Vol. 21 No. 9 Clouds seen on dairy industry horizon By DIETER KRIEG | CAMP HILL - Speaking before the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, held here recently, Eugene C. Meyer, managing editor of Hoard’s Dairyman, said that he is much more optimistic about the dairy industry today than he was a year ago, but there are lame clouds on the dairyman’s horizon. A member of the Hoard’s Dairyman staff for the past 29 ‘Public utility agriculture 9 threatening ST. LOUIS, Mo. - American farm and ranch families were told last week that “the drive to make American agriculture a public utility is becoming an issue of overriding im portance.” Milking school speaker focuses on mastitis By MELISSA PIPER LANCASTER Naming mastitis as the single most important disease in dairying. Bob Eberhart, Penn State dairy specialist, told a group of producers on Wednesday, that although much research is going on, “we still don’t have all the answers yet on that (mastitis) problem.” Featured as one of the speakers during a two day No-till advantages, drawbacks presented By DIETER KRIEG HERSHEY - One of the most important advantages associated with no-till planting is its potential for soil conservation. At the Middle-Atlantic No-Till Conference, held here this week at the Hershey Con- Roger Fleming, secretary treasurer of the American Farm Bureau Federation, issued the warning during his annual report at the Federation’s annual meeting at the Kid Auditorium here. “This issue comes to the The Harold M. Shank farm, Manheim R 5, with 41 milking Hobteins, is typical of a Pennsylvania dairy operation. vention Center, officials from the Department of Environmental Resources (DER) expressed con siderable interest in this relatively novel tillage practice and believe that it may help many formers meet dean Streams Law Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Jan. 17,1976 years, Meyer spoke to the audience from a background of national and global events which his office must be familiar with. He is an lowa native and grew up on a dairy farm in that state. “Today we have reason to be optimistic about the short term future,” he said. He noted that the 80 per cent parity rate at this time stands at $8.05 per hundredweight, and it will be around $8.20 by April. fore,” Fleming declared, “in a whole host of policy areas federal regulations controlling the uses of land and pesticides, federal controls on farm exports, international commodity agreements, world food aid, In This Issue Farm Commentary 10 Lebanon DHLA 53 Farm Calendar 10 AFBF convention 57 Horse and buggy era 20 Peace Corps volunteer 60 s Poultry processors 24 Thoughts in passing 61 s Classifieds 25 Bicentennial farm 63 ■' Homestead Notes 42 Lifeonthefarm 66 7 Country Comer 44 Honorary PFA degrees 71 Home on the Range 47 Public Sales Register 72 (■ *| - ~-Vc-'-- * -J&ynrr~~~ - . . . milking school held in the county this week, Eberhart spoke on the causes, possible cures and effects of the disease mastitis which every dairy farmer has incurred. “You must understand that when we talk about mastitis,” Eberhart explained, “we’re dealing with several diseases all at once.” “There are many bacterial infections which lead to the regulations. Newton Bair, Lebanon County Agent, points out that the practice could enable hillside to be farmed in such a manner so that corn could be grown without losing soil due to erosion. Other advantages of no-till and more recently in the calls being heard for greater ‘government protection’ for farmers and ranchers when they are called on to increase production. “AD of these proposals are planting are that it saves fuel, labor, and moisture. Each of these points were made clear by guest speakers as well as fanners themselves who rose to the occasion in order to promote the practice. One such fellow was Harry In spite of the short-term optimism, there are some clouds on the dairyman’s horizon which should be brought to the public’s attention, he emphasized. The Geneva talks now going on in Europe may have a long-term effect on the dairy industry, the national dairy farm magazine editor warned. “I’m concerned that the (Continued on Pace 17] from the same bolt of doth government intervention. Only the pattern in each instance is different. “The lure is cheap food for consumers—with taxpayers footing the bill. “Farmers and ranchers mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland) in fact there may be as high as 83 different strains we have to deal with.” Pointing bis talk toward the subdinical form of mastitis, Eberhart noted, “subdinical forms are im- [Continued on Page 22] Young, Jr., from Herndon, Ky., who farms 1,200 acres, but harvests 1,800 acres worth of crops from his land. The simple exnlanation is that he double-crops 600 acres, and no-till planting is a big factor in that, be said. He is considered to be one of $3.00 Per Year know that in the long run they will do far better when their returns are determined by consumers through the market system than they would if farm income were [Continued on Pace 13] Lancaster Farming Photo 1 by Dieter Krieg the “real innovators” of the no-till program, Bair ex plained. But, lest anyone think that no-till planting is “just that simple” and without disadvantages, it should be [Continued on Page It]
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