STRONGSVILLE. Ohio Finding available solutions for the low price of milk will probably not come from a Congress fighting the national debt, but might come from the unity of dairy producers, said Gordon Riehl, general mana ger of Milk Marketing Inc. (MMI), at the annual delegate meeting in Columbus, Ohio. "The best answer right now might be self-help programs whereby all dairy producers work together for their own benefit," Riehl said in his last presentation before the MMI delegates. He has announced his retirement for June 30, 1992. ” After the events of the last five or six weeks (the failure to pass an acceptable legislative solution to light low dairy prices), I believe we'll have to do it on our own," he said. "We must find self-help answers, and that will take cooper ation. Our problems won't go away and I don't think we're going to get them resolved in Congress right now." Because national government is now concerned with lowering the national debt, any program that needs federal support is under tough scrutiny, Riehl told the dele gates. He said that current solu tions could come from producers working together to foster their own cause at the national level. In Our Market Price equalization in the MMI territory is the issue, said Riehl, and the time for action is now. Mr. Dairyman, Want To Make Some The Legal Way? TAKE YOUR CHOICE - THEY’RE BOTH LEGAL ... And They Come In Sizes To Fit Your' ration. Open top for easy filling . silage No need to run mixer while filling ♦ 10 sizes to fit all operations, or we customize to fit your needs. STANDARD FEATURES • Beam Scale w/signal light, motors included in price • Fast 2-5 minute mix time • Stainless Steel Floor • Discharg# Chute w/Magnet • Joystick Control and Zero turn • Lower Energy Consumption radius, power steering from platform • Heavy Stainless Steel Auger Trough OPTIONS AVAILABLE * Wall-mount Beam Scales w/cable & pulleys ■ Beam Scales mounted on all sides • Electronic Scales w/ or w/o memory Orest Equipment Dairymen Need Self-help MMI is working with pricing equalization agencies, such as Regional Cooperative Marketing Association (RCMA), the Produc ers Equalization Agency (PEA), and Southeast Dairy Farmers Fed eration to get more money to producers. MMI is also asking state author ities in Ohio and Pennsylvania to issue adequate over order pre miums while equalizing costs to processors and returns to producers. One Last Lesson In what he called his last mark eting lesson to the delegates, Riehl reinforced his theme: "MMI sells your milk. It doesn't buy it!" "It’s very important to under stand this," said Riehl, promising to make this his swan song for the next six months. "MMI sells your milk and because of that your association wants fewer competitors, many buyers, the highest possible price for your product and a short supp ly," he said. He contrasted this with his description of a milk buyer. Riehl said milk buyers want many sell ers, few buyers, the lowest prices and a long supply. According to Riehl, members need to understand the difference between these two points of view. Since MMI sells its members' milk, it has reduced the number of sellers in the market by 6,500. In other words, Riehl said that since the 6,500 members of MMI are represented as one seller, they 608 Evergreen Rd. Lebanon, PA 17042 (717) 270-6600 as members are no longer in direct competition with each other, but with others. He also said that buyers of MMI milk are MMI customers, they are not MMI competitors. "Your competitors are your nonmember neighbors," Riehl said. In other business, MMI Presi dent Herman Brubaker delegates on dairy happenings STATE COLLEGE (Centre Co.) A traveling 2-day dairy breeding_workshop is scheduled to be put on late January and early February by the southwest region al offices of the Pennsylvania State University Extension Service. The program is to be held in three different locations so dairy cattle enthusiasts from a seven county region can attend. For those in Armstrong and Indiana counties, the workshop is to be held Jan. 28 and Feb. 4 at Sandy Kaye’s Restaurant, located alng Rt. 422, in Shelocta. For residents of Green, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties, the workshop is to be held Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, at Rostrav er Grange Hall, located at the junc tion of 170 and Rt 51. In Somerset County, the work shop is set for Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 in the Somerset County Vo-Tech School, in Somerset. -7 VSSLER-) rnTMR MIXERS j Available as a rider or walk behind with optional electric start and electronic scales. • Fast variable speed mixing and unloading • Driven w/hydraulic wheel motors. WE CUSTOM DESIGN SYSTEMS FOR YOU From The President Dairy Breeding Workshop Set © Program nationally and within MMI. "From the legislative viewpoint, this has been a very wicked year for the dairy industry," said Bru baker. "For the past 10 years or so, the (White House) administration has advocated less federal involve ment in the agricultural policy are na. Efforts to reduce the federal budget deficit continue to pressure Congress into deeper cuts in feder al farm programs. In addition, an ever shrinking group of farm-state The workshop program is to be identical at all three locations. On the first day of the work shop, registration is from 9:30 a.m. 10 a.m. along with coffee and donuts, followed by an hour long presentation on basic genetic principles. At 11 a.m., a presentation on progeny testing programs with a look at balancing the use of young sires with proven sires is set. Lunch is at 11:45 a.m. At 12:45 p.m., an explanation of the sire summary information, specifically looking at what the numbers mean, is to be given. Following at 1:30 p.m., instruc tors are to talk about breeding goals, such as whether to breed for milk, fat, protein, or some other characteristic. At 2:15 p.m., the focus will be on determining a herd’s genetic inventory, looking realistically at the herd for strengths and weaknesses. The second day of the seminar HIRED-HAND The name you trust - The products you can depend on! B SUPER FUNNEL B HEATER ST* t jH II