AIQ-Lancaster Firming, Saturday, June 24, 1995
OPINION
National TV Commercials
Dairy Promotion Milestone
The dairy promotion industry is maturing.
After viewing the series of dairy promotion commercials that are
to be part of a national television milk promotion advertising cam
paign starting September, our opinion is that this should signific
antly benefit the industry through increased milk sales.
If nothing else, it moves the dairy promotion industry out of the
amateur ranks and into true competition with the marketing of all
other beverages and foods in the United State.
Thanks in large part to the efforts of the farmer-leaders and dairy
promotion industry leaders who pushed to get greater cooperation
in the spending of dairy promotion dollars, the industry has stepped
up onto a plateau that it has long been climbing to reach a single
national message that makes sense to the non-farmer.
From our perspective, the growth of the dairy promotion indus
try has been healthy.
We trace the development of the dairy promotion industry in sort
of the way a new plant variety might be established:
• the original grass roots efforts have some effect (noticing the
potential in wild plants);
• the effort to establish a producer-supported generic dairy
advertising funding base is approved and reinforced (establishing a
climate for growth for a potential new plant);
• the additional startup of local programs and those within cer
tain federal milk marketing orders (allowing as many varieties
within the species to grow);
• competition between programs to attract greater support of
dairy promotion dollars (the selection process to further establish
the direction of the development of the plant);
• and, finally, the widespread distribution of a focused message
(marketing the seed of die new variety).
Just as the harvest of a new plant variety depends on the inherent
characteristics of the original stock and how well the entire deve
lopment process has been carried out, the credit for the advent of
this singular national message goes to all who have been involved
in dairy promotion and its growth.
And just as a continued desirability of a plant species depends on
continuing all the above processes, dairy promotion efforts can’t
afford to let up. This may well be a tough act to follow, but it must
be followed.
Understandably, it shouldn’t be necessary to recreate the inten
sity of the early development stages in dairy promotion, though
intense attention must be paid to every step.
The establishment of the Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) by the
the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United
Dairy Industry Association to jointly achieve national access to
higher quality marketing and promotional programs, and the com
mon sense and willingness of those within the dairy promotion
industry to put aside personal differences, has resulted in a greater
return on the producer promotion dollars.
Further, the California Milk Processors Association (CMPA)
which was the agency that originally purchased, approved and
sponsored the commercial series, is to be commended.
(Turn to Page A 26)
National Holstein Convention,
Pittsburgh, thru June 28.
15th Annual Hickory Ridge Anti
que Farm Show, Horace Potter
Residence, Milford, Del. thru
June 25.
Bradford County Farm City Day,
Brackman’s Leroydale Farm.
Clearfield County dairy princess
pageant, CurwensviQe Civic
Center, Curwensville.
SUN Area dairy princess pageant,
Susquehanna Valley Mall.
Selinsgrovc, 7 p.m.
Bedford County Graziers Group
Field Day, Troy and Linda Hel
man Farm, Bedford, 1 p.m.
Annual Octoraro Creek Nature
Walk, Octoraro Creek Black
Rock Area, meet at Ken Shoe
maker’s house, Kirkwood, 9
a.m.
Bradford County Farm-City Day,
. appreciate its country charm.
Lancaster Farming, Thank you.
Thank you for the pewter pitch- Heather J, Oberholtzer
er which you gave me. It is an i995-’96 Lancaster Co.
excellent gift to have. I sure do Dairy Princess
To Learn
About Marketing
Marketing continues to be the
key to farm profits. The president
of the company I worked for
always said “You do not make a
profit until the product is sold.”
As agriculture matures as an
industry, fanners must assume
more responsibility for marketing.
It is the farmer’s responsibility to
make sure he has a market and pro
fitable price for his product before
he produces it.
It is not the government’s, Penn
State’s, or someone else’s respon
sibility to And markets for farm
products. As we continue to conso
lidate farms, the fanners who
remain in business must develop a
business mentality. This includes
managing people, money, and
resources. Also, fanners need to
make an investment in reading,
attending meetings, and in their
continuing education.
Farmers must take a more active
part in marketing and investing in
research and development for new
products. The recent NAFTA and
GATT treaties have created a new
world marketing game. We need to
explore creating new demand for
our commodities by creating new
products and developing interna
tional trade. Thus, the farmer
needs to be more active in market
ing because he has the most at risk
and the most to gain.
To Never
Trust A Bull
When working around bulls,
you need to be very careful. They
are animals you cannot trust
regardless of their age. Here are
some concepts to keep in mind.
Leßoydale Farms, 10 a.m.-4:30
p.m.
Berks County 4-H Fashion Revue,
4-H Center, 2 p,m.
Warren County dairy princess
pageant, Warren County Fair-
I’ittsburgh^hniJuncZg^^
Five-County 4-H Camp, Camp
Blue Diamond, Petersburg, thru
(Turn to Pag* All)
Never underestimate a bull's
strength. Expect sudden temper
changes. Use a nose ring. Use
extreme caution if a bull is near
cows or heifers.
Never turn your back on a bull.
Always have a planned escape
route. Two people should handle
mature bulls. Get rid of a bull the
first time it acts aggressively. A
mean streak rarely goes away.
If you use a bull for cleanup ser
vice, try a beef breed, which tend
to be more docile. Never tie a bull
with just a rope on the bull ring. If
he becomes frighten, he may break
the ring or tear it out of his nose.
Hanging a short chain on the nose
ring may help in catching the bull
and may make him less likely to
charge.
To Handle
Animals Properly
A basic understanding of animal
behavior may help farmers handle
cattle more safely.
Beef and dairy cattle generally
are color blind and have poor depth
perception, making them extreme
ly sensitive to contrasts. A shadow
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MILS
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH
GOOD NEWS?
June 25, 1995
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH
GOOD NEWS?
June 25, 1995
Background Scripture:
2 Kings 6:24 to 7:20
Devotional Reading:
I Thessalonians 5:8-18
This is an interesting, if some
what puzzling story. When King
Benhadad and the entire Syrian
army besiege Samaria the north
ern capital of Israel, a terrible fa
mine falls upon the land. The King
of Israel learns that some of his
people have been reduced to can
nibalism and for some unapparent
reason he blames the prophet Elis
ha for this calamity “May God
do so to me, and more also, if the
head of Elisha the son of Shaphat
remains on his shoulders today”
(6:33) even though the prophet
and the king have been on good
terms.
When a messenger from the
king arrives to inform Elisha, the
prophet also reacts with surprising
vehemence: “Do you see how this
murderer (the king) has sent to
take off my head?” (6:32). But, by
the time the king arrives at Elis
ha’s house, the king realizes that
the Lord is responsible for the
calamities. “This trouble is from
the Lord!” He proclaims to Elisha.
“Why should I wait for the Lord
any longer?”
DOUBTING THE GOOD
NEWS
But the prophet counsels pa
tience and prophesies an end to the
famine by the next day (7:1,2).
One of the king’s most trusted
captains scoffs: “If the Lord him
self should make windows in
heaven, could this thing be?”
(7:2). One of the problems with
good news is the reluctance of
people to believe it. We become
so conditioned to bad news TV,
newspapers, magazines that we
resist believing good news, in
cluding the best) news of all, the
gospel.
The story shifts abruptly to the
gate of Samaria and four lepers.
Starving, they decide to throw
across a walkway may look like a
deep hole to the animal. This is
why cattle often hesitate when
passing through unfamiliar gales,
bam doors, or chutes.
Farm animals have difficulty
moving from dark places to bright
ly lighted places and vice versa.
Give animals time to adjust from
one light situation to another.
Rushing them will cause them to
balk.
Cattle have good hearing and
will try to move away from the
direction or source of unfamiliar or
unpleasant noise. They are calmest
when surrounded by familiar
sounds. Animals draw on past
experiences when reacting to a
situation. So animals that are
chased, slapped, kicked, hit, or
mistreated will have a sense of fear
around humans.
Anyone who owns livestock
should use a restraining chute to
handle animals at close range to
reduce risk of injury.
Feather Prof.'s Footnote:
"Excellence can be yours if you
see the invisible, feel the intangi
ble, and strive for the impossible."
themselves on the mercy of the
Syrians. But, arriving at the Syrian
camp, they find it utterly deserted.
The writer qf 2 Kings explans that
the Lord had tricked the Syrians
into thinking they heard sounds of
a great army coming out against
them.
The four lepers seize the oppor
tunity and begin to loot the desert
ed camp of food, drink, silver,
gold and clothing. But, after they
have hidden their loot, they realize
that, although they as lepers are
shunned by their fellow Israelites,
they nevertheless must go back
and share with them the good
news: “We are. not doing right.
This day is a day of good news; if
we are silent and wait until the
morning light, punishment will
overtake us; now therefore come,
let us go and tell the king’s house
hold” (7:9).
SHARING GOOD NEWS
Once again we can see how
doubt and cynicism get in the way
of faith. Going to the court of the
king they share their good news,
but the king, suspecting a Syrian
trap, refuses to accept this confir
mation of Elisha’s prophecy. Only
when a reconnaissance party re
turns confirming the good news
do the king and his people go out
to see for themselves.
You and I care little about the
invasion and flight of the Syrian
army. What was good news to the
people of Israel is to us just a foot
note in Biblical history. But, we
can apply the principle concerns
of this story to our own lives. We
have a good news that is infinitely
better than the good news the four
lepers brought Israel. Like them,
because of our conditioning with
hourly bad news, it is often diffi
cult for us to believe the good
news of Jesus Christ.
And, like the four lepers of old,
we must realize that the only thing
we can do with good news is to
share it. That’s what being a
Christian is all about—living and
sharing the good news of God’s
redeeming love revealed in Jesus
Christ.
Lancaster Farming,
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
IE. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stelnman Enterprise
Robert Q. Campbell General Manager
Everett R. Newawangar Managing Editor
»
Copyright 1995 by Lancaster Farming