BY TRISH WILLIAMS
WAKEFIELD - G. Victor
Brinton is the type of dairyman
that appreciates life on the farm.
Although he may not be able to put
a price tag on the joy of watching
the sunrise over the hills of
southern Lancaster County, he
does attach a great deal of value to
living and working with his family
among nature’s elements.
Located only a few miles from
the Maryland border, the Brinton’s
Riverview Farm overlooks the
Susquehanna River. It’s a peaceful
existence amidst the narrow
wooded glens and hills. With a
farm lane nearly a quarter of a
mile long that fronts on the
sparsely traveled Riverview Road,
one is very isolated and could
become quite independent in their
way of thinking.
Yet Brinton feels a very close
affiliation with other dairymen and
sees himself as an integral part of
the nation’s dairy industry. As the
severity of the nation’s milk
surplus problem has escalated in
the government and public eye, so
has the image of the American
dairy farmer conversely fallen.
Recognizing the detrimental af
fects this milk surplus problem can
have not only on him as an in
dividual producer, but also the
dairy industry as a whole, Brinton
has decided to reduce his
production in 1984.
“Even if am not able to qualify
for the Milk Diversion Program, I
plan to reduce my production,”
said Brinton. “The dairy industry
is faced with a surplus, which we
created, now we have to work to
get rid of it.”
Brinton moved to Lancaster
County with his parents in 1958
from southern Chester County.
Today he farms with his wife,
Nancy, and their three children,
Scott, 19, Beth, 15, and Tim, 13.
Riverview Farms consists of 800
The Riverview herd is housed in a freestall barn
Cull cows to be sent to slaughter are loaded on a cattle truck at Riverview. The cows
are being culled in an effort to reduce production and subsequently the milk surplus.
1984 dairying considerations: to reduce..
acres of farmland, of which 550 are
tillable. The Riverview herd of
grade Holsteins has grown over the
years to the present level of 110
cows in the milking string. With
this much acreage of cropland
Brinton grows more than enough
feed for his herd of milk cows,
replacement heifers and dairy
steers.
While farmers in other areas of
Lancaster County experienced
severe reductions in crop yields
this year, Brinton said his yields
were average this year. It would
almost seem like a temptation then
for him to maintain his present
level of production..
Desiring to do his part and cut
his milk production, Brinton at
tended the December 20 meeting
on the new dairy program at the
Farm and Home Center in Lan
caster.
Brinton took with him his milk
shipping weight receipts, and
established his base with the
Agricultural Stabilization and
Conservation Service office.
T wanted to get my base
established before there was a
rush,” said Brinton. “It took
almost 45 minutes to just add up all
the weights to arrive at my base.
At that point I didn’t even know if I
would be able to take advantage of
the program, but I thought I should
at least take the first step.’’
Because his milk production was
higher in 1962 than in 1981, Brinton
opted to use 1982 as his base year.
After multiplying the first quar
ter’s production by 2, and adding
that to the production of the
remaining three quarters, he
established his 15 month base at
1,931,290 pounds of milk.
At home the Brintons used the
same mathmatical formula to
calculate what their herd’s
production was for 1983. Adjusted
to the 15 month period their 1983
production was 2,085,039 pounds of
milk. This is a seven percent in
crease over their 1982 level of
production.
“We would have to reduce our
production during the 15 month
program by 14 percent just to
achieve a seven percent reduction
from our base, because we are
already seven percent above that
base,” the Brinton’s noted.
Keeping this in mind they used a
worksheet to calculate the
profitibility of contracting to
reduce production by seven per
cent below their base.
The Brintons found that it would
not be profitable for them to
participate in the program at the
_ ’“n percent level. They at
tribute i this to the fact they grow
all the feed for the herd, they do
alot of their own veterinary work
and almost all the labor on the
farm is supplied by the family.
“We plan to have our accountant
go over the figures with us,
checking them for accuracy,” said
Brinton. “It looks doubtful now
that it would be profitable for us to
participate. Even if we would
break even, I think it would be
worth contracting, because at least
we would be reducing the surplus.”
Even on a cold gray day, the hills of southern Lancaster County radiate a sense of
peacefulness
“Even if we break even, I
think it would be worth
contracting, because at least
we would be reducing the
surplus.”
Nancy and Victor Brinton pause a moment as they review
production records and calculate the profitability of par
ticipating in the Milk Diversion Program.
“Whether we sign a contract or “Already we have reduced the
not we plan to cull our herd of 110 protein in the ration from 14.5
by 10 or 12 cows,” he said, percent to 13 percent.”
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Victor Brinton.milks his herd of Holsteins in this double
eight herringbone milking parlor.
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