122—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 15,1980 d: the first time you heard it. of milk per cow, and of- * X IfW But lets examine it Is this course, the 'over-feed-cost ' V advice for you? also soared. Some kind of * • Most County DHIA annual expansion might well be ' I meetings are held this time indicated and justified, _ \r of year, and we all like to providing he can maintain examine the current production somewhere in jJ - V *2“? LI g-m statistics and pat ourselves this high range. It’s a good — r MIISinKSS on the back at last year’s example of getting better w progress. before getting bigger. 3 ATI As an mdustry, we can be From a strictly economic Rv) justly proud .of the con- viewpoint, whether you are Garage turning rise m production per comparing the profitability su PP^ es, < "' Newton Bsir cow, number of cows on test, of a herd producmg 18,000 Take ad' IS BIGGER ALWAYS BETTER? We are beginning to detect some fallacies in the widely held notion that progress m the dairy business is measured by size. Maybe it’s time to take a look at some of the yardsticks by which we measure progress and success Will a herd of 120 cows return twice the profit of a 60 cow herd? Will the purchase of an extra 150 acres of land double the returns presently realized from a 150 acre farm? Will a new $75,000 combme pay back its extra cost over an older but still useful one 7 Of course, these questions are all academic and can only be answered m the light of the circumstances surrounding them But they are the kind of questions facing dairy and other farmers every tune a change is contemplated that will affect the size of an en PUBLIC SALE OF ROLLING HILLS FARMS AND ADDITIONAL TRACTS OF REAL ESTATE On the premises of Tract No. I located 5 miles southeast of Mt. Union, Huntingdon Co., 3 miles northeast of Shirleysburg and Rte. 522 along Germany Valley Rd., about 25 miles north of Penna. Turnpike, Ft Littleton Exit, on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 Sale at 12:30 P.M. TRACT NO. 1 - Dairy Farm consisting of ap proximately 155 acres known as the Brant farm, about 75 acres tillable, bal. is pasture land with stream of water, several acres of woodland. Some of pasture land could be farmed. Buildings consist of large dairy bam with stanchions for 20 cows and 50 free stalls, plus cement holding area 50x90 ft., 12x45 tile silo, 10 room house with two fireplaces, Kalamazoo 27 m, furnace for coal or wood, forced air, full bath and half bath Farm is well located along Germany Valley Road. School bus and mail stops at door, handy for milk pickup. 'TRACT NO. 2 - Known as the Bard Farm adjacent to tract No. 1 and along Germany Valley Rd. consisting of approximately 155 acres, about 70 acres tillable, bal. pasture and woodland with stream thru pasture, good bank bam for heifers or beef cattle, water system in bam, nice barnyard and handy to road. Nice site to build house. Land on tract No. 1 and 2 consists of limestone and loam soil with creek bottom for pasture. TRACT NO. 3 - Eleven acres of land with road and water, partly wooded, woodland has been partially closed and will make a beautiful homesite overlooking Germany Valley. Tract No. 3 is included in Tract No. 1 but will be offered separately and together. TRACT NO. 4 - Approximately 11 acres of level farm and grassland, hard road on one side and creek on other side. TRACT NO 5 - All tillable land or about 60 acres of Bard farm lying north of Germany Valley Road. Trat No. 5 is included in Tract No. 2 and will be offered separately and together TRACT NO. 6-50 acres of woodland with right-of way from hard road. Good location for hunting camp or summer home. PLEASE NOTE - This is an economical dairy farm setup. Inspection Saturday, Nov. 29 or by appointment. Terms 10% down on possession which can be given by April 1,1981, or sooner. Owners reserve right to accept or reject all bids. Owners, ROBERT M. & MINERVA ARMOUR RD.I.Mt. Union, Pa. 17066 Ralph W. Horst, Auctioneer, Marion, Pa. 17235 John Gates, Attorney, Huntingdon, Pa. 16652 Phone: 814-542-8913 terprize, or the size of ones income from it. Pointing to "economies of scale”, researchers and economists and even ex tension agents have been selling all kinds of evidence down through the years that the easier way to success is to get bigger. Well, it’s pretty hard to argue with facts especially historical facts. When we look at the pure economics of bigness, there is no denying that over the past 50 years there has been a pronounced trend toward larger herds, more acres per farm, bigger and more productive equipment, and consequently fewer and fewer people actually doing the work of feeding the rest. This last statement is what has me worried. How far can this trend continue and where will it end 7 At this {joint, you are going to anticipate a truth we’ve all heard many tunes Get Better Before you Get Bigger! Weil, it is just as sound advice now as it was and in many cases in rise in profit over feed cost, which is also a deceptive figure Our Lebanon County DHIA board gives special recognition to the herd which makes the most progress in milk production over the previous year. This year’s Now Manufactured In Bethel, Pd. The Smith Cattleguard® 12', 14', and 16' Lengths #1 In The Country Over 15,000 Installations In 33 States AH Products Feature: • Durable Precast Concrete Construction Easy Maintenance and Installation ■MB 1 itenstd h\ I ASI SI I ImiiiNirns recipient went from 16.000 pounds to over 19,000 pounds pounds of milk with a 15,000 pound herd, or matching a 15.000 pound average with a 12.000 pounder, the higher profit always goes with the Higher herd average, in spite of higher feed costs. Higher profits don’t always ac (Turn to Page 023) Also Available: • 15” Deep Centerline Feedbunk In 8' Lengths “The smooth sides that cattle clean up” • 200 Gallon Stock Tank • Fenceline Feedbunk WISE'S COUNTRY AUCTION Saturday Evenings Located 4 miles south of Strasburg, PA at the: ./ WHITE OAK ' • ' First Sale URbAY, NOVEMBER 22 and body shop tools, shoe shop, machinery & tousehold goods and lots more to come, ivantage of our low introductory commission offer. We need Antiques, Household Goods, Tools, Etc. Terms By, GEORGE H. WISE, JR. Elvin Siegrist, Auctioneer . For Consignments and information call 717-687-7018 If no answer 786-4289 > The Automatic Freeze-Proof Waterer NO ENERGY NEEDED Special Swirl Action 100 Gallons of Fresh Water {Please send me information on: ] caltleguards name I address city phone CONCRETE • Route 1095 □ waterers □ feedbunks state zip Bethel, Pa. 19507 (717) 933-4107
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