Crawford Farm Council (Continued from Page A3O) single most supportive group” he’s ever worked with. He also thanked the man who helped to get a lot of the work done for June 25, herd sman Ken Custard. Bruckner added that Ken is the “best cow man I’ve ever met and that’s no bull.” This year’s Ag Industry Award, the third presentation of the evening was given to Meadville Production Credit Association. President of the Board at Federal Land Bank, Hope Leise, received the plaque from Dave Reusing, Agri-Equipment, Inc. Authorized Distributor For <<? HAS THE ONLY FLEX-AUGER FOR HIGH MOISTURE CORN GENUINE FLEX-AUGER SWINE, DAIRY & POULTRY FEED DELIVERY SYSTEM • 5 Models To Choose From • 10-Year Warranty On Coreless Auger COMPLETE SYSTEMS, EQUIPMENT, SALES, INSTALLATION, SERVICE FOR CATTLE, HOG, POULTRY AND GRAIN STORE HOURS; Mon.-Fri. 7:30 to 4:30 Sat. 7:30 to 11:30 (Parts Only) representative of the NW Pa. Colored Breed Assoc. Leise thanked the Council and read the inscription “Presented to Mead ville Production Credit Association for outstanding service to Crawford County agriculture in 1983.” The highlight of the event was the announcement of the farmer named to the Council Hall of Fame. Each year, one person is selected who has done outstanding work in the community and for agriculture. Harold Hines, Pres, of the Board Model 7500 Fan Control Static Manitcr Completely Galvanized, Weather-proof Bins SUPER FEEDING AGRI' 2754 CREEK HILL RD., LEOLA. PA 17540 PHONE: 717-656-4151 * SERVING PA, M.J. and N.T. for NW Rural Electric gave a biography of the recipient which included several positions in the community. The honor was bestowed upon a gentleman that is in partnership with three of his six sons on a 600-acre Holstein dairy farm. He also has two daughters and his wife Jean. The farm is located at R 4 Cochran ton, and is known as Rynd-Home Farm. The man has been an elder in the United Presbyterian church, V.P. in the Masonic Lodge, Grange members, pres, of Farmer’s Union, and past president of the CCCFO. He also helped to form the dairy princess program and the Starts With The Bin equipment, INC. MEAL-TIME The programmed feeding that cuts your No. 1 production cost Now there’s a way you can boost profits 20% or more. Chore-Time’s unique new MEAL-TIME Feeding System feeds your hogs “meals", improving feed conversion 5% or more. See us today and find out how you can profit from this brand new idea. Craw. Co. Council of Farm Organizations. He has been a former rural mail carrier, 4-H leader and chairman of the Holstein show for Craw. Co. The coveted award went to Jack Rynd. Jack accepted the plaque which was given “in recognition of achievements in farm operations and farm organizations.’’ He was visibly surprised and pleased as he acknowledged that “if I have contributed it is because of my family.” Rynd is also the chairman of the building committee for a new Extension Service facility. He said that people have been temilc and he gets cooperation from everyone, “especially the com missioners.’’ He added that although money is hard to come by for the new endeavor, everyone acknowledges the need for larger and more appropriate office and educational space for the Ex tension US. Congressman Tom Ridge is seeking financing for the county for this project. Jack Rynd and all other recipients were well deserving of the awards presented for a fan tastic Farm-City Day and plans are already underway for the 1984 county event which attracts 3,000 annually. Bleak outlook (Continued from Pace A 33) generalize about what's hap pening. For example, combining high yield estimates on irrigated cornfields or land near the nver that got adequate ram this sum mer with estimates from burned out fields elsewhere in the state gives a distorted picture of the situation He recently pulled together some figures on the costs and returns from growing Delaware’s four major field crops-corn. soybeans, wheat and barley. These figures show that since 1979 farming hasn’t been profitable for even some of the state’s best managers “This information is based on averages, of course. And you’ve got to remember that, with averages, half the values are above and half are below the figures you give," he said. “What concerns us in the extension ser vice is that the averages generally are not at profitable levels for our farmers. You can find some in dividuals who may get 140 bushels of com an acre. But on the average Delaware farmers aren’t going to get anywhere near that this year. ’’ To find out just how serious the situation is. Tilmon sat dowr recently with county extensior agents and got from them figures on what it cost locally to produce corn, soybeans, winter wheat and barley this year. Then, using the cost analysis format used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economics and Statistics Service in its report to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry ("Cost of Producing Selected Crops in the United States-1978, 1979, 1980"). the economist took current Delaware production prices and worked them back for the past four years, adjusting them for inflation. The figures he came up with arc very close to those used by the U.S. Senate although, in three out of four commodities. Tilmon found that he and the Delaware agents had understated their estimates. Even with the conservative Delaware figures, however, he was able to show that breakeven costs for each of these commodities have been so high that, given the yields and prices achieved, many far mers couldn't possibly have made a profit-especially those saddled with any debt load. For example, though returns on com have covered variable costs of production in all of the past four years, m only two out of the four years have producers made enough! to cover both variable and machinery costs. In only one have they realized a return to management, when all costs in cluding land are considered. Look ing at Sussex County alone t Tilmon said the picture is even bleaker. In none of the past four years have farmers there made enough from corn to cover all production costs. When these costs aren’t covered, growers must live off depreciation and equity. “Given these figures. - economist asked, “how anybody held on this long 0 ’’ To make matters worse, farm (Turn to Page A 36) the has
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