AlB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 25,1981
Len-Lyn Farm’s
(Continued from Page Al)
The results for the annual show
are as follows:
Junior Calf
1. Daniel Landis, Lancaster; 2.
Philip Rutt, Quarryville; 3.
Kenneth and Jere Skiles, Narvon;
4. Neal Crouse, Stevens; 5. Paul
Welk, Peach Bottom.
Intermediate Calf
1. Todd Reed, Denver; 2. Penn-
Spnngs Farm, Elizabethtown; 3.
Kenneth Long, Elizabethtown; 4.
Scott Shertzer, MiUersville; 5.
Donald Welk, Jr., Strasburg.
Senior Calf
1. Robert Barley, Conestoga,
Reserve Junior Champion; 2.
Rhelda Royer, Lancaster; 3.
Sheila Frey, Willow Street; 4.
Jeffrey Welk, Strasburg; 5. R.
Steven Kauffman, Elizabethtown.
Junior Yearling
1. Penn Springs Farm; 2.
Leonard Stoltzfus, Gap; 3. Judy
Zimmerman, Ephrata; 4.
Fultonway Farms; 5. Thomas
Barley, Conestoga.
U.S. farm productivity rises from era to era
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The
American farmer’s - knack of
squeezing the most out ot
agricultural resources has
quadrupled the annual rate ot
productivity growth in the two
centuries since the United States
became a nation.
The annual productivity growth The total productivity index has
rate-a measure ot the rate ot gained steadily since 1950-though
change in the tarm sector’s total the rate ot increase has slowed at
“Today, the growth of agricultural
productivity is governed by the sciences
genetics chemistry, biology
and by management
output relative to its level ot
production mputs-rose trom 0.4
percent a year after the American
Revolution to about 1.6 percent a
year m the 1970’5.
While the prodigious output ot
American agriculture is hardly a
secret, Kenneth R. Farrell, ad
ministrator of USDA’S Economics
and Statistics Service, reports that
productivity growth has ac
celerated throughout the four
major epochs ot U.S. agricultural
technology:
• In the “hand power” period of
1775-1870, productivity grew at an
average annual rate ot 0.4 percent.
• It grew 0.5 percent per year in
the 1870-1920 "horsepower” epoch.
• During the 1925-1945
“mechanical power” era, it gamed
1.2 percent per year.
• me "science power” era ot
1945-1980 saw gams of 1.6 percednt
per year.
“Today, the growth ot
agricultural productivity is
governed by the sciences
genetics, chemistry, biology-and
by management,” Farrell says.
In a world that is growing more
dependent on U.S. tarmers tor
tood, American farm productivity
improvement is vital. Since most
mputs-land, labor, capital, and
management-are limited, tar
mers must wring increasingly
more production trom them to
meet mternational demand.
The rate ot productivity increase
is one indicator ot just how suc
cessful farmers are in getting the
most out ot inputs. Farrell finds
that, despite some problems, the
histone upward trend in
productivity continued through the
1970’5.
“There has been a slight
slowdown ot productivity growth
over the last three decades,” he
says, "but this has been rather
strongly influenced by such factors
Senior Yearling
1. Paul Horning, Junior
Champion; 2. Harold Witmer,
Manheun, 3. J.M. Frey; 4. Melissa
Eckman, Peach Bottom; 5. David
Landis.
Junior Get of Sire ,
1. Paul Horning, Sire: Jemim.
Futurity Class
1. Robert Kauffman; 2. Joyce
Stoltzfus Blank; 3. P. Robert
Wenger, Quarryville; 4. Galen
Crouse; 5. P. Robert Wenger.
Dry Cow
Three and Four Year Old
1. Sheila Frey; 2. P. Robert
Wenger; 3. Kenneth and Jere
Skiles; 4. D. Ray and Linda
Geissmger, New Holland.
Dry Cow
Five Years and Older
1. J.M. Frey; 2. John Frey; 3.
Nathan Stoltzfus; 4. D. Ray and
Linda Geissmger; 5. Russel Kline,
Denver.
Junior Two Year Old
1. Rhelda Royer, Best Udder; 2.
John and Susan Howard, Willow
as the 1970 corn blight and the 1980
drought.”
One way ot gauging tarm
productivity, Farrell notes, is by
using an index which compares the
ratio ot the index ot total tarm
output with the index ot total tarm
inputs used.
times-except tor lapses m 1975
(high input costs) and 1980
(drought). However, despite
solid overall growth, productivity
gams vary trom commodity to
commodity and region to region.
And this is a major drawback to
using the overall productivity
growth rate as the only indicator:
It measures only broad
aggregates, missing sigmticant
variations among individual
commodities and states.
Beet productivity, tor example,
tared poorly durmg the 1970’s as
u There has been a slight slowdown
of productivity growth over
the last three decades , but this has been
rather strongly influenced by such
factors as the 1970 com blight
and the 1980 drought
teed prices sharply increased and
the calving iate tell below 90
percent each year trom 197 a to
1979.
But overall livestock and poultry
productivity climbed 1.1 percent a
year, due to strong gains in poultry
and dairy.
These gains reflected improved
feeding efficiency, larger pig
litters, more efficient labor use,
selective breeding, hog and poultry
confinement operations, and other
improvements. However, the
' impressive gams for the livestock
sector as a whole otter little benefit
to consumers who prefer beef to
pork and poultry.
Similarly, national productivity
Mi eel, <i. (Menu Shenk 11, second
Best Udder; 4. J.M. Frey; 5. Scott
Shertzer.
Senior Two Year Old
1. Douglas Hershbergei,
Quarryville, Best Udder; 2. Clit
ioi d and Joyce Blank, second best
udder; 3. Fultonway Faun, 4.
Robert Steven Kauftman; a. Paul
Horning.
Three Year Old
1. Penn Springs Farm, Best
Udder; 2. James Michael Shertzer,
Lancaster; 3. Clifford and Joyce
Blank, second Best Udder; 4.
Nathan Stoltztus; 5. Len-Lvn
Farms.
Four Year Old
1. Russel Kline, Best Udder; 2.
Penn Springs Farm, second Best
Udder; 3. John and Susan Howard;
4. Paul Welk; 5. Paul and Maurice
Welk.
Five Years and Older
1. Galen Crouse, Grand
Champion and Senior Champion
Best Udder; 2. Clifford and Joyce
Blank, second Best Udder,
Reserve Grand Champion and
Reserve Senior Champion; 3. John
Frey; 4. Donald Eckman, Peach
Bottom; 5. Harold Witmer.
10,000 Pound Class
1. Nathan Stoltzfus
data do not separate out trends on
state and local levels, so individual
farmers may tare far better or
worse.
For example, national corn
yields are now 2 1 /z tunes higher
than in the early 1950’5-thanks
mainly to adoption ot hybnds-with
Illinois yields still climbing rather
steadily. But, since 1965, gams m
North Carolina have leveled ott,
partly because more marginal
land there has been cropped.
Although some tactors beyond
farmers' control-such as weather-
While no one can predict with certainty
what technological marvels lie ahead,
many promising paths of research
-attect productivity, Farrell says
that many major factors are
within mankind's grasp:
• Improvements m input quality
and quantity-such as more and
better fertilizers and other
agricultural chemicals-have
resulted in increases in crop yields
in recent years.
Irrigation development, Farrell
notes, “has unproved the quality of
the land input and the quantity ot
watei input into western
agriculture and narrowed the gap
between Illinois and Nebraska
torn yields tioin more than 20
bushels pei mi c in the early 1900's
frs. r i * in th % JM/O
• Economic tactors influence the
choice ot the commodity produced
and I 1 '!' application ot inputs For
instance, a tanner decides
whethei to plant com o: soybeans
according to the relative market
values. And the yield ot the
selected crop may be attected by
the cost ot inputs.
• Government regulations and
policies have an ettect Land
diversion piogiams enough the
the prefix, Smiling Holsteins, had the Top Dairy Herd at the
county Holstein Show, Thursday. The Blanks, along with
Nathan Stoltzfus, Gap, center, display their winning trio.
Their entries from left to right are: Con-Noil Marvex Jo, a 2-
year-old, Con-Noil Standout Trina, a 3-year-old and their Ag
ed entry, Con-Noil Gay Rosene, Reserve Grand Champion.
Senior Get of Sire Kmdig, Conestoga; 3. Kenneth and
1. Con-Noil Farm, Sire. JereSkiles.
Lawcrest Marvex; 2. Spring-Belle,
Sire: Paclamar Astronaut.
Best Three Females
1. Con-Nol Farm; 2. Fultonway
Farms; 3. Penn Springs.
Produce of Dam
1. Penn Springs; 2. J. Robert
early 1970’s actually raised
productivity by removing
marginal land from production.
Total production is, ot course,
reduced by such measures
Other regulations such as
minimum wage and environment
protection requirements cut Into
productivity by increasing
operating costs without yieldmg
more products.
• Technology is the tmal major
tactor. In the past, technological
breakthroughs such as hybrid corn
and sorghum, mechanical har-
are being explored.
Pa. Beekeepers will
CHAMBERSBURG - Over 300
Pennsylvania beekeepers and
their families are expected to
converge at the Lighthouse Youth
Center, just south of Cham
bersburg, for their annual Summer
Meeting and Picnic on Saturday,
August 1.
The event, being held for the first
tune in Franklin County, is being
hosted by the Franklin County
Beekeeper’s Association, ac
cording to County Agenty John
Shearer All Pennsylvania
beekeepers and their families are
invited and urged to attend.
The day-long event will begin at
9 a m., and will conclude around
4:00 p.m Scheduled activities
during the day include, a honey
baking contest; appearances by
Becky Lesher, Pennsylvania
Honey Queen, and Sharon Barr,
Pennsylvania Honey Princess; a
covered-dish noon meal; door
prizes; the Pennsylvania
Beekeepers’ Association Summer
Business Meeting executive
board meeting of the PBA; games
for the children; and family en
tertainment
Those planning to attend should
proceed south from Chambersburg
on U S Rt. 11 for about 5 miles,
then turn east at the Beekeeper’s
swarm to
summer picnic
Dam and Daughter
1. Russel Kline; 2. Donald
Eckman; 3. James Shertzer.
Dairy Herd
1. Smiling Holstiens; 2. Penn
Springs; 3. Neal Crouse.
vesting systems, veterinary
medicine advances, and other such
improvements have triggered
great leaps in tarm productivity.
While no one can predict with
certainty what technological
marvels he ahead, Farrell says
many promising paths ot research
are being explored, such as in
creased photosynthetic efficiency,
biological fixation ot nitrogen, and
twinning in beet cattle.
•Research and new technology
will not, however, guarantee in
creasing productivity in the
future,” he cautions. • The
economic incentives must exist,
and the necessary mtormation to
evaluate and adopt the new
technology must be available."
Picnic Sign pointing toward the
Lighthouse Youth Center, just
north of the Marion exit of 1-81.
Families are requested to bring
their own table service and a hot
and cold dish. Contestants in the
honey baking contest must have
their entries at the site-by 10:30
a.m. Classes include- pies; cakes;
cookies; candy quick bread; and
yeast bread.
Out-of-state beekeepers and
other interested persons are in
vited to join the Pennsylvania
Beekeepers’ Association for their
Annual Summer Picnic and
Meeting. Further details are
available from C. Robert Shank,
Chambersburg 717/352-3256, or
from Haven Keller, Greencastle
717/597-3786