A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 14, 1987
Eastern
(Continued from Page A 1)
Laveme also is a director of the
National Milk Producers Federa
tion that sees more advertising as
an answer to surpluses, not another
cut in price supports.
NMPF recommends a 10 cent
increase in advertising
assessments.
That’s certainly better than a 50
cent cut in dairy supports, McCar
ty agrees, but suggesting any
increase in assessments doesn’t
come to easy to McCarty.
Laveme learned the economics
of farming the hard way in the
19505. A Korean War veteran he
earned $25 a week as a hired man,
and he was married to boot.
“We had a house and milk,” his
wife Dora smiles, thinking back to
the early 19505. “Later the owner,
Carl Molyneux, gave us a chance
to buy into the farm.”
“We were luck,” Laveme agree
s. “Farm prices were still low and
we were able to swing it”
By 1957, they had bought the
farm lock, stock and 28-stanchion
bam.
Laveme and Dora have four
children. Two daughters live in
Reading. Celia is married and an
attorney. Darcy is a computer
operator with Reading Steel. Two
sons, Tracy and Brian, are home.
Today, McCarty and the boys
milk 85 registered Holsteins and
ship 1,200,000 pounds a year. Tra
cy is a partner. Brian is thinking
that way.
Advertising assessment now
costs the partners $lBOO annually.
Another 10 cents would add
$l2OO.
Lavemc is a believer.
Any plans for more cows?
“We’re standing pat But we
might add sheep,” the older
McCarty suggests. Tracy has 150
crossbred Columbia ewes on a sec
ond farm which he owns, and he’s
shooting for 200.
The last big herd expansion was
in 1979 when Laveme and Tracy
hired a contractor to add a 110-foot
shed to the bam for two more rows
of comfort stalls.
“A month after the addition was
built we had a four foot snow. The
roof collapsed. Fortunately most
of the 40 cows in the addition were
lying down. Only one was lost. If
we’d been milking we’d been
killed. It was that sudden.”
The new roof went up twice as
strong.
Big snows are no surprise for
this northern Pennsylvania county
with its picturesque mountains and
forests. What is a surprise is the
300 acres of bottomland the
McCartys own and rent along the
Loyalsock Creek.
One 100 acre field right below
the bam is a mile long and as flat as
a pancake.
“Com yields of 125 to 150
bushels aren’t unusual,” son Tracy
says.
“I placed third in the state one
year,” Laveme recalls. He checks
the plaque. “157 bushels in 1963.”
The season is longer than one
might suspect for a farm located a
38 miles uphill climb from
Williamsport.
“We grow 90-day com for mil
age, and 110-day for picking,”
Tracy reports. -
“We have surplus problem up
here - deer,” Laveme reports.
President
“This year they completely
destroyed 39 acres of com.”
The McCartys fill a 16 by 60
foot upright with high moisture ear
com. Com silage goes in a 14 by 32
by 100 foot trench.
Alfalfa does just about as well as
com. First cutting fills a 18 by 60
foot silo. Then the farm team bales
approximately three tons an acre in
later cuttings.
“I wouldn’t build another silo if
I was starting now,” Laveme
comments.
Pasture is important here, too.
Com stubble is seeded to rye and
give cows a two week jump on pas
ture each spring. Sudan sorghum
seedings take care of summer
slump.
But back to advertising and
promotion.
“I’m encouraged by our
increased dairy sales. With a big
ger effort they should keep going
up,” he says looking out at his
herd.
Then he adds - “It’s more of an
answer than depending on govern
ment for help.”
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Laverne McCarty checks out Saranac alfalfa grown along the Loyalsock Creek In
Sullivan County. He once was hired man on farm he now owns and operates with his
wife and two boys.
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