—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 10, 1979
18
Three-million farmers stayed at home
(Continued from Page 10
grievances of the protesting farmers
may be perfectly justifiable. Every,
farmer - whether he’s,in Washington
or at home on the farm - has un
doubtedly experienced some degree
of frustration and failure at one time
or another. And there’s a limit to
such results, that’s agreed.
Nevertheless, there’s little
agreement among this country’s
three or four million farmers that the
D.C. tractorcade is the answer to
farm problems.
What’s more, it’s not agreed by the
vast majority of farmers that
America’s farming scene is all that
bad off. That verdict comes through
especially strong in states such as
Pennsylvania where livestock and
poultry are dominant and where
ethnic backgrounds dictate milder
means of communication.
There’s something to be said for
the farmers who took the time and
expense to tell their story in
Washington. They deserve some
When they carry a load
like this, they need a
good vacation...
“SUPER MICRO”... Used
in a nutritionally balanced
dry cow ration, will make
her load a lot easier to
carry!!!
SOUTHEASTERN PA
REGIONAL MANAGER
George F. DeLong
225 West Woods Drive
Lititz, PA 17543
Phone 717-626-0261
Eastern Lancaster Co
Melvin Herr
RD2, New Holland, PA 17557
Phone 717-354-5977
Northern Lancaster Co
Earl B. Cinder
RD2, Manheim, PA 17545
Phone 717-665-3126
WWWI
Northwi
John Zehr
264 Maple Ave
Bird-m-Hand, PA P 7552
Phone 717-393-3588
Southwestern Lancaster Co
Melvin Lapp
Gap, PA 17527
Phone 717-442-8403
Southern Lancaster Co.
Henry DeLong, Jr.
RD2, Box 69
Peach Bottom, PA 17563
Phone 717-548-3471
sympathy because the thought of
perhaps losing a farm is not at all
pleasant.
On the other hand,' let’s not
neglect the message of those farmers
who stayed home. Let’s also not
forget that our competitive system
mandates efficiency., frugality,
patience, a willingness to accept
risks, and plenty of dedication and
hard work. Farmers in Pennsylvania
and many other areas across the
country possess those quafities. They
are positive traits and they beget
positive attitudes and actions.
Driving tractors through
Washington may get attention, but
they may also brmg sour impressions
to people who have few or no other
contacts with farmers. The actions of
a few may in fact-tarnish the image of
agriculture as a whole. That would be
bad news.
The goals of the D.C. tractor
drivers are questionable. They want
90 per cent parity. Most farmers,
however, wouldn’t want that,
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Southeastern PA
Aldus R. King
RDI, Box 67A
Atglen, PA 19310
Phone 215-593-5952
Berks Co.
Paul D. Deßoard
Longview Road RD3
Boyertown, PA 19512
Phone 215-689-5365
Chester Co
William Windle
RDI, Atglen, PA 19310
Phone 215 593-6143
realizing that such prices would only
spell disaster down the road.
In gram farming, for example,
where much of the dissatisfaction
seems to be centered', production is
already record-high. Where would ft
be if prices were raised? The bottorrr
line on that is if we don’t have the
market, we can’t have the top price.
The solutions are’to tailor production
to market demands while
simultaneously keeping ah eye out
for new sales opportunities. It might
be a skill some farmers fin’d hard to
master, but it’s one they’re going to
have to learn.
Yes, I have some sympathy for the
frustrated farmers in Washington.
It’s obvious that something is terribly
wrong with their businesses, or they
wouldn’t be there. But I don't agree
with their tactics, and I oraise those,
who stayed home. ~ " *
The satisfactions, joys, and even
frustratins of running one’s own
business are prized feelings among
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.Northeast Berks Cn
Roger Heller
RDI, Robesonia, PA 19551
Phone 215-693-6160
Lebanon Co.
Marvin Meyer
RD2, Box 157
Annville, PA 17003
Phone. 717-867-1445
. . . And as she rests
(dry period) it’s time to
fill the reserve tank so
most farmers. They value their in
dependence and profits and are
prepared to take a financial licking
now and then, rather than give up
their autonomy for some arbitrary
profit guarantee. That’s why the
majority of farmers chosemot to go to
Washington, D.C.
The farmers who stayed home:
undoubtedly _ realize that by
pressuring the government for help,
they may end up inviting a govern-'
ment-cbntrolled agriculture which
might not only guarantee profits, but
limit them as well Most farmers
prefer to take their chances on the
business side of things, rather than
have the government gift-wrap
something for them. "
Farmers who stayed home realize
that there i«. a delicate balance
between supply and demand.
Certainly, those stay-at-home
farmers have a message, and they
deserve more attention than they’re
getting. -
healthy
in the
SOUTH CENTRAL PA
REGIONAL MANAGER
Earl H. Moyer
RDS, 80x277
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Phone 301-739-5199
Washington Co, MD
Willard W. Wenger
2311 Laurel Ave
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Phone. 301-791-4851
Eastern Franklin Co.
R. Craig Bauermaster
PO. Box 162
Shady Grove, Pa. 17256
Phone 717-597-4768