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Crop count as dry
as nation’s farms
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
WASHINGTON - Crop
reporters trudged their
dusty paths through the
parched com and soybean
fields of the nation this week
and what they counted is
reflected in the latest yield
figures out of the USDA.
In a nutshell, com and
Pequea softens
zoning stand
By PAT KAUFFMAN
WILLOW STREET-In a
Monday night continuation
Mtef last Thursday’s zoning
bearing in Pequea Town
ship, planning commission
officials an this Lancaster
County Community made
revisions to the proposed
agribusiness ordinance
which Karl Hess, Vice
Chairman of the planning
Commission termed “a
whole lot softer.”
The planning commission
has recommended the
supervisors adopt the or
dinance with the revisions at
their September 24 meeting
at 7:30 pjh. The Planning
Commission asked for and
has been granted permission
to conduct a survey of far
mers in the township to
explore the feasibility of
setting up an ag district.
ln defining a farm, the
proposals now call any
acreage of 10 or more acres
a farm, a concession to
James Thomas’ attorney for
the farmers, plea last
Thursday evening. Thomas
pointed out that the
previously proposed 15 acres
HARRISBURG— U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Bob
Ber e land stood firm on his decision to maintain a grain
reserve, called the FTC’s recommendations for
mushroom quotas a “delicate matter,” and talked about
an upcoming campaign to change disaster fund
provisions, the farm credit act, and research priorities.
Bergland visited Pennsylavnia Wednesday and
Thursday to speak at the state ASCS meeting held at
Seven Springs, Somerset County, and to confer with the
Pennsylvania Rural Electric Co-op.
He took time from his schedule to give a 35 minute
exclusive interview for Lancaster Farming’s readers
and to answer questions of concern to state farmers.
Later he held a general press conference.
Here’s how our exclusive interview went:
From early reports the 1980 feedgrain crop looks like it
will be a bit thin. Do yon feel ibis will underscore the
bean yields continue their
downward slide. Tobacco
remains the only bright spot.
In figures released
Thursday, here’s the current
crop report:
Com - A harvest of 6.53
billion bushels is expected.
That’s down 16 percent, or
about a billion bushels, from
or more definition was the
only such in the county.
Setback restrictions now
are 500 feet from any
residential structure other
than those on the farm and
125 feet from any street or
right of way.
(Turn to Pag* A 29)
Ag Preserve Board
says amend Act 442
BY SHEILA MILLER
LANCASTER A record
crowd turned out for last
Friday morning’s meeting of
the Lancaster County
Agricultural Preserve
Board.
According to Tom John
ston, administrator of the
County’s Conservation
District, the fifty or so
people in attendance showed
the most interest in the
Preserve Board proceedings
Exclusive interview covers money, , credit, apples, mushrooms
Ag Secretary Bergland talks farming
BY CURT HAULER
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, September 13, ISM
Tast year’s 7.5 billion bushel
bin buster.
The current report, based
more on actual in-field
harvest counts, is down
another two percent from
August 1.
In Pennsylvania, the com
crop has been bit even
harder by the heat and
drought. The state crop is
estimated .at 88,560,000
bushels. That’s a drop of 23
percent from last year.
The state average yield is
forecast at 72 bushels to the
acre. Last year, it was 95
bushels.
Soybeans - The national
crop is forecast at 1.83 billion
bushels, down 19 percent
from last year. Last year’s
harvest yielded nearly 2.2
billion bushels.
Beans continued their
slide from August 1 figures.
Thecurrent expectation is
down another three percent
from a month ago.
(Turn to Page A 39)
since its formation earlier
this year.
What generated the in
terest?
For one thing, Penn
sylvania Secretary of
Agriculture Penrose
Hallowell was there to hear
first hand what the Lan
caster County board had to
say about the state’s Open
Spaces Act of 1968.
Chairman Amos Funk
spoke for the board when he
said, “We feel we need to
need for the fanner-held grain reserve you established?
Can we look for a budding of the reserve?
We installed the grain reserve policy as the first order
of business when 1 first came into the Department. Now
it’s being discovered and its real value is starting to be
appreciated.
We have about a billion bushels of last year’s crop in
reserve available from farmers. It will be sold when
farmers think prices are right.
It is almost sure the feedgram crop this year will be
less than demand. So we certainly will draw into the feed
grain reserve.
We have, as a matter of policy, not established any
limits on the reserve. We say thei reserve should be a
matter of supply and demand.
Com crops depend on whether it rams or does not.
Interestingly this year’s com crop will be one of the best.
We tend to think in terms of 5 < scro/) ! .ast year
Junior Showmanship winners at Saturday's District VI4-H Horse Show who
qualified for State competition were from left: 1. Sue Steinruck Dauphin County;
2. Dawn Richardson, Adams County and 3. Jessica Shetron, Cumberland
County. See page A 24 for the story.
York Fair competition keen
YORK - The York In*
terstate Fair started last
Friday and concludes today
with a Pork King cookout in
the morning at 11 a.m. York
Fair picture coverage begins
onpageA32.
-amend the Act to be more
legally secure in our efforts
to provide incentive
payments to farmers under
our Voluntary Deed
Restriction Program.”
He pointed out that at the
local level the plan calls for a
monetary incentive of $250
an acre payment to those
farmers who give up their
development rights for 25
years. However this price
(Turn to Page Al 5)
In early, week competition,
Troy Ness, Dallastown,
showed the Grand Champion
Market lamb in Sunday’s'
open competition.
John Eaton exhibited the
Grand Champion 4-H Steer
while Shane Seidenstricker
had the overall grand
Champion 4-H Market
Lamb.
Lisa Wysocki from York
County exhibited the Grand
Champion animal, her
SECTION A: Editorials, 10; Md. state fair, 16; Beits
calf sale, 22; Leaning silo straightened, 30; York Fair
winners, 32; Drought assistance, 38.
SECTION B: Ethanol as fuel, 2; Ethanol vs. corn
prices, 4; Seed supply, 6; Alfalfa root rots, 8; Ear design
speeds drydown, 9. ►
SECTION C: Homestead notes, 2; Home on range, 6;
Joyce Bupp’s column, 10; Grasshopper Johnny, 12;
Drying food, 15; Farm talk, 16; Garrett production sale,
18; Solanco Fair schedule, 37; Lehigh swine show, 40.
SECTION D: Lansdale dairy show, 3; Rural life
photographer, 10; Dairy business, 13; Lebanon DHIA,
14; Huntingdon DHIA, 16; Montgomery DHIA, 17;
Adams sheep winners, 20.
was an aberration. We broke yield records in all five
major crops. We may never see another crop like that in
our lifetime.
The reserve policy is not to establish any goals for
tonnage. Whatever is produced in excess of demand will
be put into reserve and we will let the marketplace
determine the size of the reserve. It is the growers’
choice.
In a year like this when the demand is going to be
greater than the crop the growers have the right to sell
whenever the time is right
It will continue as a flexible, adaptable program to
accommodate what happens each y ear. And each year is
different.
Recently the International Trade Commission
recommended die President place limits on foreign
(Turn to Page A2O)
Senior Champion Alpine doe,
in the York 4-H goat show
Friday evening.
Attendance was heavy at
Sunday’s Junior Polled
Hereford and Angus show
and die crowds this year
through the livestock
buildings were heavy. Lots
of' oobs and aahs ac
companied admiring
glances at the champion
animals.
(Turn to Page A3B)
In this Issue