VOL 29 No. 15
PFU hears
Minnesota
educator
BY KIMBERLY HERR
HERJSHEY The changes, both
positive and negative, that are
taking place in agriculture, and
how they are affecting the family
(arm were the topic of two
speeches heard Wednesday during
the second day of the Pennsylvania
(•aimers Union 12lh Annual
Convention.
Agriculture is still number one
in Pennsylvania, said Jon
Wefald, chandellor, Minnesota
Stale University System.
Agriculture is still important in
Pennsylvania
But what has happened bet
ween 1953 and 1984 v " Wefald asked
lus audience. American
agriculture has gone down hill, my
triends.”
Wefald went on to explain that
horn 1942 to 1952, American
tanners received a fair price
based on a very simple' 90
percent loan program.
Did America go bankrupt .'’ Was
this a burden on (he working
people? Did it contribute to world
inflation '" Wefald asked. On the
contrary, he said, America paid
toi World War 11, had full
production, lull employment and a
balanced budget.
After a rousing round of ap
plause at the mention of former
president Harry Truman s name,
Wefald said, ' Farmers from 1946
to 1953 paid cash Why v Because
they were making a decent and
lair living.
In conclusion Wefald recom
mended a long-term farm
Young Farmers gather to honor their top members
Outstanding YF under 30
John and Gwen Hartman, of Somerset County.
Five Sections
The speaker for the evening banquet Wednesday at the
Pennsylvania Farmers Union Convention was Jon Wefald,
Chandellor, Minnesota State University System, at left. With
him is James Brown, president of PFU.
program, one with a fair and
equitable loan policy.
1 personally believe that
America will be better off if you do
well," Wefald told his audience.
following the
evening banquet. Prior to that the
ItklMWPWihad participated in a
Visit the Keystone Pork Congress
HARRISBURG - All Com
monwealth roads on Thursday for
Pa. Pork Producers will lead to the
Penn Harris Motor Inn for the
Sixth Annual Keystone Pork
Congress.
Once again, the day-long session
will combine a program of
marketing and production topics
with the opportunity to visit the
many interesting commercial
exhibits of major suppliers to the
pork industry.
A complete program of the day’s
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, February 11,1984
policy-making discussion, which
involved everything from a long
term farm policy to weed control to
fines for property damage
resulting from littering and
driving through fields.
The PFU members and guests
(Turn to Pag* A3B)
activities, along with many of the
program participants, can be
found on Page Dl2 of today’s
Lancaster Farming. A separate
program of activities will also be
conducted for the Porkettes.
The day-long program will
conclude with the annual Congress
Banquet at 6 p.m. Featured
speaker is Walt Buescher, of
Pigeon Forge, Tn.
Watch next week’s Lancaster
Farming for highlights of the
Congress
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
HARRISBURG - The Berlin
Brnthersvalley Chapter was in the
limelight of the Pennsylvania
oung Parmer Convention this
week providing both the Out
standing Young Farmers in the
Under 110 and Over 30 categories
rtie Pa Outstanding Young
haimeis who were selected from
legional contestants fiom
tin oughout the stale include
lindei 30 - John and Gwen
Hartman, who operate a dairy
tann in Somoiset count) that
includes an 00-Holstcci t- >hlk' nt;
at! ins
Ovei 30 - [jeon and Dm olhy Jane
haul, who operate a 37/-aero dairy
farm, also in Somerset County
The two dairy farming couples
fi om Somerset i ounty were
among the top award winners
honored by the Fa Young Far
mers Thursday at their convention
at the Host Inn, Harrisburg
Among other winners
Community Service - Co
winners in this category were
Donald and Carol Sanders and
Russell and Phyllis Hummel, of
the Miffhnburg and Sehnsgrove
(Turn to Page A 22)
Pa. fiscal news
cites Avian, PRY
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
HAKKISBUKG Pennsylvania
agriculture received some good
fiscal news this week out of the
State Capital
Governoi Thornburgh in
troduced his proposed state budget
tor the coming year, which
featured a couple of new ag items,
including $500,000 foi poultry
research and promotion in con
tinuing response to Avian flu and
$lOO,OOO to gel a new Ag
Development Commission started
to promote Commonwealth
agriculture in a number of dif
ferent ways.
And in separate fiscal action, the
Governor signed the Sup
plementary Appropriation Bill,
previously passed by the State
House and Senate, which includes
$2 million to help poultry farmers
hit with Avian and $213,250 in
matching funds for a cooperative
state-federal pilot project on
pseudorabies.
The $500,000 set aside in th*
budget for the poultry research
and promotion is designed to help
the stale s poultry industry in its
recovery from the Avian disaster,
particularly in the area of
promotion to recapture lost
markets and to expand existing
markets for Commonwealth
poultry products.
The $lOO,OOO for the new Ag
Development Commission is
designed to be seed money to get
the proposed group started in its
promotion of Commonwealth
agriculture The proposed com
mission is eyed as a combination
public-private sectoi group, in
cluding farm and agribusiness
Outstanding YF over 30
Leon and Dorothy Jane Paul, of Somerset County.
17.50 per Year
members who would oversee
special agricultural promotion
programs.
Such ag promotion programs
might fail in three separate areas.
-Promotion to attract new ag
business to the slate and help
existing agribusiness to expand.
(Turn to Page A3B)
Diversion
signups
outlined
BY TRISH WILLIAMS
LANCASTER Statistics
leleased this week by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture on the
sign-up for the Milk Diversion
Program were well below previous
estimates by the department
According to a federal ASCS
official in Washington, D.C, 12 4
percent of the dairyman in the
United Stales have contracted to
reduce their milk production. Only
six percent of the dairymen in
Pennsylvania signed up for the
program.
The sign-up period tor the Milk
Diversion Program ended Jan.
list. Con due leu by the
Agneullural Stabilization and
Conservation Service, Hie program
will pay contracted producers $lO
pei hundredweight for reducing
milk production by five to JO
percent
After all the figures were tallied,
J7,5J0 out of the counti y s 303,580
(Turn to Page A 22)