VOL 33 NO. 25 Beef Referendum Spokesmen Give Views BY EVERETT NEWBWANGER Managing Editor LITITZ (Lancaster) — Two spokesmen for the Beef Referen dum this week gave supporting views an*Labuttals to opposing points thai hiipbeen raised- espe i laljy in the tteiry industry. They a'-e'John Cop 6, Grantham, a Cum berland County dairyman, and William McCoy, a Lancaster cattleman. While much of the opposing dis cussion has centered around the claims of unfairness in the dairy jnd veal part of thecheckoff. Cope said the tremendous surge in die cull cow markets have added $250-$3OO in value to breeding animals. In addition, the dairyman has had a tremendous incentive to cull dairy cows to help with the surplus milk problem. “Nothing will induce the farmer mote to remove borderline or mar ginal cows or to improve titc poe tics in his herd than a dtp Cow "price of $BOO-$900,” CqpuMjd. “The issue is not the one debar William McCoy (left), Lancaster cattleman, and John Cope, Cumberland County dairyman, discuss the positive aspects of the Beef Referendum to be held on May 10. Johnes: Raises More Questions For Southern Lancaster Dairymen BY PAT PURCELL HENSEL (LANCASTER CO.) Johnes has taken 20 dairy ani mals from Paul Trimble’s Jersey farm in southern Lancaster County since August 1985. Neither Trimble nor his veterinarian know how or when Johnes infiltrated this 100-head milking herd of mostly registered Jerseys. “I have sent to the slaughter house 20 animals and how it ever got into my herd, I have no idea. I just don’t know?” said Trimble. Johnes disease is caused by a bacterium related to the human tuberculosis organism. It is not new. The Johnes organism was first isolated in 1895. Extensive surveys that document the inci dence of Johne’s on a national i basis were begun in July of 1983. 1 Experts in Johne’s research esti- Five Sections checkoff cost, but what is the dol lar doing at the slaughter market And dairymen are not relating the checkoff to this fact.” In the veal calf market, some dairymen and industry people have questioned the fairness of the same one dollar checkoff on a calf as on Beef Votes May Be Disqualified HARRISBURG (Dauphin)— A large number of absentee ballots that have already been cast in the Beef Referendum will be disquali fied; according to Kadiy Gill, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Beef Checkoff campaign committee. An “unfortunate tedtecality” has caused many educated and well-read people to overlook the requirement that the voter’s signature must be on the outside of the referendum envelope as well as on the ballot. The voters these unsigned envelopes will not be counted. “Unless you have signed the outside of the absentee ballot enve lope, you have not voted,” Gill said. “The instructions to sign the envelope are on the ballot form, but it’s easy to overlook.” Gill reports that in some areas of the country up to 30 percent of the absentee ballots will not count because of this discrepancy. But at least at the Lancaster Extension office all absentee ballots and enve lopes have been properly signed. However, if an eligible producer anywhere in the country did not sign the referendum envelope, a vote htnerSOiHh* MuyTOpthe producer’s county extension office is still mate that between 15 and 35 per cent of dairy herds across the coun try probably have one or more ani mals infected with Johnes. The disease is mostly transmit ted vertically, from dam to daught er. The newborn calf nurses from the mother and may ingest some Junior Holstein Member Named STATE COL LEGE (Centre) — The Pennsylvania Holstein Associa tion announced this week that Irene Benner, Millerstown (Per- ry), has been named a National Semi-Finalist in the Holstein Association Distinguished Junior Member Contest. Irene was Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 30, 1988 a 1200-pound steer. But Cope says in veal we are seeing a splendid example of a market-driven com modity, as a result of promotion made possible by the checkoff. “We’re getting two and a half times the price for our calves on (Turn to Pag* Al 9) Poultry Salmonella Discussed BY LOU ANN GOOD LANCASTER —‘County home economic teachers got the latest update on eradicating egg conta mination when the Poultry Associ ation hosted a banquet on Monday night at the Farm and Home Cen ter. President of the Association, Robert Zimmerman, said the din ner is given annually to the teach ers in appreciation for their work in educating students about nutrition and food safety. Dr. Moms Mast, professor of , (Turn to Page A 25) contaminated manure. That micro organism which enters the calf’s digestive system, attaches itself to the lining of the bowel. This prohi bits any absorption of nutrients. “I have seen herds closed for, 10-15 years and Johnes still sur- (Turn to Pag* A 32) selected as a Pennsylvania Distin guished Junior Member last Febru ary and had her application sub mitted for the National Contest. Irene has been an active Junior Holstein member, serving as Sec retary, Treasurer and presently as President of the PA Junior Hols tein Association. She has partici pated in the Dairy Bowl Contest, including two trips to the National (Turn to Pag# A3l) 50c Per Copy Teresa Martin, Pennsylvania Petrtliy Queen, snares a moment with Tony Bennett after Federation Concert Thurs day evening. Poultry Industry Supports Federation With Banquet BY EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor HERSHEY (Dauphin)— The grand social of the year for the Pennsylvania Poultry Industry attracted more than 1,800 particip ants into the ballroom here at the Convention Cepler. The event: The 1988 Annual Fundraising Marshall Hamilton, herd manager at Bittersweet Farms, approaches a young Salers bull calf, while a bull several months older watches with Interest. Breeding Champions At Bittersweet Farms BY LISA RISSER DOE RUN (Chester) In the softly rolling hills of southern Chester County, a new breed of cattle has arrived. Long and straight of back and lean of hip, the chesnut Salers (Sah-lers') cattle call Bittersweet Farms home. The 140-acre farm is owned by Diane deN Maara, who has spent , $lO.OO Per Year Poul try federation at STOO per plate. And the ballroom attraction— Tony Bennett In a few remarks of welcome after dinner. Federation Board Chairman, Bill Schlotterbeck, left no doubt that the event was held to make money to operate the federa (Turn to Page A 23) 12 years building it into a top notch breeding farm for Thorough breds and, for the past four years. Salers. Bittersweet’s competent Salers herd manager is Marshall Hamilton. Maara decided to enter the cattle business primarily to put to use back acreage on the farm that was (Turn to Pago A2O)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers