WL2SU*.M^> J Z
Lehigh members
vote to dissolve.
form new co-op
BY VIVIAN PAUL
Staff Correspondent
LANCASTER Common
stockholders of Lehigh
Valley Cooperative Fanners
voted overwhelmingly last
week to dissolve the 47-year
old organization and sell its
assets to a new company,
Atlantic Processing, Inc.
The-, vote 455 in favor
and 82 against had been
expected by the
management and board of
the dairy. -
At thier annual meeting at
the Host Farm resort, dairy
fanners also heard details
on the formation of a new
agricultural cooperative
which they will be asked to
join. It will be known as
'.Lehigh Valley Farmers.
Both mqweshad been
recommended asa solution
to Lehigh’s long' standing
financial problems ' Which
inchide long term batik debt
and a preferred stock issue
valued at nearly $l2 million,
but long considered wor
thless.
The vote to dissolve was
the highlight of a meeting
that included a report on the
previous year’s activities at
the dairy.
Goats no longer qualify as dairy animals
Lancaster protests Princess rule
BY PAT KAUFFMAN
LIUTZ A new" wrinkle
has been added to the Dairy
Princess Pageant rules this
year, and the Lancaster
County committee has been
the fust to protest.
For the first year, official
rules disqualify any Dairy
Princess applicant who owns
goats, not cows. The rules
read, “the contestant must
be the owner of more than
one dairy animal prior to
May 1,1980. (Dairy goats do
not qualify.)” Why would
Apple referendum
passes by 20 votes
HARRISBURG - The
question of whether to
continue or discontinue the
Pennsylvania Apple
Marketing Board was
decided by 20 votes in a
recent referendum.
Apple growers voted
between April 11 and April 24
to keep AMB. When the
ballots were tallied on April
25, the needed two-thirds in
favor of the referendum held
The organization had
profits of $869,800 on sales of
$144,5 million, compared to
profits of! $335,636 on sales of
$llB.l million for the same
period a year earlier. The
earnings were the highest in
the last five years..
The daily processed 853
million pounds of milk last
year, an increase of 72
.million over the previous
year.
Despite the growth,
current shipper-members
who are holders of common
stock, voted for the sale
which will transfer all the
assets and liabilities to
Atlantic Processing, Inc.
This inclndes-$2O million in
long and short term debt
owned to the Baltimore Bank
for Cooperatives.
The new cooperative,
Lehigh Valley Farms, will
be strictly a bargaining unit.
It wilt own no plants,
property or equipment
It will contract to sell all of
its members’ milk to
Atlantic Processing.
Money for the purchase of
Lehigh Valley Cooperative
(Turn to Page A 39)
such a delineation be made?
Robert Morris, director of
special programs for- PA
Holstein Association and a
member of the state com
mittee explains. “In oast
years, girls who owned dairy
goats were entering
pageants on a local level, and
cow farmers were calling in
to complain. They did not
want to take the chance of
having someone who did not
own cows win the pageant.’ ’
The pageant Morris
stated, is part of the milk
a slim margin of 20 ‘yes’
votes.
Paul Pitzer, Biglerville,
Adams County; Stanley
Brown, Loganville, York,
County; .and Joseph Strite,
Harrisburg, Dauphin
County, served on the teller
committee for the
referendum. They counted
178 votes in favor of the AMB
and 59 against, according to
(Turn to Page A 35)
Lancaster Fanning, Saterday, May 3,1900
Welcome to Lancaster County is given by Marion
Brenneman, left, R 1 Mount Joy, hostess for PFA
Women's Committee Farm-City Festival, to. from
the left, Irish Hallowed, wife of secretary of
agriculture; Ginny Thornburgh, wife of governor;
Dairylea told to show why
PMMB shouldn’t revoke license
BY CURT HAULER
HARRISBURG The
Pennsylvania' Milk
Marketing Board has told
Dairylea Cooperative to
show reason why the'Board
promotion campaign, and
funds for it are provided by
Atlantic Dairy Association
from funds received by them
other organizations
though the nilk checkoff
fund. Morris stated that the
reason the committee chose
to clarify the rules this year
was two fold. First, both
Maryland and New York
have similar restrictions,
and second, dairy goat
raisers do not participate in
the milk checkoff system
which largely provides the
funds for the pageant.
While daughters of milk
juggers who are not required
to participate in the milk
checkoff system are eligible
to participate, Morris states
that many joggers con-
tribute voluntarily. In ad
dition, he stated, they do
advertise for dairy products,
even if it is only promoting
their own line of dairy goods
at their store.
However, any girl who
owns two dairy animals
qualifies, and that would
include confirmed Morris,
any girl who owned two non
lactating heifers as 4-H
projects. She too would
(Turn to Page A 3 7) "
should not suspend or revoke
its license to sell milk in
Pennsylvania.
The PMMB citation
alleges violation of the state
milk marketing law in
connection with Dairylea’s
agreement with A&P to sell
processing and packaging of
milk from Dairylea’s
Scranton plant.
According to PMMB
Executive Secretary Earl
Fink, an informal hearing
will be held on the matter
May 15.
Unless Dairylea pleads
guflty to the charges, which
is unlikely, a date will be set
for a formal hearing. The
formal hearing is likely to
take place within 15 to 30
days of the May 15 hearing.
PMMB routinely issues
Truck limits may kill market
for 400 northeast dairymen
WALUNGTON, N. J. - On
Monday David Goldman
paid separate fines of $l6OO
and $6OO on two of the milk
trucks' hauling to his Far
mland Dairy plant in
Wallington, N. J.
That’s peanuts compared
to the $60,000 the Farmland
owner shelled out in fines
last year and the $20,000 he
had paid since January 1,
1980.
The constant payout of
fines may close the door on a
milk outlet for 400 nor
theastern Pennsylvania
dairymen.
and Mrs. Nellie Crawford, Juniata County, com
mittee chairman. For stories on festival and
Country Kitchen tour luncheon, turn to pages A2B
andASO.
such notices to show cause to
parties alleged to be in
violation of the state Milk
Marketing Law.
Dairylea is charged with
violation of Section 807 of the
Milk Marketing Law.
That section makes it
illegal to sell a product or
SECTION A: Editorials, 10; Berks FFA, 18; Little
International, 24; Legislative roundup, 30; Farmer
talks preservation, 38.
SECTION B: Farm wills, 2; Lancaster DHIA, 5;
Dairy pipeline, 8; Super dairy co-ops, 9.
SECTION C: New Lancaster farm women socitey, 2;
Home on range, 6; Joyce Bupp, 10; Franklin DHIA, 17;
Holstein Assn, facilities, 18; Huntingdon DHIA, 22;
Sheila’s shorts, 31; Blue Ridge FFA, 32.
SECTION D: Lebanon DHIA,' 2; Blair DHIA, 5; "
Juniata DHIA, 8; 4-H Capital Days, 10; Adams DHIA,
13; Pencil planting, 16; Farm talk, 18; N.J. Holstein
sale, 19; Lower Dauphin FFA. 20.
The problem is that
Pennsylvania has a weight
limit of 73,280 pounds on
trucks. But federal uniform
regulations have raised
gross weight limits to 80,000
pounds.
Farmland buys milk in
New Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania.
As Goldman’s trucks come
across federal highways,
like 1-80 and 1-84 in nor
theastern Pennsylvania,
state troopers weigh them
and fine them for over
weight. New York and New
Jersey allow an 80,000 pound
service below-the cost of
production.
Specifically,- Dairylea is
charged with selling ser
vices from its Scranton plant
to A&P under cost.
Should Dairylea plead
guilty on May 15 or be found
(Turn to Page Al 7)
in this issue
maximum gross weight
The result may be that
Farmland will drop 400
shippers in Pennsylvania,
Goldman said Thursday.
“One morning Fll wake up.
madder than hell about the
whole situation and it’ll be
all over,” Goldman said.
There are between 700 and
800 Pennsylvanians shipping
to Farmland Dairy. About
half of their milk goes to
processing plants in Penn
sylvania. The rest goes to the
Wellington plant which
(Turn to Page A3B)
$7iX) Per Year