42—La master Farming, Saturday, March 5, 1977
Young Farmers
hear Shelhamer
By DIETER KRIEG
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -
The Elizabethtown Young
Fanners voted Brian Risser
as their outstanding member
during the annual banquet
held here last Friday night
which featured Agriculture
Secretary Kent Shelhamer
as guest speaker.
The evening ceremonies
were highlighted by a
number of presentations,
including a handsome ap
preciation plaque for
Secretary Shelhamer who
was obviously surprised by
the gesture. Program
chairman Ken Myer
presented the gift.
When the Agriculture
Secretary rose to address the
Young Farmers, his
audience stood to give him a
rousing ovation. Speaking on
several issues, Shelhamer’s
main message was that
farming has a good future
and that he will be working
towards that end.
No matter which branch of
agriculture the farmer is
in,Shelhamer said, “the
bottom line is really only
how you market your time.”
Explaining the statement,
the Secretary said it was still
possible today to make a
good living on 50, 200, or 500
acres. “The difference is
how you market your time,”
he stated. It was a remark
which the E-Town Out
standing Young Farmer,
Brian Risser, found quick
agreement with. In
terviewed by Lancaster
Farming after the formal
program, Risser said;
“The only kind of farmer
who is going to survive is the
one who really watches his
operation. Management is
the key. A fellow doesn’t
have to get big just for the
sake of getting big.” More on
Risser’s thoughts and far
ming operation appear in a
separate story elsewhere in
this edition.
The Agriculture Secretary
is looking forward to a
READ LANCASTER FARMING
FOR FULL MARKET REPORTS
variety of programs during
his reign at the Department.
“We’ve got to have a better
marketing program,” he
said, adding that he’s
hopeful of having new Farm
Show facilities where
Pennsylvania farmers can
“show off” their products.
‘ ‘All too often we’ve been the
victim of a depressed
market,” Shelhamer
remarked.
Another project
Shelhamer would like to see
is a computerized network of
state agriculture depart
ments all across the country.
He noted that the Com
monwealth has had a
computerized legislative
system since 1962 and that
such electronic resources
could be used to have quick
knowledge of farm situations
around the country.
Continuing his talk on how
agriculture can be im
proved, Shelhamer em
phasized the importance of
research and finding new
innovative ways to increase
production. He encouraged
farmers to be flexible in
their operations and to be
very alert to marketing
conditions.
Telling his audience “I am
a politician” at the very
beginning of his speech,
Shelhamer included political
personalities among his
“bright outlook” for
agriculture. Among them
were President Jimmy
Carter, USDA Secretary
Robert Bergland, and Vice
President Walter Mondale -
all of whom have close ties to
rural America. On a broader
perspective, Shelhamer
gave some details on the
internal workings of his
Department.
“We have 700 employees in
the Department of
Agriculture and seven
districts,” the Secretary
began, “our budget is about
three-tenth of one per cent of
the state budget - so you
needn’t feel we are overly
lavish with your funds.”
Expressing concern over
the recent energy crisis,
Shelhamer noted that
agriculture uses 15 per cent
of the total energy output -
more energy than the U.S.
imported during all of 1974.
“The use of energy on the
farm has doubled since
1940,” the Secretary said.
“I believe these problems
can be solved,” Shelhamer
concluded. “My door is open
to you.”
FARMERS HONORED
Aside from Risser, nine
others were cited for having
done outstanding work with
their farming operations last
year.
Taking home three
plaques was Robert Kauff
man, Elizabethtown area
dairyman who has become
well known for his Holstein
herd. Registering a 616
pound butterfat average on
his cows, Kauffman cap
tured first place in that
contest. Another first came
in the silage contest and a
second-place award was
given to him for his shelled
com harvest -165.6 bushels
per acre.
Joe Wivell, president of the
E-town Young Fanners, won
the shelled com contest with
167.4 bushels per acre. In
third place was Dale
Hiestand with 142.5 bushels.
Kauffman’s leading per
formance in the silage
contest was followed by
Irwin Engle and Clair
Hoover, Kauffman’s winning
tonnage per acre was
registered at 23.3 tons.
In the ear com contest, it
was Glenn Schultz in first
place with 160.1 bushels per
acre, followed by Clair
Oberholtzer with 145.7
bushels and Roy Bixler with
142.5.
Ken Myer was cited for
having had the high
producing cow in the area’s
DHIA program last year.
She was C. Whycroft
Supreme-Red whose record
stood at 23,557 pounds of
milk, with a 3.9 per cent test
and 925 pounds of butterfat
at the end of 305 days. With
357 days to her credit, the
record stood at 26,131 M, 4.0
per cent, 1046 F. She was six
years and ten months of age
at the start of the lactation.
Recognized for high achievements
at the Elizabethtown Young Farmer
banquet last week were, (clockwise,
starting from lower left) Ken Myer,
high individual dairy cow; Joe Wivell,
J
Kent Shelhamer, left, receives a
plaque of appreciation from Ken
Myer, representing the
Elizabethtown Young Farmers. Myer
recalled that when he stopped at the
Pennsylvania Department of
PLAN NOW MR. FARMER
FERTILIZER: Bulk, bag, truck spreading or spread yourself.
30 percent nitrogen for corn or small grain
46 percent Urea, bulk or bag
33-‘/a percent Ammonium Nitrate
Top dress alfalfa with 0-15-30 with Boron Alfalfa seeds - WL-311 or Apollo
for wet seedings Penscott Clover seeds - certified or regular Seed oats -
Clintford or Noble - certified
Farm chemicals for all your supplies
LASSO, AATREX BOW or 4-L, FURADNA 10G, etc.
Seed corn for 1977 the best.
GUTWEIN 64. 92, 65A and 74
Distributor for Conklin products
WEX (the wetting agent for spraying)
BRECKBILL FARM SEED
AND SUPPLY
R.D. No. 1
Oxford, Penna.
Phone 215-932-3307.
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top yield for shelled corn; Robert
Kauffman, high dairy herd and first
with silage corn; and Glenn Schultz,
high in ear corn.
Agriculture Building earlier this year
to invite Shelhamer to the
Elizabethtown banquet, the
Secretary spoke with him for about a
half an hour even though "he didn't
know me from Adam.”
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