Shelhamer praises
's fit
By DIETER KRIEG
LANCASTER, Pa. -
Praising Lancaster County’s
large and diverse
agricultural industry and
telling a gathering of more
than 200 dairymen he was
proud to be their secretary of
agriculture, Kent
Shelhamer’s remarks drew
approval from the audience.
In thanking Secretary
Shelhamer for his ap
pearance at the Lancaster
County Dairy Day on
Tuesday, emcee Rohrer
Witmer said: ‘‘You’re
talking our language.”
While noting how im
pressed he was with Lan
caster County agriculture,
the agriculture department
chief wasn’t in town to just
offer praises. He was here to
speak about Pennsylvania
agriculture and how various
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aspects and programs fit
together to form the entire
picture.
Secretary Shelhamer said
he was proud to be the state’s
new agriculture secretary
and proud to offer the ser
vices of his department.
“We’ve got a lot of things for
you,” he said, then listing
several bureaus and services
which he feels are as good or
better as any in the nation.
Among Pennsylvania’s
outstanding ag programs are
the level of indemnity
payments, which stand
higher than any other. “The
Bureau of Animal Industries
is second to none,”
Shelhamer affirmed, “and
the Diagnostic Laboratory is
highly capable of dealing
with problem situations.”
Shelhamer hit the dairy
farmers’ interests when he
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Kent Shelhamer
told them that when he was a
boy he had to drink his milk
at every meal and clean up
his plate. “That’s not so any
more and that in itself should
be a clue for a greater need
in advertising and
stalls are hot-dip gal
life. Nothing is
long
Attractive
Lancaster County
promotion,” he remarked.
The secretary clearly
identifies himself with
concepts which would in
crease and improve the
farmer’s markets. He
believes it’s an area which
has been overlooked in the
past and that the producer
should have some say about
the sale and price of his
quality product.
“There’ll be some ups and
downs in this business,
Shelhamer continued, “but
you in the dairy business are
lucky because your income
is more stable than most.
Talk about getting into
trouble with budgeting - I’ve
been there,” he proclaimed.
Explaining, he asked his
audience “how would you
like to be in the fruit
business?” The new ag chief
n
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 5,1977 —
owns an orchard in Columbia
County.
“I’m convinced you’ll
have to fight in the future for
your piece of the land,”
Shelhamer said. “Those of
you with land in Lancaster
County are fortunate.” He
praised the farmers for their
dedication and encouraged
them to continue in their
work.
One-eighth of Penn
sylvania’s total milk
production comes out of
Lancaster County,
Shelhamer pointed out,
stressing the importance of
agriculture in the County.
“Lancaster County
dairymen daily produce the
milk for 1.5 million people.
The milk you produce has an
annual value of $BO million,”
Shelhamer said.
The agriculture secretary
also observed that cow
numbers have gone down
considerably, but that daily
production has remained
fairly steady. “This is
certainly a tribute to a lot of
factors,” he said, naming
Penn State University, the
Extension Service and the
dedication of Pennsylvania
dairymen as primary
reasons for significant in
creases in productivity.
There’s been an average
increase of 30 per cent per
animal, according to
Shelhamer’s report.
The future, as Shelhamer
sees it, looks “iffy.” The
agriculture secretary has on
numerous occasions voiced
his concern over rising milk
production. Similar fears
were briefly uncovered here
at the Dairy Day meeting.
The rise in production is just
one reason why Shelhamer
believes greater efforts in
advertising and promotion
are in order.
Nonetheless, the new
agriculture secretary
believes strongly in Penn
sylvania agriculture. He
cited one product after
another in which Penn
sylvania’s ag production
ranks within the top five
states in the country. Milk
production was included on
the list. “And all of that
comes from a so-called in
dustrial state which is noted
for its coal and steel,” said
Shelhamer.
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