New dairy group stresses higher standards
BY ROBIN PHILLIPS
Staff Correspondent
HAMBURG The idea was
voiced several times last summer.
“We need a joint organization of
owners of “high solids” breeds of
dairy cattle so that we can work
together on some of our
problems,” was a statement
frequently made at Southeastern
Pa. fairs and shows when breeders
got together.
Recently, Dr. Robert Dreisbach,
R 3 Hamburg; William Zollers, R 2,
Mertztown; and Robert Smith, Rl,
Annville, met and initiated the first
organizational meeting with
breeders of Holstein, Ayrshire,
Brown Swiss, Guernsey, and
Jersey cattle. With no official
name yet, the joint organization
met at the Indian Fort Inn,
Hamburg, on Wednesday, April
25th. Thirty-eight breeders from
Berks and Lebanon counties at
tended.
Pleased with the interest shown,
Dreisbach, a Jersey breeder,
opened the dinner meeting with
introductions around the room.
The guest speaker was Guy Crews,
assistant secretary, National All-
Jersey, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.
Crews is a leading advocate for
Effective, systemic sucker control,
that’s dependable.
•nuMawnw
You know what poor sucker control can do to tobacco yields.
jp s Qnc reason w by so many growers rely on ROYAL MH-30® for
top systemic sucker control year after year.
T HjTTT S° c ®-' ctlvc ’ onc ROYAL MH-30 application at mid-to-ftill bloom
-KSL<r JLx\-L/ • can control suckers all the way to harvest. So consistent, it performs
Yearsof
field proven
control.
toUmmvjl lik 1984
end product pricing and higher
standards for milk.
“I think we should make end
product pricing & higher stan
dards one of our first goals,”
stated Bill Zollers, Guernsey
breeder and one of the principal
organizers of the new association.
“It’s something that could help all
of us,” he stated. With every breed
except Milking Shorthorn
represented, breeders discussed
making higher standards and
protein pricing for milk one of the
priorities of the new organization.
“I can show you from tests that
there has been a 25% difference
from market to market. I can’t
think of a better argument for
higher standards,” Crews stated.
“California is the only state
where you can be guaranteed a
higher quality milk,” Crews
continued.
According to this leader from the
American Jersey Cattle Club, the
big growth in sales in California
came when the standards were
increased to: 8.7% SNF (solids not
fat) in whole milk, 9% SNF skim
milk, and 10% SNF on any other
item.
“A two percent butterfat and a
ten percent SNF product tastes
-A
> i
>f A-.
under nearly all kinds of growing conditions.
For die dependable sucker control you have relied upon year after
year, ask your ag chemicals supplier tor ROYAL MH-30 liquid or
ROYAL MH-30 soluble granules. For your program, it’s the standard
for systemic sucker control, offering better yields, quality and returns
Uniroyal Chemical, Division of Uniroyal, Inc , Naugatuck, CT 06770
-at
-r r UNIROYAL
Bettering your bottom line. BHHHi
better than any thing else. It is an
excellent product,” Crews stated.
“If we’d raise our standards to
those of California, we’d use 500
million pounds of powder a year.”
The biggest opponent to higher
standards are the milk processors,
according to Crews. Saying that it
will raise the price to consumers,
the processors do not want to test
the results of a better bottle of
milk. According to Crews, it has
been proven that raising the
standards will increase sales. He
stated that one processors has
revealed that since he raised the
solids not fat in his product there
has been a steady growth in sales.
“SNF affects the taste buds three
times as much as butterfat,”
Crews told breeders.
Fifty-nine percent of milk
samples taken from grocery
shelves do not meet the minimum
standards, according to Crews.
Currently at 8.25% in Penn
sylvania, the SNF percentage in
milk is below what is naturally
produced. “There’s not a breed of
cows or goats that has an average
of 8.25%, they’re all higher,”
Crews stated. “The national
average is 8.6%.’’
“It doesn’t make any difference
what breed of cows you have. I
don’t draw the line at any breed,”
Crews continued. “If you have a
feeding program and a breeding
program that makes a better
product, this will help the
problem,” he said. With Holsteins
producing 90% of the milk, Crews
added, “we need the support erf
those people.”
“I’m afraid too many of us have
let others do our thinking for us,”
he stated. He avidly encouraged
each breeder to write their
congressmen about these
problems and push for legislation
for higher standards and end
product pricing. “I’m fearful that
the next move in congress is going
to be one that hurts pretty bad,” he
continued. “If there is not a bill
pending in Pennsylvania, there
ought to be, We owe it to our
selves.” “Get the bills in
troduced,” he told the dairy far
mers. We must get somebody’s
attention and push for a uniform,
better tasting product. Crews
repeated throughout the evening.
Crews spoke to breeders on the
renewed “push” of the American
Jersey Cattle Club to implement
higher standards of milk and a
component pricing system
%%
v!t
nationwide. There are several bills
supporting higher standards in the
legislature now Boxer HR 3178 and
Harkin HE 4441, which he urged
breeders to support.
Following the talk from Crews,
Dr. Dreisbach initiated the elec
tion of officers. Bill ZoUers, R 2
Mertztown, was elected president
with Robin Phillips, R 1 Mohrsville,
vice president and Robert Smith,
R 1 Annville, secretary-treasurer.
A committee of directors with each
breed represented was also
selected. They are: Heather
Hemley, R 2 Lebanon - Ayrshire;
Clarence Mase, Lebanon - Brown
Swiss; Carol Hollenbach, R 1
Bernville - Guernsey; David
Bitler, Fleetwood - Holstein; Gary
Kurtz, Fleetwood - Jersey; and
Phyllis Yoder, Shoemakersville -
Milking Shorthorn.
Bill Toilers concluded the
meeting by asking breeders to
think of a name for the
organization. “We will begin with
Lebanon and Berks (counties) and
try to extend to southeastern
Pennsylvania,’’ he stated of the
new association. The possibility of
a future calf sale of all the colored
breeds to be made available for 4-
Hers looking for project animals
was also discussed.
Any breeder wanting more in
formation on the new organization
and the next meeting date should
contact Bill Toilers, R 2 Mertztown.
PROWL*. GUARANTEED
CONTROL OF TRIAZINE
RESISTANT PIGWEED.
PROWL® herbicide gives you
control of pigweed, including
those types that have become resis
tant to some other herbicides.
And you can get PROWL right
now at the lowest cost ever. Sec
us and get guaranteed control
of grasses and major broadlcaf
weeds, including triazine-resis
tant pigweed.
DO NOT incorporate PROWL
in corn. Always read and follow
label directions carefully
fmCYMMAHUO
Wlyne HjOrtTQ « >9**
PFOWI. TOUB BEST HERBICIDE VALUE.
SEE YOUR
LOCAL DEALER