82—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 15,1981 The cap that FFA 9 ers & 4-H’ers look for *****- ▼ I « Farm Business News BY DICK ANGLESTEIN LANCASTER Every FFA and 4-H member with a hog project looks for a familiar cap when he or she guides a market hog into sales arenas throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. The cap is a familiar red, white and blue one with a smiling pig on the front sporting a puffy chef’s hat. When the youngster spies the cap, he or she knows that the ef forts of the past few months have not been in vain. All that attention to feeding and the extra exercise during the past week or so are about to be rewarded. For the man beneath the brightly colored cap buys some of the highest priced pork around. When the bidding is finished, he can end up paying anywhere from eight to 50 times the going market price for hogs. The man m the familiar cap is Jerry Clemens, livestock buyer for Hatfield Packing Company. For the past decade or so, he has been personally involved in the Hatfield program of supporting prospective budding new hog operators through buying their project hogs at various area FFA and 4-H sales. And the Hatfield support of farm youngsters pre-dates his in volvement, going back at least 15 or 18 years. In a year’s tune, Hatfield may buy anywhere from 500 to 1,000 project hogs across a 16-county area m the state, “Sure, it costs a lot of money,” - Clemens admits. “But it’s a very worthwhile cause. “It’s our way of trying to keep the mterest alive among farm youth in an industry that is con stantly feelings all kinds of pressures, such as from housing developments.” And Hatfield’s support is widespread. “We just don’t go for the Robinson gets promotion BETHEL James A. (Jay) Robinson of Concrete Safety Systems, Bethel, Pa., has been promoted to the position of Vice President/General Manager of Operations. The appointment was announced by Donald R. Tharpe, President of Concrete Safety Systems. Robinson’s responsibilities will include development of marketing strategies, sales programs, promotion through advertising and trade shows, and quality control. Concrete Safety Systems offers precast concrete products for highway, farm, commercial and home use. Products include the EASI-SET Safety Barrier and Utility Building and a line of Smith Cattleguard Company farm products featuring cattleguards, automatic freeze-proof stock waterers, and centerline and fencehne feed bunks. champion,” Clemens said. “After all that’s only one youngster. We support the entire show.” For example, Hatfield pur chased 90 of 162 head at the recent Lancaster County FFA Market Hog Show and Sale, including the grand and reserve champion. In Berks County, Hatfield bought 65 of 110 head. In a busy week, Clemens or someone else in the company can be at five or six youth sales. They might be somewhere in one of the following counties in which Hatfield buys youth hogs: Bucks, Montgomery, Lancaster, Cum berland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks, Lehigh, Lycoming, Juniata, Blair, Bedford, Chester, Delaware, Franklin, York and Mifflin. Also, there’s the Delaware State Fair, the Pennsylvania State Farm Show and a couple of shows in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. “These youngsters are the future pork producers in the state,” Clemens said. “After all, we buy 60 to 65 per cent of all our animals out of Pennsylvania. “More than once. I’ve gotten a call from someone who explains we bought his FFA hog a couple of years ago and now he wants to know if we’re interested m some of his market hogs.” Thus, Hatfield helps play a role in that big transition from a school livestock project to commercial hog producer. But Clemens has one touchy point concerning youth sale ac tivities. Why does the baby beef get all the spotlight and glory at places like the State Farm Show. “Last year, the grand champion hog went for $19.50 a pound,” Clemens points out. “When we’re paying prices like that, you’re talking 40 to 50 times the animal’s market value. J.A. Robinson Robinson, a graduate of Southern Connecticut State College, has had 12 years ex perience in marketing and sales This is a familiar sight throughout grand champion of the Lancaster County FFA southeastern Pennsylvania. Jerry Clemens, Market Hog Show and Sale, which was shown livestock buyer for Hatfield Packing Company, py Chris Herr, of Narvon. just finished paying $4.45 a poi “And what does the champion baby beef end up bringing? “Probably only about 10 tunes the value. “But, you never hear much about the hog.” Clemens recalls that it was back in the Bicentennial Year of 1976 that prices really started escalating at the Farm Show for the champion hog. “I remember it was the hog shown by Steve Strauss, who now works in at the Lancaster Stockyards,” Clemens said. “When I called back to Hatfield and told them I paid $lO a pound. I’m sure a few executive eyebrows were raised.” And the price has been climbing ever smce and hit the $19.50 level this past show. Yes, FFA’ers and 4-H’ers look for that smiling pig cap above the poker-faced bidder at their sales. There’s only one thing, they look forward to more. That’s some familiar words of the auctioneer that are music to their ears. Such as those recently at Lan caster that delighted Chris Herr, of Narvon: “Sold. Hatfield. $4.45.” Or, those heard by Nelson Beam at Leesport: “Sold. Hatfield. $4.30.” NAB forms Embryonics unit BERRYVILLE, Va. - Tim Schofield, president of North American Breeders, Inc., Berryville, Va. has announced the formation of North American Embryonics, Inc. as a service to the livestock industry to assist cattle breeders in their overall breeding program. promotion. He spent three years with Chase Precast in North Brookfield, Ma., before moving to the Smith Cattleguard Company in Midland, Va., m 1977 as lead salesman for highway and utility products. He is one of four foun ders of Concrete Safety Systems in Bethel, Pa., and has served as Vice President/Sales since the com pany was founded in April, 1979. Robinson lives in Lititz with his wife Joy and their two children. \ &=*— . Jerry Clemens, of Hatfield, usually can be found In the front row of sales arena at 4-H, FFA and regular hog sales. On staff at North American Service over the past few years Embryonics, Inc. is Todd P Dennis hoids a bachelor of science Van Dyke, VMD, who has been degree in agriculture from the associated with North American University of Delaware. Breeders, Inc., for the past year. North American Embryonics Dr. Van Dyke, a graduate of the offers on-farm flushing, a resident University of Pennsylvania, has donor program, transfer in client’s been associated with the cattle recipients and reproduction business for the past 10 years. Joining with Dr. Van Dyke is Dr. Van Dyke resides in Win- Dennis Byrne who worked in the Chester, Va. Dennis and his wife Embryo transfer program at Dottie, are now residing in Pennsylvania Embryo Transfer Berryville, Va.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers