—Lancaster May 12,1979
132
By JERRY WEBB
University of Delaware
Newark, Del. - The farm
population in general may be
decreasing, but the
population of large farms is
increasing. And while total
farm population declined
\ considerably between 1970
\ and 1975, a Department of
\ Agriculture study shows that
huge farms, those with over
$40,000 in annual sales, had a
population increase of 76
percent. Farms in that
category now account for
about 80 per cent of total U.S.
hum income but only 24 per
cent of total farm
population.
The decline in small farm
population can be viewed as
almost brightening. In 1975,
farms with under $2500 in
annual sales contained a
third of the U.S. farmers -
that’s about 2.8 million
people. That total declined
from 3.6 million Just five
years previous.
The obvious conclusion
from this recently released
USDA survey is that large
farms are getting larger and
more people are living there,
while small farms continue
to decline. Meanwhile, don’t
be confused by reports that
talk about a booming rural
Home grown
not always a
NEWARK, Del. - As
another gardening season
gets under way, are you
planning to freeze or can
part of your crop? This can
be a satisfying Summer
project, but don’t assume
that you’ll save a lot of
money on food costs.
Delaware Extension Home
Economist Sue Schaefer
points out that there are a
number of expenses to
consider. First is the initial
investment in tools, seeds,
fertilizer, sprays, fencing (to
discourage rabbits) and
water (to supplement
Mother Nature’s watering
system). Since your time is
also worth money, include
the cost of your labor and the
continuous commitment of
your time over the entire
growing season.
Like farming, home
gardening doesn’t guarantee
a successful crop yield, in
spite of the gardener’s skill
and hard work. Crop failure,
or partial crop loss, can wipe
out your investment, says
Schaefer.
The decision to preserve
part of your crop also means
choosing between canning
and freezing. Freezing is the
more convenient method and
saves time. However, the
cost per pound of your fruits
or vegetables should include
the initial cost of the freezer
(including taxes and
delivery), annual repair
charges (approximately two
percent of the initial cost),
and continuous operation of
the freezer.
The annual operating cost
per pound will decrease if
you keep the freezer filled to
capacity. So plan to refill
Trend to bigger
won’t be
population. While more
people are moving back to
the country, it doesn’t mean
they’re moving to farms. In
fact, most of them are fin
ding their way to rural
villages and country
developments where they
commute to urbanized
employment. They may be
neighbors to farmers, but
they are not part of the farm
population.
The Delaware State
Grange has taken a fairly
hard line toward some of
these kinds of rural
residents. In resolutions
passed at its recent annual
meeting, the Grange dealt
with a number of farm
related actions that would
tend to limit rural
development. One resolution
called for the Grange to
actively pursue revision of
county zoning codes so as to
give agriculture separate
status for the purpose of
requiring public hearings to
change land use. Another
resolution called for a
requirement that developers
build six-foot fences between
rural developments and
existing farmland. And yet
another resolution put the
Grange on record as seeking
a government policy for
bidding the use of any
your freezer throughout me
vear. advises Ms. Schaefer.
Additional expenses are
storage containers, water
for washing the food, and the
energy consumed in blan
ching or cooking it.
Canning is the most
economical way of
preserving food at home,
although less convenient
than freezing, says the home
economist. Also, it is
essential to follow canning
directions exactly to insure
food safety.
In determining total
canning costs, consider the
equipment you need to buy.
Scientists find electrified beef
is tender and more economical:
BELTSVILLE, Md. - Hot
boned carcasses will yield
tender meat if the carcass is
electrically stimulated
before boning. Electrical
stimulation reduces muscle
shortening and the resulting
tough meat, according to Dr.
H. Russell Cross and Dr.
Brad W. Berry, USDA food
technologists who are in
vestigating this process.
Not only does this method
of hot boning yield tender,
juicy beef, but packers can
save up to 35 per cent in
chilling costs and 20 to 30 per
cent in labor costs over
traditionally chilled and
processed beef, say Cross
and Berry, both with USDA’s
Science and Education
Administration.
reversed
federal funds to fuiance
residential, commercial or
industrial development for
highways on land classified
as agricultural by any
government entity.
Realize that these are
resolutions passed by one of
Delaware’s leading farm
organizations. That doesn’t
mean what Grange mem
bers want will become law,
but it does mean they intend
to do what they can to see
that the interests of farmers
are protected when it comes
to the invasion of nonfarni
users of agricultural land.
Delaware farm
organizations in general, in
fact farm organizations
throughout the country, are
presenting a very hard line
these days when it comes to
nonfarm use of farmland.- In
a variety of ways they’re
carrying the message to
their urban cousins that
while they love them dearly,
they don’t necessarily want
them as neighbors. They
understand that farms will
be sold from time to time
and that some of them may
fall into the hands of non
farm buyers. But through
zoning and other restric
tions, they’re trying to make
sure that land doesn’t easily
food
bargain
This includes a hot water
bath canner and/or a
pressure canner, jars and
lids. Also take into account
the costs of energy and
water.
Once the food is processed,
you will need adequate
storage space. However, this
will not add to the expense,
as in freezing.
After you have made the
initial investment in freezing
or canning equipment, it is
important to reuse it season
after season, Schaefer
emphasizes. This will spread
the amount over a longer
time and decrease the cost
per pound.
Al tUe iDCit^viiic
Agricultural Research
Center in Maryland, the
scientists electrically
stimulated carcasses for two
to three minutes im
mediately after slaughter.
The carcasses were then
boned, broken into primal
cuts and chilled. These
carcasses were compared to
traditionally chilled car
casses.
UcUi xot: . j -
Cross and Berry found that
hamburgers prepared from
the hot-boned carcasses
were juicier, more tender
and lost seven per cent less
weight during cooking than
hamburgers prepared from
chilled carcasses. Meat from
hot-boned carcasses also
farms
go out of farmuig and into
some profitable use.
Farmland preservation
.laws, mentioned m passing
hy one Delaware Grange
resolution, are becoming
more of a factor in the future
use patterns of existing
farmland. States are already
putting into practice a
variety of plans aimed at
limiting or eliminating
urban encroachment into
America’s breadbasket.
This tempo is bound to pick
up during the years ahead.
Farmers are demanding it
for their own sake. Their
farm organizations are
supporting them and what
they’re asking for appears to
be m the national good.
In the long run, America’s
agricultural land is a
valuable asset that once lost
is most difficult to reclaim.
The farmland preservation
theory says essentially that
it’s better to let the urbanites
stay in the city and work at
solving their problems there
than it is to let them move
out to the country where they
gobble up land and create
whole new sorts of problems.
This battle is getting
hotter. Expect it to be an
important issue during the
next few years.
You should also use all the
food you have preserved, she
says. If, after the first year,
you realize you have
preserved more than your
family can eat, cut back the
next year. Food that is
thrown out adds to the cost of
what you do eat.
Because of the various
expenses involved, home
grown food can cost more
than the food you buy at the
supermarket. But if you
enjoy the flavor, don’t mind
the work, and follow canning
or freezing directions
exactly happy gardening
and happy eating!
contained less bacteria than
meat from chilled carcasses.
Primal cuts prepared
from the hot-boned car
casses lost less weight
during marketing and were
more tender than those same
beef cuts from chilled
carcasses.
“Hot-boning could save
packers a considerable
amount of money that could
be passed on to consumers,”
says Dr. Cross. “However,
lack of a grading system is
preventing packers from
adopting hot boning. At the
Meat Science Research
Laboratory, we
collecting data that could &
used to develop grading
standards for hot-boned
beef.”
LOOK FOR
t **
ADAMS CO.
O.C. RICE. INC
Biglervtlle, PA
717-677-8135
YINGLING’S IMPLEMENT
RD 9 Gettysburg, PA
717-359 4848
BERKS CO.
N.H. FLICKER A SONS, INC.
Maxatawny
215 683-7252
STANLEY A. KLOPP, INC
Bernville, PA
215-488-1500
MILLER EQUIPMENT
Btichtelsvifte, PA
215-845-2911
SHARTELSVILLE
FARM SERVICE
RDI, Hamburg, PA
215-488-1025
H. Daniel Wenger, Prop.
ZIMMERMANS
FARM SERVICE
Bethel, PA
717-933-4114
BRADFORD CO.
ALLIS. HOLLOW EQUIP.
RDI,
’ 1 Rome, PA
~ 717-247 2601
CARL L. PIERCE
RD2,
Columbia Cross Roads, PA
717-297-3513
WYNNE'S GARAGE
Canton, PA
717-673 8456
BUCKS CO.
C.J. WONSIDLER BROS
Trumbauersville Road
Quakertown, PA 18951
215-535-1935
PAULHISTANDCO.. INC,
397 North Mam Street
Ooyiestown, PA
215-348-9041
CHESTER CO.
CHAS. J.McCOMSEY
4 SONS
Hickory Hill, PA
215-932-2615
STOLTZFUSf ARM SERVICE
Cochranville. PA
215-593-5280
M.S. YEARSLEY & SONS
West Chester, PA
215-696-2990
CLINTON CO.
DUNKLE & GRIEB
Mill Hall, PA
717-726-3115
COLUMBIA CO.
WILLIAM F.WELLIVER
Jerseytown, PA
717-437-2430
CUMBERLAND CO
ERNEST SHOVER
FARM EQUIPMENT
19 Wfest South St.
Carlisle, PA
717-249 2239
DAUPHIN CO
SWEIGARD BROS
RD3, Halifax, PA
717-896-3414
FRANKLIN CO
CHAMBERSBURG
FARM SERVICE, INC
975 S. Mam St.
Chambersburg, PA
717-264 3533
MEYERS
IMPLEMENTS. INC
Greencastle, PA
717-597 2176
LEBANON CO.
HEISEY
FARM EQUIP!., INC.
RDI, Jonestown, PA
717-865 4526
UMBERGERS MILL
RD4, Lebanon (Fontana), PA
717-867 5161
LANCASTER CO.
ROY H. BUCH, INC.
Ephrata, RO 2, PA
717-859-2441
A.B.C. GROFF. INC.
New Holland. PA
717-354-4191
iTERCO Cont.
A L. HERR & BRO.
Quarryville, PA
717-786-3521
LANDIS BROS., INC.
Lancaster, PA
717 291-1046
LONGENECKER
FARM SUPPLY
Rheems, PA
717 367-3590
N.G. HERSHEY & SON
Manheim, PA
717 665-2271
LEHIGH CO
C.J. WONSIDLER BROS
Jet. Rt. 309 and 100
Pleasant Corners, PA
215 767 7611
LYCOMING CO.
RICE FARM SUPPLY. INC
Jersey Shore, PA
717-398-1391
MONTGOMERY CO.
WENTZ FARM SUPPLIES
Route 29
Palm. PA
215 679-7164
NORTHAMPTON CO
GEORGE V.SEIPLE& SON
Easton, PA
215-258-7146
NORTHUMBERLAND C(
MECKLEY’S LIMESTONE
PRODUCTS, INC.
Herndon, PA
717 758-3915
IYLKILL CO.
LL ECKROTH
FARM EQUIP., INC.
New Ringgold, PA
717-943-2367
STANLEY’S FARM SERVICE
RD, Ktmgerstown, PA
717-648-2088
SNYDER C 6.
ROYER'S FARM SERVICE
RDI, Winfield, PA
New Berlin-Middleburg Hwy_
717-837-3201
SUSQUEHANNA CO.
WILLIAM B. LOPATOFSKY
West Clifford. PA
717-222-3837
WYOMING CO
ACE-JURISTA, INC.
Tunkhannock, PA
717 836 2610
YORK CO
AIRVILLE FARM SERVICE
Airvilie, PA
717 862-3358
GEORGE N. GROSS, INC.
RD 2, Dover, PA
717-292-1673
M&R EQUIPMENT, INC.
New Park, PA
717 993-2511
CLAIR J. MYERS
R.D. 1, Thomasville, PA
717 259 0453
CARROLL CO.. MD
WERTZ GARAGE, INC
4132 E. Mam St.
Lmboro, MD
301 374 2672
CECIL CO. MD
AG INDUSTRIAL
EQUIPMENT CO.
Rising Sun, MD
301 558-5568
FREDERICK CO.. MD
KNOTT N. GEISBERT, INC.
RD2, Frederick, MD
301 662-3800
HARFORD CO.. MD
WALTER G. COALE, INC.
Churchville, MD 21028
301 734-7722
ENFIELD EQUIPMENT. INC.
Whiteford, MD 21160
301-452 5252
301-838-0480
CLARKE COUNTY. VA
SHANES FARM SERVICE
12 S. Greenway Avenue
Boyce, VA
703-837-1125