Know Where the Activities Will Be? Read the Farm Women Calendar. ' CLICK'S Distributor for ROOFING ( SPOUTING BAKED ENAMEL TM ROOFS Colors: Turquoise, Red, White (only) FULL SERVICE DEALER SALES & INSTALLATION SAMUEL B. CLICK R.D.I, Kinzer, PA Ph.(717)442-4921 Please call before 7 A.M. or after 6 P.M. No Sunday Calls W cows could folk they’d ask for WL ALFALFAS WL 311 WL 305 WL 318 Resistant to Anthracnose and Bacterial Wilt High Yielding— Excellent Stand Persistence Rapid growing Dark green color fine stems Excellent seedling vigor and stand establishment Developed by Waterman Loomis Co., specialized dfaHa breeders. WL 318—Resistant to phytophtora BEACHLEY-HARDY SEED CO. AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL SEED DEALER Shiremanstown, PA 17091 farmer marketing problems By Rep. Kent Shelhamer, Chairman House Agriculture Committee While harried housewives try valiantly to keep their food purchases within the confines of the family’s allotted budget, many of them are ready to throw in the proverbial sponge as the bottom line at the checkout counter shows no signs of diminishing. And yet, while food prices have been undergoing a relentless upward spiral these past several years, no one - producer, distributor, manufacturer, or retailer - has accepted any direct responsibility for his con tribution to the inflationary process. The small farmer has been TEST RESULTS (1 4 yrs PA type climates) WL 305 out yielded Vernal by 10 9% WL 311 out yielded Vernal by 12 69% and Saranac by 10 26% W 31S out yielded Vernal by 11 3% [Mean annual yields test data available H.B. 211 to ai almost as much a victim as the consumer • even though he has been saddled with higher costs in everything he buys to produce his crops, he has been unable to recoup these costs in sufficient amounts to realize a com fortable profit. One of the principal reasons for the small family farmer’s dilemma is his lack of expertise in the field of marketing. He may have purchased new labor-saving equipment which increases MldtDeburg, PA February 3,1971 CATTLE 199. Compared with last Tuesday’s market, slaughter steers grading Standard & Good strong to 75 cents higher. Slaughter cows steady to 25 cents lower. Few Choice slaughter - steers 38.0040.60, Good 34.85-38.00, Standard 32.50-35.50, Utility 26.75-30.75. One Good «l»nght»r heifer at 34.50, few Utility 26.50-32.00. Utility & High Dressing Cutter slaughter cows 27.0029.50, one at 30.35, Cutters 24.75- 27.00, Canners 22.5024.75, few Shells down to 20.00. Couple Standard slaughter bullocks 32.00 and 32.75, few Utility 26.2028.75. Few Yield Grade Mo. 1 12501685 lbs. slaughter bulls 32.5033.00. CALVES 152. Vealers steady to $3 higher. Couple Prime vealers 75.50 and >77.00, Choice 65.0073.00, Good 50.0063.00, Standard 41.0049.00, Utility 90110 lbs. 32.0037.00, 7085 lbs. 29.00 32.50. Farm calves, holstein bulls 90115 lbs. 33.0043.00. HOGS 497. Barrows & Gilts steady to 75 cents lower. US NO. 1-2195-225 lbs. barrows & gilts 50.50-51.50, one lot 51.90, No. 1-3 200240 lbs. 49.10 50.40, No. 2-3 240270 lbs. 48.0049.60. US No. 1-3 350550 lbs. sows 42.0045.50. Boars 30.25-35.25. FEEDER PIGS 123. US No. 1-3 30-45 lbs. feeder pigs 39.00-52.00 per head. SHEEP 13. Few Utility & Good 65-75 lbs. wooled slaughter lambs 35.00-47.00. Few Slaughter ewes 8.00- 19.00. on request) Middleburg Lancaster Farming, Saturday. Feb. 7,1976 his production; he may turn out a more plentiful harvest each season; but he is still at the mercy of the buyer, and more often than not he is literally forced to sell his products at prices that barely allow him to break even. It would seem fairly ob vious that five, or say ten farmers growing corn, for example, could fare out much better financially if they banded together and bargained for price prior to harvest time, than one farmer acting along to dispose of bis produce. The House ’ Agriculture Committee will be con sidering House Bill 211, a measure which establishes standards for the ac creditation of Agricultural Cooperative Organizations for bargaining purposes, and it also defines the mutual obligations of the coops and handlers to bargain with respect to production, sale, and marketing of products. Under the provisions of the bill, an Agricultural Bargaining Board, con sisting of three members appointed by the Governor, would be responsible for administration and en forcement of the Act. It would determine the eligibility of an association by holding public hearings to establish that the association is (1) producer owned and controlled,* (2) has contracts with members that are binding; (3) is financially sound; and (4) represents a Meat production HARRISBURG + Red Meat production in Penn sylvania during November 1975 was five percent below a year ago. Slaughter of meat animals was up for cattle and calves, but down for bogs, sheep and .lambs, according to the Crop Reporting Service. Cattle slaughter increased 12 percent, calves 39 percent, .while hog slaughter decreased 28 percent and sufficient number of producers and-or products to make it an effective agent for producers. The bill also imposes certain restrictions on both association members and handlers. No member of a producing association would be allowed to sell a com modity for a lower price than that agreed upon by the entire association through bargaining, nor could the handler negotiate in dividually with any member of the association. The Bargaining Board would also provide con ciliation and mediating services In the event the association and handler cannot agree with the terms surrounding the marketing of a commodity. If an agreement is not reached in a 15-day period, the negotiations would be taken over by a Joint settlement committee composed of representatives of the bargaining parties, plus a neutral member. A number of other states have recently adopted similar measures, and we, will be giving Rouse Bill 211 full consideration in com mittee, recognizing Oat its passage could offer a valuable marketing tools to die small farmer. With the profit-and-loss picture so precarious these days, even a fractional addition to prices as the result of the association's bargaining process could put many small family farmers on a solid financial footing. increased sheep and lambs were 23 percent below November a year ago. Nationally total red meat production during November 1975 was down six percent from a year ago. Beef production increased one percent from November 1974 and veal was 60 percent higher. Hog production was down 20 percent, lamb and mutton down 12 percent from a year ago. 9
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers