A36—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 6,1984
The governor, State House and Senate all issued
proclamations designating October as Co-op Month. From the
left are William F. Matson, general manager, Pa. Rural
Electric Assn.; State Sen. Noah Wenger; Secretary of
Agriculture Penrose Hallowell; and PAFC President Ward
Cooper.
Future
(Continued from Page Al)
cooperatives and to acknowledge
the many contributions that these
special institutions make to the
economy and development of our
state and nation.”
In similar resolutions,
unanimously adopted by the
Pennsylvaia State Senate and the
Pennsylvania House of
Representatives, it was pointed out
that one of every four Americans
belongs to member-owned
cooperatives. In Pennsylvania
there are over 1,000 fanner
cooperatives, providing more than
$1 billion in goods and services to
over 72,000 Pennsylvania farmer
cooperative members. Sen. Noah
Wenger presented the Senate
resolution to PAFC officials.
In a public affairs symposium on
the voice of farmer cooperatives in
the future, State Rep. David
Wright, read a similar resolution
passed by the House.
Wright told those attending the
PAFC annual meeting that
cooperatives play an imnortant
role in the future, saying, “We do
together what we cannot do
separately. Co-ops in the
aggregate form are a substantial
force.”
He told co-op members thaUthey
cannot expect something won
derful to happen without working
hard to achieve results. He said,
“The future of farming demand
commitment to research and
development.” He also called for
mceased marketing in such a way
that products will have multiple
uses.
Wright said, “The future is
bright; there is no need to be
pessimistic. Although there may
be hard times ahead, he said in the
long haul the future is optimistic.
He concluded, “If some of us don’t
farm all of the time then all of us
would have to farm some of the
time.”
Other speakers on the panel
were optimistic about the future of
farming, but candid about the role
cooperatives must play.
Dr. Gene Swackhamer,
president of Farm Credit Banks of
Baltimore, pointed out, “We don’t
understand the magnitude of the
adjustment (in the economy)
taking place. Agriculture is not on
the wave of the recovery.”
He told the co-op members that
co-ops cannot be all things to all
people, saying, “Co-ops must
recognize that they can’t continue
to provide members with all
services and all products.” He said
they will have to look at divisions
which don’t make sense, and added
that while all services may not be
profitable, the end result must be
profitable to the co-op.
He predicted that there will be
many consolidations and mergers
ahead for co-ops saying that
studies show there will be fewer co
ops in the future serving larger
geographical areas.
Swackhamer said there has been
of co-ops
an erosion of member base and
loyalty, and that the number of
farmers declining co-op loyalty is
also declining. He said many
farmers have not been farming
long enough to understand or
appreciate the contributions of
their cooperatives. He added,
“Loyalty is a condition of the
heart; commitment is a condition
of the pocketbook.” He urged co
ops to seek commitments from
their members.
Most co-ops need to develop
sounder business policies, adding
that many co-ops are un
dercapitalized. He pointed out,
however, that he is optimistic
about the future. “Co-ops have the
resources, the potential markets
and the determination to succeed.”
Wayne Boutwell, president of the
National Council of Farmer
Cooperatives, discussed the farm
bill which must be written in 1985.
He set the stage for the needs of the
new bill by pointing out that in
1930, some 25 percent of the
population of the United States
lived and worked on farms with
an average acreage of 151. Today
he said there are 3.5 percent living
and working on farms which
average 437 acres. In 1930 one out
of ten acres was exported, and in
1982, two out of five acres was
exported.
Despite the decrease in real
figures, Boutwell noted that
agriculture represents one fifth of
the GNP, one fourth of the exports
and one fifth of the foreign ex
change earnings of the country.
Exports have been declining,
Boutwell said, because of the world
recession, the strong dollar and
increased foreign production, as
well as the inflexibility of the farm
program.
The result has been surpluses,
low prices and low farm income
and declining land prices.
Boutwell explained that if the
1985 farm bill is not signed into
law, farm policy will revert to the
1938 agricultural adjustment act
and in 1949 admeudment.
Boutwell said that historically
the policy guiding the farm
program has been to support farm
income and prices; maintain
adequate supplies of food and
fiber; and assure the orderly
marketing and distribution of
products. He said he feels that a
fourth policy should be added to
assure U.S. competitiveness in the
world markets. He said, “The
competition is better at farming
our farm programs than we are.”
In an effort to get away from
more government controls as an
option and the total free market
option, Boutwell suggested that the
National Council of Farmer
Cooperatives is considering a
competitive support option, under
which the farmer would be made a
marketing loan at harvest, with
the loan allowed to be repaid at
world market price.
This would allow the U.S. to
Co-ops
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
HARRISBURG - David J.
Yoder, general manager of
Atlantic Breeders Cooperative,
and Hal F. Doran, associate
professor of agriculture education
and agriculture economics ex
tension at Penn State, were
recognized at the annual meeting
of the Pennsylvania Association of
Farmer Cooperatives as the group
met to kick-off the Co-op Month
celebration.
Yoder was selected by the
National Planning Committee of
Cooperative Month to be honored
as a “cooperative hero” for his
career achievements with
cooperatives. The award is in
tended for the cooperative leader
whose life’s work or a major
portion thereof, has been devoted
to the work of cooperatives.
In presenting the award, PAFC
president Ward Cooper, said the
award was presented because
“Yoder has exemplified the ideals
of the cooperative way of doing
business in his ability to lead with
foresight, using sound business
principles and never losing his
philosophy of ‘members first’ in
carrying out cooperative policy.”
He said that Yoder’s dedication
and cooperative leadership have
gone beyond Atlantic Breeders
Cooperative to active leadership
roles in the Pennsyvania
Association of Farmer
Cooperatives, the AI industry and
local civic, service and church
organizations.
Yoder began his career with
Southeastern Pennsylvania Ar
tificial Breeding Cooperative as a
technician in 1944, being named
general manager later that same
year. When Atlantic merged with
Western Pennsylvania Artificial
Breeding Cooperative, he was
remain competitive world wide,
while maintaining adequate
support, Boutwell said. He added
that it would encourage the
competition to adjust the
production. The one problem with
such a proposal is that it is difficult
to estimate the government cost of
operating the program.
honor Yoder, Doran
named general manager of the
newly formed Atlantic Breeders
Cooperative.
In presenting the PAFC
Distinguished Service Award to
Doran, Cooper said, “PAFC has
been able to depend on Hal for
everything from brochure design
and organizational promotion to
philosophical direction of the
association. His unique com
municating abilities have many
times assisted the association in
unifying their position on a topic of
concern.”
Before joining the Penn State
staff in 1966, Doran was a per
sonnel manager for the Chemical
and Fertilizer Division of Agway in
Syracuse. He has done planning,
programming and conducting
educational programs in the field
of agricultural business.
In other business, the following
people were elected to serve on
PAFC’s Board of Directors:
Robert M. Dever, assistant
general manager of Inter-State
Milk Producers Cooperative;
Green Slopes named
All-American herdsman
HARRISBURG Green Slopes
Farm of Imler, Bedford County,
was named the outstanding herd
sman of the 21st Pennsylvania All-
American Dairy Show last week.
More than 1,300 dairy cows live
at the Farm Show Complex during
the All-American they eat and
sleep, as well as get milked,
clipped and bathed in preparation
for their moment in the show ring.
The necessity of encouraging
cleanliness prompted the Penn
sylvania Dairymen’s Association
to present each breed with an
“Outstanding Herdsman” award
at the week’s end. Then, one of the
six receives the overall honors.
Green Slopes Farm was the
Guem»v winner. The remaining
breeds and winners were Ayrshire,
Scotch Haven Farm of Kirkerville,
Ohio; Brown Swiss, Top Acres
Farm of St. Paris, Ohio; Holstein,
Stookey Holsteins, Inc. of
Donald A. Widder, general
manager of United Electric
Cooperative; Wayne D. Baker,
director and assistant treasurer of
Cumberland Valley Cooperative;
James T. Compton, who operates
JA-JO farm in Indiana County with
his wife Mary Jo; Ray E. Mc-
Millen, who runs a dairy operation
with his sons in Perry County; and
Donald E. Pease, who farms 400
acres in Susquehanna County.
Randall and Paul Meabon, who
own Green Meadows Farm near
Wattsburg in Erie County, will
serve on the Board of Directors as
representative of the Co-op
Couples, and Andrew M. Rill, an
employee of Cumberland Valley
Cooperative, will serve as youth
representative to the Board.
In other business, the mem
bership of PAFC voted to establish
a full time office and hire an
executive secreatry to coordinate
activities of the group. Currently it
is served by a part-time executive
secretary with assistance and
support from Penn State.
Leesburg, Ind.; Jersey, Cowbell
Acres of Canton, N.Y.; and
Milking Shorthorn, Kuszmar Farm
of Batavia, N.Y.
Unannounced, periodic in
spections were made each day,
noting such items as stall and
animal cleanliness, general at
tractiveness, sanitary and neat
equipment, and courtesy to show
visitors.
Daily winners were posted on a
blackboard in the main bam
outside of the large arena.