CMmcaster Fanning, Saturday, August 20, 1994
PENNSYLVANIA
PARTNERSHIP
FINDING
THE FUTURE
Lisa Holden
Bill Heald
And Larry Specht
Never before has the dairy
industry faced so many challenges
increased competition, higher
input costs, outdated facilities, vol
atile prices, and shrinking profit
margins. Never before has there
been so much excitement and
enthusiasm for the future of the
dairy industry in Pennsylvania.
Why all this optimism in the
face of so many challenges?
At the First Forum early in June,
virtually all segments of Pennsyl
vania’s dairy industry formed a
partnership with Penn State
Cooperative Extension and gave
voice to a common goal
increase the profitability of Pen
nsylvania dairy businesses
through enhanced awareness and
application of management
technologies.
The first step toward this goal
was to expand the current Dairy
Management And Profitability
Program —Oairy-MAP—to pro
vide advanced business education
for more of Pennsylvania’s dairy
farm managers.
In the short time since the First
Forum, industry leaders includ
ing milk producers have deve
loped plans of action on several
fronts and are beginning to imple
ment these plans. It is exciting to
sec this all unfold. What an awe-
some alliance!
Members of agricultural organi
zations who had different agendas
in the past now are partners, work
ing together to ensure a viable
future for the dairy industry in
Pennsylvania.
Industry groups have planned
for the marketing and funding of
an expanded' Dairy-MAP
initiative.
Teams of extension and industry
staff will conduct Dairy-MAP
workshops beginning in January
1995.
The Dairy-MAP Program will
be guided by an advisory council
of 14 members, made up of half
milk producers and half industry
personnel. Penn State will con
tinue to provide the educational
component people and mater
ials working with industry vol
unteers and the advisory council.
Working together in this newly
formed partnership, we are likely
to demonstrate our inexperience
along the way. Expansions on
farms do not occur without some
unexpected changes in plans, and
program expansions are no diffe
rent. We ask for your patience and
support
By way of Dairy-MAP, we all
have started to look in the mirror,
learn who we are, see where the
dairy industry is going in the
future, and plan our future in this
rapidly changing industry so that
we are not left out.
We cannot roll back the clock,
but we can predict where the
industry is going in the next five
years and then equip ourselves to
be a competitive partner in that
time and place.
Lisa Holden
From the beginning there has
been a trend in this country to pro
duce more milk with fewer cows
and farms. Dairying has been con
centrated in areas most favorable
to its success.
Regions of Pennsylvania have
been very favorable for dairy pro
duction. Pennsylvania recently
moved from fifth to fourth in milk
State Board Moves
To Protect Farms
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
The Pennsylvania Agricultural
Land Preservation Board has
approved easement purchases for
four farms in four counties, pro
tecting 387 acres of prime farm
land from development
“Three of the farms approved at
today’s meeting are dairy opera
tions,” said State Agriculture Sec
retary and Board Chairman Boyd
E. Wolff. “It’s farms like these
that make Pennsylvania fourth in
the nation in milk production.”
Under the Farmland Protection
• Agricultural • Commercial • Residential
Partial In-Ground Tank Featuring Commercial Chain Link Fence
(5’ High - SCS approved)
• Retaining Walls • Bunker Silos
• Manure Storage, Etc.
Bill Heald
sales. If the trend can be continued,
we may become third around the
turn of the century. With improved
business skills and use of dairy
management technology, we can
be more successful in the competi
tion for profitable milk sales.
Meeting the needs of tomor
row’s dairy industry is of para
mount importance to all of us. Col-
Program, which began in 1989,
the state and counties purchase
development rights to guarantee
that their farms will remain as
agricultural land. Individual land
owners apply to county Agricul
tural Land Preservation Boards.
If approved for possible ease
ment purchase, the county boards
may request state funding partici
pation. Counties may participate
jointly with the state in easement
purchases or may purchase ease
ments outright themselves.
Following are the properties
Larry Specht
laborating as partners, for our col
lective benefit, is a positive step
toward the future. We need to
work as one to keep dairying in
Pennsylvania and to make our
share of the industry grow.
See your local extension office
or agribusiness representatives for
more information about the
expanded Dairy-MAP Program.
approved, listed by county, owner,
township, acreage, and purchase
cost:
• Lackawanna Ronald May
eski, Jefferson Township, 95
acres, $118,655.
• Lancaster Andrew G. and
Naomi P. Miller, Rapho Town
ship, 85 acres, $128,703.
• Montgomery—John G. Lutz,
Douglass Township, 72 acres,
$410,000.
• Union Williamand Dianna
Hiller, Gregg Township, 135
acres, $155,639.