fQL. 25 No. 8
i i 1
Thomas remains neutral
on deed restriction bill
BY DICK WANNER
HARRISBURG' - Reno
Thomas (D-Snyder County),
objected strenuously tlus
week to being pegged an
opponent of House Bill 1983.
Thomas is chairman of the
Pennsylvania House
Agriculture Committee, and
HB 1983, which is jui his
committee, is the bill which
would give county govern
ments the power to buy
farmland at public auction,
|ut deed restrictions on it,
and resell it to the public.
“I don’t favor 1983 any
more nor less than 1 favor
any other bill that comes into
my committee,” Thomas
said.
“It’s a bill that has some
good features. But it's a bill
that would give county
governments the power to
Mandate land use. I just
don’t know if people are
ready for mandatory con
trols.”
Thomas said there is a bill
now under consideration by
the House that would provide
In this issue
Editorials 10
1980 milk outlook 31
Juniata County DHIA 45
Homestead notes 90
Home on the range 94
Christmas for kids 98
The Milk Check 106
Berks County DHIA 107
Joyce Bupp’s column 109
Lancaster DHIA 117
EarmTalk J 27
mechanisms for voluntary
land use controls.
It is modeled after New
York State’s ag district law
which, according to some
observers, has been suc
cessful there.
“Some of the features of
HB 1983 could be amended
into the agricultural area
security bill,” Thomas said.
“I think we have to give
farmers the option to
volunteer. If they mean
what they say, then volun
tary controls should work.
“I do feel that mandatory
controls are out of place,
Not the first time
Eastern Co-op president says
no more Grandview deals
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -
Charges and countercharges
are flying concerning
Eastern Milk Producers
Cooperative’s heavy losses
in the Grandview diary
bankrupcy late last month.
But one thing is certain.
The Grandview mcident is
not the first time Eastern
has entered into a similar
deal and had trouble getting
paid.
Eastern President Arden
Tewksbury said Wednesday
“Eastern will avoid any
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 22,1979
Peace on earth,
good will to men
BY DEBRA STRICKLER
LANCASTER Penn
sylvania Secretary of
'Agriculture Penrose
Hallowell introduced his
milk security fund proposal
at a town meeting here
Tuesday night.
Hallowell accompanied
Governor Richard Thorn
burgh to the first town
meeting since Thornburgh
was elected.
Thonrburgh was asked by
Daniel L. Martin, a R 1
Manheim dairy farmer, to
though, in our free en
terprise system.”
Thomas said that the land
use problem is gomg to be
with us for years to come.
“There are so many ap
proaches, there have been so
many attempts made at
preserving farmland, and
we just have to see whafs
gomg to work best. There is
no unanimous backing for
any one approach,” he said.
“As the committee
chairman, I must recognize
everybody’s anxieties in
every measure that comes
(Turn to Page 38)
similar arrangements in the
future.”
Farmers shipping to
Eastern may lose as much
as $BOO,OOO in bankrupcy of
Grandview Dairy, a
Brooklyn, New York
operation.
Grandview declared
bankrupcy on November 23,
a Friday. Payment due date
was November 25.
In previous cases, Eastern
members were more for
tunate with thier Grandview
sales.
Hallowell unveils milk
security fund proposal
explain the present status of
the milk security fund.
Thornburgh responded
that the fund has been under
discussion for nearly two
years. The idea originated at
a town meeting in Lan
caster, during his campaign,
he said.
He informed the audience
that an official an
nouncement of the propsed
milk security fund will be
made later this week.
The Governor then asked
Hallowell to explain his
proposal.
Penrose Hallowell outlined
three basic concepts of his
milk security fund proposal.
In brief, the fund would
assess milk dealers one cent
per hundredweight. The
cooperatives may par
ticipate in the fund on a
voluntary basis, with a
separte fund for the
cooperatives.
Hallowell noted it is im
portant that all dairy far
mers have an opportunity to
participate and be protected
by a security fund.
The proposal offers 90 per
cent coverage on dairymen’s
losses, rather than the 100
per cent advocated by most
farm groups.
Hallowell said he believes
the 90 per cent coverage will
encourage farmers and
cooperatives to maintain
responsibility for their
business practices.
A few years ago,
Tewksbury said, Eastern
had a similar sales
agreement with Cumberland
Farms of New Jersey.
“Our experience with
Cumberland Farms goes
back longer than nine years
ip Order I and Order IV,” he
said.
“We did have a note that
was paid off in December of
1978,” he continued.
The note was to be paid in
(Turn to Page 35)
Martin’s immediate
response was indictive of the
response of many Penn
sylvania dairymen.
Martin noted that at the
rate of one cent per hun
dredweight it will take some
time until the milk security
fund is sufficient to provide
good security to the
dairyman.
He said he hoped the
present bonding system
would remain in effect until
the fund had grown to a
sufficient size.
Tobacco market active
as price jumps a dime
BY DEBRA STRICKLER
LITITZ At press time
Friday morning, two local
companies announced their
offer of 75 cents per pound
for local tobacco, an instant
five cent jump over Thur
sday afternoon’s price of 70
cents.
A week ago the buyers had
entered the market at 65
cents. Little tobacco moved.
On Wednesday and
Thursday the tobacco
market was extremely
active. Wednesday the
general pnee jumped by a
nickel to 70 cents a pound.
Final call for
Farm Show
LETITZ The annual
LANCASTER FARMING
Farm Show issue will be in
farmers’ mailboxes on
January 5, just before the
1980 Show opens.
Our editors already have
prepared material to give
our readers the largest, most
up-to-date, and most com
prehensive coverage of
Farm Show’Bo.
This notice is to remind
our readers and advertisers
the deadline for submission
of Farm Show copy is just
around the comer.
Our Farm Show issue will
have advance publicity on
all the action at the Show, a
special pull-out section for
$7.00 PerYeai
Jim Sumner, of the Bureau
of Markets, explained that at
the State’s present volume of
milk production, it will take
five years for the fund to
accumulate to four million
dollars.
Current legal provisions
require dealers to bonded for
$200,000.
“The milk security fund
will be more effective in
covering the farmers’
losses,” Sumner said.
Hallowell admitted his
(Turn to Page 16)
House of Windsor, Yoe,
York County has been
overbidding the other buyers
by two cents.
By noon Friday, House of
Windsor authorized buyers
to enter the market'at 75.5 or
76 cents a pound.
It is estimated that three
quarters of the crop already
has been purchased.
However it seems the best
tobacco is still unsold.
There is an exceptionally
high demand for this top
quality tobacco,'so buyers
(Turn to Page 32)
visitors to take to the Show,
biographical information on
the FFA’s Keystone degree
winners, a list of Show
exhibitors, a map of the
entire Show floor, articles
andmore.
Dates for this year’s Farm
Show are January 6 to 11 at
the Farm Show Complex in
Harrisburg.
The Complex is located on
Cameron Street, just off
Interstate 81, two exits North
of the Susquehanna' River
bridge.
Please contact LAN
CASTER FARMING, Box
366, Litite, PA 17543,717/626-
2191, if you have something
to contribute.