BY GINGER SECRIST-MYERS
Staff Correspondent
CHAMBERSBURG - “Are we
tooting our horn as much as we
should be?”
“The bottom line is that we must
promote the cow, and capitalize on
her assets.”
These challenges to promote the
Jersey cow and her high solids
milk were made by Donald Koontz,
Fredonia, PA, AJCC National
Director and Dennis Erpelding,
Columbus, Ohio, National All-
Jersey Milk Marketing Specialist
respectively at the Cumberland
Valley Jersey Breeders holiday
banquet held recently at the
Lighthouse Restaurant, Cham
bersburg.
Over 50 members and their
families gathered for a buffet
banquet, and business meeting,
and to hear Koontz and Erpelding,
both leaders in the national breed
organization, as they stressed that
regardless of the present dairy
position, the high solids cow is the
dairy cow of tomorrow.
Director Koontz recalled the
time when few Jersey dairymen
spoke up for the breed. Times have
changed he noted, “We need to be
telling our neighbors what we’re
getting for our milk. We’re still
number two Holsteins, but not in
what we’re getting for our milk. A
comparison to the Holsteins isn’t
all bad. They give us something to
shoot for.”
By contrast, he reminded the
crowd that several of the most
valuable tools in dairy cow
breeding, such as the use of the
USDA Sire Summary were
pioneered by the Jersey Cattle
Club, not the Holstein Association.
Koontz continued his theme of
breed promotion by urging the
Jersey owners urged to promote their breed
group to promote the cow for her
market, that of high solids milk.
He pointed out that Jersey cow
prices have held steady over the
past few years, while other breed
prices have dropped.
He stressed that Jerseys are still
in demand and breeders must
continue to maintain that market
by expanding the demand for her
milk. “We have an edge with the
high-solids Jersey cow, so let’s not
keep her to ourselves,” he con
cluded.
Summarizing AJCC Board ac
tivities at their most recent
meeting, Koontz announced that
the only fee increases in Club
services for 1986 would be an in
crease in Jersey Journal sub
scription rates from $B.OO to $lO.OO
per year. Advertising rates will
also be raised. Present Club
figures estimate that registrations
for 1985 will top the 70,000 mark.
National All-Jersey Milk
Marketing Specialist Dennis
Erpelding told the group that,
“The Jersey cow has proved
herself. Now we must market the
product. The bottom line for the
All-Jersey program is dollars to
the dairyman.”
Nation-wide Erpelding cited the
strong market in Wisconsin for
Jersey cows where the milk is used
for cheese and the protein market
jacks up colored cow prices. On the
West Coast, he cited how Jersey
dairymen have pooled their milk
and their resources to build two
cheese plants. Used in making
cheese, their milk is worth 50 cents
to $1 more and it is this money
which is paying for the plants and
still yielding some profit.
In addressing the present Farm
Bill, Erpelding predicted that
regardless of the political package
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hammered out in Washington,
dairying is still the best place to be
in agriculture.
One current trend which he sees
as promising is that the Great Salt
Lake Basin milk marketing area
has petitioned to have some form
of component pricing put into the
Federal Orders.
He encouraged anyone with
influence to urge that the pricing
scheme be based on protein and
not on a solids-not-fat basts. The
reasoning for his position, as he
explained was that presently 100
pounds of 4.8% Jersey milk is paid
an average of $14.29. The same
amount of 3.5% Holstein milk
receives $11.87. If protein pricing is
HARRISBURG - Leaders of the
Pennsylvania Farmers Union
responded enthusiastically to the
U.S. Senate’s 5047 decision to table
the Moynihan-Hawkins amend
ment to the 1985 farm bill. The
amendment would have lowered
the support price on dairy products
from $ll-60 per cwt. to $ll.lO per
cwt.
“We are quite satisfied with the
outcome for this issue,” sais PFU
president David Stetler,
“especially since both of our
Pennsylvania Senators voted
against this amendment, which
would have caused so much more
production at a time when supply
is already far in excess of
demand."
The farm organization’s Vice
President. Allen Deiter apreed
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implemented, the Jersey milk
would receive $15.07 and the
Holstein milk $11.09. Under a
solids-not-fat plan* the Jersey milk
would receive $14.59 and the
Holstein milk $11.57.
Erpelding went on to stress that
this is not a breed issue. Since 90%
of all milk produced in this country
is from Holsteins, the program will
be implemented on the average
test of all milk.
He stressed, “If protein pricing
cows into the market, the high
solids cow will be more valuable.
Protein pricing is not a matter of
more dollars, it is just a re
distribution of existing monies.
The high-solids cow will be the
PFU praises Senate vote
on price-cut amendment
“Moynihan-Hawkins would have
resulted in higher production and
more Commodity Credit Cor
poration purchases,” Deiter said.
“The Senate’s decision will help
keep government costs down and
family farmers in business.”
“Clearly, there must be a better
solution to the surplus problem,”
Stetler continued. He noted that
both Farmers Union and the State
Grange have endorsed the idea of a
whole-herd buy-out program.
“Even the Pennsylvania Farmers
Association, which only a few days
ago testified in favor of Moynihan-
Hawkins at a special hearing held
by Senator Specter, decided at its
annual convention this week that a
whole-herd buy-out and even a
paid diversion program should be
used in times of high CCC pur
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winner.”
The Club unanimously voted to
hold The Third CVJB Fourth of
July Jersey Sale. Doug Reinhart,
Lemasters, will be the sale
chairman. The Club approved its
annual advertising commitment to
The Jerseyletter. Florence
Robinson, Waynesboro, newly
appointed P.J.C.C. Field
Representative gave a brief
description of her new duties.
Results of Club elections were:
President - William Dietrich,
Newburg; Secretary - Ginger
Myers, Littlestown; Treasurer -
Florence Robinson, Waynesboro;
and Fair Board Rep. - Thomas
Horst, Chambersburg.
chases,” Stetler said.
The Farmers Union leader said
that he hoped the three farm
organizations could now work
more closely on getting a farm bill
passed. “One of the biggest
stumbling blocks to a com
prehensive national farm policy
has been disagreement among
farmers themselves,” Stetler
pointed out. “There’s a good
chance that we won’t have a farm
bill in 1985 unless farmers can get
together and tell Congress what
they need. We hope this common
ground on the dairy issue can
continue into other sections of the
legislation,” he said.
The Pennsylvania Farmers
Union represents family farmers
across the State in 31 chartered
counties.
JURE & STOCK