themselves to the industrial production techniques already used by these firms. And since less land is needed than for, say, (Continued on Page 13) u