Lyng Visits Columbia County Farmers Via Helicopter
BY HELEN KELCHNER
Columbia Co. Staff Correspondent
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture,
Richard Lyng, made a brief visit to
the Columbia County farm of
Richard Kriebel last week to talk
with farmers in what was to be a
three stop helicopter tour of the
11th Congressional District.
Accompanied by congressional
candidate, Marc Holtzman, the
two made a stop (first) at Wilkes
Barre Farmer’s Market, then
Kriebels Dairy Farm in Benton
with a final stop (which was to be)
at the Zeager farm, a meat and
vegetable producing operation at
R.D. #2, Watsontown. However,
the helicopter pilot failed to spot
the Zeager farm and the party
returned to Wilkes Barre without
landing.
The Kriebel appearance was
attended by neighboring farmers
and a bus load of F.F.A. students
from Benton School District.
Lyng was asked by a member of
the press what was accomplished
at the recent G.A.T.T. (General
Agreement of Trade and Tariff)
talks in Uruguay on behalf of the
American farmer.
He explained that two weeks
earlier he was in that country as
part of a team headed by Am
bassador Clayton Yeutter who is
also U.S. Trade Representative
and Malcome Baldridge,
Secretary of Commerce. They
joined together with delegates of 74
other countries. The purpose was
to hammer out a system for
negotiating new rules which would
have to do with access to foreign
markets and to study export
subsidies, especially those heavily
supported by certain foreign
countries. Also, the need for
standardized sanitary rules was
discussed. Lyng said, for instance,
in the export of meat from the U.S.,
one country demands one kind of
residues while another country
demands a different kind. There
was concensus that a general
harmonization must be reached.
The secretary estimated that it
would take at least two years of
negotiations for these many
countries to reach agreement. It
will then take (perhaps) another
two years to impliment the new
rules. Although the American
agricultural community won’t see
any improvement in this area
itnmediately, the American team
returned home feeling good that
finally some resolutions were on
the table for a long overdue
“overhaul” of a chaotic situation.
He added that not only the U.S.
would benefit from these revisions,
but also other world markets.
Frank Jurbala, a dairyman from
Rohrsburg asked Lyng why he was
so adamant on a milk quota system
and wouldn’t it have enhanced the
buyout?
The secretary said the quota
system was studied in Canada and
Europe where it is in practice.
Schroeder Retires From
Ag Engineering At Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Dr.
Morris E. Schroeder, professor of
agricultural engineering at The
Pennsylvania State University and
Chairman of the interdisciplinary
committee for the Mushroom
Testing Demonstration Facility
(MTDF), retired June 30 with
emeritus rank. He has served the
University for 31 years.
His primary research has been
related to agricultural systems,
engineering and energy con
servation in mushroom culture.
In the 1960 s he and other Penn
State faculty from the depart
ments of plant pathology,
agricultural economics and en
tomo 1 y begam work on the
MTD* for research,, demon
stration and development in en
They feel it takes the competition
out of the milk business. Also,
opportunity for improved
productivity is lost or greatly
reduced.
Lyng cited the peanut and
tobacco business where a quota
system was established. The cost
of production went higher and
higher and ‘all sorts’ of marketing
problems resulted.
Richard Kriebel asked what seed
program was in place for 1987?
The secretary said the program
will be exactly the same as this
current year. Although no official
announcement has been made due
to the extended session of
Congress, he hoped it would be out
within two weeks for the farmer’s
planning schedule.
He went on to explain that two
questions unanswered in the an
nouncement were “will there be
advance deficiency payments and
will additional P.I.K. diversion be
made”. Both these may depend on
the final outcome of the Gramm-
Rudman bill. Another question
was, “How long will it be before
exports increase without govern
ment involvement?”
For this inquiry, the secretary
could have used a crystal ball. He
admitted to having no definite
answer. However, he did feel that
exports would increase and U.S.
farmers would be able to compete
if they did not have to compete too
heavily with treasuries of foreign
countries. This is one area being
worked out in the G.A.T.T. talks in
Uruguay, and, he added, one of the
most important.
Lyng went on to say that he did
not want to misstate the case of
increased exports because the fact
that improved productivity
throughout many parts of the
world have created surpluses.
Unless some disaster depletes
these surpluses, this factor will
also have to be dealt with in export
competition. It has become a
reality that fewer and fewer
producers are required to supply
food. Opportunity lies with those
who are highly trained.
Dick Kriebel asked if the Farm
Credit System and the Farmers
Home Credit would ever combine.
Lyng answered that he had no
knowledge of such merger, and, in
fact, he hoped it would not. As head
of the Farm Home Credit, he didn’t
feel he wanted to be responsible for
additional lending power. The
Farm Credit System is a private
system outside government and
the Farmers Home Credit is all
government, and, he added, the
latter is in deep financial trouble.
The problem came about when
borrowers failed to repay their
loans. Comments from the
audience as well as Lyng stressed
that Farm Home Credits were
established as seed money for
farmers to get started and from
which they were to wean them
selves by a reasonable time table.
vironmental controls for
mushrooms. It was the first to use
an automatic carbon dioxide
control system. The automatic
phase II cotnrol system developed
more recently is now used by more
than half of the commercial
growers in the country.
Research, publications and
workshops by faculty working with
the MTDF have brought national
and international recognition to
Penn State in mushroom research.
Schroeder received his B.S.
degree in agricultural engineering
from Penn State and his M.S. and
Ph.D., both in agricultural
engineering from Purdue
University. He has served on a
number of University committees
including the Faculty Senate,
Secretary of A|
Kriebel last week.
This did not happen in too many
cases thereby putting the program
in financial trouble.
A final question Was asked as the
Holtzman aide pushed for keeping
to their time schedule. “What
makes your trip into the farming
community worthwhile?”
Lyng had a ready answer
because of a statement Dick
Knebel had made to him as he
entered the barn from the
helicopter.
“Kriebel told me that 20 years
ago he started out with Farmer’s
Home Administration credit. He
has graduated from that support
and has gone on to establish a
farming operation that included
350 acres with 140 head of dairy
cattle.”
The secretary said it’s this kind
of satisfaction that makes such
trips worthwhile.
After a short 45 minutes, Lyng
made a quick look into the dairy
bam and was then whisked off to a
waiting helicopter.
For many in the audience, the
meeting was far too short. Many
questions remain unanswered and
those that were answered seemed
too hurried for satisfaction of the
farming community.
Since Secretary Lyng is a
California farmer, one farmer felt
he did not understand the Penn
sylvania farmer and the diver
sification going on in the Keystone
state.
received a National Science
Foundation Science Faculty
Fellowship, and has participated
in international conferences on
mushroom culture.
Schroeder is a member of the
American Society of Agricultural
Engineers, the American
Mushroom Institute and the
Operations Research Society of
America.
He and his wife, Helen, are the
parents of four Penn Staters:
Gary, who received a B.S. in plant
science and an M.S. in plant
pathology; Joyce, who received a
B.S. in electrical engineering;
Glenn, who received a B.S. in in
dustrial engineering, and Lisa,
who is a junior in communications.
ulture Richard Lyng visited the Columbia County farm of Richard
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