THOMAS JURCHAK
Lackawanna Co. Extension Agent
SCRANTON (Lackawanna Co.) With continued production
increases, milk and dairy product prices continued their slipping and slid
ing that started in August
By the middle of October cheese prices were down 8 cents on blocks
and, since then, down another 4 cents to $ 1.26 per block. But that’s still 14
cents above the support price.
That’s a total of 12centsinpricedrops in 13 weeks so the predictions of
a gradual decline were about right.
The increases in milk production have also continued at the 3 to 5 per
cent rate in the upper Midwest and New York.
Only Pennsylvania dropped back to 1 percent in September.
The affect of the cold, wet weather on harvesting com for silage or
grain may slow down production increases, but grain prices could be low
enough to offset the poorer quality.
Right now, cheese processing capacity is being pushed to the limit and
only butter—powder plants may have room for more milk.
Powder prices were helping last month, but that market is weakening
also to the point where other regions are selling in powder markets nor
mally served by the Midwest
If price declines continue, you may see powder going into Commodity
Credit Corporation storage by the end of the year. Even butter markets
have fallen to the point where CCC purchased 3.7 million pounds the first
week of November. That was the largest weekly purchase in three
months.
Following the drop in dairy product prices and production increase
comes a drop in the Minnesota-Wisconsin Price Series.
After falling 31 cents in August and September, another 23 cents was
added in October for a total of S 4 cents in three months.
That makes the M-W512.05 for October and the first time this year that
it fell below year-ago levels.
Further declines are expected for this year, but predictions of a drop to
less than $ll per hundredweight next spring are beginning to soften.
Considering the drop of 12 cents so far in cheese prices, the M-W
should be down to $11.79 from its peak of $12.59 in July. So there’s no
doubt about further declines in the next two months particularly since but
ter and powder prices are adding to the drag.
The only thing that could help is a drop in milk production-increases
due to poorer quality forage or lower prices. Qr both.
Blend prices in all three federal orders (F. 0.) in Pennsylvania are also
below last month.
It was 22 cents lower in F. 0.2 and F. 0.4, and 17 cents in F. 0.36. How
ever, the blend prices are still above a year ago by 20 to 40 cents and prob
ably won’t drop below last year until next year.
It’s time to add up your milk check stubs to figure how much you
shipped to handlers this year.
You’ve been paying more than 13 cents per-hundredweight all year,
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BIRD-IN-HAND (Lancaster
Co.) For the first time, the
South Jersey Flower Growers
Association made their annual
Fall Greenhouse Tour outside the
state of New Jersey.
The bus load of growers
traveled to Lancaster County,
where they toured Ken’s Gar
den’s; Winner's Greenhouses;
Geo. K. Groff, Inc.; Hellberg’s
Greenhouses; and Layser’s
Rowers.
The day began at Layser’s
Rowers with Donald Layser and
son, Steve. Layser’s has three
locations totalling 13 acres, along
with a retail store. Of special inter
est were the ebb and flow benches.
For the Christmas season, Lays
er’s have 300,000 poinsettias
ready to blossom.
Jim Dostal, manager of Hell
berg’s Greenhouses, welcomed
the group to his acre range. The
members toured the greenhouses,
which at this time are growing
poinsettias and geranium stock
plants for spring cutting produc
tion. Hellberg’s is testing a
custom-made PVC bench liner
used for the control of run-off.
Dick Carroll of Loudon Plastics
discussed its uses and applications
in the greenhouse nursery market
The group then met the staff of
Geo. K. Groff, Inc. a greenhouse
and nursery supplier in Bird-in-
Hand.
The facility is comprised of
about 30,000 square feet of ware
house, along with 15,000 square
feet of outside storage. Owners
Fred Hellberg and son, Tim, gave
a brief history and tour.
Winner's Greenhouses was the
sending in excess of $lBO million in nine months to your Uncle Sam
because of the Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990.
USDA told Uncle Sam that you would be producing more milk this
year in spite of lower prices. It was agreed that, if you didn ’ t produce more
than the previous year, you could have your money back that’s .1365
times all the milk you produced in 1992 compared to 1991.
I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but if you’re very close by the end of
November you may want to feed a little mote to the calves, stay under
your 1991 production and collect your refund. Check it out while there’s
time to adjust.
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Flower Growers
Tour Lancaster
Dick Carroll, Loudon Plastic, explains a new PVC bench
covering.
next stop, where they were wel
comed by Jay, Ray, and Stan Wit
mer. Winner’s began in 1898 with
one greenhouse, which has grown
to today’s two locations, totalling
more than 200,000 square feet
Winner’s are mainly a wholesale
operation focused on spring pro
duction crops. A retail center
caters to local clients.
The bus then proceeded through
the Amish Country to Intercourse
to Ken’s Gardens. The group met
Ken Lapp and son, Kerry. Ken’s
specializes in perennials and
herbs. Ken spoke to the group
about the change from wholesale/
retail to all retail. There was
increasing demand for more retail
due to growth of housing from the
western Philadelphia suburbs.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 28, 1992-A29
The bus trip was organized by
the group vice president. Tim
Powell of Powell’s Greenhouses
and Charlene Costaris, Atlantic
County extension service. Costar
is has worked to bring growers
together since the late 1980$ after
the extension service began work
ing closer with growers. The
group has grown to more than SO
members and has recendy hired an
executive secretary, Kathie
Coady, a former grower from the
area. Coady will be formulating
and developing plans for the asso
ciation, which includes a newslet
ter and meetings. Coady can be
reached at 223 Church Road,
Medford. NJ 08055.
WASHINGTON, D.C. The
1992 Census of Agriculture
begins with the mailing of report
forms to the nation’s more than
two million farmers and ranchers,
the Census Bureau announced
recently.
Farmers and ranchers are being
asked to report on their operations
during 1992 and return their forms
by February 1, 1993.
To reduce the effort it takes to
answer the census, the report
forms ask basic subjects such as
land use and ownership, crop
acreages and quantities harvested,
livestock and poultry inventories,
value of crops and livestock sold,
and operator characteristics.
Twenty percent of farms will be
asked additional questions on pro
duction expenses, machinery
inventories, market value of land
and buildings, and income from
farm-related sources.
Assistance in completing your
census fonn is available locally
from USDA offices of the
Cooperative Extension Service,
Soil Conservation Service, Agri
cultural Stabilization and Conser
vation Service, and Farmers
Home Administration.
Those not operating a farm or
ranch who receive a census form
are urged to return it to avoid addi
tional mailings. Farmers and
ranchers who do not receive a
report form should write to the
Bureau of the Census. 1201 East
10th Street, Jefferson, IN
47133-0001.
The law requiring farmers and
ranchers to report in the census
also protects the privacy of their
reports.
Nation’s Ag
Census Begins