1 ft ill
v if iWill ■■
VOL. 33 No. 44
Lancaster Farm Production Value Down $lO Million
BY LISA RISSER
LANCASTER Lancaster
County farmers saw a $lO-million
decrease in the value of their pro
ducts last year, according to a
study conducted by Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture.
The decline, fueled by a drop in
numbers and in value of the coun
ty’s livestock industry, was offset
somewhat by an increase in the
value of last year’s crops, which
brought larmcrs almost SI 12
million.
The report, which is compiled
by the Crop Reporting Service,
indicated that the total value for
Lancaster County agricultural pro
ducts was 5686.8 million. Of that,
$111.7 million was from crops and
$575.1 was from livestock and
poultry. The dollar value of farm
PennAg Names
Furcell “Ag
Journalist 99
EPHRATA (Lancaster)
PennAg Industries Association, a
Pennsylvania ag-business trade
association, has announced that
Pat Purcell, writer for Lancaster
Farming, has been named “Ag
Journalist of the Year”.
The contest is sponsored to
promote excellence m agricultural
writing and is awarded to the jour
nalist who best exemplifies consis
tent quality in writing. The contest
is held in conjunction with Penn-
Ag’s annual convention.
(Turn to P«fl« A 37)
Morris Is Guest Of Honor
Shrine Names Honorees
To Receive Awards At
All American Sept. 26-30
John Morris, longtime Mary
land Extension Dairy Specialist,
will be recognized as Guest of
Honor at the annual Dairy Shrine
Banquet during the Pennsylvania
All-American Dairy Show on Sep
tember 28 in Harrisburg, Pa. It is
the organization’s highest honor.
Although Morris has numerous
professional affiliations and
accomplishments, he is best
known for his contributions to the
Maryland 4-H dairy program
while Extension Specialist from
1950 to 1977. During those 27
years, Moms helped thousands of
youth to build goals, dreams and a
desire to make life better.
Under his leadership, enroll
ment in the 4-H Dairy project rose
to the highest in 15 years despite
shrinking numbers of farm fami
lies. Programs he created included
Four Sactlona
Dairy Numbers Decrease By 12*000
production for last year was about
the same as that reported in 1985.
, 1986 /1987
Units Value $* Units Value $*
Dairy Products 218 5 -ISS&068 203.7
■ **********
Broilers 60.6 62.4
aw.*
Layers & Value - 1 * . , .
Of Eggs *,72*,**) 112 4 9,017,100 88 - 8
Cattle & Calves **,*«» 148 mm 176.2
. I
“flogs " 33.9 .*9*o* 24.8
fO’iTr -
Corn-Grain UftjP 25.9 108,000 23.4
Silage 6M<* 23.8 30.5
Total Value-
AIICro - agjfc;, 103 - 3 in - 7 -
To £^ P .
Value Livestock
& Poultry , 593 5 575-1
Total Value - All
Agricultural ,;,V *
Products ' 696.8 ' 686.8
•In Millions ol dollsrs * . 4, ~r« ■
the “Dairy Bowl” which motivates
youth to leant about the dairy
industry and the crowd-pleasing
“Pretty Cow” contest in which
youngsters dress up themselves
and their cattle. He also organized
the Maryland Mid-Atlantic 4-H &
FFA Dairy Conference which
drew youths from six slates to
learn about dairy product
marketing.
Morris’ creative programming
often reached out to die communi
ty. His “Dairy Adventure” allowed
disadvantaged and minority youth
from urban areas to learn about
dairying through farm visits and
other educational activities. Inno
vative dairy goat and dairy steer
projects enabled youth who did not
live on dairy farms to become
(Turn to Pago A3O)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 10, 1988
The number of farms has remained
constant, while the total field crop
The Rodaer Wagner family was named the 1988 outstanding Berks county farm
family Wednesday evening. In the photo (I tor): Roger, Brandan and Dorothy. Back
Row: Betsy James and Dean.
BY EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
FLEETWOOD (Berks)— By
the time all the past outstanding
farm families .fair and government
officials, volunteers and media
Berks Outstanding Farm Family Named
504 Par Copy
acres dropped by 3,340 from 1986
levels.
For the first time since county
officials have been keeping
records, there has been a decline in
the number of cows in Lancaster
County. “But we’re still by far the
number 1 county for dairy ani
mals,” stated Jay Irwin, Lancaster
County extension agent. “We’re
way ahead of Bradford, Franklin,
and Chester counties combined.”
Lancaster’s dairies have
reduced cow numbers by 12,000
for a total of 102,000 animals, or
14 percent of the state’s cows.
Savage-Leigh RORAE Chrissy
Named Miss Maryland Futurity
BY SUE CROW
Maryland Correspondent
TIMONIUM, MD—The lights
were dimmed. The spotlight was
focused on the center of the show
i mg at the cow palace of the Mary
land Stale Fair. Dave Brauning,
dressed in tuxedo, announced the
iourth runner up, then the third, the
second, the first Finally he said,
“Here she is, the 1988 Miss Mary
land Futurity.” Those were the last
v (Kds that young Christopher Sav
age heard as his three-year-old
f w took the spotlight for her vic
tory walk around the showring.
Savage-Leigh RORAE Chnssy
" as the ‘cream of the crop’ from
the 21 other three-year-olds shown
Sunday night at Maryland’s Fifth
represtatives were recognized here
Wednesday evening everyone had
stood to applaise. The event was
the annual Reading Fair Awards
Banquet and kickoff at the grange
hall. The fair is scheduled for Sep-
$10.60 Per Year
Bradford, the number-two county
in dairy cows, has 42,000 cows;
Franklin comes next with 41,000
animals, with Chester County
owning 27,000 cows. The value of
production per cow in the county,
however, has increased by approx
imately $BO.
“The biggest change in the total
county figures is the decline in the
poultry industry,” declared Irwin.
“And our biggest concern is the
decline in egg prices. There was a
$26-million decline in the value of
egg production (for Lancaster
(Turn to Pago ASS)
Annual Holstein Futurity. In 1985
the selection process began when
calves were nominated throughout
the state based on their pedigree
and hope that they, too, would end
up in the winner’s circle. Owners
entered them again as yearlings
and again as two-year-olds. From
the list of 395 entered, only 21
made the final selection, by their
owners, to enter the contest
A 14-point hitch with Belgian
Draft horses brought out the regal
court of Dairy Princesses and The
Farm Bureau Queen. Ringmen
John Morris and Marion Andrew
accompanied Judge Richard
Keene, from New York, to ring
side. From there Keene worked the
(Turn to P«Q« A 34)
tembcr 19 to 24.
This year the outstanding farm
family of Berks County was a
dairy farmer from 01cy--Rodgcr
and Dorothy Wagner and their four
(Turn to Page A 27)