V01.22N0.1l
Carter ag policy may lead to parity
By JOANNE SPAHR
HARRISBURG, Pa. - In a
three-pronged speech dealing
with the future of agriculture
under the Carter administration,
the importance, of American
farm commodities to world
trade, and the need for a new
approach in achieving greater
price stability for agricultural
products, Robert Lewis,
secretary for National Farmer’s
Union, said he sees the possibility
of the Carter administration
adopting a system whereby
commodities can be stored
during times of abundance and
put up for sale in poor harvest
years. Lewis was speaking to an
assembly of Pennsylvania
Farmers’ Union members at
their annual convention held last
Higher beef prices seen; referendum discussed
By DIETER KRIEG
LANCASTER, Pa. -
Lancaster County cattle
feeder, Harold Frey, says
there’s nobody smart enough
to predict that this year or
the neat is the year to get in
or stay out of the cattle
Paul Hostetler
David Putney
In this issue
Farm Calendar 10
Farm Commentary 10
Lebanon DHIA 14
New Bolton Center 22
Adams Extension 32
Outstanding Young Far
mer 34
Equipment sales 38
Homestead Notes 42
Joyce Bopp 44
Servinglhe Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania Areas - Also Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware
Monday and Tuesday at the Penn
Harris Motor Inn.
The system that Lewis was
describing is part of a program
proposal developed by the
Farmers Union entitled “The
Fanners Union Plan for Parity
and Abundance.” Under this
program, farmers will be
enabled to receive loans from the
government to hold their com,
wheat, and other storable
commodites in reserve for sale at
a higher price during times when
the market is up. To insure that
these commodities are held in
reserve, the government will
take a mortgage on the crops.
IT do think the Carter ad
ministration will follow a system
somewhat like this,” Lewis
announced, “but I don’t think
business. The veteran beef
Eroducer made the remark
ttbe annual Cattle Feeders’
Day held here at the Farm
and Home Center earlier this
week.
In discussing his own
operation and experiences
Roy Alger
Bill Stoudt
Jr. Cooking Edition 44
Home on the Range 46
My Thoughts 47
Womens’ Calendar 46
Classifieds 57
Lancaster DHIA 82
Facts for Dairymen 83
EAYF meeting 93
Public Sales Register 97
Sales Reports 103
Lancaster Farming. Saturday. January 29,1977
they will do it as fast as we might
like. But we (FU) are going to
keep on working to get that
system rigged up, and then we’re
going to try to help the govern
ment run it at the right rate of
speed, or 100 per cent of parity for
American fanners.” Parity, in
simplified terms, is cost plus
reasonable profit.
According to Lewis, during
December, American farmers
received on the average only 66
per cent of parity, the lowest
since March 1933. And, at the
present time, American price
supports are the lowest of any
significant food supplier in the
world.
“The United States supplies
exactly 64 per cent of all the grain
that crosses international
briefly, Frey presented a words for him, at the same
message without ever/ time complimenting him on
directly saving the words - his narration. “Cattle
“pay attention to details.” feeding is a business, 1 more
Los Burdette, professor of than feed marketing in the
animals science at Penn form of meat, and it means
State, took the podium after _ paying attention to details,”
Frey and stated the above” said Burdette.
Mt. Joy co-op shares earnings
By DIETER KRIEG
MT. JOY, Pa. - Members
of the Mount Joy Fanners
Cooperative Association met
here at Hostetler’s Dining
Hall on Wednesday, and
following the meeting
walked off $63,000 richer.
The money - saved earnings
from 1976 cooperative
business - was divided
among members in the form
Farm & Home Foundation clears debt
By SALLY BAIR
Feature Writer
LANCASTER, Pa. - Seven
directors were elected for
three year terms at the 13th
annual meeting of the Farm
and Home Foundation of
Lancaster County on
Thursday at the Farm and
Home Center.
Elected were; Roy A.
Brubaker, 702 Woodcrest
Avenue, Lititz; Gary A.
Eastern concerned with energy crisis
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - “Doe
to our nation’s current
energy crisis, the dairy
industry must be placed high
on the priority list of those
receiving natural gas sup
plies,” according to John C.
York, general manager of
Eastern Milk Producers
Cooperative.
Prior to departure for his
boundaries, and we’re the prime
supplier when anybody needs
something to eat,” he said. Only
three other counties can be
depended on to produce a surplus
- Canada, Australia, and
Argentina. Others export some
years and have to import during
others. Because of U.S.A.’s key
role in food trade, our grain
prices determine the world price.
So, at this point in time with the
new administration coming into
power, nearly all countries are
looking to the United States to see
what the Carter administration
will do in regards to farm price.
“We’re more important for our
food production than Saudi
Arabia is for oil,” the Farmers’
of revolving fund certificates
and direct cash payments.
Sixty per cent of the funds
were turned over to mem
bers in the form of cer
tificates.
The recently completed
year was described as
having been a good one for
the cooperative, and 1977 is
being looked at with op
timism as well. Said Mount
Dean, Strasburg R I; B.
Snavely Garber, Willow
Street R 2; Clarence A.
Keener, Jr., Manheim Rl;
Vernon J. Leininger, Denver
R 2; Mrs. James Z. Martin,
New Holland R 2; H.
Raymond Stoner, 1051 Eden
Road, Lancaster.
Speaker for the meeting
was Aaron H. Denluiger,
Paradise, who entertained
and informed with a slide
scheduled meeting on the
energy subject in
Washington, D. C. with
congressional leaders, York
noted that action had been
taken recently by Eastern’s
Board of Directors,
resolving that it is im
perative to assure continued
use of natural gas in the
(Continued on Page ll]
Burdette observed that if a
cattle feeder is talking to the
market, he’s been feeding
his cattle for too long.
“Those last few pounds
gained are expensive
pounds,” he remarked.
But no matter which way
Joy Farmers Cooperative
President Roy Alger: “The
outlook for this year is
somewhat less rosy than
what it was for 1976, it’ll
probably take most of 1977 to
balance milk supplies with
demands, but I personally
feel we”ll see improved
prices by Summer.”
Acknowledging a fair
amount of prosperity for the
presentation about
agriculture around the
world. Denlinger and his
wife, Mary, took a seven
week tour of thirteen
countries last Summer, and
saw some agricultural
operations along with more
well-known tourist at
tractions.
Denlinger said he and his
wife planned the trip
themselves, deciding which
manufacture of milk
products.
Milk is a perishable
commodity, stated York.
Therefore, the manufacture
of dairy products is essential
to the viability of the daily
industry, one of the largest in
the Northeast, and
necessary to the lives of both
$4.00 Per Year
Bob Lewis
the management side of the
beef business is .sliced, farm
prices for the final product
are likely to increase by a
nickel between now and the
third quarter of the year.
[Continued on Paie 23]
cooperative, Alger also
noted that ;‘we’re all in this
together, this is our co-op,
and we can’t rest on our past
laurels. Prices paid to milk
producers co-op members
were said to be the highest in
the area.
The Mount Joy
Cooperative markets its
[Contimed on Page 31]
countries to visit and how
long they would spend at
each destination. The
beginning leg of the trip was
organized to coincide with a
meeting of mission
executives of the Home
Council of the Unevangelized
Fields Mission, of which
Denlinger has been chair
man for eight years. He
I Continued on Pate 29|
consumers and producers of
milk, be stressed.
The cooperative leader
cautioned that any
movement to curtail or
discontinue the use of
natural gas in the
manufacture of dairy
products from whole milk, a
{ConfinuN on Pat* 3JJ