Alo—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 19,1980
Lancaster Farming says...
Eliminate the need for milk security fund
Through late fall and winter the big
question on many dairymens’ minds
has been which milk security fund
proposal to support.
Perhaps a better question could be
put: why support a milk security fund
at all?
Various factions argued over a
penny or two cents per cwt
deductions. They asked whether the
handler, or the farmer, or a co-op
should pay.
The controversy would be
eliminated if its cause could be
eliminated the cause being far
mers, in effect, lend handlers milk for
up to 55 days and need some
protection.
But if all dealers had to pay for the
milk promptly the farmer's risk
would be cut considerably. No longer
would a dairy have use of a farmer’s
milk for as long as 55 days.
This amounts to an interest-free
operating loan to the handler. On the
other hand, the farmer probably took
an operating loan to produce the milk
in the first place. So the farmer pays
double.
Any milk handler in a sound
financial position should have no
problem going to a commercial m-
ANDREW
AND PHILIP
Lesson for January 20,1980
Background Scriptures:
John 1:35-51; 6:1-14;
12:20-26.
Devotional Reading:
Philippians 2:3-11.
TO ENCOURAGE
WATER INTAKE
All kinds of livestock and
poultry need liberal amounts
of water in order to give
RURAL ROUTE
THE ICE
WINPS HA\
MAN Y TREE
IN THE ARi
stitution and obtaining operating
capital. These same handlers would
have no trouble obtaining the
required line of credit to secure milk
they purchase.
The farmer certainly has no
business lending money to any
handler who is not in a solid enough
position to obtain commercial loans.
If a bank can’t take the risk, can the
farmer afford to?
What is proposed is a requirement
that any milk handler, proprietary or
cooperative, be required to make
100 percent payment for all milk
shipped within 10 days of receipt.
Exceptions would be made only upon
written approval by the dairy farmer.
Prompt payment for all milk would
eliminate a host of problems.
It would mean an end to questions
of who builds a security fund and
how much they would pay.
It would do away with the ad
ditional expense and bureaucracy
needed to administrate a $4 million
fund.
It would make no distinction
between proprietary and co-op
handlers since nobody would be
paying to a w»rnntvfi |r 'd
A few days ago I helped to
conduct the memorial
service for Dr. Paul Price,
the man who was both my
inspiration and sponsor in
the Christian ministry. As a
seminary student, I was his
assistant in a church at
Mohnton, Pa. Later, after he
retired as a denominational
executive, he became my
assistant. He gave me my
first opportunity to preach
and participated in my or
dination.
As I prepared his eulogy it
occurred to me that what I
remembered best about
Paul was, not so much his
words, but the example that
he set before me. His
elequence was articulated in
maximum production. This
is not always provided
during the winter months.
Animals that consume
large amounts of water are
usually more efficient and
will produce more milk or
more weight gams.
In cold weather water that
is warmed will usually be
more acceptable to
livestock.
what he was and did. His was
the kind of friendly and
enthusiastic life that invited
people to meet his Master.
“Come and See!”
We know very little con
cerning either Andrew or
Philip, except that they were
disciples of Jesus. Andrew
was a brother of Simon Peter
and hailed from Bethsaida
on the shores of the Sea of
Galilee. We know even less
of Philip, apart from the
information that he came
from the same town. But
what the gospels do tell us
about these two men in
dicates that they were the
kind of men whose talent
consisted in bringing people
Adequate amounts of salt
and minerals will also en
courage good water con
sumpion.
Water is one of the most
important items in any
rations, and in most cases is
one of the cheapest items in
the overall rations. Don’t
skimp on the amount of
water provided for all kinds
of livestock.
ri f
K*
It would benefit all farmers no
matter where they ship since each
would be paid right away for his milk.
The proposal could become ef
fective within 180 days of passage to
give the handler time to adjust.
Since milk prices are not set every
week, payment would be made at the
most recent price and corrected
monthly.
Senator Patrick Stapleton’s
agriculture committee has checked
the idea with the Pennsylvania Milk
Marketing Board. Such a proposal is
legal, PMMB said, since it would not
weaken the federal market order
system.
Most major farm organizations,
while they have a security fund
proposal in their policy, acknowlege
their purpose is to protect the
dairyman.
If the time the processor has use of
the milk can be reduced, the farmer’s
exposure to risk is reduced.
“Changing the rules is difficult,”
one farm leader said.
But Stapleton’s office sees no
major obstacles with such legislation
that wouldn’t be part of any other
lawmaking effort.
to meet Jesus. None of the
sermons or teachings are
recorded for us, but we catch
glimpses of their quiet, yet
effective discipleship for
Christ.
Andrew was one of the
first men to respond to
Jesus’ invitation to
disciplestup. And it was he
who took his brother, Simon
Peter, to the Master, saying
“We have found the
Messiah” (1:41).
The next day, Philip also
responded to Christ’s
challenge and became his
follower. Lake Andrew, he
could not keep the good news
to himself, but went and
found Nathaniel, saying:
“We have found him of
SUPPLEMENTAL HEAT
This is the time of the year
when many pigs and lambs
are being bom into cold
quarters.
If the new-born animal
gets chilled that first hour, it
will be m trouble. Many
digestive and respiratory
problems can develop.
Producers are urged to
By Tom Armstrong
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BY CURT HARLER, EDITOR
TO PROVIDE
In fact, the Senator and his staff
are meeting this coming week with
representatives of Pennsylvania’s six
major dairy cooperatives to outline a
proposal to require 100 percent
payment within 10 days
The Milk Dealers Association also
is tossing the prompt payment idea
around. While it will cost them free
operating capital, it will save them
the security assessment—which, in
the case of Hershey Foods, would be
a third of a million dollars per year.
The proposal would treat both
proprietary and co-op handlers
evenly. In fact, co-ops have had more
difficulties recently than proprietary
handlers.
Best of all, such a proposal would
cut farmer risk by assuring prompt
payment, eliminate cases where a
handler runs out 55 days' milk before
closing doors or making an
assessment, slash bureaucracy,
speed farmers' cash flow, and would
end the dairyman’s role as lender.
It is business-like, protects all
farmers, treats all handlers equally
Its beauty is its simplicity. It treats
the problem rather than adding
another symptom.
whom Moses in the law and
also the prophets wrote,
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph” (1:45). When
dubious Nathaniel replies,
“Can anything good come
out of Nazareth?” Philip
invites Nathaniel to meet
Jesus himself: “Come and
see” (1:46).
Sir, There’s A Lad-
Later, on an occasion
when Jesus has been
preaching by the shores of
Galilee and a great throng
has gathered and listened
well beyond the dinner hour,
it is Andrew who brings a
young man to Jesus, saying,
“There is a lad here who has
provide heat lamps, or some
other source of heat, for
these animals the first few
days.
Modem farrowing bams
already have supplemental
heat units that provide the
proper temperature to get
little pigs well started.
However, many sheep bams
are too cold for little lambs.
The placing of a heat lamp
over the small pen in which
the ewe and lamb should be
Farm Calendar
Today, January 19
Farmers’ Week in N.J.
through the 26th.
Monday, January 21
Pa. Farmers Union annual
meeting, Penn Hams
Hotel, Camp Hill, con
tinues to the 22nd.
Tuesday, January 22
“Energize Your Decor”,
9:30 a.m., Extension Cen-
five barley loaves and two
fish” (6:9). In still
incident, some Greeks
looking for the Galilean at
the feast and they find
Philip, saying: “Sir, we
wish to see Jesus?” Instead
of preaching to them, Philip
goes immediately and finds
Andrew and both together
take the Galilean Greeks to
Jesus.
That’s about all the gospel
tells us of Philip and An
drew, but it is enough: they
were men who, like my
friend and mentor, Paul
Price, took others to meet
the Master. Their simple,
but effective discipleship for
Christ is within the reach of
everyone of us.
kept for the first few days
will get the job done.
Be careful that the heat
lamp is well attached and
out of the reach of the ewe.
TO EVALUATE THE
BEEF REFERENDUM
Another attempt is to be
made in order to get a beef
assesment program un
derway.
Producers of any type of
(Turn to Page A3B)
ter Sewing Clinic, Hunter
don Co. Extension Center.
4-H Tractor Maintenance
Club meets at 7 p.m. at a
Messick’s Equipment,"
Inc., Route 283 exit at
Rheems, (Western Lan
caster Co.)
Lancaster Cattle Feeder’s
Day, Farm and Home
(Turn to Pace A 18)