60—UmcattT Farming, Saturday, Oct. 4. 1975
Lancaster Countians present
testimony at Meadville hearing
MEADVILLE - Two
Lancaster Countians,
Forney Longencckcr of
Litilz and Alfred Overly of
Quarryvillc, testified at the
congressional hearing held
here last month to present
their reasons for higher milk
prices.
Overly, who has been
operating his own farm since
1959, is a former employee of
New Holland Machine
Company and a member of
the Pennsylvania Farmers
Union.
Longenecker is
organization director for the
Pennsylvania Farmers
Union. Following are ex
cerpts from their statements
before the dairy and poultry
subcommittee which has
schojluled hearings in
varh*s parts of the country
to mermine the need for
higher milk prices.
Longenecker: “What I’d
like to bring out in my
testimony is that the dairy
farmer is quitting. Some are
getting bigger, yes - but if
you drive in the rural areas
you will see that the farms
are slowly deteriorating -
there are no more cows and
weeds grow around the
buildings. In most cases the
land is still being fanned,
but not always.
The farmers in rural
America have lost faith in
our government. I asked
many of our members to
attend this meeting. They
said, “What’s the use?
They’ll listen to you, but they
won’t do anything about it
anyway.”
So let’s get on with the job.
Let’s get this sujiport price
up to at least 90 percent of
BOU-MATIC
OFFERS YOU MORE
To balance your MILKING
you must balance your Milking system.
We are talking about the program of system analysis Checking, what we
can do for you on your present milking system.
parity, which Is what the law
says it may be. fact's not let
imports in that depress
prices below 90 percent of
parity.”
Overly: "What I’d like to
bring out in my testimony is
something that greatly
concerns me - How in the
world can young farmers
start farming today? And
worse yet, some that should
start farming aren’t even
attempting it.
Presently my son is a
senior in high school and
would like to continue to
farm. If my son wants to
start farming on his own, or
any young farmer in fact,
he's going to have to borrow
money at 10 percent. To buy
- farm, he'll have to pay at
least S times the amount I
paid for my farm. In fact,
buying one is out of the
question. A decent herd of
cows to start out with would
cost in the neighborhood of
$30,000 to $40,000. Machinery
prices, in the last year, have
increased from 20 percent to
60 percent.
And here we are, and here
you are listening to us,
wanting to know why we
should have higher prices for
our milk!
What I tried to bring out in
my testimony is this; - It was
possible for me to start
farming the way I did. What
alarms me is there is no way
a young farmer can start
farming today the way I did
PROFITS first
OMPLETE PROGRAM
INSTALLATION SERVICE
-Hou.t Service Offered .
SHENK'S
FARM
SERVICE
foods Drive Lititz, Pa. 17543
Phone 717-626-1151
In 1958. There Is no reason at
all why milk can’t be at 90
percent of parity, the way
the law provides. I per
sonally think It should be at
100 percent. As you arc
aware, farmers can't turn
off the cows the way industry
can lay off their men.
If present conditions don’t
Improve, more farmers will
be forced to quit. I think the
consumer is aware that
there is no such thing as
cheap food. Everything has a
price. The fact is that if they
want to be furnished milk at
a steady price you will have
to raise the support price to
at least 90 percent of parity."
APPLE SALE
|0 C I”*
/%
v
Old fashioned Summer Rambos are on sale at Ontelaunee
Orchards. Only 10c lb.
The apples have been picked and are in bins. Just bring your
own containers and pick them from the bins.
Come out to Ontelaunee Orchards for our great baking apple sale.
While you’re at Ontelaunee, try our pi
It's specially priced 12 lbs. for $lO.OO
Just north of Reading on Rt. 6
BAKING APPLES
10* lb.
while they last!
READ
LANCASTER FARMING
FOR FULL
MARKET REPORTS
,/Y.f
ii#
WHILE THEY LAST
jT*
IIV