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C6—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 27,1982
Adams poultryman campaigns
BY GINGER SECRIST MYERS
Staff Correspondent
MUMMASBURG - “If I were
starting out today, I would not go
into the poultry business,” ex
claims Adams County’s Arthur
Mussleman, “because the in
dividual operator has lost control
over his operation. 1 would go m if
arrangements were made for the
producer to have a voice in his
contracts, but this won’t change as
long as there are people out there
controlling operations in which
eggs are the by- products.
“These operators supply the
feed, the birds, and do the
marketing. That’s three times they
have the opportunity to make a
Heart of
club plans
DORNSIFE - On Sunday, Feb.
7, goat owners from seven counties
gathered at Someday Hill Farm,
the home of the Donald Molaro
family tor the monthly meeting ot
the Heart of Penn Goat Breeders
Club.
During the business meeting, the
group set up a tenative schedule
for 1982 meetings. • All meetings
will be held the first Sunday of the
month, except for holiday
weekends, and will include a
covered dish supper.
Next month’s meeting will be
held March 7 at the Dean Showers
residence in Allen wood. Members
are expected to elect officers and
discuss butchering and bologna
practices.
At the HPGBC’s recent meeting,
president David Miller, Helfen
stein, appointed three committees.
They are; workshop/picnic Don
and Roberta Molaro; show —Dean
Showers and Roberta Molaro;
dairy month Rosemary Zart
man of Vicksburg.
The group also discussed the
annual Easter Kid and Lamb
Shipment, slated tor the first
weekend in April. Members were
directed to contact secretary
Roberta Molaro as soon as possible
with rough counts on their con
signments. Prices will range from
90 cents to $1.15 per live pound
depending upon weight and
quality.
The club also announced its
search tor a youth representative.
Any boy or girl between the ages ot
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profit at the farmer’s expense."
This is the dilemma Mussleman
sees today in the poultry and
livestock industry.
Mussleman and wife Mildred
own and operate a 160-acre farm in
northern Adams County. The farm
supports 12,000 chickens. But
tending chickens isn’t all the
Musslemans are involved in.
Recently they were honored by the
Adams County Extension Service
as the Outstanding Farm Couple
for 1982.
The award is presented to in
dividuals who show leadership
ability in the community and
church and also have sound farm
management practices. The
Penn goat
‘B2 activities
14 to 18 is eligible. Goat ownership
is not a requirement. Contestants
must submit a letter of
background, hobbies and interests
and a wallet-size photo by May 15
to HPGBC, box 73, Vicksburg, PA
17883. The contest will be held
during the club’s management
workshop and family picnic,
Sunday May 23, 11 a.m. at Wolf’s
Crossroads Picnic Grove north ot
Auguslaville.
Also during the meeting,
breeders were unreduced to the
following new members: Linda
Donmoyer, Fredercksburg; Larry
and Charlotte Frey, Pitman;
Charles and Dorothy Swenea, Lek
Hill; Lawrence and Margaret
Carl, Trevorton; Joe and Joan
Tumolo; Danville; and Carl and
Edith Whery, Ashland.
While membership in the group
is encouraged for all goat owners
in the region surrounding Nor
thmberland County, it is not
required to be a member to attend
meetings and functions. For more
information on the club, its goals
or activities, contact Roberta
Molaro at 717-758-8359.
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Musslemans receive high marks ui
all these areas. Both have been
actively involved in numerous
tarm organizations and serve in
various positions at the Bethel
JMennonite Church. They have tour
children. Their tarm has been in
their tartuly tor generations, but
the future of family farms such as
theirs is in grave danger m Mr.
Mussleman’s opinion.
•‘When 1 started in 1946 we had
local plants. Now everyone has
gone to the integrated operation,”
laments Mussieman. "You sign the
contract that they drew up. The
integrated producer is tied up to a
contract that was designed by
people who have no real interest in
the fanner. The broiler operations
were the first to go. Now egg
production is following and pork
production is not far behind.”
According to Mussieman this
system has ruined the marketing
structure of the poultry industry
and is taking production control
away from the farmer. “It is a sad
situation when one farmer sur
vives because another farmer goes
out,” Mussieman says. “That is
what's happening now. Gram
producers are losing money and
poultry is making money at their
expense.”
Though very active in numerous
tarm organizations, Mussleman is
quick to point out that he feels they
have failed in then: support of this
issue.
"The farm organizations that
exist today have been turning their
back on these problems,” he ob
serves. “They should be
spearheading the drive to get the
type of contracts that we should
have. Their support of the milk
referendum is a prune example. I
think their support is wonderful,
but we should be getting some
attention too," Mussleman also
says he feels that financial in
stitutions tie producers into-con
tracts. Having served oh the local
FmHA Board, Mussleman can cite
instances where board approval of
loans to poultry producers hinged
on market contracts.
Art Mussleman and tus wife
have a keen appreciation for the
past as is -evidenced by the
beautiful family antiques which
decorate their home. But they also
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Adams County Poultryman Arthur Mussleman notes that
prices received for his eggs this week are down again. This
winner of the Leadership Award presented by the Adams
County Extension Service is concerned about the future of
the poultry business and the survival of the family farm
remaining in family control. In front of him hangs the original
deed to his farm, dated in the early 1800 s and framed in a
beautiful antique frame.
see the need for changes in com
modity marketing structures and
for farmland preservation if young
farmers are to be spared tram what
Mussleman calls •agriculture’s
mafia.” To him these are the big
companies that are controlling the
farmer and the market through
contracts.
Mussleman-stresses “agriculture
has got to market its product on its
own merit. We can’t trust our
advertising to Madison Avenue.
We must educate the consumer
and this will take money. This will
have to be a cooperative effort
between the farmer, and the
processor. Fanners; have done a
great selling job among them
selves. but not to the public."
Mussleman also emphasizes that
high rates m interest and the lack
of available land is hurting
agriculture across the board. He
cites that often where land is
limited, a farmer will turn to, a
confinement operation such as
poultry or pork to generate more
income. Since these commodities
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have no pricing structure, such as
milk is marketed under, the
market is flooded and the bottom
falls out of the price.
Regarding farmland preser
vation, Mussleman says he’s
confident that there will be no
problem keeping land in
agricultural use, "when the prices
for farm products gets up to where
they should be.” Then it will be
more profitable for the owner to
keep land in agricultural
production.
Mussleman admits his fears that
the next generation of poultry and
livestock farmers will Just be hired
hands'of the big companies.
"The future of the poultry
- market lies in producing for the
market and not to sustain some
other operation." For Arthur and
Mildred Mussleman that tran
slates into letting the individual
fanner control his own operation
plus take an active part in
marketing his product at a price
that is fair to the consumer and at
a fair profit tohunself.
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