—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 5,1977
54
A check came in our mail 'That’s wasn’t too great a
recently. It represented a return on a several hundred
grand total of $8.40. For a dollar investment in a dairy
calf. Less commission, cow. And the more I
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Twila takes Farm-City tour
LANCASTER - Twila Brubaker, reigning Lancaster County dairy princess, is framed in
the above picture by half-gallon bags of fresh milk at Pine View Acres Dairy Farm located
one mile South of New Danville on New Danville Pike. The farm-to-consumer dairy store
hosted the dairy princess as part of the preparation for Farm-City Week tour days
scheduled Saturday and Sunday, November 19 and 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. each day.
The farm tour is sponsored by the 1300 member Lancaster County Farmers Association.
The tours are part of the Farm-City Week activities intended to open community un
derstanding between the agricultural and urban segments of the county.
Pine View Acres produces about 4500 gallons of milk each for their customers and is one of
11 farms opening their doors to the public for the two-day event.
Other farms on the visitation include: the Dennis Sangrey farm, Conestoga R 2; J.
Mowery Frey, Jr., farm, Willow Street; Richard and Robert Neff farm, Millersville;
Abram and Clifford Charles farm, Lancaster R 2; Roy Charles farm, Lancaster R 2; Noah
Wenger farm, Stevens Rl; John M. Weaver, Ephrata Rl; Jay Rohrer, farm, Manheim R 7;
David L. Landis farm, Lancaster; and the Jacob Fisher farm, Manheim Rl
PLANT
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reflected on what the tiny
check meant, the angrier I
got
Then, just a few days
later, the big farmer came
back from the machinery
“supermarket” grumbling
about a belt....for the
combine., .that cost $99.
How many of those calves
does that represent 9
Just to satisfy a morbid
curiosity and rising in
dignation over the worsening
battle between costs and
income, I dug out our farm
files from 1964, our first full
year in business. Guess what
I found?
In 1964, four per cent first
class milk was bringing
$6.48. Today, that same
butterfat test returns about
$10.70 per hundred pounds.
4-
not nearly doubled in price.
Butcher cows sent to market
are selling for close to the
same price per hundred as
they were 13 years ago And
an auction receipt for a calf
quite similar to the one
recently sold told me that the
animal had brought us a
return of $l3 39.
Some progress, huh 9 But
then the expenses com
parison got worse.
The 1964 electric bills
came to about $44 monthly;
today they regularly read at
$135, served by our local
electric cooperative. But
that’s not as bad as the
statement from the public
utility that services the
second farm; last winter
that account frequently ran
over the $2OO/monthly mark,
and there we operated
considerably fewer electric
devices than here at home.
Gasoline was once
delivered to the farm tank
for 27.5 cents per gallon; last
month’s statements were for
58.9 cents per gallon. And
diesel fuel comparisons are
even worse. Today we pay
45.4 cents per gallon, while in
1964 we paid 14.9 cents per
gallon, for the privilege of
operating our tractors.
While the coverage has
been notably increased,
those farmowner insurance
premiums are still
terrifyingly inflated. We
send off a check for $9OO to
cover annual costs, when it
was once the seemingly high
figure of $l7O.
A faded seed com bill
showed charges of $12.60 for
a bushel weighing 56 pounds.
Today, that bag of golden
gram has been renamed a
“unit”, weighs only 50
pounds, and represents a $4O
to $5O chunk of investment.
ce
SE
UJ
sl
2
%
Bazooka 8 sas
cs
Scalps and deans corn, milo, soybeans, wheat or
rice to improve grade andstorability.
Fully enclosed to prevent flying chaff, help control
dust and give weather protection.
56 sq. ft. of screen can remove 80% of fines in dry
corn at 500 bu/hr... up to 2000 bu/hr capacity.
Can be equipped with trailer undercarriage, tow
bar and 6” or 8” fill auger which swivels beyond
180° and rides on top of cleaner during transport.
SPECIAL SALE PRICES
IN EFFECT NOW!
HEBSHEY EQUIPMENT
|f I COMPANY, INC.
A tractor, medium sized at last Fall when we needed a
130 horsepower, sits near the new combine tire to finish
door of our machinery com harvest. I doubt that I’ll
dealer. The price on the side ever forget that statement
reads $28,000. There are a lot for $816.72.
of farmers around who
didn’t even pay that for their
farm 20 years ago. And then So the darkening clouds of
they received $2 and up per inflation continue looming on
bushel of com grown on that the farm horizon, only one
land. Today they might be faint my of hope shines
paid $1.85 for their trouble. through to help you weather
The most sickening bill I the cost-price storm:
can recall, however, came Take your banker to lunch.
DHIA dinner slated
CHAMBERSBURG - The Dr. Norman F. Reber,
Annual Meeting and Awards editor emeritus of The
Banquet of the Franklin Pennsylvania Farmer
County DHIA will be held magazine, will address the
Thursday, November 10, at group on “Food and
the Lemasters Community Freedom”.
Center. The dinner will get
underway at 7:00 p.m.
The meeting will feature attend; but he also invites
the election of five new others who are interested m
directors for 3-year terms, the Franklin County dairy
and presentation of awards industry-a 60-million-dollar
and trophies to deserving a-year business in Franklin
dairy herd owners. County.
i
9 u
• ■ Starters
NEQUEA BATTERIES
County Agent John Z.
Shearer urges all
Association members to
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Ronks, PA.
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255 PLANE TREE DRIVE
LANCASTER, PA. 17603
(717)393-5807
ROUTE 30 WEST AT