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)