Al2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 24,1984
OUR READERS WRITE,
AND OTHER OPINIONS
Farmers need
Dear Editor:
Over the past few decades, the
automobile has placed most of the
best cropland of the United States
within commuting distance of
large cities. This fact has made it
possible for people to experience
the best of both worlds; the natural
beauty of the countryside and the
cultural and job opportunities of
the city. Unfortunately, people who
work in the city but live in the
country for the most part do not
farm the land which they live on.
Therefore, our valuable cropland
is needlessly being lost as more
and more houses are being built
upon it.
An article in the May 1980 issue
of the “Saturday Review” states
that every day twelve square miles
of America’s farmlands vanish
forever. Although urbanization is
not responsible for all loss of
farmland, it takes a large amount
of land away from farming. Bet
ween 1967 and 1975 approximately
6.2 million acres of cropland were
urbanized. This may seem like a
small amount if we consider the
fact that the United States has
about 400 million acres of
cropland. However, we must
remember that the amount of
productive farmland is finite and
the demand for residential land is
growing. By 1980, it was estimated
that approximately 1.7 million
acres of farmland were being lost
annually.
What is causing farmers to give
in to the pressures for urbanization
of their cropland’ A major factor
has been the increase in land
value. This has resulted in the fact
that a person can often make more
money by selling his land than by
farming it. The high cost of land is
also preventing young people from
buying farms. Therefore, farmers
are often willing to sell their land
at tremendously high prices to
developers instead of being
satisfied with selling at a lower
cost to fellow farmers. There are
ways, however, that farmers can
fight against and even halt ur-
STOLTZFUS MF-AT MARKET
Invites You To Their
OPEN HOUSE
SATURDAY, MARCH 31st
BAMtoIPM
l\( FREE COMPLIMENTARY
BREAKFAST
Our Own Sausage & Pancakes
★ DOOR PRIZES ★ STORE SPECIALS
★ STORE OPENS AT 6 A.M.
★ FRESH BEEF & PORK A
★ HOME-MADE SCRAPPLE | V
★ BACON Lv
★ COUNTRY CURED HAMS U .
★ ORDERS TAKEN FOR FROZEN f]\
MEATS pjh
PH: 717-768-7166 |
Directions: 1 block east of Intercourse on Rt. 772 - Newport Road
REGULAR THURS. FRI. SAT.
STORE HOURS: 9-5 9-8 8-5
group support
bamzation of cropland and not be
forced to face serious financial
setbacks.
A major way for farmers to deal
with the problem is to encourage
one another not to allow their
croplands to be eaten up by
housing developments. Group
support is much needed in
agriculture. Farmers should
seriously consider selling lands at
lower costs to fellow farmers
because this practice will ensure
the continuation of agriculture.
And they can feel satisfaction
knowing that some of God’s good
earth has been preserved. Far
mers who feel that they should
receive high prices for their land
regardless of the buyer should
consider setting up legal
agreements whereby fellow far
mers who may not be able to pay
the high price immediately will be
able to make payments on the land
over a longer period of time. It is
only common sense for farmers to
show one another preferential
treatment m order to protect one
another and agriculture just as
unions protect their members and
their occupation.
Another program which some
counties and states have adopted is
the purchasing of development
rights. The difference between the
value of a piece of land used for
agriculture and its value as
residental or commercial real
estate establishes the price of that
land’s development rights! The
farmer must ask the state or
county to buy his rights from him.
If his request is granted, the far
mer retains the title to his land but
neither he nor subsequent owners
are allowed to urbanize the land.
This not only benefits the farmer
and saves precious farmland but
also saves the state or county in the
long run from building and
repairing new roads to the new
housing developments. Farmers
who encourage their politicians to
begin or continue such programs
on a larger scale along with
providing tax credits to farmers
Class I milk price $14.84 for April
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Middle
Atlantic Order Market Ad
ministrator Joseph D. Shine an
nounced recently a Class I milk
price of $14.84 per hundredweight
for April 1984. This price is up one
cent from March but is 53 cents
below last April’s Class I price.
Order No. 4 prices are an
nounced for milk testing 3.5 per
cent butterfat f.o.b. plants located
within 55 miles of Philadelphia,
and also within 75 miles from the
nearer of Washington, DC or
and establishing zoning laws which
prohibit or restrict development on
agricultural land are helping
themselves and agriculture.
The threat of urban expansion is
real, but it can be overcome.
Farmers must be aware that they
can stop the process, and they
must if agriculture is to survive.
Not only does the United States but
also foreign countries are
depending on the farmers to take a
stand now because only
agriculture on productive land can
produce the food which humans
need in order to survive.
Sincerely yours,
Patti J. Sager
R 2 East Berlin
VS«1«
JBOW
Vvl\^ or .\
\ »^ ov V \
\ Round I
\ Hojc^J
FASTER GAINS ON LESS FEED
• Rugged 14 gauge type 304 stainless steel throughout
entire feeder makes the Farmer Boy Liquid Feeder as
tough as they come
• Hogs lick the platter clean when water and feed are
combined m trough This contributes to a 10% to
15% improvement in feed efficiency Hogs go to mar
ket 10 days to two weeks faster on wet feed compared
to dry feed
• You get reduced feed wastage Hogs get their water
and feed at the same place No need to carry feed on
snout or mouth to waterer, where it is sloughed off
into holding pit Hogs feed faster, too. making it
possible to supply more pigs with fewer feed holes
Pen square footage per pig can also be reduced
• Get little pigs off to fast start Young pigs will drink
before they eat When you combine feed and water at
the same source you give those little pigs fast, healthy
starts
Also Available:
• Farmer Boy Farrowing
Crate Feeders
FARMER BOY AG.
INC.
410 E LINCOLN AYE
Baltimore, Md. There is also a six
cent direct-delivery differential
applicable to producer milk
received at plants located within 55
miles of Philadelphia.
Shine announced a Class II milk
price of $12.10 per hundredweight
for February 1984 and a butterfat
differential of 16.2 cents for the
month. Both the Class II price and
the butterfat differential were
unchanged from January.
The April Class I price and the
February Class II price are based
on the February 1984 Minnesota-
Wisconsin manufacturing milk
price of $12.06 per hundredweight
at a 3.5 percent butterfat content.
The USDA reported that the
wholesale price of Grade A butter
SWINE & POULTRY SYSTEMS SPECIALISTS
BEST IN DESIGN, PRICE AND EXPERIENCE
gannTfr
• Farmer Boy Pre-Nursery
& Nursery Feeders
MYERSTOWN PA 17067
at Chicago for February was
$1.4125 per pound and the nonfat
dry milk price was $.9105 per
pound, f.o.b. plants in the Chicago
area.
> >nm
I Now is I
I the Time |
S I
(Continued trom Pare AlOl
distributed according to the In
trastate Laws of Pennsylvania.
These laws may not distribute your
estate according to your desires.
This has often happened in the past
and there is little that can be done
about it without a will.
We urge all family heads, and
property owners to contact a
lawyer and have him help with
making a will. The cost will be
considerably less than settling an
estate without a will. There is some
very good information dealing with
"wills” in the “Estate Planning”
bulletin available at any Extension
office. The Extension Service is an
affirmative action equal op
portunity educational institution.
\ ,
You'll Ever Buy!
ki
* i»
/
PH 717 866 7565
»el
ild Be
ieder