I |fl ill if ill n 1 f0L.27N0.48, Ron Martin, 17. is at the halter of “Dutch'" * his 1.235 Grand Champion steer of Thursday's 1 New Holland Baby Beef Show. Martin’s API dairymen get cash advance BY DONNA TOMMELLEO LANCASTER In the midst of all the gloom and doom clouding up today’s dairy industry, a few thousands producers in the nor theast recently snagged a piece of the proverbial silver lining. Atlantic Processing, Inc., a three-member milk marketing federation is going out in 1982 with a profitable flourish and ap propriately shared the good for tune with dairy producers from Lehigh Valley Farmers, Inter- State Milk Producer’s Cooperative | and Mount Joy Farmers Association. “We’ve had a pretty decent year thus far and thought it would be appropriate to make an advance dividend payment before our fiscal year ends,” explained Bart Patten API vice president of finances. Consequently, the ap proximately 5,000 producers eligible for the advance will receive or already have received their share of $300,000. Of that sum, approximately $200,000 will be divided by Lehigh Valley Farmers members, $BO,OOO moves into Inter-State pockets and about $19,000 will be paid to the Mount Joy members. The amount each member receives is based on his or her 6- month milk production multiplied by 5.5 cents per hundredweight. According to LVF and Mount Joy officials, the average advance ) ranges from $lBO to $2OO per producer. . Future dividends will be determined by the API board of directors after the financial I statements are completed at the of the fiscal year, which is .January 31,1983. \i Patten listed a number of factors -which contributed to APl’s sue -7 cess. Four Sections Charolais was selected by show judge Henry • Gruber, left. “We’ve acquired a couple ice cream plants and the ice cream business turned the corner,” he noted. “At our milk plants, our volume has remained steady,” he con tinued. "We’ve been relatively unaffected by the'recession.” Bill Stout, LVF vice president and general manager applauded API for its “aggressiveness in advertising and promoting of products such as Lact-Aid and Quick.” ‘ Quick, explained Stout, is a flavored dairy drink manufactured by Nestles. Unlike it’s powdered counterpart, which has been on store shelves for decades, the newer Nestles product arrives already mixed and in liquid form. In the wake of the new product, Stout reported, regular chocolate milk sales have increased. "The Quick sales are all new business,” Stout affirmed. The cash advance, although always welcome, may be just a pleasant memory by December 1, 1982, the day that marks the end of U.S. Agriculture Secretary John Block’s 45-day "public comment” period for the Administration’s price support program. But more importantly, that first Wednesday in December kicks off the Administration’s 50-cent per hundredweight assessment on all milk marketed. ' The support price of $13.10 per hundredweight will be m effect for 1983 and 1984 fiscal years. Beginning October 1, 1984, however, the support would be set at the percentage of parity which $13.10 represented on October 1, 1983. USDA officials explain that the 50-cent assessment will help offset support program costs and will Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 2,1982 remain in place until the estimated CCC annual purchases fall below 5 billion pounds. In addition, the Secretary is further authorized to assess an additional 50-cent penalty on April 1, 1983 if projected CCC purchases exceed 7.5 billion pounds. If Block complies with the second 50-cent assessment, he must institute a refund for dairy producers who have reduced their Farmers battle threat from NFO B Y DEBBIE KOONTZ BEDFORD - More than 35 Bedford County farmers have received letters from a Harrisburg law firm representing the National Farmers’ Organization charging that they pay more than $9OO each in unpaid back dues. At least three farmers received letters indicating a suit would be filed should they refuse to pay the debt. One such recipient, Mrs. Ethel Ford, wife of a Bedford County farmer, says that they have been served the notice even though they have been out of contact with the nationwide farmers’ lobby and marketing service for more than 10 years neither receiving benefits nor services from the NFO during this time. Since 1968, she says she repeatedly requested the organization to cancel her membership. However, according to a copy of the membership agreement the law firm mailed to her with the collection notice, “(the agreement and authorization) shall be automatically renewed and shall be irrevocable for successive periods of three years each unless written notice is given by (the member) to the NFO not more than twenty days and not less than Martin, Good furnish New Holland champs BY DONNA TOMMELLEO NEW HOLLAND - Narvon 4- H’er Ron Martin, closed out his 4-H career in style, Thursday, at the 1982 New Holland Fair Baby Beef Show. The 17-year-old Martin piloted, “Dutch,” his 1,235 pound Charolais steer to a grand championship, his 'first such win at the New Holland festival. Martin, the son of Charles and Joyce Martin, earlier captured the heavyweight title in the three class event. Show judge Henry Gruber went with his lightweight champ for reserve grand champion. Four teen-year-old Sharon Martin made the reserve trip to the winner’s circle with her 1,160 pound Hereford x Simniental steer. No stranger to rosettes and ribbons, Sharon, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Martin of East Earl, exhibited another reserve grand champion steer in 1880.. , Gruber then put" the 4-H’ers Scotch combs to work and came up production below a certain per centage of the base period chosen by the Secretary from two options the fiscal year starting October 1, 1982 or the average of the two fiscal years beginning August 1, 1980. t The percentage set by the Secretary cannot be greater than the national average surplus. No refund program is authorized for the first assessment. ten days prior to the expiration of each three-year period. ” Though she admits that her notices may not have been mailed within these framed time periods, Mrs. Ford says she and more than 30 farmers who received the same notice feel they have cause for a court fight if necessary. And attorneys for the Penn sylvania Farmers’ Association’s Legal Service Plan agree with this belief. In a letter to state Attorney General Leroy Zimmerman, PFA attorney Louis Glantz requested an investigation into the NFO collection notices and alluded to the possibilities of launching counter suits against NFO, seeking $5,000 in damages for each violation of the debt collection laws. In the Sept. 18,1981 letter, Glantz stated that the collection letters violated the Pennsylvania Debt Collection Trade Practice Rules by “falsely representing character, amount or legal status of these debts since the Statute of Limitations would clearly bar any legal enforcement of these debts even if they were owed.” Because the organization has been inactive in the county since the early 19705, Mrs. Ford, joined $7.50 per year wim ms grand cnampion traer. Janae Martin of New Holland paraded her Angus steer to the fitting championship, while Ephrata 4-H’ers Emily and Fred Weaver captured the top showing honors in the senior and junior division, respectively. Fn the hog bam, Kenton Good, 10, of Fivepoiritville collected Grand Champion market hog honors with his 265-pound Hampshire-cross gilt. Kenton is the son of Ezra Good. New Holland 4-H’er Jim Martin, 15, followed with reserve with his 241-pound Duroc-cross barrow. Gruber, who also judged the hog show, went with Scott Bailey of Blue Ball for senior champion fitter and showman. Douglas Hertzog of Ephrata got the nod for junior champion 'showman, while Sean Bailey of Blue Ball collected junior champion fitter honors. Later that day, the champions as well as all'show participants vied for top bid in the sale of 'cham pions. Ron Martin’s grand champion steer commanded ar high $3.10 per (Turn to Page A2B) by Bedford County farmers Fred Crissey of R 1 Manns Choice and Mrs. Floyd Ritchey of R 3 Everett, feel they have cause for a court fight and therefore are trying to organize all farmers involved in the dispute. Until 1970, NFO dues were $5 per year plus a $2O initial membership fee. After 1970, however, dues increased. Bedford County far mers say they were never notified of an increase in dues, and because they had no contact with the NFO, assumed they were no longer members. Crissey recently stated that during an organizational meeting in 1968, farmers were told that NFO would work for. higher prices for the farmers’ produce and would lobby for federal legislation. This meeting was the only one the county NFO chapter ever had, according to Crissey. In a recent phone conversation with Lancaster Fanning, PFA attorney Glantz indicated there is a “three-fold” argument these Pennsylvania farmers could use in their own defense. First is the Statute of Limitations he men tioned in his letter to the attorney general. According to Glantz, (Turn to Page A 33)
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