Waters marks 25th year at Penn State extension
UNIVERSITY PARK - “Small
scale, large-scale, part time, and
full time we serve them all,”
says William K. Waters, Penn
State associate professor of
agricultural economics extension
and area farm mangement agent
based in Armstrong County.
Recently recognized for his 25
years of service in extension work,
Water’s chief responsibility is in
farm management. “I help far
mers use cash flow projections,
farm analysis and clear record
keeping to make management
decision. We use a number of
partial budgeting programs to
project the profitability of change
- changes fanners are thinking
about or ones I think they should be
thinking about to survive.”
Most of the farms in Water’s
seven southwest counties are
family-sized dairy farms (40 to 60
cows) but there are also some hog
operations, a good many beef cow
calf, and a few beef feeding
operations. Lately, some farmers
have started supplemental small
scale vegetable operations for
direct market income.
While some farmers in the
region are changing the nature of
their operations, others have left
farming altogether. “Since I came
in the 60s, I’d say we’ve lost about
40 percent of our farmers, most of
The Hisex White and Brown Layers:
Above Average Performance Is Average
whom were fanning marginal
land. But production is not really
the issue in our counties. It’s
economic efficiency.”
Scale bade, is Water’s message
to most. “The price of major farm
imputs fuel and feed are
coming down, but so are market
prices. Only producers who bring
their operations in line with labor
and land productivity are going to
show a profit. In fact some that do
may actually have a better margin
next year even though their
revenue is less.”
Waters arrives at his projections
by computer. “The whole issue of
farmers having computers has
been blown out of proportion.
Really, its a tool for agents and
financial counselors. Of all the
work I’ve done, I’m proudest of my
work in production cost analysis,”
says Waters.
In 1968 he teamed up with Joseph
McGaben, professor of agronomy
at Penn State, to design a program
which computes the cost of corn
production. They do about 160 to
180 individual budgets a year.
“Farmers give us the data and
we calculate their costs. In 1977 I
teamed up with John Baylor
(recently retired Penn State
professor of agronomy) to devdop
a similar program for alfalfa
production. Farmers give us their
\ - -
Compare the production and
feed efficiency of the Hisex
White and Hisex Brown layers
and you won’t find any better,
anywhere. And that is a condi
tion that will continue since
Hisex research and develop
ment keeps improving the
breed.
But mere test figures don't
tell the whole story. The fact is
that good henhouse managers
can beat these figures. Hisex
field testing has proven that.
You may well obtain better feed
conversion, mortality, and
.higher production.
William K. Waters
production data, our county agents
measure yields and then the
program gives the cost of
production. I think it’s the only
alfalfa cost program in the
country.”
He’s now developing software on
the Mac and has already published
a program on calculating the
ownership and operating costs of
farm machinery. ‘‘When you’ve
been hacking away for 25 years,
it’s sometimes hard to say what’s
As in all things, you must start
with a good, basic product. The
good genes, in other words.
See for yourself. Put these
great birds to work for you soon
You’ll find their average perfor
mance produces above average
results.
For more information on our
Hisex White or Hisex Brown
layers, call (704) 528-4501 or
write
Marketing Manager, Hisex
Division of Pilch, Inc.,
Troutman, N.C 28166
Telex 57-2323 Cable PILCHCHIX
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 14,1M5-Al7
your beat work.”
Waters spend his first five years
as a county agent for the Penn
State Cooperative Extension
Service in Armstrong County.
“I’m an area agent now-hut I have
an academic appointment in the
Department of Agricultural
Economics and Rural Sociology.
There are about five of us left
under the old system.
Waters has also been a fieldman
for the Inter-State Milk Producers
and he received his bachelor’s
degree in general agriculture and
master’s degree in agricultural
economics, both from Penn State.
Has he a life outside of ex
tension? “You bettcha. Vegetable
gardening has always been a
Wheat farmers to receive
sl*s billion
WASHINGTON - Eligible
wheat farmers will receive ap
proximately $1.5 billion in
deficiency payments for the 1965
crop, a U.S. Department of
Agriculture official said.
Everett Rank, administrator of
the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation
Service, said deficiency payments
of about $l5O million and |lO
favorite of mine and I have a
•pedal internet in railroads not
model railroads I’m more in
terested in the history and
operation of old railroads. I also
like trout and bass fishing,
although I’m not into tying my own
files yet."
Waters served on the Armstrong
County Sewage Authority Board
for about 10 years and was at one
time, heavily involved in church
work. “Eight now, I’m kind of free
of community work, it comes and
goes. Now it’s nice to have some
time for my family.
He and his wife Carolyn live in
Ford City with their 12 year old
son, Bill. His older son, Tom, is a
teacher of horticulture in a vo-tech
school in Stubenville, Ohio and his
daughter, Trida, is a LPN in
Columbus, Ohio.
in payments
million, respectively, will also be
made to eligible barley and oat
producers for this year’s crops.
Rank said that about $7OO million
has already been received by
wheat producers and $63 million by
barley producers who requested
advance payments.
Deficiency payments are
required under the 1965 wheat,
barley and oat programs because
average market prices received by
farmers during the first five
months (June through October) of
the marketing year were below
established target price levels of
64.38 per bushel for wheat, $2.60
per bushel for barley, and |1.60 per
bushel for oats.
The deficiency payment rate is
based on the difference between
the established target price and
the higher of either the national
weighted average market price for
June through October or the
national established loan rate.
National weighted average
market prices for the first five
months of the 1985 marketing year
were $2.99 per bushel for wheat,
$2.00 for barley, and $1.26 for oats.
Eligible wheat producers will be
paid a deficiency payment rate of
$l.OB per bushel for their 1985 crop,
based on the difference between
the $4.38 target price and the $3.30
loan rate. The eligible barley
producers’ deficiency payment
rate will be $.52 per bushel, based
on the difference between the $2.60
target price and the $2.08 loan rate.
The eligible oat producers’
deficiency payment rate will be
$.29 per bushel, based on the dif
ference between the $1.60 target
price and the $1.31 loan rate. The
deficiency payment rates for all
three crops are the maximum
permitted by law.
Deficiency payments of $.54 per
bushel for wheat and $.22 per
bushel for barley were paid to
producers who requested an ad
vance.
Rank said final wheat, barley
and oat payments will be issued
through local ASCS offices as soon
ar ble after Dec. 10.