Al2—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, March 14,1981
Letters To
The Editor
Dear Editor:
It is high tune that the farmers
protest the marketing techniques
they are subject to and conditioned
to work under. When a farmer sells
his produce, it is generally over the
auction block, in contrast to his
purchases of grams, medicines,
machinery, and repairs, that are
over the counter.
Compare for a moment the two
systems. Over the counter the
price is determined by the seller If
the buyer (farmer) chooses not to
buy, he either does without or
scrounges until he finds a lower
price
However, feed supplements,
grinder costs, machinery parts,
fuel, electricity, new equipment to
replace the old and broken-down,
are not negotiable. The farmer
pays what he is told to give. The
seller sets the p ice and the farmer
pays, and compiaina, going back to
his herd or fields.
When the crop is in, the milk
produced, or the steers are fat
tened, does the farmer set the
price he knows he needs to get to
pay his bills? Can be guarantee
that his wages or interest will be
paid’ No, not over the auction
block!
The auction is a buyers market,
and the seller (the farmer) only
get what the buyer chooses to give
What alternative does a fanner
have for selling cattle for dairy
cows’
Most prices outside of the auc
tions are set by the auction
averages, and as usual the farmer
does not control the purse. He can
not hold out until his price is met,
he ships the animal (load of hay, or
gram) and takes the check that
comes back.
This is unfair to all farmers, and
probably is a major reason so
many small farmers 'are going
under
In ancient Europe and in early
America the method of selling for a
farmer was at a farmer’s market
There, his wares were displayed
and he himself would dicker with
the buyers until he got his fair
price, or else he took his animals or
produce back home. If the farmer
was too busy to spend a day at the
market he could ask a friend who
was going, or who had time to sell
it for him. He got a fair com
mission for his tune and the far
mer got his price.
With gram as high as it is from
the mill, it doesn’t pay to raise
cattle to sell at current prices.
With gas, diesel, parts, seed, and
fertilizer so high, fanners lose
money selling their grain
I cannot see why farmers today
are selling for 1978 prices in 1981,
except that they have no altei
native to the auction system—yet
J. Meyer
Rl Bethel
Dear Editor
We in the Veal Industry think its
about tune for the truth about
veal These past several months
were very hard for the veal grower
and the consumer alike.
We’ve seen the price drop 50
cents per pound or more, we’ve
watched T.V. programs and read
articles about veal calves. After
which people have asked, "How
could you do such a thing to those
calves’” After lookmg at our
calves they can’t see how the truth
got so distorted
Most of the opposition comes
from Dr. Michael Fox Coming
from England, where he
devistated the veal industry,
trying to do the same here. What
Dr. Fox neglects to say that
England unports 80 percent of its
meat from the United States
Dr. Fox thinks we’re cruel to our
calves and says we almost starve
them to death. Why does Dr. Fox
keep an animal of the wild, his so
called pet wolf, caged m his own
backyard’ Why also is it that when
our calves are ready for market
that they are 95 to 100 percent
prune kosher veal’
According to Dr. Fox, by the
tune our calves go to market they
are so weak and malnourished
they just fall over and die 1
guarantee you, Dr. Fox, that if you
were to leave anyone of our
finished calves out of their pens it
would pull you and your kind back
to England. But we wouldn’t want
that, would we’ Well maybe the
calf could just set you down for a
soft landing somewhere in the
middle.
'IsSl
Farm
Calendar
(Continued from Page A 10)
Tuesday, March 17
York-Adams Calfarama Sale, 7 30
p m., Avalong Farms, York
Forage Crops Day, 9:30 am.-3
p m., Morgantown Fire Hall.
Hedging workshop, second session.
Embers Restaurant, Carlisle, 9
a.m.-4p.m.
Natural resource meeting.
I don’t think most people realize
the repercusions that would be
felt if the veal industry were to
suddenly cease. After all
Agriculture is America's largest
industry. First of all to fill fhe
pinch would be the dairy farmer
loosing from $4O to $6O per culled
bull sent to market.
I’m sure every dairy farmer
remembers'what he got for calves
15 to 20 years ago, and also where
those calves went to from the sale
barn
Also the dairy farmer would
have a tremendous supply and
surplus of dried feed grade milk on
the market going nowhere. And
also more of a debt for the Federal
Government to buy it. It would also
be detramental to the trucking
industry. For we depend on them
to deliver us milk, haul our calves
to market, and deliver the meat to
retail and wholesale markets. Also
affected would be the butchers and
meat cutters.
So, m reality, everyone would
loose in the end, causing more
unemployment and higher food
costs. We veal growers think its
time the truth should be told before
its too late for everyone.
bar. & Mrs. Gregory A. Plovish
R 1 Friedens
Dauphin County, 7:30 pm..
Lower Paxton Twp. Bldg.
Ephrata Area Young Farmers,
7 45 pm, high school vo-ag
room.
Solanco Young Farmers estate
planning meeting, 7.30 p.m,
Solanco ag room.
Lancaster County Holstein Club
tour to N J.' leaves Farm &
Home Center, 8 a.m. and Gap
Diner at 8.30 a m.
Lancaster Farm & Home Direc
tors meeting, 7 30 p m., F &HC
Wednesday, March 18
10th annual Pennfteld dairy
awards luncheon. Good &
Plenty Restaurant, Smoketown,
11;30a.m.
Adams County Poultry Assn,
annual spring banquet, 6:30
p.m., York Springs Fire Hall.
Pa. Broiler, Egg, Turkey Councils,
Host Corral, Lancaster.
ELCO FFA Chapter Banquet, 7
p.m., Elco Middle School,
Myerstown.
11th annual Pa. Environmental
Council meeting, Marriott
Motel, Harrisburg, concludes
tomorrow.
Horse management meeting, 8
p.m, Hunterdon Extension
Center, Flemmgton, N.J.
Berks Goat Herders meeting,
County Ag Center, 7:30 p m.
Forage Crops Day, LeHi Dairy
Farmers auditorium, Allen
town, 9.30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Thursday, March 19
Today is Agriculture Day.
Lancaster County Poultry Assn
educational meeting, 7:30 p.m.,
Farm & Home Center.
Lancaster Conservation District
annual meeting, 6:30 p.m.,
Harvest Drive Restaurant'.
Adams County swine management
meeting, Vo-ag room, Get
tysburg High School, 7:30 p.m.
Delaware swine reproduction
meetmg, 7 p.ra.. State Highway
- Dept., Dover.
Chester-Delaware Counties’
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