A24-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 2,1987
Preserve Restrictions
(Continued from Page Al)
that will continue in agriculture is
in the eastern part of the county
where Amish and old order
Mennonite farmers have pushed
the average price for an acre of
farm land to |5,229.
Amos Funk, chairman of the
preserve board, said that the
report shows that as ag preser
vationists, we have been active to
preserve ag land from develop
ment pressure. What we now see is
that when that is done, zoning and
deed restrictions do not reduce the
price of farm land. If we’re to try
to work ag preservation and active
growth areas around the
metropolitan areas, then there
would be a major difference. Farm
land protected by what the
preserve board considers affective
agricultural zoning sold for an
average $3,523 per acre. One dollar
above the average for all farm
land.
With the report, Musselman says
the job of preserving farm land
may be a little easier than many
people thought. “It’s now shown
that to make a commitment by an
individual land owner for
restrictions or allowing their land
to be included in a protected area
does not significantly reduce the
farm land values for fanning. That
was one of the greatest concerns of
BY ARDEN TEWKSBURY
Member Penna. R.C.M.A.
Steering Committee
After two and % years of hard
work by scores of volunteer farm
ers and after hundreds of meetings
across the North Eastern part of
the United States; it now appears
the Regional Co-operative
Marketing Agency (R.C.M.A.) is
zeroing in on their goal of signing
up 95% of all dairy farmers on the
East Coast.
Once a sufficient percentage of
dairy farmers are brought into the
fold, then R.C.M.A. will be able to
proceed with bargaining for higher
prices on fluid milk for all
R.C.M.A. members.
It appears that all the States
involved with the R.C.M.A.
program has attained a sufficient
Maryland-Delaware Brown Swiss Assoc . Elect Officers
Newly elected officers of the Maryland-Delaware Brown Swiss Association are: from
left, Curtis Baughman, vice president; Richard Black, treasurer; Madeline Valentine,
secretary; George Bassier, president; Lee Bassler, director; Webber Bell, director; and
Arthur Litton, director.
a lot of land owners who were
considering preserving their land
for agriculture. The signs are
positive in these farm land value
comparisons that the market place
recognizes the value of ag land that
is protected for the long term. The
combination of comprehensive
planning at the municipal and
county level, effective ag zoning,
ag preserves and permanent deed
restrictions are all starting to have
an affect on guiding growth and
development. The growth is more
and more concentrated into areas
where it’s planned for and where it
can be best accommodated,”
Musselmansaid.
“I believe in addition to all these
individual features there is a
psychological factor in the market
place. Developers are less and less
willing to go out and buy a farm in
a good farm area at a public
auction. We have now found
several farms sold farmer to in
vestor that are just setting there
for long-term or are being returned
from investor to farmer. In ad
dition, the water-quality factor has
also entered the picture,”
Musselman said. “With DER the
crackdown on massive sub
divisions with septic systems has
reduced interest in farm land
areas not able to accommodate the
added possible water-quality
problem.”
RCMA Becomes A Reality
percentage of dairy farmers
signed up except Pennsylvania.
What a disappointment it will be if
nearly 35,000 dairy farmers are
denied the chance to recoup some
of their declining milk prices
simply because we fail to sign up
the remaining 1700 independent
dairy farmers in Pennsylvania
that are needed to achieve
R.C.M.A. goals.
Some of us attended an R.C.M.A.
meeting in Albany, New York
during February of 1985. At this
meeting the new program of
R.C.M.A. was explained to the
major farm leaders from the
Northeast.
As a result of the Albany meeting
the Pa. Farmers Union and the Pa.
State Grange immediately started
Background
Lancaster County
FARM SALES
Average Price per Acre By Region
13018/ac
Note: Other Planned Growth Areas
arc not crapped
because they ate scattered
Average Price - $6066/ac
explaining the R.C.M.A. concept to
the major farm papers in Penn
sylvania.
Information meetings were held
in many of the counties in Penna.
explaining the program. While
many of the dairy farmers sup
ported the R.C.M.A. approach
many farmers appeared to be
hesitant to sign a contract, because
not all general farm organizations
were publicly endorsing R.C.M.A.,
and some of the major Dairy Co
operatives were not members at
that time.
Needless to say, precious time
was lost due to the lack of some
organizations support.
However, by July, 1986 all farm
organizations in Penna. were
supporting R.C.M.A. and all the
major dairy co-operatives were
1984-1986
Western
(24 sales)
messier Melropolllai
Southwestern
$3017/ac
j3l sales)
members of the bargaining
agency.
At the same time a six man
steering committee was appointed
to direct the “R.C.M.A. sign up” in
Penna.
Harold Wolfe of Centre Hill joins
me in representing Pa. Farmers
Union, Karl Kroeck of Knoxville
and Carl Brown of Pine Grove
represented the Pa. Farmers
Association. Robert Pardoe of
Milton and Edwin Kremer
represented the Pa. State Grange.
In November of 1986 Donald
Duncan of Berks County replaced
Mr. Kremer.
As R.C.M.A. expanded into
additional counties three more
dairy farmers were added to the
steering committee. Ken Mumn
ford, from Franklin County was
appointed by P.F.A., Willis
Greaser by P.F.U. from Blair
County and the State Grange
appointed Horace Prange from
Cochranville, PA.
All of these dairymen deserve
much credit for their efforts up to
this point.
However, the real credit for
signing up the independent
producers belong to the scores of
volunteer dairy farmers working
in all of our counties. Without their
efforts the R.C.M.A. program
would still be in the talking stage.
However, even with all the ef
forts by so many people we still
need hundreds of independent
producers signed up with R.C.M.A.
All Dairy Farmers
Being Called To Help
It is now evident that we need all
interested dairy fanners; Co-op
dairy men and Non Co-op dairy
farmers to work on the project.
The Pa. Steering Committee of
R.C.M.A. is asking all dairy farm
ers to become involved in this
project.»
If you are a member of R.C.M.A.
then you should be actively talking
to your neighbors about R.C.M.A.
You, the dairy farmers, should
be explaining to your neighbors
that there are no dues in R.C.M.A.
Explain to your fellow dairy
farmers that the By-Laws of
R.C.M.A. prevents any assessment
on either dairy farmers or dairy
co-operatives.
Explain to them that R.C.M.A.
Northern
»4036/ac
<32 sales)
Growth Area
17550/ac
(22 sales)
Eastern
55229/ac
(23 sales)
Solanco
$3183/ac
(4$ sales)
has no intention of marketing one
pound of milk and every dairyman
will have the responsibility to
market their milk through their
own handlers.
Two Cardinal Rules
Everyone must understand that
R.C.M.A. has two cardinal rules.
1. Every fluid milk handler will
be charged the same over order
price.
2. Every dairy farmer belonging
to R.C.M.A. will receive the same
premium price.
Time Is Of Essence
Time is running out on us in
Penna.; we must immediately
accelerate our efforts if we are
going to obtain a realistic price for
our milk.
While R.C.M.A. has not an
nounced when they will start
setting over order prices, I can
envision this being done by
R.C.M.A.’s Board by July of 1987.
It appears to me the net gross
blend price paid to Order 2 dairy
farmers for the month of July, 1987
will be about even with the July,
1986 price.
The price gains we realized in
the fall of 1986 and the winter of
1987; (basically as a result of the
whole herd buyout program) have
now vanished because of lower
Class prices on all milk.
In July of 1981 area dairy farm
ers received $13.33 per cwt. for
their milk. Years later our net
gross price will be nearly $2.00 per
cwt. less than 1981. Is it any
wonder that more dairy farmers
are being forced out of business?
Enough Is Enough
I think it’s time for all dairy
farmers and farm organizations to
say “Enough, Enough”.
During the last six years the
average dairy farmer has paid
over $lO,OOO in government
assessments or higher trans
portation cost to solve the “milk
problem”. Dairy farmers reward
for all of these payments is a 20%
reduction in his blend and prices.
It's time we as dairy farmers
take hold of the reins of our
destiny. It’s we all get behind the
efforts of R.C.M.A. Remember,
“Enough is Enough.”
Contact Any Of The Following:
Pa. Farmers Union 1-800-932-4629;
Pa. State Grange 1-800-242-9661;
Pa. Farmers Association 717-761-
2740; Ed Anna - R.C.M.A. 716-344-
1463; Harold Ely - Pa. Coordinator
R.C.M.A. 717-278-1259.