VOL 36 NO. 18 Lilac Offspring Top Md. Holstein Convention Sale EVA MARTIN Maryland Correspondent WEST FRIENDSHIP, Md. The annual Philadelphia Flower Show heralded spring’s beauty. Turn to B 2 for Story. Photo by Lou Ann Good, staff writer. Accelerated Lambing Needed To Support Direct Marketing EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor ELIZABETHVILLE (Dauphin Co.) —Sheep producers in Pen nsylvania were excited when they first went to a meeting to leam about a new plan to direct market lambs. The collccuon stations were Classified Ads In New Location Effective with this March 16 issue, readers will find the Classified advertising in Sections D and E instead of their former locations in Sec tions B and C. The change of locations will also be found in subse quent issues. Amish Farmers Say Tobacco Auction, More Type 609 Needed EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor BART (Lancaster Co.) —Several Amish farmers in southeast Lancaster County asked for this interview because of their concern about the tobacco market. Not because the price is too low, but because the tobacco market may be lost. The interview look place at the kitchen table of the spokesmen who Said a number of farmers think as they do. But no one wanted to be identified. 01*19- 12" Five Sections The sale of two offspring of the multiple-award winning C Cath land Lilac of Gay-Ridge Holslcins in Ijamsvillc, Md., recently topped set up and the consumer demand was established. But then the enthusiasm dimin ished To direct market lambs, you need a constant monthly supply of lambs all year, and lambs must be uniform m si/c, bone structure and Weight. And in Pennsylvania most sheep 'producers have only one lambing time each year, and these lambs come from many different breeds and cross breeds. So every thing you need for a direct market ing program is missing in Pennsyl vania’s sheep industry. Bill and Helen Monde, Eh /abclhvillc, were at the direct marketing meeting and reported the rcacUon of the other producers who attended. And the Mcndc’s have the answer to the problem if you arc willing to do the work and management necessary to accom plish the task. The program they So here’s a summary of what these farmers said. Farmers need the tobacco indus try to off-set the low milk prices. But they may lose their tobacco market if more farmers don’t grow Typc6o9and if they don’t sell their tobacco through the Paradise auction. Type 609 brings a higher price than Type 41. But Type 41 usually produces more weight and is there fore more profitable. But Type 609 sets the market price even for Type 41 because the company buyers from the South come to the auction (Turn to Page A2B) Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 16, 1991 the 1991 Maryland Holstein Asso ciation Convention Sale and broke records, bringing a combined price of more than $40,000. Bill and Helen Mende haye developed their accelerated lambing program to the extent that a 400 (lambing) percent production rate is attainable. to buy 609 and pay more than local buyers the spokesmen called middlemen. The concern expressed by the growers is that if these southern company buyers don’t have a lar ger supply, they will not come to the action, and then the price will go down to what the middlemen will pay on the farm. The spokes men said they expect an increase in tobacco acreage this year and reported that one contractor in their part of the county already has orders to build 17 new tobacco sheds. 50( Per Copy The convention sale gross was $184,350, according to early figures. The price for Gay Ridge AJ Lilac-ET, a young heifer calf, set a new record for the Maryland con vention with a price of $20,100. Her brother, Gay-Ridge Sir Lilac-ET, Drought almost as much with a $20,000 price. All American Syndicate, based m Point-Of-Rocks, Md., bought the top consignment, while Lilac Syndicate, of Damascus, Md., pur chased the young bull. Both calves were sired by Bn don Astro Jct-Et. Excitement and tension in the DCI Changes Direction VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Farming Staff TREVOSE (Bucks Co.) The Dairy Council Inc. held its 71st annual meeting Tuesday in south ern Bucks County in older to review the past year’s actions, new directions and rccogni/c achievements. Dairy Council Inc. is a health and nutrition organization that was formed in the early 1900 s to help combat malnutrition, mainly m children, and were encouraging Only a small percentage of the tobacco is sold through the auction; the remainder is sold by private tre aty at the farm. The spokesmen cri ticized their fellow growers who didn’t sell at the action and called them short-sighted to save two cents per pound in commissions now but lose the auction in the future. This will happen if more growers do not use the auction ser vice and if they do not increase the local supply of Type 609. If the auction is lost, the spoks mcn say the tobacco price will be $15.00 Per Year crowd of more than 400 began to rise as they listened to the chant of auctioneer Dennis Remsburg work the crowd for bids on the choice selection from C Cathland “Lilac.” It was soon evident that a new record for Maryland convention sales would be made, as the bid ding quickly exceeded the S 16,000 mark. When the bidding slowed some what, pedigree reader, Norman Hill, quickly reminded the crowd and the bidders of the outstanding opportunity to purchase offspring from the Lilac family. C Cathland Lilac is classified (Turn to Page A 29) the consumption of milk to help combat health problems which the consumption of milk helped to avert. The purpose of the council extends beyond the singular role of dairy consumption activist to the context of endorsing dairy pro ducts’ role in a balanced diet, con sisting of the four major lood groups. The staff of the organization includes communications experts (Turn to Page A 37) back in the hands of the middle men, much lower than the $1.50 per pound for Type 41 and 51.75 per pound for Type 609 farmers received this year. “Everybody will farm tobacco,” the spoksemen said. “But few are trying to maintain the price In the South all the tobacco is sold through the auction houses.” The spokesmen said in the last two years, because of the Paradise auction, the price for Lancaster County’s cash crop has goncaip 30 percent. They say they don’t want to lose this price advantage.