Al2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 21,1981
OUR READERS WRITE
(Continued from Page AXO)
Bl pounds of fresh fruits;
✓ 58 pounds of processed fruit
and juices;
s 94 pounds of fresh vegetables;
The equivalent of 322 pounds
of milk. This includes such dairy
products as 18 pounds of cheese
an d 18 pounds of ice cream ;
75 pounds of potatoes; and
5 pounds of sweet potatoes
Multiply this impressive list by
59 to get the average yearly
production of one farm worker
Thanksgiving grain petition
A proposal to authorize putting
floor prices on grain exports was
defeated in the House of
Representatives on October 20
That vote was in keeping with the
old, continuing error of looking to
world markets to solve
agriculture’s problems.
We are chasing our tails,
producing and selling more, even
at losing prices, because we are
constantly told we must expand
markets to get our prices up.
Anyone who thinks the new
administration is going to make
any real changes in agricultural
policy should take note. The first
USDA official, aside from
Secretary Block, to speak at the
department’s annual Outlook
Conference (in early November)
said: "The new farm bill will
continue the market orientation, a
pattern we’ve been pursuing for a
decade and a half.’’
America’s family farms and
This production is unrivaled
anywhere in the world The output
per man hour on the state’s farms
is three times higher than 20 years
ago, much higher than in
manufacturing industries
Agriculture is America's most
efficient industry and the farmer
her most important producer. Let
us recognize the important role the
farmer plays in our nation’s
economy.
J. Allan Staoener
County Agent - Agriculture
Schuylkill Co. Extension Service
precious topsoil are being
destroyed at a quickening pace.
But the policy-makers keep
pretending there is a tree
market” and won’t intervene to
impose a floor price on gram ex
ports. They know that by USDA's
own figures the prices we are
getting dun I ri cn t .
production
fhe bargain-pnced giam mostly
goes to wealthy trade competitors
wtio can build up their industry and
sell Hems back to us that put
Americans out of work. Also, poor
countries rely on the availability ot
our low-priced gram and are less
interested in their own agriculture,
which leads to hunger and a more
dangerous world for us all. (1 say
this as a returned Peace Corps
volunteer;.
Now a crucial time for
Americans not just farmers,
because it involves us all to
make known their desire for a real
change in agricultural policy. A
hurried effort, called a
Thanksgiving Grain Petition, has
been started by some farmers,
asking that the export floor price
proposal (. by Congressman
Weaver, of Oregon; be recon
sidered:
"We, the undersigned, petition
the Congress and the Department
ot Agriculture to intervene in the
export grain market to stop sales
at prices that are below the far
mers' cost ot production. At such
prices, exports sales have grown to
(Turn to Page A 27)
•» I ol
Farm Calendar
Today, Nov. 21
Hunterdon Co. N.J. Annual Board
of Agriculture meeting, 7 p.m.,
Quakertown Fire House.
Montgomery County DHIA annual
meeting, 6:45 p.m., Christopher
Dock School.
Farm City Day of Delaware
County Farmers Association,
Through Sunday.
Lancaster County Farmers
Association Farm-City Week
tour program, 1-5 p.m. Sunday,
same time.
Sunday, Nov, 22
Lamb & Wool Marketing Con
ference, Sheraton Inn, State
College. Continues until
Tuesday.
Monday, Nov. 23
Forage & Seed Conference, Ham.
Keller Conference Center, Penn
State. Continues tomorrow.
Dover Young Farmers Spouse
Night, 7:30 p.m., Dover High
School -ag room. “Fire
Prevention on the Farm.”
Ag Day meeting, 10 a.ra., Hoorn
103, PDA Building, Harrisburg.
Bradford 4-H Leaders banquet, 8
p,m.. North Towanda Methodist
Church.
Wayne County DHIA annual
meeting; 7:45 p.ra., Pleasant
Valley Grange Hall.
Tuesday, Nov. 24
Delaware irrigation meeting, 8
a.m.-4 p.ra., Sheraton Inn,
Dover.
Ephrata Adult Farmers, 7;45 p.m.,
Cphrata High School Ag Dept.,
“Sludge Fertilization
Program.”
Thursday, Nov. 26
HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
Friday, Nov. 27
Umontown Poultry & Farm Show,
Umontown, Continues until
Sunday.
Bradford 4-H County Council
meeting, Extension Office,
Towanda, 7 p.m.