A42-Umc«sier Farming, Saturday, Febniary 17,1990
WILLIAMSPORT Pennsyl
vania Dairy of Distinction rep
resentatives met at the Farm Show
to discuss plans for its fourth year
of award designation to producers.
The meeting included elections
for the 1990 slate of officers.
Elected president was Dan Baker
taking the program reigns from
Everett Newswanger, founding
president who stepped down from
the position.
“The Dairy of Distinction prog
ram is extremely beneficial to the
entire industry,” Newswanger
said. “We are providing producers
with recognition for maintaining
attractive production sites. So
doing, we also present a clean and
healthful environment to passing
consumers.”
The environment is just one
issue that the program has become
more sensitive to. The Pennsylva-
Far- Name/Owner/Operator
Ma ".g Address
Phc,
County:
Cocoerative or Dealer-Handler Name:
Adc'ess:
Locr.ion (driving directions forjudging team)
I ~oreby apply to the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Committee to
ha'. 0 my dairy scored in accordance with the rules of the program for the
purcose of obtaining a Dairy of Distinction sign to be displayed on my
pre~ ses. (No producer will be charged with scoring or sign expense.)
L_
PFA Reacts
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
CAMP HILL (Dauphin Co.)
Officials with the Pennsylvania
Farmers’ Association are critical
of state Gov. Robert Casey’s
recently-issued, $22.4 billion
budget proposal.
Touted as a no-tax increase
budget, Casey’s budget contains
increases for education, fighting
drugs and human service prog
rams, but cuts funds for the state
Department of Agriculture and ag
related programs, according to
published reports.
The general fund budget prop
osal, which is derived from taxes,
is set at $12.3 billion, and the $1.6
billion for transportation includes
an all-time high for highway main
tenance at $690 millign, according
to a newspaper report.
The administrative secretary of
the Pennsylvania Fanners’ Associ
ation (PFA) called the Casey prop
osal “of major concern.”
Richard W. Newpher, admini
strative secretary of PFA, said in a
statement, “Decreases for overall
agricultural research and signific
ant cuts in the funding of the Pen
nsylvania Milk Marketing Board
activities arc of major concern to
the agricultural community.
Dairy of Distinction Program Growing
nia Dairy of Distinction program
recently initiated a quality control
program to ensure that both high
quality milk and attractive sur
roundings are the award reci
pient’s objectives.
Another emphasis has been
program funding and leadership.
Presently, primary sponsors are
the American Dairy Association
and Dairy Council (ADADC), and
the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion
Program.
Baker, noted, “In the past, lead
ership and organization has come
from the promotional agencies
and a few industry or producer
representatives. Today, we are
striving to better utilize the prog
ram’s resources, particularly past
winners. These producers obvi
ously have an interest in the prog
ram. Their insight and involve
ment is what we are looking for.”
Dairy of Distinction Application i
Signature of Owner or Operator
To Casey Budget Proposal
~ “We recognize there are not
great windfalls in this austere
budget, but dropping back or no
increase at all for key programs
needs to be re-examined,” New
pher said.
According to Newpher, the
department of agriculture is
targeted for a $500,000 cut toward
research. Another $1.5 million,
that had just been allocated last
year to Penn State University for
research, is also on the list for cuts.
“We are concerned about no
increase for inflation tv new prog
rams, on a number of budgetary
items in the department of agricul
ture,” Newpher said. “Many of
these items are on the leading edge
of consumer protection, such as
Brucellosis vaccination for cattle,
rabies control and animal health
surveillance.
“The School of Veterinary
Medicine, the only one in the state,
received absolutely no increase. It
can’t continue to operate efficient
ly under these budget proposals,”
Newpher said.
According to Newpher, the
Penn Slate University Extension
Service has been given new and
expanded responsibilities recently,
but Casey’s proposed $600,000 to
finance those programs will not
Please Print
Town
newly-elected officers of the Dairy of Distinction program are, from left, Steve
Spencer, advisor; Donna Gearhart, treasurer; Russ Rooks, vice president; Dan Baker,
president; and Paul Nichols, secretary. Everett Newswanger (not shown), president
since the program came into Pennsylvania four years ago, has retired his post, but
remains on the board of directors.
cover costs.
Further, Newpher said that
Casey is playing with funding of
the state milk marketing board.
‘The ‘shell game’ being played
with the appropriations going to
the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing
Board (PMMB) is making a sham
of early discussions about the need
to increase licensing fees.
‘This past year, we supported
increased licensing fees for milk
dealers and milk haulers to the tune
of $300,000 to cover increased
operating costs. Now, the new
budget proposal slashed the gener
al funds monies going to the
PMMB by that same amount We
supported the licensing fee
increase because it was needed,”
Newpher said, adding that with
this proposal, the PMMB will be
back where it started.
Other newly-elected officers
include Russel Brooks, vice presi
dent, and Steve Spencer from
Penn State, as advisor. Retaining
positions are Paul Nichols,
ADADC, secretary and Donna
Gearhart, Blair County, treasurer.
The Pennsylvania program has
grown rapidly, with nearly 300
recipients so far. Dairy farms are
judged on the roadside appearance
of buildings, grounds and sur
roundings. Judging will be con-
NFO Calls For Collective
Action To Raise
Milk Price
CORNING lOWA “The
99-cent price drop in the January
Minn.-Wis. Series price, which
was announced Feb. 5, is unwar
ranted, based on milk, cheese and
butter inventories in the United
States,” National Farmers Organi
zation President DeVon Wood
land has said.
Woodland said, industry offi
cials have been predicting lower
milk prices by spring, even though
no one has been able to justify
lower prices with either increased
production or decreased
consumption.
J
“In fact no supplies other
than butter and minimal amounts
of dry milk powder remain in
government storage. Production
continues at year-ago levels while
consumption continues to
increase. Milk is a much sought
after commodity now among dairy
processors,” Woodland said.
“Yet Milk Industry Foundation
leaders, at a conference in Janu
ary, indicated they would have
prices 'under control’ in the near
future and the National Cheese
Exchange has lowered barrel
cheese prices by about 30. S cents
per pound in the past month. If
handlers are allowed to decrease
the price of milk accordingly,
dairy farmers could see a
$3.00/cwt drop in milk prices by
April,” he said.
Woodland questioned who is
responsible for the cut in dairy
producers’ income.
“We need to realize that not
only do we have a governmental
ducted early May. Winning farms
will be rejudged every year to
ensure they maintain the standards
of excellence required for the
award.
Information and applications
can be obtained by contacting
program secretary Paul Nichols,
ADADC, 1853 E. Third Street,
Williamsport, 17701. The 1990
deadline for applications is April
15.
cheap food policy, but such price
drops occur because of the desire
for big profits by the buyers of our
raw farm commodities,” he said.
“We seriously doubt that consum
ers will see this drastic price drop
at the grocery store. Instead, lower
prices to farmers and steady milk
and cheese prices at the grocery
store will translate into large pro
fits for processors.”
In an effort to combat this price
drop, Woodland called on dairy
producers nationwide to partici
pate in the National Farmers
Organization's "Enough Is
Enough" program, whereby pro
ducers block their production in
sufficient numbers to negotiate
higher prices from handlers.
“By utilizing this program dur
ing the past year,” Woodland said,
“producers have made significant
strides in raising the incomes of
dairy producers. A mote earnest
effort is now needed to combat
this negative pressure.”
Woodland added that NFO pro
ducers are also participating in
cull cow movements to decrease
dairy production availability in the
marketplace. From Dec. 26-Feb.
7, the National Farmers Organiza
tion sold an extra 75 semi-loads of
producing cows, or approximately
43.8 million pounds of annual
milk production, through NFO's
collection points. That effort is
being continued, to stop the cur
rent negative market psychology
in the dairy industry.
"The dairy price drops can be
reversed,” Woodland said. “Dairy
producers can take control of their
markets and set their prices
through collective action.”