library-ScocX of Agrioultwf . : Ml ißttoe Bldg; ? „ V V- 1 ' Vo I. 19 No. 29 FARM TRENDS FERTILIZER SHORTAGE IS (IS NOT) AS BAD AS WE EXPECTED The fertilizer shortage will and wilt not be as bad as expected, according,to a USDA report issued last weqk. Nitrogen will probably ,be short 5 pet.; phbsphate as much' as 15 pet. -- but there’s enough' potash to meet needs. On the other hand, the report points out, a 5 pet. reduction rate in nitrogen application rates should have only a “neglible impact” on yields, while a 15 percent reduction in the phosphate application rate is "not expected to adversely affect yields greatly.” The report, “United States and World Fertilizer Outlook: 1974 and 1960,’.’ aslo points out that sub stanial increases in crop production of 1973 can be expected for several reasons: Greater acreage, good weather, higher nitrogen use. Over-all acreage of mfajor crops is expected to be up 5 percent from last year. Weather conditions so far have been very favorable, a sharp contrast to the 1972-73 crop year. And, though nitrogen use may’ be 450,000t0ns short of demand, it’ll still bit 8.8 million ton - that’s 500,000 tons above last year’s record utilization. We use a record 5.1 million tons of phosphate fertilizers last year. The demand is for 5.5 million tons (Continued on Page 21] Dairying - the Large And the Small of It The small family'farm is viewed by some as an out moded institution, unable to cope with the realities of today’s wild free market economy. Others view the family farm - or perhaps it should be said the farm family - as a repository and a breeding place for the values ■ Americans cherish most, a moral touchstone for a society of urban centers wallowing in physical and spiritual decay. We’re told that cor porations must inevitably take over farming because of their economies of scale, their more efficient use of labor, capital and management. On the other hand, we’re told that family farms must be preserved & we’re to save open space around our cities, especially in the Northeast, and if we’re to keep the strength of character of a prosperous rural population. Big farm, little farm. It’s a debate we can’t hope to answer here, and maybe nobody will ever decide which is best for agriculture or the country. We did feel that it would be interesting, though, to interview a cor porate dairy farm and a family dairy farm, to see in what ways they differ and in what ways they’re alike. 80, last Tuesday, we talked to the management of Bryncoed Farms in Chester by Dick Wanner Springs, a 2000-acre complex which is owned by Luden’s Candy Co. in Reading, and we talked to Jacob Dienner, a Gordonville dairyman with 30 cows whose daily herd average, per cow stayed above 70 pounds for about two months. The two operations are certainly different, but they’re alike in some ways. We attempt to draw no conclusions from their contrasting styles, except for the fact that both are suc cessful. T Bryncoed - 250 Cows, Going on 500 Bryncoed Farms is an impressive complex of 2000 acres and some of the most modern dairy equipment in the area. It could be said - and has been - that Bryncoed is farming with money and not for money. But herd manager Bo D’Avanzo and farm director Phil Schiaroli both insist that the purpose In This Issue Farm Calendar 10 Markets 2-4 Sale Register 66 Farmers Almanac Y 6 Classified Ads 30 Editorials 10 Homestead Notes 38 Home on the Range 42 Organic Living 12 Lancaster Co. DHIA 54 Farm Women Calendar 41 Growing 6l 4-H Calendar 49 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 1, 1974 Lehigh, Country Belle Stir Legislature Action A bill which could help protect the financial in terests of farm cooperative -members \ras introduced into the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Last week by Francis Kennedy, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. Kennedy, a Butler County farmer, introduced the bill after likening to complaints from members of the Country Belle coop in the western part of the state. Country Belle members told him they stood to lose as much as $26,000 each as a Annual Dairy Issue of Bryncoed is to make money for laiden’s Candy Co. That objective has been complicated sometvhat in the past few weeks by the fact that the farm is shipping its considerable output of milk to the Lehigh Valley Coop, but both Schiaroli and D’Avanzo said they’ll weather that difficulty with much le&s trouble than a small farmer. “The small farmer today pays high prices for the things he needs, he works long hours and he shows practically no profit at the end of the year,” D’Avanzo said in his New England accent. He was a dairyman in Massachusetts before coming to Pennsylvania, and said that he has been a dairyman all his life. Small farms are trouble, D’Avanzo believes, because they can’t hire good help, and that’s why individual dairy farmers must get up at 3 a.m. and work until 8 or 9 o’clock at night, every day of the week. “Here we’ve got nine people to help with die farm work. Each man works nine hours a day, and he works 46 hours one week and 54 the next.” Farm workers at Bryn coed get free milk and meat, hospitalizatioa insurance, a retirement plan, and a rent free house in addition to their wages. For his labor force, D’Avanzo believes in result of their organization’s money difficulties. Kennedy’s ‘ bill would require that cooperatives be bonded, exactly as com mercial dairies and private milk dealers are bonded now. And it would apply to all coops, not just dairy- In its present form, the bill sets a ceiling on the amount of the bond at $200,000. But Ken nedy told Lancaster Far ming on Friday morning that the ceiling might have to be raised. Asked if $200,000 was anywhere near sufficient, Kennedy replied that the money itself wouldn’t do much to stave off economic chaos in a situation like Country Belle, with a deficit of $960,000, or Lehigh Valley, which turned up $3.8 million short. “The real power of the law, if it’s enacted, would be the -fact that the bonding company would be looking over the coop’s shoulder. Hie bondholder wants to, protect recruiting men who’ve farmed, all their lives, preferably someone 'at least [Continued on Page 16] Buzz Kennedy, from Roaring Branch, Pa., did "Some roaring last Saturday night at the opening of the Buck Tractor Puli track. Driving a Massey Ferguson Model 55 tractor their interest, and in doing so, they’d be looking for signs of mismanagement and anything else that’s, going This Would help to protect the' farmer members.” New Holland Looking At Sales to Russia Kenneth F. Thompson, president of Sperry New Holland, revealed Thursday that he expects his firm will sell farm equipment to the Russians. In addition, Thompson, who just returned from a seven-day business trip to the Soviet Union, said some Russians have been in New Holland recently to study the manufacture of farm machinery. More Soviet teams are expected here in the near future. While ip Russia, Thomp son said he reached an oral agreement with the Soviet government to explore ways in which future business can be conducted between his company and the Russians. However, no specific deal was worked out. “All we know,” Thompson said, “is that they are extremely with a 427 Ford engine, Kennedy took first place in the 7000-lb. modified 1 event and third in the 7000-lb. open. (See Story on P. 13.) ‘52.00 Per Year Pennsylvania dairymen stand to lose millions because of the financial woes of Lehigh, Countryrßelle and Queen ! City dairy cooperatives. Queen City is a (Continued on Page 18] interested (in New Holland equipment) and we’rei willing to cooperate.” I He cautioned that it might be several years before there is any “significant business” between New Holland and the Soviets. “I was told that we have to be very patient,” the president said. Thompson was in Russia in connection with an exhibit of Sperry Rand products in Moscow. He said the Russians bought three New Holland machines on display and plan to study them under various farm conditions. To help with the tests, Russian speaking New Holland employes from plants in Europe will go to the Soviet Union to demonstrate proper machine s operation and maintenance.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers