—Lancaster Farming. Saturday, Feb. 19, 1977 18 PFA [Continued from Page 1] now there are eleven products on their order sheet. Hunter says, “Nobody ever picutured how it would grow.” All products are packaged under the Penn Best label, the exclusive name for PFA, Newcomer said. He ex plained that a committee decides which products should be included, but that the products must be easily packaged, must be in demand and must be something which it pays to handle. Hunter explained that it was a policy decision of the board of directors to em phasize quality. “We try to get the best of what’s available at the time. We run quality control.” Newcomer said the buying of products is done by the state Association which also ships the orders to local vendors where consumers can pick up their produce. In Lancaster County, Kreiders’ Dairy, Manheim, has been the only vendor, but Groff Orchards, Kirkwood, will begin as a vendor with the March order. Capacity BOOH “Temper Dries” to 3,020 BPH Biggest and Newest of Farm Fans bold new Modular H Senes "Temper Dries” to 3,020 bushels of bright colored grain per hour Re quire little ground space Factory pre asse” nlcd modules assure fast, low cost in stallation dependable performance Simple, ease clean-out of grain columns Operator can go from Continuous Flow to Multi-Stage grain drying with only the flip of a switch Ideal for commercial operations and big grain farmers Call for literature and full inf lam RTE I Mountain Rd Dilisburg PA 17013 717-432 9738 Newcomer said, “We would like to get three or four vendors, and we pay the vendors for their work.” However, he pointed out that vendors must be willing to provide the work as a ser vice until the volume is built up to make it worthwhile. Newcomer said, “Right now we’re looking at milk juggers and other farm owned retail businesses as vendors, because it helps the public get acquainted and hopefully increases their sales.” He said they hope to get vendors spread around the county so that potential participants in the program do not need to drive so far to pick up their orders. Mrs. Newcomer, who had come with her husband to pick up their order from Kreiders’, said. “We are very satisfied with the products. We gave some of the fruit as Christmas presents, and received excellent comments on it. And the ham we had was delicious.” While expressing concern that the program “is not going over like we would like it to,” Newcomer said, he is optimistic about the future. “There are a lot of possibilities. A lot of people IG AJKDGP are looking to buy products direct.” Hunter agrees, “I think we can tap into the general trend towards direct marketing.” Newcomer said he feels that once information gets around, the program will begin to take hold. He ex pressed hope that more members will take ad vantage of it, and said they would like to have order blanks distributed to service clubs, factories and other interested groups. As for local grocers who might feel threatened, Newcomer said none has complained yet. He added that he doesn’t think they will because the program will not take the place of other markets. He said that PFA will not handle a product if the same quality is available just as cheap elsewhere. Hunter said, “This program is a baby. We are real enthusiastic about the potential. We feel most consumers are willing to pay a fair price for products. It is not designed to compete with other food outlets or provide a cheap food.” But, he added, “The success will depend on the desire and the attitude and the willingness of members Dick Shellenberger, Kreider's Dairy president of the Lancaster County manager, and Earl Newcomer load Farmers Association, which is active some Pennßest apples into in promoting sales of farmers' Newcomer's car. Newcomer is products. to make it work. We believe it can and it will work.” He emphasized that this program is different from anything that has been at tempted before, because it involves the farmer from producer to consumer. Currently, 42 counties participate. In Lancaster, anyone interested in receiving order blanks can contact Newcomer at 872-2646, Kreiders’ Dairy, 665-4311 or Groff’s Orchards, 529-2249. The next orders are due on March 7 and will be delivered the week of March 28. Vendors not’ con- sumers as to specific date, and consumer pay cash when they pick up the order. In Chester County, contact Kolb’s Farm Store, Kolb Road, Spring City; Goshenview Farms, West Chester; or Richard Bar- [Continued on Page 231
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