Dairy panel stresses marketing (Continued from Page A2B) food; we need to capitalize on it.” She also said there is a great need for “more innovative packaging to enhance the appearance and to increase sales.” Although it drew laughs when she said it, Minor was serious when she proposed, “America needs some cheese with snob appeal.” She said that with cheese utilizing 30 percent of .the fluid milk market, it is an important part of A Cut Above The Rest “The more alfalfa we can get, well, that's just more milk," states dairy farmer and alfalfa grower, Jay Good of Canton, Pa. "I'm going to plant more Cimarron alfalfa this spring because it grows faster and gives us more tonnage than the other varieties we have planted. We get more cuttings of Cimarron here in the hills of Bradford County than with the other varieties. Our first Cimarron, planted at least three years ago, still gives three or four cuttings a year." "We don’t have river flat ground either, so it must be hardy - it takes our winters. Cimarron doesn’t seem to get the root rot that kills out alfalfa in this area. We try to lime and put 0-10-40 fertilizer with Boron on our alfalfa - and it does pay." Jay has already ordered the Cimarron he needs to plant with this spring from Longenecker's Agronomy at Columbia Crossroads, Pa. See your Seedway Dealer soon! Seedway Recommends “Nestor” Tetraploid Perennial Ryegrass for Growers Using Alfalfa-Ryegrass Mixtures. vfWK r«iiiiiffF< mmmtm mmmfttim* " i**mmmn% Morßed % BIG CLOVER YIELDS /r /" Distributed By: Qh9E^VUW^ marketing efforts. She said people are interested in cheeses because they have no additives and no presevatives. Nevertheless, she has found in their store, there is a market for imported cheeses. Minor said, “Not all changes are bad. If we love the farm and this way of life, and look at it as something to cherish, we must be willing to change. Farming is more than an affair of the heart - it is a business first and foremost. ’ ’ Cimarron ...Distributed By: must work more closely together, she said. “If we join forces we Minor called on farmers to be could do a lot more,” she added, willing to diversify it that’s what it Dairies and cooperatives should takes to stay in business. “You also work together more openly must be ready to find a market and and cooperatively, she noted, develop it for all its worth,” she Minor concluded, “Farmers are added. giving a lot; I would like other Most importantly, Minor said, segments to give more.” “We must work more closely Hand agreed) noting in Ws together. She called for more presentation, “There is a need for cooperation and communication greater unity, and cooperative among the 89 promotional units participation will be required.” operating throughout the country. Hand, an economist, predicted Even local promotional groups there will be 50 percent fewer JAY GOOD ★ Combined resistance to both Northern and Southern Anthracnose ★ High resistance to powdery mildew ★ improved winterhardiness ★ Vigorous growth and quick recovery ★ Seeding versatility PP WiPOw PWfwi WfCw *oi*.miT4o2 Jtejjgs" ***» Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 22,1986-A29 dairy farmers within the next 15 years. Moore, also director of Farm Credit, concurred, although he feels the drastic reduction will take place within the next 10 years. Hand said, “I feel sure we will have an adequate supply of milk with 50 percent fewer farmers. ’ ’ Concern was expressed for the future of those dairymen who go out of business, and Moore said, “The University needs programs to train the people we need in agriculture.” He suggested that farmers could be trained for other support work, marketing and lobbying since politics seems to play a more and more important role all the time. He said leadership will be needed to help match up human resources with different job opportunities. He said, “Farmers need better control of our own production. Milk should not be produced that doesn’t have a market.” When questioned later, Moore said he was not suggesting quotas, but simply suggesting that markets must be found. He said he would like to see every dairyman belong to an organization that would market his milk effectively. Moore said he sees a trend away from the middle, with “no such thing as an average farmer.” He foresees a big need for capital in the agricultural industry to fund new technologies and “super" farms. Moore predicted that there will be less equity capital in agriculture, with farmers having to borrow larger sums than ever. He suggested that manufac turing facilities need to be moved closer to the markets. This, he said, is one of the benefits to Pennsylvania dairymen. He ad ded, “We can’t expect the government to buy up the excess products.” Hand stated, “The great challenge is that we have the capacity to produce more than the consumer is willing to buy at current prices.” Hand said the technologies are already in place which will improve not only production per cow, but also production per farm. These new technologies in areas like genetics and feed additives have the capability of increasing production by 15 percent. But even without these new strides, Hand says production will increase two to three percent a year. In questions, there was much interest in the dairy herd buyout program, which Hand termed a “short term fix. It is a temporary solution to eliminate the surplus. For the longer term we will see lower prices for dairy farmers. ’ ’ Hand also said he thinks the first round of bids will not result in half the milk being purchased, which means there will be a second op portunity for bidding. He said less than one percent of Interstate members submitted bids for under $lO.OO and less thna two percent submitted bids under $15.00. He also noted that in other areas of the country more farmers submitted bids than in Pennsylvania. Fink said he believes we will continue to have a strong dairy industry, but added, “The future will belong to those who are able to adapt to changes and technology and consumer demands.” ZELLER ENVIRONMENTAL PEST CONTROL SERVICE ElizabethvUle, PA Serving all of agricultural, residential and commercial needs for pest control. No job too large or too small. Reasonable Rates Prompt, Efficient Service. Toll Free In PA 1-800-551-3964 Local Dialing 717-362-3860
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers