1995 FARM BILL Whether we participated in the government farm programs or not, the new farm bill will affect all of us in agriculture. The National Com Growers Association, The Wheat Grow er, and The American Cotton Council have joined forces to lobby for a fair and equitable farm bill for American Agriculture. Some of the changes being lobbied for are more flex acres so that farmers planting deci sions can be more market oriented, with slightly higher commodity loan rates and keeping the target prices where they are now. By increasing the flex acres and raising commod ity loan rates, deficiency pay ments should be cut enough to stay within the federal budget FROM HARDPAN SHATTERING TO RESIDUE COVERED FINISHED I SEEDBEDS... SUNFLOWER EXCEEDS YOUR TILLAGE NEEDS S ■SUNFLOWER rippers ★ VERSATILE ★ ADAPTABLE ★ TOUGH ★ PROVEN Four inch twisted shovels provide maximum residue incorporation. Optional 2” reversible shovels team with hydraullcally-adjustable coulters to give maximum residue cover while “perforating" plow pan to encourage water retention. Perfect followup tool for eny of your primery tillege tools. In fact, where crop residue is not extremely heavy, vary aatlsfaetory results are achieved wlthone pass of this tool. MODEL 1211-13 BHBfc. : - your tillage program requires the use of a disc harrow, look no further. Sunflower disc harrows are proven ,/ performers. The super-stars of the -I f sunflower lineup! 'MP Try one today. Small non-foldup Bmsmßm Sizes 10’ To 15’ I 139 Rothavllla Station Road NImIILEvIuJHkT P.O. Box 0395 PlIUV**! Lltltz, PA 17543-0395 BROS. INC. (717) 626-4705 YLVANIA MASTER ;RN GROWERS ASSOCIATION President’s Message Curt Rakestraw President, PMCGA guidelines. In the recent past, many groups have criticized govern ment agricultural programs as being too expensive. Now I’ll give you some facts that con tradict that statement. From 1986 to 1995, Agriculture sup port payments declined by 70 percent, from $26 billion to $8 billion. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects C.C.C. spending will decline by 8 percent from $8.5 billion in fiscal year 1986 to $7.8 bil lion in fiscal year 2000 with no program changes. If all the other federal programs had taken the same level of cuts as agriculture, we would now have a substantial budget surp lus. Farm programs represent less than 1 percent of the entire federal budget. Chick Out Paoi« sc* Thaee Features: • 10’ a 14' Frame* In Slock ✓ 10'-18' Frame . We Will Install Your Choice ✓ 3-9 Shanks On Indnie Of Number Of Shanks To Spacing From IS’ Match Your Tractor ✓ 36’ Under-Frame Clearance Horsepower ✓ Heavy Duty Trip Mechanism ✓ 5100 lb. Max Point Pressure Allows Shank* To Trip Not only is federal spending on agriculture down, but the percentage of disposable income that families spend on food is down. It takes only 10.3 percent of disposable income for an Americzn family to buy food, while France, the next closes nation to us, takes 16 percent Where on earth do any people have better quality food, more variety, or a safer food supply than in the United States? As farmers we need to do a better job in communicating these facts to our uiban neigh bors. The next time your local newspaper runs an editorial unjustly criticizing farm prog rams, I would encourage you to respond with a letter to the editor. In this issue of Com Talk , ■SUNFLOWER Series 6000 LAND FINISHER The RIGHT combination In one-pass tillage. The New Sunflower 6000 Series Land Finisher performs three operations in one pass. It discs, cultivates, and finishes the seedbed all at once. Working widths from 13 to 37 feet. ✓ T Slip-In SpindlM On 2 Or """w 4 wtiMit W> ✓ 16* Upward Tripping Clwamncw Ifeßf^LS On Au» Rnat Shanks W ✓ GREAT PRICE VALUED • Now extended frame langth for batter trash daaranoa • Auto-reset trip • Heavy-duty 4"x6'Wl * mainframe construction, • Hydraulically controlled coultar gangs (optional) can be adjusted on the go or raised completely in clean soils. • Walking tandems to bettar conform in uneven ground conditions. . y* «* MUM mrampian. QJ 4 Mrvrcr of FPC Finamttal Fax 717-4M4996 Com Tglk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Oclobtr 14, IWS-P>g» we have included a chan which I’d like to thank you for tak demonstrates just how lopsided ing time to read Com Talk and The European Agriculture sup- I’d also like to wish you a safe pon spending is to ours, as are and productive harvest season, many other industrial nations. Curt Rakestraw “Boiling, uplifting action in the soil allows water to enter and be retained in subsoil, minimizing runoff. Yield increases up to 10 bu. more com per acre,” Lancaster Co. farmer. 207 llnMNbl ibma IMMM' MM