itor Farming, Saturday, Dtcambar 29,19*4 826-Uikm< If you are not a full-fledged optimist about the future of far ming in general and dairying in particular, you might as well retire next week. The business of far ming demands a bright outlook, or it is doomed to failure.; j let’s try to see if there is anything to lift our spirits in 1985. For one thing, we are not operating in an over-crowded field of employment. Farmers are now in one of the smallest minority population groups ever known in history. We are now LESS THAN THREE PERCENT of the total population of the country. And we number only about THREE TENTHS OF ONE PERCENT of all the farmers in the world. Yet we produce 64 percent of the world’s soybeans, 56 percent of the grapefruit, 46 percent of the corn, 31 percent of the sorghum, 23 percent of the cotton, 18 percent of the wheat, 14 percent of the eggs, and 13 percent of all the pork. Fifty years ago, one American farm worker produced enough food for 10 people. Twenty years ago, he produced enough to feed 31 people. Ten years ago, it was enough for 56 people. Today, one farm worker produces enough to feed nearly 80 people! And the total farm work force involved includes all those unpaid or underpaid family workers as well as the full time paid farm workers! It either makes you swell with pride, or want to cry. Our efficiency is due partly to hard work. But it is really more the result of very high investment in modem technology. It now seems that the only way we can sustain that growth and productivity is to keep on investing more and more capital in even more refined and advanced mechanical, electronic, chemical and managerial know how. All we need to continue the trend is the assurance or hope of a reasonable return on our in vestment. And, of course, a good, sound source of capital without risking our very neck to finance the deal. It will take a lot of delicate fine-tuning of our managing ability to make it work. The Trouble With Efficiency Maybe we have overdone this efficiency thing a little bit. The trouble with maximum production is that it always creates a little surplus that immediately depresses the price in the market place. So, efficiency of production creates a self-sustaining cycle of overproduction because agriculture depends on a con tinuing biological growth that can’t be stopped in midair. Animals must continue to eat, cows con tinue to give milk, and planted crops keep right on growing. Even a bank loan becomes like a pregnant cow. It immediately develops a need to continue the gestation until the fetal loan is paid, and also requires constant feeding with fresh and expensive interest. To terminate any kind of pregnancy can be unhealthy, to say the least! So even a pregnant loan should be made with the idea of a profitable offspring. Talk that one over with your banker! Ideas Will Be The Tools Of The Future We must approach the next couple of years with imagination as well as optimism. Agricultural research, Agricultural Extension, and ag industry will keep right on pumping up our productivity,- barring any road blocks thrown in by nature or politicians. But the most exciting prospects el©' Are You Having POWER-FLO (Designed for Flex Auger Systems 2”,3”,4”&5”) And Prevent Bridging Or Rat-Holing Of Most Hard-Flow Materials (S33E) POLY-TUF FEEDERS 4-Hole $29.95® '*f' >s' L V ★ FULL LINE PARTS DEPARTMENT ★ WE SELL, SERVICE & INSTALL E/HHERR EQUIPMENT, INC. RD 1, Rt. 272 S., Herrville Rd., Willow Street, PA 17584 Phone 717 464-3321 orToll Free: 80C-732-0053 Serving the Industry For Over 25 Yrs. at \ ' Bl it v ' v »V- Early Orcter Discouim >■•■ On Grain Bin* & Dry*# Problem WHb Feed Flowl GO(GS|) SURE-FLO Power-Flo LINE HEAT PIG MATS CA rSST f Of C f>c < c • 60,000btu 4*9QQ Q£ $259.95 yWWMtWV I for success and security lie in the imaginative brain power of farm leaders. Ideas, fresh and new, on every part of farming, will be the farm tools of the future. They will go far, beyond the production process, into advertising, promotion, new products and new uses for farm products, and some regulation of supplies, to avoid depressed prices. We’ll never avoid all of the risks Ret • l’x3’ .... $29.00 . • l'x4' .... C 36.30 . • 2 x3’ .... $50.80 . • 2’x4’ .... $61.70 . • 16’’x24" . $27.95 . TRUCKLOAD SALE CAMBRIDGE HEATERS 40,000 BTU.LP Gas Heater w/Thermostat GSI STEEL UTILITY BUILDING izes Available: •10’xlO’ •12’xlO’ •14’xlO’ •10’x20’ *l2’z2o’ •14’z20’ •10’x30’ •12’x30’ •14’x30’ (For 4”, 6” & 8” Auger Systems) • v MONO-FLO & ALKE ' LP PIG HEATERS A SALE •21.95 •27.95 •37.95 •47.95 •19.95 •3000 BTU *48.95 • 6000 BTU *49.95 • 12000 BTU *59.95 NEEDS NO ELECTRICITY This new livestock waterer Keeps water from freezing even at 30° below zero! •Assures livestock fresh water daily •Eliminates ice chopping, hauling water or thawing frozen lines •More reliable and cheaper to operate than heaters or heat tapes 5169.95 Sturdy Polyethylene Construction involved in fanning, but since we are already in a very small minority group, the rest of the population does owe some con sideration to our survival. The brightest hope for the future is the knowledge that farmers and fann workers are an elite group of people that all the rest can’t live without. Keep that in mind for a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Sure-Flo Available In All Galvanized Or Deluxe White Af< >aAfc'. ♦ \ 1 V
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers