VOL 26 No. 10
Galen W. Crouse, R 1 Stevens, right, has been named Master Farmer for
1980. Crouse, along with wife Carolyn and sons Philip, left, and Neal operate a
successful dairy enterprise in Lancaster County on 310 acres of leased land. His
program boasts a 16,000 pound herd average for milk production. He is actively
involved in the embryo transfer program.
GalenCrouse wins
Master Farmer award
STEVENS - Galen W.
Crouse, of R 1 Stevens, has
been named a Master
Farmer for 1980.
His business expertise and
management efficiency has
proven you can be a highly
successful dairyman without
owning an acre of land or a
building.
The 310 acres of cropland
he farms is owned by
operators of a limestone
quarry. The land was sold
years ago by his father.
Unable to buy the farm,
Crouse leases the land.
On this farm Crouse raises
360 dairy animals, 126 of
which are milk cows.
Heavily involved in an
embryo transplant program,
he sells offspring for a profit
in addition to maintaining a
milk herd average of 16,000
pounds of milk.
“When mv dad sold the
farm, 1 negotiated an
agreement with the new
owner. The original
buildings were too small,
outdated, and inefficient for
an expanding dairy
operation,” Crouses says.
En this issue
SECTION A: Editorials, 10; Bank freezes farm rates,
14; Dotterer named Master Farmer, 15; Farm exports,
17; Perry County Master Farmer, 18; Beshore named
Master Farmer, 19; Rural crime, 24; Sheila’s shorts, 26;
Stressed pigs, 30; Lebanon A3CS committee, 34; Big
com yields, 36.
SECTION B: 1980 s in review, 2; Mifflin DHIA, 4; Meet
U.S. Ag secretary nominee, 9; Lebanon 4-H roundup, 12;
Joyce Bupp’s column, 14.
SECTION C: Homestead notes, 2; Microwave
cooking, 6; Broiler ventilation, 7; Lancaster DHIA, 12;
Dairy pipeline, 16; Chester DHIA, 20; Blair DHIA, 22;
Farm Talk, 29.
15 6l c CO /*’ 551,, 1
oepiodicals uiv
, 2 .y PATTE 7. L 5^TE;«^T!f^ F, S I T Y
=l' >IS YL V A IN. 1A S i 6S C 3 2
iMivrRSITY PA*< ■
The owner, however,
preferred not to invest ad
ditional money in the farm.
The Master Farmer
financed and constructed a
40 by 200-foot free stall bam,
a 60 by 90-foot maternity
barn, and two large silos.
Crouse worked out a 20-
PMMB to face several 1981 challenges
BY CURT HAULER
HARRISBURG - Look for
the Pennsylvania Milk
Marketing Board to be the
target of consumer-oriented
activity as 1981 wears on.
PMMB is likely to face
opposition both from within
the Board and from outside
interests.
While two of the Board’s
three members and the state
Milk Dealers Association
face legal action on a charge
they conspired to force a
consumer representative out
of her job, the battle will go
to broader interests than
that.
Main target will be
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 3,1981
year lease whereby he has
the right to farm the land for
this period or longer.
“I formed a partnership
with my fatrher in 1954, but
disbanded it in 1966, when
the farm was sold. I pur
(Turn to PageA2l)
PMMB’s authority to
establish minimum prices
for milk.
In Pittsburgh, for in
stance, it has become almost
a regular occurance for the
Mayor of the city to
challenge price increase
orders issued by PMMB. The
latest legal action against a
PMMB-ordered price hike
came earlier this month.
PMMB’s consumer
representative on the Board,
Marianne Olson, says she
takes a different position
than the Mayor. The Mayor
said he wanted no price
increase, she points out. “I
want a decrease.”
At least one researcher
has found that consumer
representation at PMMB
hearings makes a difference
in milk pricing.
Amy Leader, a student
interne with Common Cause,
the citizens’ lobby, con
cluded in her study that in
areas like Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh, where con
sumers are well represen
ted, the consumer factions
do better in milk pricing
battles.
Leader is the neice of
Brecknock farmers seek
ag zoning clarification
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
FIVEPOINTVILLE -
Farmers in Brecknock
Township, Lancaster
County, will seek
clarification of several
agricultural restrictions in
the new zoning ordinance
which will be up for adoption
by township supervisors at a
public hearing on January
15.
Farmers’ concerns are
centered on certain
agricultural restrictions,
such as those governing
height limitations for ac
cesses? buildings to the
principal dwelling permitted
in the ag district and a 25-
acre minimum requirement
for intensified livestock
uses.
Donald M. Robinson, vo-ag
teacher in the Eastern
Lancaster County School
District, said that farmers
have been in touch with him
concerning such restric
tions, which are included in
the ordinance to be con
sidered by supervisors at the
Gets scoop on legislation? ACP $ cuts
Lane. Dist. re-elects officers
LANCASTER Aaron
Stauffer and Amos Funk
were unanimously re-elected
chairman and vice-
chairman of the Lancaster
former Pennsylvania
Democratic Governor
George M. Leader.
Although Marianne Olson
does represent consumers on
the Board, she is out
numbered two-to-one, the
study points out.
Olson, who is quick to point
out she never advocated
abolishing PMMB, adds that
its price fixing policy is
unfair.
She says PMMB auditors
say Pennsylvania dealers
are making a 5.3 percent
profit on milk sold.
Nationally, USDA says the
average profit on milk is 2.8
percent.
In controlled states, other
than Pennsylvania, the
margin averages 2.5 per
cent.
“I don’t care how much
profit they make. I just don’t
think they should make the
profit on a minimum price,”
she says, explaining the
minimum should be low, but
higher prices allowed if a
dealer feels he can get them.
While Common Cause does
not have a position on
PMMB pricing policies, it
-
tsj£v v ff^ N
public hearing in the
Brecknock Elementary
School, Bowmansville, at
7:30 p.m. on Thursday,
January 15.
“Primarily, the farmers
want more clarification of
such restrictions and how
they might affect their
operations,” Robinson said.
Concerning the 15-foot
height restriction for ac
cessory buildings, Robinson
explained that this could be a
concern of agricultural
families who utilize horses
for transportation. Family
members, he said, may want
to construct another
dwelling on a farm and the
15-foot restriction might
apply to a horse bam which
would be needed as an ac
cessory building.
The section of the
proposed ordinance, which
updates the existing zoning
regulations adopted in 1973,
containing the 25-acre
minimum for intensified
livestock operations states:
“Poultry houses for
County Conservation
District during the monthly
Board of Directors meeting
on Monday.
During their last meeting
does support the idea of
sunset legislation.
A sunset law would require
termination of a government
agency or board unless it
were re-approved regularly
by the state legislature.
(Turn to PageA26)
Last call for
Form Show issue
Lrm- Famsbowiser
will begin Sunday January
ate,ran through,Friday
the , 16th. The anauM MN
CASTER FARING Antin'
Stew issue-'Wiit--he in-'lar*.
Saturday 'before, IteyShow
opens. , ;'/5 "
' .Iske wii be'lasted ''
with aptbdate IMormatioh
on the Show, incitejsg the
most recent "list ot .
exfdbilors/a tiiriHsage map
showing where, everyone is
located cm the new exhibit
floor plan, and the day-by
day schedule of events,
Including all last minute
changes.
In addition, the Farm
Stew* .issue will include
$7.50 Per Year
bousing more than five
thousand (5000) birds and
structures for housing more
than twenty-five (25) sows or
fifty (50) head of other
livestock shall not be located
on lots of less than twenty
five (25) acres, of which a
minimum of twenty (20)
acres shall be arable land
available for the disposing of
liquid manure generated by
the poultry or livestock.”
In view of today’s fanning
economics, seemingly all
future livestock operations
in the township would meet
this 25-aore minimum
requirement.
“We can see that proper
disposal of manure is a
legitimate concern,”
Robinson explained.
“But what if a farmer with
slightly less than 25 acres
wants to establish a poultry
operation in which all of the
manure will be sold to
another fanner or to a
mushroom grower?”
(Turn to Page A 25)
of the year, the directors
also took the opportunity to
discuss the latest con
servation programs with
local legislators.'
Attending the session were
the three Lancaster County
Commissioners, James
Huber, Jean Mowery and
Robert Boyer. From the
state legislators, personal
appearances were put in by
Senators Clarence Manbeck
and Richard Snyder, with
Steven Nickol representing
Senator Ralph Hess. Other
(Turn toPageA2B)
toographiek on - the FF&
Keystone Fanner ; award
winners, ten teres ,_;eb
Brestodr,aM mactonery,
~ and - pages':-dt Mortoaßen
' yen’d lfl£etoJa»owfeetoreyoa
- bead
Mgshow, ; *'" : ,, ,
. ~ ffe is our i&aa nofceejlo
rrettond [pky&& 'mi. 'M
' yertlsers'ahke to gadasrap
■
"
Be sore your group» Bon
orduhis represented in the
bible of ' Pennsylvania
agriculture; , Lancaster
Paraaag,, > -
■ Contact 'm at Box m>
Lititx PA, m&i or phone
717/6a&5652, '« you have
something to contribute.