050W1&192240 t 1 c rt IVI S 1 ON B^f UNIV ERSITY . aa a pt^ffl.^L •> * - W *~*** J \ aßk \|| lMmrii^BrT^^^ff?BßMlaiP™"^“Ba VOL 26 No. 38 Gov. Thornburgh pins a “You’ve Got a Friend in Pa.” button on the coveralls of Ross Snider, who is proudly being held by Grandpa Obie Snider, of Imler, Bedford Coppfy ? , Th« Governor visits ‘country 9 BY DICK ANGLESTEIN IMLER Twenty-month-old Ross Thomas Snider, of Imler, Bedford County, has a fnend in Pennsylvania. He has a bright red and white button to prove it. And what’s more the friend who gave it to turn Thursday night is a special one. Ross’ fnend is Gov. Dick Thornburgh, who visited Grandpa Obie Snider’s dairy farm nestled in a lush mountain valley about 10 miles north of Bedford. The governor’s visit to Singing Brook Farm, well known in Holstein breeding circles throughout the state and beyond, was part of a three-day tnp to the “country,” which combined some tourist promotion and first-person meetings with farmers and agricultural groups. After stops at Chaxnbersburg and Old Bedford Village earlier in the day for speaking engagements - and “pressing the flesh,” Governor Thornburgh, ac companied by Secretary of Agriculture Penrose Hallowed, pulled up the long lane to the large Inside This Week’s... Holstein breeders learn the do’s and don’ts about marketing their cattle...A34. Apiarists had something to buzz about last week at the Tn- County Beekeepers meeting A 22. Forty-three dairy princesses make quite a royal showing...ClS The latest m jewelry and hats for cows—will it start a trend 7 See page Cl 6. governor visited the Sniders’ Singing Brook Farm on Thursday night to meet and talk with farm leaders from Bedford and surrounding counties. farmstead nestled among some 1100 cultivated and wooded acres to begin a whirlwind stopover, which included a walk-through tour, steak barbecue and an op portunity to talk with farm leaders from Bedford and surrounding counties. / A special cow was brought out to be introduced to the governor and COLUMNS Editorials, A 10; Now is the tune, A 10; Ask the VMD, B 7; Ida’s Note book, C 4; Joyce Bupp’s column, C 5; Ladies have you heard’, C 9; Farm Talk, D 4; That’s a Good Question, D 9. HONE MO YOUTH Homestead Notes, C 2; Home on the Range, C 6; Farm Women Societies, C 7; Kid’s Korner, Cl 2; 4-H, CIS; FFA, C2l; National Berkshire Queen, C 23. MIRY Sun area dairy princess, CIO; Dairy couple earns trip, C3l; Brad ford DHIA, Dll; Huntingdon DHIA,DI7; Adams DHIA, D2O. Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, July 15,19tl secretary at the start of the tour. She’s Singing Brook Astro Betty, a four-year-old being consigned by the Sniders to the Penn State Ag Arena Fund Raising Sale scheduled at the Farm Show Building on December 11. “She produced 20,000 pounds as a three-year-old,” Snider explained. “Her dam was the all- Pennsylvania aged cow two years ago at the State Holstein Show.” “How much do you think she’ll bring?” the governor asked. “I’m going to open the bidding at ten thousand,” Hallowell quipped. Betty’s dam is Singing Brook BT Betsy, who also took first in owned (Turn to Page A2B) Suffolk ram breaks record, brings $6 grand Richard Eberts, Newville, left, gazes proudly at his newly . acquired $6,000 Suffolk ram lamb. Eberts purchased the ram from Alan Culham, Dansville, Michigan, during the 33rd Keystone Stud Ram and Ewe Safe held at the Farm Show Complex last Saturday. See show results, A 34. Maryland co-op considers merger BY DONNA TOMMELLEO BALTIMORE, Md. - A spokesperson for the Maryland Cooperative Milk Producers an nounced Thursday, that the co-op is considering a possible merger with Dairymen Incorporated, a largefSoutheasten cooperative. At the MCMP annual meeting last year, members commissioned the board to look mto a con solidation with several cooperatives. “After extensive study, the Board and management feel that Dairymen Inc. is the best alter native when considering the long range welfare of our dairy farmer members,” said MCMP business manager, E.L. Strock. “Dairymen Inc.,” explained Strock, “is a progressive organization which carries with it a strong Class 1 marketing plan.” The large co-op, which currently has some 6800 members, markets a great deal of its milk in an area of increasing population the nation’s Sunbelt, said MCMP Public Relations Director Susie Richburg. , Richburg explained the possible merger would be actually a pur chase. She said if approved. Dairymen Inc. would purchase MCMP’s assets and the Maryland co-op and its 1200 members would become the Middle Atlantic Division of Dairymen Inc. Therefore, Richburg said, the move technically would be a purchase and not a merger. - “Historically, mergers have been brought about by organizations m financial dif ficulty. This is not the case.” She strongly pointed out that both organizations are on “firm financial footing.” In addition to the larger co-op’s financial strength, Richburg said, corporate marketing expertise and $7.50 Per Year innovative marketing activities played a large part in selection. One such innovative move is the upcoming Dairymen Inc. Ultra High Temperature plant The manufacturing of UHT (sterile) milk will allow the co-op to market internationally. The large co-op has also established a cull cow program to eliminate surplus milk. The Management Efficiency program, removes cull cows from the market and consequently creates a more stable market by not flooding it, explained Richburg. MCMP is presently conducting local “shade tree” meetings. Members are provided with the consolidation details, slide presentations and may elect to vote at that time. District 7 director, Emory Kilgore, York County, conducted a local meeting Wednesday night and found the member response quite positive. He said he felt the consolidation ease the financial burden on individual members by spreading cgj* out over a larger number o£ people. Following the local meetings, MCMP {dans to move the formal district meetings to August rather than October said Ricbburg. The entire coop is expected to vote on the proposal at a special meeting on August 24 at the Hunt Valley Inn. Hichburg explained that a two-thirds yes vote is necessary to pass the measure. If passed, she said she doesn’t anticipate a cumbersome Iran-, sition process due to the larger co op’s centralized policy which allows for local division policy setting. “There will not be a lot of head chopping. It will be a smooth transition.” BY SHEILA MILLER HARRISBURG A January junior ram lamb created quite a stir at last Saturday’s Keystone Stud Ram and Ewe Sale, held here at the Farm Show Complex. This Suffolk ram, consigned by 25-year old Alan Culham of Dansville, Michigan, topped the sale and set a record by bringing a grand price of $6,000. To bring that kind of price, the ram must have , been the grand champion Suffolk —right? Surprisingly, show judges Ron Guenther of Columbus, Ohio and Rolhe Rosenboom of Clifton, Illinois didn’t see it that way. They placed this junior lamb in third position right behind the grand and reserve grand champs who fetched price tags of $350 and $425 respectively. Sired by Quasar MSU 79-50 out of A&B Culham 293, this ram lamb caught the eye of E. Richard Eberts, R 1 Newville and a mysterious' contending bidder who disappeared mto the crowd soon (Turn to Page A 34)