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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)