'J S> 9 ~— ~ !<BIU(lI“LS OW ,^|°U| ) IVERS’ 1Y —> Ml ' / i—dM 1 -==/ ~, ( STw»^ pW * • » 0 VOL. 36 NO. 29 Here’s Our “Hats-Off-To-The-Dairy-Industry” Issue. Read And Enjoy. The four-generation Kilgore family go! together for this portrait on their 300-acre McCalls Ferry farm located near the Susquehanna River at Holtwood in York Co. They have 140 registered and grade Holsteins that include McCalls Ferry Likabal Frizzy, the first place junior calf at the York County Holstein Show last year. Area Dairy Farmers Battle Low Milk Prices JOYCE BUPP York Co. Correspondent YORK (York Co.) What a difference a year makes. June Dairy Month, 1990, saw Forages And Dairying: Is There A Place For Pastures? L.D. Muller, and S. L. F;<es The Pennsylvania Si University High quality forage is still a key to efficient, profitable milk pro duction. Regardless of the changes and new technological develop ments in the dairy industry in the next 10 to 20 years, high quality forages will still be essential. A Five Sections area dairy farmers coming out of a spring of mediocre-quality feed supplies from a previous wet sea son, but riding a Minnesota- Wisconsin price series of $13.28. DAIRY ISSUE SPECIAL REPORT key question for future dairy farm management is how dairy produc ers should utilize their land resour ces to supply high quality forages that will, when balanced with grains and/or purchased feeds, maximize profitability. The four basic forages available to dairy far mers include hays, hay crop sil- (Turn to Pago A 32) Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 1, 1991 Since then dairy farm budgets have taken a walloping, as farm milk prices dropped like a rock when the basic Minnesota- Wisconsin formula price took a record plunge last fall - and kept sinking. The September M-W of $12.50 nosedived $2.02 in a single month, to October’s $10.48 level and has slid steadily downward. And while most area dairy pro ducers welcomed this spring with more quality feedstuffs, the M-W price hit $10.02 for May. A 2-cent nudge-up, to $10.04 for June, offers a glimmer of optimism - just in time for Dairy Month, 1991. But despite the price predica ment of the last six months, and ongoing debates on remedies, pro ducers are generally in agreement on one issue. While cash flow has been extremely tight, most are finding ways to hang on. In the intrepid spirit of the American dairy farmer, they’re tightening belts, refinancing pay ments, delaying some purchases - and eyeballing management details with the proverbial fine toothed comb. Many, like young dairy farmer Doug Kilgore of Airville, are making adjustments in their feed ing programs. In the photo are left to right, in front, Rebecca, York County Little Dairy Miss, age 8; and Raechel, age 6. In back of Frizzy is Emory, grandfather, age 89, and ready to go rake hay as soon as this photo session was over; Eugene; Douglas and Pam. Photo by Evaratt Nawawangar, managing adltor. “We’ve changed our feeding system,” affirms Kilgore. “We’re buying imputs like beans and min erals and mixing our own, rather than purchasing prepared mixes. We keep pushing to try to get th£ most from what we have. And we’re not spending for anything that isn’t absolutely necessary.” At the Kilgore’s Airville R 2 residence, it also means “putting little projects on hold,” like a porch Kilgore and his wife Pam had planned to add to their farm home. A bright spot Kilgore sees is the steadiness of over-order pre miums in the Federal Order 4 area, adding dollars to milk checks that otherwise would have been lost. “I hope we can hold on to those,” he emphasizes. Melvin and Barb Marks, also of Airville, are tackling milk price Sec. A... General News. Sec. B... Women’s News. Sec. C... Sales & Mail Box Markets. Sec. D... Business News & Classified. Sec. E... Classified. See Story Index Page A 3. 60s Per Copy drops with a switch to a i- A milk ing schedule, implemented in late February. Not only has production gone up an average of 14 pounds per cow, but improved udder health is a bonus. “Our Somatic Cell Count dropped 20 percent,” says Marks, putting the average near an impressive 100,000 for the 50-head Holstein herd. “We also somewhat changed the feeding: we’re using a total mixed ration to maximize feed imputs,” Marks adds. “Overall grain use is down and we’re get ting more forages in the cows.” While vet visits have been reduced somewhat, Marks is watching that cutback very care fully. “We could lose money there,” he acknowledges, if cow health and reproduction efficiency suffer. Part-time labor hours are kept to a minimum and Barb Marks is working part-time off the farm. The couple and their two small daughters have also put on hold a family vacation they hoped to lake to visit Michigan relatives. “We’re trying to play it as con servative as possible,” says Tho masville dairyman Ted Haber land, Jr. 19.00 Per Year (Turn to Page A 34)
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