VOL. 31 No. 52 Inter-State, Lehigh Approve Merger SOUTHAMPTON - The Inter- State Milk Producers’ Cooperative and Lehigh Valley Farmers boards of directors have approved plans to merge the two cooperatives to form “Atlantic Dairy Cooperative.” Inter-State president Robert B. McSparran, left, and Lehigh president Alpheus Ruth give the "go” to a proposal to merge the two cooperatives. Auctions Beef About Checkoff Program BY JACK HUBLEY LANCASTER - With a month’s worth of the beef checkoff program under their belts, livestock auc tions are bracing themselves for the second wave of paperwork with the startup of the national pork checkoff today. Both programs are mandated by farm bill ’B5, and both are producer financed. The two differ somewhat in their per-head assessments and their im plementation. While the beef checkoff is a standard sl-per-head fee, pork producers will be con tributing one-quarter of one per cent on the gross amount received from all hogs sold. Beef funds are collected by the state beef councils and 50 percent of the money is sent to the national Farmers Tour Local Businesses BY EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor I.ANCASTER - This year the farmers visited ag-related businesses on the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and In dustry Tour sponsored by their ag committee. Often the community is invited to take a tour to the farm. But on Thursday morning more than 50 people left the Farm and Home Center on a bus headed for Lancaster Laboratories, Inc., on New Holland Pike and Victor Weaver, Inc., in New Holland. At Lancaster Labs, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hess, founder of the growing testing laboratory, hosted and welcomed the group. Hess said the response to the chamber tour showed the kind of commonality that business and fat ming have in this area. T.e firm was started 25 \cars Four Sections Boards Unanimous; Members To Vote This Month The proposal to merge was unanimously endorsed by both boards of directors at a joint meeting on Oct. 22. The plan now awaits final vote by the mem bership of both cooperatives. If approved, the merger would Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. The National Pork Board will be collecting all pork checkoff monies and refun ding a percentage to the state pork councils based on the number of head they market. The more hogs a state produces, the lower their return percentage will be. Both programs offer refunds to producers not wishing to par ticipate. Whether or not beef producers receive their refunds is contingent upon the outcome of a producer referendum to be held after the program has been in force for 22 months. On the other hand, pork producer refund requests will be honored regar dless of the outcome of a pork referendum. The pork referendum must be held within 24 to 30 months ago as a place for “a chemist in private practice,” Hess said. “Our business grew out of my farm background experience and allowed us to start small and grow with a family type operation much like farmers do. Even now with 185 employees, we consider ourselves an extended family. Though I must admit, it gets harder to know everybody personally as the employee number grows.” Hess listed several business principles he thinks are very important. 1. Delivery a high quality product with a personal touch 2. Know what your product imput costs are and make a reasonable profit. Only with a profitable business can you expect to grow. 3 Make no compromise on in tegrity and honesty when dealing 'Turn to PageA32) Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 1,1986 become effective Feb. 1,1987. In announcing their plans, Inter- State and Lehigh report a mutual benefit for all members. Atlantic Dairy Cooperative, they contend, will achieve greater operating savings and increased marketing efficiency. The result will be a higher return to members. “The merger proposal offers many advantages to both Inter- State and Lehigh members,” said Alpheus Ruth, Lehigh president. “The most important are the savings and efficiency resulting from a closer working relation ship.” According to initial estimates, Atlantic Dairy Cooperative will realize annual operating savings of nearly $1 million as a direct result of the Inter-State-Lehigh merger. This is achieved by streamlining marketing and transportation programs. “The merger plan focuses on the market and production strengths of each cooperative,” said Inter- State president Robert B. Mc- Sparran. “It places us, as Atlantic Dairy Cooperative, in a stronger, more competitive position in the marketplace.” from the program’s Nov. 1 startup date. Both programs are grounded in the premise that more dollars for promotion means greater con sumer demand, which in turn leads to higher red meat prices. While the farming community seems ripe to embrace the concept, its birth has proven to be a bit painful, particularly for the auction houses charged with collecting the funds from livestock sellers. “All these programs are putting a tremendous burden on the auctions,” says Jim DeGaetano, president of Carlisle Livestock Market, and past president of the Pennsylvania Livestock Association. “The thing I resent is that they come up with these programs and then they expect the auction barns to do all the work.” DeGaetano is particularly miffed about a form called the “Certificate of Non-Producer Status.” The form’s purpose is to avoid reassessing cattle that are being resold within 10 days of the first purchase. “The form is very poorly writ ten,” DeGaetano says, pointing out that the document should be simplified. There also seems to be a distribution problem, he says. "If the sellers have an exemption certificate, they don’t have to pay again, but the sellers aren’t getting these forms.” Another bone of contention seems to be the beef checkoff’s per-head charge. “I think it’s way too high on those calves,” says DeGaetano. Illustrating his point, he notes that an average 60-pound veal calf may bring 30 cents a pound for a total of $lB. Of that (Turn to Raise A3B) Under the proposal: • Atlantic Dairy Cooperative will be headquartered at Southampton, where Inter-State is currently located. • Cooperative dues will be 12 cents per hundredweight. • The capital retain program Don't Miss This Tax Meeting LANCASTER - Penn State management and tax specialists will explain the many changes in the tax law during an Extension sponsored meeting at the Lan caster County Farm and Home Center Auditorium Nov. 24. Dr. Larry Jenkins and Jesse Cooper will give a comprehensive review of provisions in the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The review will include a discussion on the key points of the tax law that will affect Charles E. Wismer was re-elected master of the Penn sylvania State Grange in Reading this week. Wismer Re-elected State Grange Master BY EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor READING At the four-day Pennsylvania State Grange con vention here this week, Charles E. Wismer, Jr., was re-elected for a two-year term as master of the State Grange. Wismer was first elected master in 1979 and re elected in 1980, 1982 and again in 1984 to two-year terms. He has been active on the local, county and state levels of the Grange for more than 30 years. Wismer's efforts on behalf of the State Grange, first as legislative chairman then as master, were largely responsible for many legislative victories for the Penn sylvania farmers. During his term as master Wismer has also m- Toduced many new services into $8.50 per Year will be ended for all Atlantic members who have over four years of membership in either Inter-State, Lehigh or Atlantic. • All Atlantic equities will be placed on a five-year revolving plan. Former Inter-State and (Turn to PageAl7) farmers, small businesses and individuals The discussion will cover the loss of investment credit and Capital Gain Treatment, and the new rules on depreciation The information provided in this meeting could help you make some tax saving adjustments before you close your books for the year. Mark the date on your calendar now and invite your tax consultant to attend the program with you. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. the Grange such as a food cooperative, a credit union and an insurance program. Wismer is a dairy farmer in Montgomery County. One 01 the featured speakers at the Grange meeting was Secretary of Agriculture Richard E. Grubb. Secretary Grubb used the occasion to announce a major initiative by the Pennsylvania State Depart ment to promote export sales of Pennsylvania food products in European markets. Grubb said the Department of Agriculture will lead nine Pennsylvania food companies to Berlin in January to participate in International Green Week. ' Pennsylvania foods >■ <.l be displayed to a half million oMtors T ..rn to Page A39'