Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, December 17, 1977, Image 1

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    * VOL. 23 No. 7
Vinter is traditionally, the time when farmers repair equipment--and that’s
[ctly whatfarmers’ strike supporters intend to do; fix up instead of buying any
I machinery. Fred Sprenkie, York dairyman, takes the tools to a forage
pper header.
Economic squeeze sends York Farmers striking
I By JOYCEBUPP
Staff Correspondent
YORK “We’ve stood all we 6am take. This is a bad
situation when we must do something this drastic to get
attention.”-
Bernard Gardner is a frustrated farmer. He’s tired
of paying rising costs for his farm imputs and having
the market price for his grain sink as he helplessly
watches, unable to do a thing to change the situation.
Straw, hay prices soar, alternatives sought
Rocketing straw prices affect farmers most
By JOANNE SPAHR
JTITZ - Hay and straw
ices .have hit an un
scedented high this season
th alfalfa selling for $145 to
16 per ton this week and
aw going for $127. SO last
eek.
For fanners in Lancaster
inning’s coverage area,
is means dual hardship -
>t only is it expensive to
ed the livestock, but it is
Deadline nears
for special issue
LANCASTER FAR
MING’S annual Farm
ihow Issue will be
listnbuted on January
K two days before the
’ennsylvania Farm
>how gets underway in
tarnsburg. We’re
letting ready to
Prepare material for
that issue and are
minting this reminder
lo readers and ad
vertisers alike to send
n material of interest.
Please contact us
if you have something -
to contribute.
O' V „ **2
Southeastern Pennsylvania Arefe*- Also Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware
also expensive to bed the
animals.
According to dealers, the
figures on the straw are
probably the most shocking.
“Straw has never brought
more than $lOO per ton, and
New grains and soybeans discussed
By LAUREL SCHAEFFER
Staff Correspondent
LEESPORT, PA. - Berks
County fanners had the
opportunity to learn new
developments and get
pointers on small grains and
Corn management, marketing stressed
By KENDACE BORRY
NEW HOLLAND - Corn
production and marketing
were the subjects covered at
the Garden Spot Young
Farmers Com Management
Clinic held December 13 at
Gubernatorial candidates measured
By DIETER KRIEG
HERSHEY - Id an effort
to determine which of
Pennsylvania’s guber
natorial candidates might
best represent the state’s
farmers, the Pennsylvania
Association hosted
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 17,1977
.liJJlfamlay morning, Gardner decided that someone in _rr,
srofcbunty should do hlspl&tif 1
nationwide farmers’ strike scheduled for Wednesday.
Taking the matter in his own hands, he began a
telephone contact with neighboring farm people.
“There just weren’t as many people as we would
have liked,” admitted Gardner. Seven farmers and six
trucks made a caravan through the city of York, past
the County Courthouse and then continued out Route 30
now it's up to over $125,”
stated William Rohrbach,
manager of Green Dragon
Market and Auction,
Ephrata.
Confirming Rohrbach’s
(Continued on Page 32)
soybeans December 12 at the
Berks County Agricultural
Center.
Speaking to a group of 70
or more farmers, Elwood
Extension
Hatley,
Agronomist for Penn State,
the Garden Spot High
School, New Holland. A
panel of five representatives
from seed companies an
swered questions and gave
their impressions on the com
production methods, while a
a dinner on Wednesday
evening during which
politicians had a chance to
expose their views- and
answer several questions.
The program was part of
the farm organization's
Political ' Education: Con
Bernard Gardner readies a sign telling caravan watchers why farmers in York
County and across the nation are demanding attention to their economic plight.
Dairymen plan to hold out, use other roughage
By JOANNE SPAHK
LIT3TZ - With mulch hay
setting a high floor for the
hay market at $92 per ton,
and alfalfa going for as
much as $145 to $146 per ton,
this week’s hay prices are
briefly discussed the present
and new varieties of small
grains and soybeans which
are best suited for this
Southeastern Pennsylvania
area.
While discussing several
grain dealer handled the
com marketing topic.
Representing the com
production panel were: Ken
Miller, Dekalb, John
Weidman, Pioneer, George
Steele, Hoffman (Funks),
ference, held Wednesday
and Thursday at the Hershey
Motor Lodge, here. Close to
200 PFA members were in
attendance for the con
ference, which came at the.'
advent of the organization’s
membership drive. Farmer
fa Hanover. Backdrop for the drama was a day of
pouring rsdirand ominous clouds, a factor that was
blamed for holding down the participation in the
demonstration.
One truck bore a large sign reading: “Wanted; 100%
parity.”
Gardner, along with his brother Anthony, farms 500
acres of barley, corn and milo at their Spring Grove R 3
(Continued on Page 19)
some of the highest ever
recorded.
A poor crop due to bad
growing conditions is to
blame with drought creating
a high demand in Virginia
and Maryland this year and
of the more commonly
known oat varieties the
agronomist noted the higher
protein content of Dal and
Otee oats but also pointed
out their lower yields.
(Continued on Page 31)
. Don Dodson, Cargill Seeds;
and Homer Martin, Stand
ford (Northrup King).
When asked to name the
problem that they believed
was the most prevelant in
(Continued on Page 38)
members in most Penn
sylvania counties are ac
tively soliciting mem
berships at this time,
Reactions to aimmmta
made by the politicians were
(Continued on Page 26)
$6.00 Per Year
extremely wet weather
hampering harvesting up
state.
Tacked onto this low
supply is a high demand for
mulch hay from expanding
mushroom businesses and
for fancy hay from hor
semen. Combining the low
supply and high demand, the
price is soaring.
“There’s more hay then
ever going to Virginia,"
(Continued on Page 25)
In this issue
Farm Calendar 10
Editorials 10
Letters 18
European agriculture 20
Lifeontbefarm 28
Taxplanning 30
Homestead Notes 42
Home on the Range 43
Jr. Cooking Edition 46
Kendy’sKoliumn 47
Joyce Bupp 48
Farm Women Calendar 49
Craft feature 52
My Thoughts 53
Dauphin DHIA 55
Classifieds 56
York DHIA 82
Dairyfeature 86
Ida’s Notebook 92
4-H features 96,103
Adams DHIA 97