VOL. 33 NO. 26 Briefing Shows Decoupling Not Dead BY KATHY E. GILL Special to Lancaster Farming WASHINGTON, DC As Washington policymaker thoughts turn to the 1990 farm bill, one issue stands out: decoupling is not dead. The concept of separating pro ducer income support from farm production decisions was intro duced by Sen. Rudy Boscwitz (R-MN) during the 1985 farm bill debate. And the concept has gained Reagan Administration support in the current negotiations on the General Agreement on Tar riffs and Trade (GATT). A recent public briefing here, sponsored by the National Center for Food and Ag Policy and the lowa State University Center for Agricultural and Rural Develop ment, demonstrated that decou pling is riding the first wave of debate on the 1990 farm bill. Ed Rossmiller, director of the National Center, suggested that agricultural issues will be highly visible over the next two years. Congress must deal with multila teral trade negotiations on agricul ture in the GATT, an external (Turn to Pago A 27) Johnes: Dairy Farmers Beware BY PAT PURCELL Editor’s Note: This is the fourth and final article in the series on the Johnes disease. LITITZ (Lancaster) Eco nomic disaster follows in the foot steps of Johnes disease. The loss to Pennsylvania dairy farmers is more than $5.5 million annually according to the study conducted by teams of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Penn State University. That is a conservative figure. BY EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor LITITZ (Lancaster)— Fanners often segmentalize themselves. “Proud to be a farmer” breaks down into a more comfortable expression that includes the type of farmer talking. Beef farmer. Dairy Editor: Why I am going to vote “no” on the beef referendum: 1. The checkoff has been in operation two years without referendum and forced upon us unconstitutionally. 2. It has not proven any real results so far. Expats and promo ters admit this. See Houser page A 25 Five Sections On the Nolt Farm located on Route 772 from LHltz to Manhelm (Lancaster), they used the good weather wisely in the earlier part of the week before the rains came. m*ASSS*s the state, 3&percent of the Pennsylvania crop and weather reporters satd that **- tepsottmoisidiywasshort, & percent said adequate, and five percent said they had a surplus of moisture as of the beginning of May. The state’s spring plowing was 75 percent completed, ahead of last year at the time when 66 percent was complete. Com throughout the state was 14 percent planted, about the same as last year. Potato plantings were about 58 percent complete. And 91 percent of the barley was In pre-boot stage of development while nine percent was in the boot stage. according to Dr. Robert Whitlock. Whitlock of New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania has headed the Johnes research at New Bolton and is well-known through out the nation for his Johnes research. The figure would be astronimical if loss of genetic potential, costs of increase suscep tibility to other diseases and veter inary costs were included. Johnes research at the New Bol ton Center was initiated through a request from the Pennsylvania Beef Ballots To Talk On Tuesday farmer. Or veal farmer. But there’s no room for segmentalizadon in the beef referendum. Everyone’s in this one together, “for better or for worse” you might say. Of course many different viewpoints have been expressed to this editor over the last several montlft. Articles and editorials Editor: Why don’t you get a write-up in your paper about how good the $lOO check-off is. We buy a few calves on this farm every year to grow out for beef. Since the check-off, we get $5OO plus when wc sell these for beef. Before the check-off they See Buttcrholf page A 25 Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 7, 1988 Slate Grange four years ago. Farmers feel helpless against this silent killer of dairy animals and other ruminants. They look to the Bureau of Animal Industry to impose mandatory testing and to stop the either innocent or not-so innocent selling of Johnes-infected dairy animals to other dairymen. And that, BAI officials say, is not so easily done. ‘The dairy farmers have every right to look to the Bureau of Airi (Turn to Pag* A2S) passed or failed according to this viewpoint But after all the suppor tive reports and endorsements by practically every fanner organiza tion and many government offi- ' dais, more grassroots farmers have talked negatively about the checkoff this week than ever before. (Grassroots defined as far- FARM FORUM our readers write Editor: The people who set up the rules for the beef promotion say every body pays $1 per head regardless of size, if it be a 60 lb. calf or a 1600 lb. bulh They don’t care on the amount of money received per head. If I buy a dairy-beef cross calf at Se« Lilly page A 25 50* Per Copy At the legislative dinner, Pennsylvania State Grange Mas ter Charles Wismer, Jr. presents citations to (from left) BUI Irwin, Mitchell Blouse and Ron Shaffer for their efforts in starting new granges throughout the state. mers with almost no farm organi zation affiliation, or leadership position in farm causes.) One Lancaster County fanner called and said he was not a public person, and was also advised that to speak out would cause him to make enemies. So he asked not to be identified. But he said he and Editor: I am writing to remind all beef producers about what could be the most important election they vote in this year. Not, the presidential election or last week’s primary, but.the May 10 referendum on the future of the Beef Checkoff, ipvery dairy, beef or veal pro- See SUmbaugh paga AM $lO.OO Ptr Year Grange Week Celebration Honors State Legislators BY PAT PURCELL HARRISBURG (Dauphin) Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Agri culture Boyd Wolff congratulated grange members for having more support of grange in their state than any other state in the nation in pre senting to Grange Master Charles Wismer, Jr. the Governor’s signed proclamation to kick-off grange week at Monday’s celebration held at the Penn Harris Convention Center in Camp Hill. Although Grange Week actually began last week, the state primary election forced the kick-off celeb ration to be held a week late. Wolff took the opportunity to encourage members to support tax reform movement to decrease real estate taxes for farmers throughout the state. Many of the state’s legislators were guests at Monday evening’s dinner in the grand ballroom. Wis mer expressed the grange’s appre ciation to those members of state government for supporting the organizations legislative goals. At the&hner, Wismer announced that the Coyote Indemnification Law had passed the house just that day. “This bill which may be signed (Turn to Pag* ASS) his brothers, who have sizable beef operations, don’t have good feel ings about government control in the referendum. He rebutted an official who had spoken last week in Lancaster Fanning and said the program was farmer controlled. “If it is farmer- (Turn to Pago *26) Editor: I am writing to clear up a mis understanding which was evident in Mrs. Redman’s recent letter about beef checkoff refunds. Mrs. Redman said that she had not yet received a refund requested in Febmary, While we have received Set CotamWl page A2S
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers