In recent yean, agriculture spe
cialists have become more and more
•ware of the important role that out
side income plays in the farmer's
life.
Nationally, around half of the in
come of the farm family comes from
off-the-farm work.
Now, in a survey from Illinois, one
of the most important agricultural
States, comes further details of not
only off-farm income, but of the
farm families involved.
As was true nationwide, Illinois
farm families receive on the average
more than half of their total income
from nonfarm sources. For 1971, the
survey year, farm family income in
Illinois averaged $10,960. Of this,
$5,675 was from off-farm work and
$5,285 from net farm income.
Wages and salaries comprised the
major source of off-farm income and
accounted for $2 out of $3 earned
off the farm and for better than $1
out of $3 of total farm family in
come.
Trades are tops. The most often re
ported off-farm work that the Illi-
MARTIN'S MANUFACTURING CO.
Custom
Mode
• FREE STALLS
• BARNYARD FENCES
• SILAGE CARTS in stock
• PIPE GATES 6 ft. to 16 ft.
(every 6") in stock
MARTIN’S
MANUFACTURING CO.
DISTRIBUTOR OF CENTRAL TRACTOR PARTS CO.
R.D.3 Myerstown Phone (717) 933-4151
TAKE RT 645 - 3 MILES NORTH OF MYERSTOWN
FOLLOW DIRECTIONAL SIGNS
ATTINTION to all
BULK MILK TANK OWNERS: >Sffl!!ii!HBi
TITUS HORNING ANNOUNCES
SUE OF ICE-BANK MIU COOLER BUSMISS
We are announcing the change over of, sales & service repair work, of engine
operated setups, of both Ice Bank and Direct Expansion Bulk Milk Tank coolers
from Titus H. Horning of New Holland to Shenk’s Farm Service of Lititz, R.D.4
who are Dari Kool Bulk Tank Dealers.
SHENK'S FARM SERVICE IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT
Delmar Beitzel has been added to our staff in refrigeration work. Delmar
who comes to us with bulk tank refrigeration experience, was previously
employed by Titus H. Horning. So with our present staff of help we are ready
to give you 24 hour, 7 day a week service.
FOR BULK MILK TANK SERVICE (fxwlfenuSnd
CALL COLLECT x .
roll 11* a* /■» 171 OA i4ee 415 Gal. Sunset 400 Gal. Jamesway
Lan iVJenZ* 5> 500 Ga. Esco 500 Gal. Mueller Model M
525 Gal. Girton (3 yr. old) (3) Spudnicks
D2 300 Gal. Girton Kesco Milk Transfer System
WE SERVICE All MAKES AMD MODELS OF BULK MILK TANKS .
More Farmers Seeking
Off-Farm Employment
nois farmers were engaged in was in
the trades—as carpenters, electri
cians, repairmen. Their wives were
most apt to be in office work—as
secretaries, clerks, and bookkeepers.
Other major off-farm work for
farmers included public service and
factory jobs, while for their wives,
the main occupations were teaching
and in medical positions such as
nurses, dental assistants, and labo
ratory technicians.
The most frequent reason Illinois
farmers gave for working off the
farm was to earn money to Invest in
their farming operations or to re
duce farm debts.
Urge to stay. “These reasons sug
gest a desire on the part of these
farmers to remain in fanning by
further expanding their fanning op
erations and improving their equity
positions,” report the economists
who did the survey.
Other reasons farmers cited for
working off the farm include earning
money for their children’s educa
tion, for home improvements, family
needs, and retirement.
Illinois farmers who did not work
off the farm gave as their most fre
quent reason the fact that their
farm required full-time labor. More
than 2 out of 5 of the fanners who
had held off-farm jobs sometime
during the 1960’s but not in 1971
said they discontinued it due to
farmwork needs. More than 1 in 5
cited age as the reason for not seek
ing off-farm employment.
Outside income was especially im
portant to those farm families earn
ing less than $5,000 net farm in
come. Their farms tended to be
small in terms of acreage, livestock
numbers, and gross sales, and
tended not to require all of the
farmer’s available labor. In fact,
about 3 out of 4 of the farm opera
tors with gross sales under $lO,OOO
said they had time available for off
farm work.
In Illinois, the combination of
both farm and off-farm work ap
peared to provide the staying power
for many farmers to remain in
farming. Most farmers, especially
those on small farms, seemed satis-
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Sept. 14.1974
fled with their dual employment as a
means to earn adequate family in
come. Only 6 percent of the farmers
surveyed expected to leave farming
in the next 6 years and shift en
tirely to off-farm employment.
Daterminlng fatten. The study
noted that a number of factors ap
peared to influence the level of off
farm income. Among them—
Farm size. Illinois farmers with
large farms—either in terms of
planted acreage or more intensive
livestock operations—had less time
available for off-farm work. Only 30
percent of the farmers who had
gross sales over $lO,OOO were in
volved in off-farm work. This com
pares with 66 percent of the farmers
with gross sales under $lO,OOO en
gaging in off-farm work. Off-farm
income for farmers operating 500
acres or more averaged only $1,750,
while it averaged $5,700 for farmers
operating less han 180 acres.
Education. The more education a
farmer had, the more money he
earned, bo<-h in terms of net farm
income and off-farm income. Farm
ers with vocational training aver-
aged $4,540 from off-farm earn
ings—nearly $7OO more than
without it. Farmers with college de
grees averaged more than twice as
much off-farm income as those with
only a high school diploma.
Health. Farmers reporting good
health earned combined off-farm and
net farm incomes averaging $12,040.
Farmers with poor health—while re
ceiving the highest incomes from
pensions and retirement benefits due
to older age—earned a total farm
family income that averaged only
$5,760.
Length of work experience.
Higher wage and salary earnings
were reported by those who had more
work experience. For example, farm-
ers with 2 years or less off-farm
work experience averaged wage and
salary incomes of $4,990. Wives with
that amount of experience earned
$2,160. But farmers with 12 years or
more experience averaged $8,333,
and wives in this category, $5,760.
Traveling distance to work. Off
farm income tended to be highest
for those traveling the farthest.
Farmers traveling 3 miles or less to
their off-farm jobs averaged $5,340;
their wives, traveling the same dis
tance, $3,065. But by traveling 25
miles or farther, farmers averaged
$8,355; wives, $4,220.
J
Some people believe that buzzard grease will cure smallpox!
SPECIAL
BEEF SALE
muy m, sm. 20
7:00 P.M.
At the Wyalusing Livestock Market
Wyaiusing, Pa.
Bradford County, Route 6.
100 HEAD ANGUS, HEREFORD
and OTHER BREEDS
Also Cross Breds
Cows with Calves
Cows to freshen
Heifers, Steers and Bulls
A complete herd of 50 head due to owners ill
health. All to be sold by the head with Inter-State
Charts
Trucking available.
More consignments would be welcomed for
this auction. jj m Auct.
Montrose, Pa. 717-278-1574
31
WrrjjJ