Al2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 25,1981
Letters To
The Editor
Dear Editor:
It was with shock, dismay, and
disbelief which I learned of the
plans of the University of Penn
sylvania School of Veterinary
Medicine for the “transfer of
responsibilities of Pennsylvania
Embryo Transfer Service (PETS)
to a new and larger group” and to
“make all of its embryo transfer
facilities and clinical and specialty
areas available for their use. ’ ’
As a member of the embryo
transfer community I could not
compr ’hend what had inspired this
chain of events. Dr. James Evans
has headed a fine and dedicated
staff since the inception of this
endeavor at the University, and
they have built the transfer unit to
what it is today.
Yet, since he has submitted his
resignation, neither he, nor any of
his staff, nor any of the other
embryo transfer associations have
been informed or even consulted as
to the course the University is
going to take.
We are the people the University
is supposed to be working with. We
were good enough to work with the
University the last two years when
they needed livestock or the loan of
equipment. But apparently we
were not important enough to be
consulted when it came to this very
important decision. What the
answers are, we do not know. We
have been kept in the dark. But a
lot of PETS clients are asking
questions.
Now Is
(Continued from Page AlO)
as keenly aware of manure odors
as their non-farm neighbors. I
know that everyone’s time is at a
premium at this season of year,
but I would like to suggest that you
should try to spread manure only
when conditions are right to
minimize odor problems. Wait for
a day with low relative humidity,
clear sunny skies, and spread the
manure on land that is dry enough
to plow or disk. The best tune of
day is between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A few of the ones we would like
answered:
1. Why were other embryo
transfer services not even con
sulted as to the plans of the
Umversity with the stepping aside
of Dr. Evans.
2. Why was one company of the
industry unilaterally and ar
bitrarily chosen for full access to
the University’s clients, embryo
transfer facilities, and “many
clinical and specialty areas at the
School of Veterinary Medicine,” a
school which is largely state
funded by taxpayer money.
3. The question must also arise
how an institution, granted tax free
status and provided with public
funds, can provide and promote a
commercial enterprise within the
shelter of its not-for-profit status in
direct and unfair competition with
private tax paying enterprises.
4. Was the merging of two of the
largest embryo transfer units in
the Eastern United States into one
operation an attempt at gaming a
monopoly on the embryo transfer
business in the east, and who would
be gaming by this misuse of public
funds. (Remember, the business
was built and facilities provided by
taxpayer expenditures over a five
year period. Now, somebody in the
Umversity has decided that one
company should benefit from this
vast expenditure and not the entire
industry.)
This is not sour grapes. It is true
that we, too, are in the embryo
The Time
when suburban people are at work.
Also, try to avoid spreading on
weekends and holidays when
neighbors are likely to be engaged
in nearby outdoor activities.
Whenever possible, the manure
should be plowed or disked into the
sod as soon as possible after
spreading. This not only minimizes
odors but also preserves nutrients
and reduces the potential for
surface runoff that causes water
pollution.
transfer business, but these are all
questions asked by PETS clients,
and Holstein breeders everywhere
whose state association also un
fortunately now, has a large in
vestment in support of the
Umversity program.
We do have a lot to lose. Up until
now the different embryo transfer
services have competed with a
spirit of cooperation, a trait which
can only add dignity to the
profession.
The Umversity threatens to
undermine what they should be
promoting, by failing to consult
with the present staff or with
anybody else m the associated
field. As a Umversity influence
they are adding creditability,
deserving or not, to those which
they endorse, and detracting it
from those which they do not en
dorse.
When one cannot find out what is
going on, one must wonder what
one is trying to hide.
We believe the present staff of
PETS, the remainder of the em
bryo transfer enterprise, and the
taxpayers of Pennsylvania
deserve better answers!
Dear editor:
I would like to comment on your
recent editorial, “All Together
Under One Roof.”
If people think that the trend to
confinement livestock, poultry,
and marine production is a “kick”
and a “fad”, then consider this,
farm land in Lancaster County
commands a price of $3OOO to $5OOO
per acre. Not because the land is
that productive from a strict
agriculture sense, but because real
estate developers are willing to
pay that amount of money to
forever cover the land with
parking lots, shopping centers,
apartment houses and tract
homes
As our agricultural acreage
disappears at the rate of two to
three million acres annually*
where are the farmers going to
produce the meat, eggs, milk, and
butter’
Confinement systems, which
offer efficient production of animal
products and require very little
land, and which can utilize non
tillable acreage, are the only
sensible and available answers if
we are to continue producing high
quality food for Americans at a
reasonable price.
Gerald L. Applegate, D.V.M
Downingtown
‘‘NOW"
MANURE-SPREADERS
THAT WILL HANDLE ANY TYPE
PIT MANURE EASILY - AND
PRICED REASONABLY -
BUILT TOUGH
AND PROPER PIT DESIGN
PLANS FOR MAXIMUM BEDDING
WELDING & MANUFACTURING
2110 Rockvale Road, Lane, PA. 17602
Carl G. Troop, V.M.D.
R 2 Quarryville
MANURE PIT ELEVATORS
COMPACT ROTO BEATERS
COMBINATION-MOWER
AND CRIMPER UNITS
COMPLETELY - REBUILT
ALLIS-CHALMERS AND WISC.
POWER UNITS IN STOCK
SMUCKER
Farm
Calendar
Today, April 25
Penn State’s Little International
Livestock Exposition, 8 a.m.,
Beef-Sheep Center.
Berks County Dairy Princess
Contest, 6:30 p.m., Ag Center,
Leesport.
Wayne County calf sale, noon,
Wayne County Fairgrounds,
Honesdale.
Huntingdon County Holstein Club
heifer sale, Huntingdon County
Fairgrounds.
Lancaster County tree seedling
pickup, Long Park, 9 a.m.-I
p.m.
Lancaster County 4-H horse riding
program.
University of Delaware’s Ag Day,
Agriculture Hall, 10 a.m.-10
p.m.
Annual N.J. Field Day, 10 a.m.-4
p.m., Rutgers College, New
Brunswick, N.J.
Wednesday, April 29
Ag zoning meeting, 7:30 p.m..
Farm & Home Center.
Tuesday, April 28
Lower Dauphin FFA banquet, 6:45
p.m., Senior High cafeteria.
Montgomery Equine Council, 7:311
p.m., 4-H Center, Lansdale.
(Continued from Page Al)
Eastern’s equity position has
improved enough to make alter
nate sources of financing available
even without an FmHA guarantee.
But, when contacted, Eastern
officials declined to identify these
alternate sources of financing.
Commenting on Eastern’s claim
of now being able to obtain
alternate sources of financing,
Acting State FmHA Director
Robertson said
“We’re not aware of any such
sources and it comes as a surprise
to us.”
The application for the loan
guarantee deals with financing for
a joint venture between Eastern
and Lepnno Foods, of Denver, Col.
The joint venture included
Eastern’s proposed purchase of
two mozzarella cheese
manufacturing plants in Hor-
H HI IB BI IB Please Clip A Mail Coupon to Bl Bi 9 Bi
_ KNN DUTCH FARM SYSTEMS, INC. LF 4/25
* 1730 Highway 72 North Lebanon Pa 17042
H lam interested in
* Q Hlf Ih Moisture Corn
H Storage
" LJ liquid Manure Storace
I P] Please add my name
_ to your mailmc list
■ NAME
■ ADDRESS
I CITY STATE
■ TELEPHONE (include area code)
Z NO OF BEEF DAIRY
Md. grape & wine conference,
Sheraton Inn, Frederick, 3 p.m.
Lancaster County Farmers Assn.
Ladies Day Out.
Lebanon sewage sludge forum,
7:30 p.m., Municipal Bldg
auditorium.
Friday, May 1
Md. Egg Council Banquet, Mar
tin’s West, Baltimore.
New Holland Environmental FFA
Banquet, 6:45 p.m., Blue Ball
Fire Hall.
N.J. Holstein calf & bred heifer
sale,
Fairgrounds, Harmony, N.J.
N.Y. Tested Bull Sale, 7 p.m.,
Cornell Livestock Pavilion,
Ithaca, N.Y.
Penn State draft horse conference,
contmues Saturday.
Pa. home economists state
convention, Harrisburg, con
cludes Saturday.
Giant omelet demonstration, noon,
Penn Square, Lancaster.
Saturday, May 2
Penn State Dairy Exposition,
University Park.
Adams County Fruitgrowers’
Apple Blossom Festival, South
Mountain Fairgrounds,
Arendtsville. Continues Sun
day.
Eastern Limousin Breeders show,
10 a.m.; sale at 7 p.m., State
Fairgrounds, Columbus, Ohio.
Delaware Valley College of
Agriculture’s A-Day,
Doylestown. Concludes Mon
day.
Egg Day, Lebanon Valley Mall,
noon to 4 p.m., Lebanon.
Eastern
seheads, N.Y and South Waverly,
Pa. These facilities would then be
leased to Lepnno for 20 years for
processing, packaging and
distribution of the end product.
Eastern said that it was told by
the FmHA that the proposed
project does not comply with
requirements that loans provide
lasting community benefits.
Donovan pointed to another
factor he says illustrates the value
of the joint venture. He referred to
the picking up of those dairy
farmers in the area of the Hor
seheads and Waverly plants who
had been dropped about a month
ago by Polho Dairies
Donovan ended the news release
statement by an expression of
confidence that financing will be
found and Eastern ownership of
the cheese plant facilities will be
insured
PLANNING LIQUID MANURE STORAGE?
We Will Custom Design
Your System to Meet your Needs
Grain and Forage Structures Available
For Immediate Erection
Thursday, April 30
County
Warren
P] HaylageorComSiUce
Storafe
U Replacmf my old or
broken bottom unloader
with the Laidic
ZIP
HOGS