—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Dec. 11, 1976
18
American ag
[Continued from Pagr 171
continue along the route of market orien
tation, or we can return to government
controls.
Memories are short. You all remember a
few years ago when fanners were held back
by government acreage controls. The role of
the farm management specialists has
changed with the changes m policy. Much of
your farm management advice used to
hinge around the government programs.
Profits
SMOKETOWN, Pa. -
Profits for dairymen could
be down slightly in 1977, but
over all, it should still be a
good year, says Boyd
Gartley, director of public
relations and com
munications for Inter-State
Milk Producers Cooperative,
Inc. The milk industry
spokesman also said that
farmers should concern
themselves with the energy
question.
Gaitley .made the remarks
at the annual meeting of the
Red Rose Dairy Herd Im-.
provement Association, held
here at the Good and Plenty
Restaurant on Tuesday. He
reminded dairymen that 1976
was an “up” year with
regards to the dairy
situation. He noted that
diary prices were strong in
AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL
MEETING FOR ALL FARMERS
The topics for discussion will include; (1) the role of
soil sampling, sophisticated laboratory analysis and
expert interpretation in getting the most out of your
fertilizer dollar, (2) the management of soil decay
systems and resulting effects on fertilizer
requirements, and (3) the principles behind new tillage
systems and ways to incorporate these into your
operation
C’mon out to Enfield Equipment, Rt. 165, Whiteford,
Md. on Wednesday night, December 15th, at 7:30 p.m.
Refreshments will be served.
For more information, please call Bob Blythe, Ad
vanced Ag Field Service representative at 301-452-5309,
or Enfield Equipment at 301-452-5252.
could be down
1976, dairy sales were up and
there was a dramatic
development in the ex
pansion for demand of' milk
products. He said booming
cheese sales provided much
of the increase in sales which
resulted in fluid milk sales
being slightly above last
year.
He said milk prices have
been above support prices
since mid-July and that
prices should average about
$l.OO per hundredweight
more than last year..
He noted that part of the
good production year for
dairymen is the result of
realizing gains from the
genetic protential of dairy
cows because overall cow
numbers are declining.
Milk production, Gartley
said after the meeting, will
IN SOUTHERN YORK CO.
AND NORTHERN MD.
With costs rising and crop prices
what they are, farmers have to be
looking for ways to improve their
operation.
Donald L. Schriefer, president of
Advanced Agriculture Inc. will
present an integrated approach
to soils management designed to
cut costs and improve yields.
The first decision was how many acres to
leave idle - then what combination of crops
to grow within the program framework. In
the old days you were in a holding pattern on
decision making until the details of that
year’s farm program had been announced in
Washington
We’re in a new era today. Your op
portunity for farm management decision
making has a much wider area in which to
operate.
As we meet today’s challenges, American
probably continue above
average. He said the overall
picture for dairymen looks
good next year but profits
could be down slightly with
increased cost a probability.
He did caution that there is
potential for a surplus in
1977.
He also noted that per
capita consumption of dairy
products is the equivalent of
546 pounds of milk.
Gartley said, “We have
out-produced the needs of the
world in wheat, with one
billion bushels in storage.
There isn’t a person with
money anywhere in the
world that’s hungry.” He
added, “There is no food
shortage, only a distribution
problem, and distribution of
money is a problem.”
Gartley strongly urged the
farmers to concern them
selves with the energy
problem, “because the
farmer has the most to lose.
Agriculture is in a venerable
position and needs to be
especially aware of energy.”
TRY A
CLASSIFIED
AD!
Boyd Gartley
fanners and ranchers - and all of
agriculture - must do a better job relating to
the druggist on Main Street, and scores of
opinion leaders in towns, suburbs and cities.
You, too, can be helpful in this task.
Just as certain as Junson weeds come up
in the springtime, consumers are going to
play an increasing role in shaping
agricultural policy. Hence, it is vital that
they - as well as other interest groups with
increasing clout - become well informed.
I believe a number one item on the agenda
of agriculture is to help create greater
understanding of agriculture. Explain what
an operation farm really is. What it takes to
make one go - or not go. We need to separate
the wheat from the chaff on a myriad of
other key issues.
Who are the most "effective people in
telling this story? Farmers themselves.
Farm women. Members of your profession
are especially qualified to speak up ef
fectively about agriculture, too.
It’s a real opportunity; indeed, a
responsibility.
If there is any one thing that I believe
after having moved to Washington and
worked three years in the Federal govern
ment, it is that the government of the United
States is responsive to what it believes to be
the wishes of the people
The key to that statement is the word,
believes. If any group of people - consumers,
farm managers, rural appraisers,
businessmen, students, farmers, or any
other group - feels strongly enough about an
issue to contact their congressmen or the
executive branch of government and voice
their opinions, they will be heard. Their
feelings, if well considered and articulated
plainly, will be influential, too.
But it’s not enough just to write one letter
to your congressman or senator or secretary
of agriculture and then forget it. Your
responsibility is deeper-than that.
Keep up with the issues of the day. Follow
PAT 3557757
The Model 101 Serv-O-Mati
may be mounted through fh«
wall in a loose housing
system or through the j
fenceline for open lots /
Side braces are also /
provided for mounting /
and installation /
The feeder opening ts desigi.. pt
only one cow to oat at a lime A 2 inch
auger drops approximately 1 lb of concen
trate per minute into the feeder this is
the some rate the cow eats no feed re
mains in the feeder when she moves away
The Serv-O-Matic Dairy Feeder enables you to feed additional grain and concentrates only to the top
producing cows in your herd! It eliminates the labor problem of separating the herd in a loose housing
system to give individual attention to top producing animals.
The Serv-O-Matic is activated by a simple magnet fastened around the cow’s neck. This way, only the
cows you select can activate the feeder and receive additional ration.. yet all animals can still be housed
together
Each cow producing 10 lb or more over the herd average should receive extra feed In actual trials, cows
on the Serv- 0 - Matic consume an extra 10 lbs. of grain per day [while eating some less in the parlor]. Milk
output shows an average increase of 1 lb. of milk for each pound of concentrate fed through the Serv-O-
Matic. . some as high as 5 lbs. of milk per pound of feed'
One Serv-O-Matic will normally handle 20-30 cows in an 80 120 cow herd. Normal procedure is to put
fresh cows on extra ration and remove the magnet when production drops to a predetermined level.
A R WOOD BSJ MFC CO
For more information complete this coupon and return to
S J FARM SYSTEMS CO., 57 W. Main St. Leola. PA 17540
Name
Address
Phone
NO
“Selectively” Provides More
Feed to Top Producers
Jim Thomas PH: (717)656-2677
Slate
through on your recommendations, your
criticisms, and your compliments. Don’t
make your communication with govem-_
ment a one shot deal which follows after the
fact. Get ahead of the game and keep your
representatives at all levels of government
informed of how you feel before an issue
comes up for a vote.
All of your communication should not be
negative either. It’s the easiest thing in the
world to dash off an angry letter to get
things off your chest - and effectively
transfer the blame for poor government.
The only way this nation’s government can
go off base is if we, as citizens, let it. This is
true in farm policy, and many other public
policy areas. We have to strive to learn
about our government’s strengths and
weaknesses, then work through and around
them.
A farm manager or a farmer can “tell it
like it is” better than any Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture or big corporation
president.
I urge you to get involved. Speak up and
speak out. Consumers, union members,
supermarket owners, urban and suburban
politicians and of others are in
terested in what you have to say on a subject
which concerns everyone.
Just how interested is exemplified by an
article in the November 21st issue of the
Sunday New York Times. The fact that
enrollment in this nation’s agricultural
colleges more than doubled - 41,800 to 98,200
in 11 years captured the attention of big city
newspaper editors.
This important story, which in itself shows
that agriculture is in the center ring of at
tention, did not appear on page 84 either.
It appeared on page one. Agriculture will
be page one news for a long time to come. I
urge each of you to speak up. So consumers,
politicians, farm organization leaders and
others can really understand what fanning
is all about.
NORTHCO
Serv-OMatic
~mple . igner w. -
will activate the feeder motor as she places
her head into the feeder Cows without a
magnet are unable to get feed