Serving VOL. 23 No. 5 Farm strike generates sympathy, little action By DIETER KRIEG LiTITZ - Talk of a nation* wide farm strike on Dec. 14 B generating much sym pathy, but very little active support from farmers in Although farm machinery and equipment hasn’t been moving very well in some parts of the country, businesses in this part of the country are giving good to excellent reports. Both used and new equipment-is selling well. For 1978, the Farm machinery sales strong By DIETER KRIEG LITITZ - Farm equipment sales have remained steady to excellent, according to reports from various im plement dealers in south central and southeastern Pennsylvania. The news f comes despite some regional and national news reports which claim that declining Sheriff does fine, pays $35 per pound GETTYSBURG - The highest price paid in the history of the Pennsylvania 4-H program was set at the annual Adams County 4-H Capon Round-up when a premium of $35 a pound was paid by Adams County Sheriff Bernard Miller for this year’s grand champion capon. The nine pound capon Land use takes farm input , say some By JOANNE SPAHR LTTITZ - “Living with an interstate highway on one side of us, a development on another, and an industrial park planned for a third, we are really faced with the issue of farmland preser vation,” said one in terviewee. “We just had 10.7 acres of our prime acre age con southeastern and south central Pennsylvania. The cause of tie desperation attempt for better prices is a sagging farm economy which has left farm income is hurting farm machinery sales. Although several of those contacted expressed notes of caution for the coming year’s sales activities, the overall consensus for 1977 bordered on excellent and 1978 is expected to be a good year as well. Farm machinery dealers see was exhibited by Darlene Resh, Dillsburg. Miss Resh, a 10 year 4-H member, is currently the Adams County Poultry Queen and last week represented Pennsylvania at National 4-H Club Congress, Chicago, as the state’s outstanding 4-H Poultry member. The first reserve cham demned for a sewage plant,” said another. “So, the question of land use is really relevant to us right now.” And, still a third said, “We’ve been battling zoning for a long time now just to establish our own winery - all I can say is, there has to be an easier way for farmers to expand their businesses.” The above three com Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 3,1977 wheat fanners in par ticularly poor straits. Midwestern grain farmers are spearheading the drive and have been openly threatening to go on strike on situation is expected to favor farmers since there’ll be plenty of equipment available and implement dealers, as well as manufacturers, will be com peting strongly to make a sale. buyers as being more selective and will try harder than ever to win their business. It may be a far mer’s year. Price increases, however, are a different story. They can be expected to rise in one way or another despite at tractive sales offers. Price increases may be disguised, pion capon was exhibited by Roger King, York Springs. The 10% pound capon was sold to Adams County Home Beverage for $5.50 per pound. Adams County Home Beverage was the can tending bidder on the grand champion capon and pur chased a total of seven capons at the sale. ments were typical of the remarks made by farm women interviewed this week on the topic of far mland preservation. Land use and saving the family farm is an issue that is on nearly everyone’s minds right now, for one reason or another. However, has anyone come up with a solution? Dec. 14 if their demands for higher prices are not met by then. Observers feel that the strike will do little more than call attention to the plight of but they’re there, and won’t stop coming. For the most part, price adjustments are made just once a year. Sometimes twice. Nobody expects anything like the hectic activities of 1974 when equipment was scarce and prices were changed every few months. (Continued on Page 29) > Sue Shelter, Gettysburg, exhibited the second reserve champion capon, weighing 9% pounds and going to Carl Frantz for $4.75 per pound. John Bream, chairman for tins year’s show and sale reported six 4-H members participated in the round-up (Continued on Page 19) The answer to that question is “no”, although many people have opinions as to how farm land can be saved. For Mrs. Leroy Bupp, Seven Valleys, the answer is a simple two-word phrase - “get involved.” “Government control scares me," Mrs. Bupp (Continued on Page 39) farmers in general and grain farmers in particular. Very little chance is being given to the possibility of having wheat prices raised to 100 per cent of parity, which is what the wheat growers are demanding. Support for the cause, other than talk, can’t be easily found in this part of Pennsylvania, especially Lancaster County, where ethnic and religious backgrounds play strong roles _in marketing procedures. As me travels north or west, however, the number of supporters grows significantly . Still, active support is relatively small and the net result is that eastern portions of the country will be nearly out of the picture when and if the strike goes into effect. Other reasons for the threat of a strike not taking a real foothold here is that farmers and fanning in this area are a different breed from the vanety found in other parts of the country. Aside from their heritage, farmers here are more diversified and can spread their profits and losses over several commodities. Also, this is largely a grain con suming area, rather than grain producing. Except fop those few individuals who are primarily in cash grain, fanners in this part of the country are comparatively well off. Even the most sympathetic observers of the farm strike admit that. They also point put, however, that grain farmers have a justified cause for dismay and are in fact in genuine financial trouble. Although the strike is not yet in effect, it’s been in the In this issue Farm Calendar 10 Editorials 10 Letters 10 Farm Women Calendar 44 Kendy’sKollumn 45 Joyce Bupp 48 My Thoughts 49 Home on the Range 50 Jr. Cooking Edition 52 56.00 Per Year news for several months, and the headlines generated by talk of a farm strike are believed to be very beneficial to agriculture in general. Paul McPherson, New Park, believes that so far the organizers of a strike threat have “at least done a good job of calling attention to problems that are very real to all of agriculture. They have certainly done more harm than good, but I question whether they really believe they can get 100 per cent of parity, or whether they even think they should get 100 per cent of parity. On the latter, it is in teresting to note that few farmers in this area believe farm prices of 100 per cent parity are justified. The state’s largest farm organization has a history of opposition to such a marketing program, basing its stand on the belief it’ll do more harm than good. They have an awful lot of company across the country. Consequently, organizations such as the American Farm Bureau Federation have taken no official stand on the issue. Individuals differ however. A western Penn sylvania grain farmer who belongs to the American Farm Bureau is giving the strike cause 100 per cent support. The individual, who prefers to remain nameless, admits to having done well in the past. Among other achievements, he flies his own airplane and is a Master Farmer. This past year, however, has been rough on him and he doesn’t think it’s (Continued on Page 38) Ida’s Notebook 53 Classifieds 55 Berks County DHIA 82 Cumberland roundup 84 Lebanon DHIA 88 York DHIA 91,108 ACA Farm Line 100 Flood relief worker 103 Guernsey feature 107
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers