Vol. 20 No. 12
Jim, left, and Carlton Groff lost
money on their beef feeding
operation in Southern Lancaster
County fast year, but they say they’ll
Beef Prospects Could
Brighten , Moore Says
“Cattle feeding might turn
profitable by fall, but it’ll be
nowhere near as good as it
was two years ago,” Lou
Moore told an audience of
feeders on Monday at the
Lancaster Farm and Home
Center. Moore, an extension
economist from Penn State,
was the lead-off speaker at a
cattle feeders day which
Robert Bair
Award Winning Poultry Judge
Robert Bair, a 16-year-old
student at Eastern York
High School, has been an
active member of FFA for
the past three years.
Along with being a
member of the chapter,
Robert has served as
president and vice-president
of the group, along with
serving on numerous
committees.
Robert’s main project
interest has been in poultry
and poultry production work.
He has exhibited eggs at the
York Fair and at the Farm
Show, often receiving the top
prizes.
During his freshmen year,
Robert judged poultry at the
FFA Activities Week held at
Penn State, where he placed
first in the state and was
awarded a trip to the
National FFA convention in
Kansas City. During the
national competition,
Robert received a bronze
medal-quite an honor for a
first time contestant.
Last year at the State
competition, Robert placed
survive. And they say they'll be
making money on beef when the
bottom drops out of the corn market.
drew 200 farmers from five
Pennsylvania counties and a
few from Maryland.
Moore told the feeders that
consumers are going to have
a field day with beef pur
chases in 1975. “Per capita
consumption could well hit
123 pounds pounds,” he said,
“which would break the old
record of 117 pounds set in
fourth and received a trip to
the Eastern States Ex
position where the state
team placed third.
Along with his state and
national accomplishments,
Robert has also won several
local poultry judging
competitions.
Just how does a young man
like Robert know so much
about poultry? Robert ex
plained the situation in this
manner.
“My father is involved in
the poultry business, so it
was natural for me to try it
as a project,” he explained.
Robert’s project happens
to be a 6000 bird broiler
operation.
“My enterprise is a con
tracted operation with a feed
company,” Robert com
mented.
“We receive the chicks
when they are one day old,
and raise them for 8 weeks
until they are about 5 lbs.”
“My particular birds are
bought for speciality pur
poses lor the kosher type
I Continued on Rate 16]
Serving The Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania Areas
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 1, 1975
1974.”
“In spite of the economy,
demand for beef will be
good,” Moore said. “Even
though a lot of people aren’t
working, they’re still
drawing some pretty good
unemployment checks.”
Hedging as a way to lock in
profits is out for the time
[Continued on Page 9]
A Junior at Eastern York High School, Robert Bair
has been an active member of the FFA chapter for the
past three years, winning numerous awards for
poultry judging.
Jim and Carlton Groff say . . .
“It Pays to Stay
In Beef Farming”
“Personally, I wouldn’t be
too bothered if grain prices
stayed high for awhile,”
Carlton Groff told Lancaster
Fanning the other Saturday
morning. Surprising words
from a man who, with his
brother Jim, has 440 head
right now in their Kirkwood
R 1 feedlot. “We can fatten
steers 15 percent cheaper
than commercial feedlots.
That means they run into
trouble before we do, and if
grain prices stay high
enough long enough, we’re
going to see a lot of tax
sheltered operations going
out of business.
“The big investor owned
feedlots aren’t going to close
down,” Groff added. “Some
of those fellows have been in
the business lor years.
They’ve had a few good
years and they can stand a
few bad years, just like we
can. The feedlots that will be
in trouble are the ones that
are collecting fees from
doctors, lawyers and
businessmen for buying,
feeding and selling cattle.”
Both Groffs, Jim and
Carlton, share in their belief
that the people who make
money in the beef business
are the ones that stay in it
through the ups and downs of
market cycles. “The people
who are in and out of the
market are always one year
late,” Carlton said.
“Even though we lost
money last year, we’re going
to stay in the beef business,”
Jim added. “We’ll survive.”
The Groffs keep a very
close watch on their input
costs and profit figures, and
they know within a cent or
two what they need to break
even on a load of feeder
steers. The books are the
responsibility of Carlton,
who was a math teacher
before he and Jim formed
their partnership in 1967.
When they decided to go into
farming, Jim was working
as a glazing foreman for
Pittsburgh Plate Glass.
When the partnership was
formed, they bought their
parents’ 220-acre home
farm. Since then, the Groffs
have bought another 180
FFA Red Rose, Star
Awards to Local Youths
Ruby Cinder,
Elizabethtown R 3, was
named Lancaster County
Star Farmer, the first girl
ever to win that honor, on
Monday night at Solanco
High School. This year’s star
agribusinessman is Chris
McCarty, Confestoga R 2.
Also honored on Monday
night were 46 FFA students
from eight Lancaster County
schools. The students were
named to receive the Star
Red Rose degree.
Ruby Cinder is a junior at
Manheim Central High
School. She is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cinder,
who own and operate a dairy
and beef farm. Ruby is in her
third year as an FFA
member, and plans to go on
farming after she graduates
from high school. Her FFA
projects to date have in
cluded dairy, capons, beef
and alfalfa. The Star Farmer
award carries with it a check
for $lOO. Ruby’s check will be
used to help finance her trip
to the next national FFA
convention in Kansas City.
The winner of another $lOO
check was Chris McCarty,
son of William I. McCarthy,
the herdsman of Turkey Hill
Farms during summer
vacations, and hopes to
become a full-time Turkey
Hill employee after
graduation.
The star farmer and star
agribusinessman this year
were chosen largely by the
county FFA officers, and the
first year for that procedure.
$2.00 Per Year
acres, and are presently
leasing 200 more acres. In
addition to the bookwork,
Carlton is responsible for
most of the operation of 60
acres of orchard on the home
farm. Jim oversees
machinery, crops and cattle.
Both share in pruning chores
and overall management,
and their wives take care of
a retail fruit store. Very little
outside labor is hired.
Not only do the Groffs
believe in staying in the beef
business, they also like to
spread their risk throughout
the year. “We’re trying to
get set up to market ten head
a week,” Jim explained.
“That means we’ll hit all the
lows, but we’ll hit the highs,
too, and we like to -work on
the average price.” k
Right now, from six to
[Continued on PagelT]
Previously, the winners had'
been chosen by a panel ol
adult judges representing
the farming community
Two adults did work this
year with the FFA officers ir
their judging of the can
didates. They were Robert
Kauffman, a Quarryvillc
dairy farmer, and Dick
Wanner, editor of Lancastei
Farming. Both Kauffman
and Wanner praised the FFA
leaders for their judging of
the candidates.
Listed below are the 46
Red Rose degree winner:
named Monday night. The}
are listed by schools.
Elizabethtown
Patrick R. Buggy
Elizabethtown Rl; Marlir
Dohner, Elizabethtown Rl
James Rutt, Elizabethtowr
Rl.
(Continued on Page 24]
to This Issue
FARM CALENDAR 10
Markets 2-6
Sale Register 57
Farmers Almanac 8
Classified Ads 28
Editorials 10
Homestead Notes 38
Home on the Range 40
Organic Living 47
Junior Cooking Edition 45
Sales Reports 63
Pa. Wintemational 21
Horton Retires from Mt.
Joy 23
Berks Co. DHIA 48
Sewing Feature 42