Wisconsin Dairy Farmers Attempt To Form Raw Milk Pricing Co-op MADISON, Wis,—A group of daily farmers has begun holding meetings in Wisconsin in support of a new organization called the American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Cooperative, according to a new release from organizers. Organizers include independent dairy farmers as well as members of Upper Midwest Milk Producers Association, Family Farm Defen ders, Farm Unity Alliance. National Fanners Organization, Farmers Union, Farm Bureau, Wisconsin Rural Development Center, Ag Price, and Catholic Rural Life. Similar meetings have been held among farm groups in Texas. California, Indiana, New York, Missouri and New Mexico. Three Wisconsin dairy farmers borrowed $5,000 from the Caze vonia Bank (Cazenovia, Wiscon sin) to retain attorney Marvin Beshore and begin drawing up a charter for the raw milk pricig agency. Francis Goodman (Woncwoc), John Kinsman (La Valle), and Jim McGhee (Hollandale) mortgaged against their farms on March 17 to start a national pricing cooperative organized under the 1922 Capper- Volstead Act When up and running, the cooperative intends to act as a pricing agency for member farms. They new co-op will own no milk plants and process no dairy pro ducts. Its only purpose will be to set a fair farm milk price, accord ing to organizers. “The job of the pricing co-op will simply be to establish a base milk price for milk producers,” said John Kinsman. “Members will have a legally empowered organization to col lectively bargain for higher milk prices from milk plants. The already existing dairy coopera tives do not collectively bargain for higher farm milk prices, even though they are empowered to do so under the 1922 Capper- Volstead Act Co-ops receive and process 85 percent of domestic milk; that is almost triple the market share needed to keep farm milk prices apace with rising costs of production. It’s a mystery to everyone why they have not. insteady of idly watching hun dreds of thousands of dairy farms State Farmlands Approved For Preservation HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Agriculture Secretary Charles C. Brosius announced the approv al of easement purchases for IS farms encompassing 2,060 acres of prime farmland. “Farms in nine counties will be protected for future generations as a result of today’s actions by the State Agricultural Land Preserva tion Board,” said Brosius, who chairs the board. The Farmland Protection Prog-, ram was initiated in 1989 with a $lOO million bond issue approved by Pennsylvania voters. The prog ram allows the state and counties to purchase development rights referred to as easements to guarantee that farms remain agri cultural land. Including easements approved today, $lO farms in 31 counties will have joined the program or had easements approved, protect ing 76,248 acres. Following is a list of the IS properties approved today, includ ing owner, township, acreage and purchase cost. * Adams Mary Jane Wenk, Menallen Township, 112 acres, $146,984. •Bucks —Kenneth S. and Janet M. Beer, Hilltown Township, 107 acres, $540,000. go out of business. We’re not Raised on a dairy farm in York waiting for them any longer. As County. Pennsylvania. Beshore farmers across the country join graduated from Georgetown Law this new organization, milk plants School in 1976 and has spent the with either pay fair prices or lose majority of his professional life their milk to other plants.” involved with Capper-Volstead Marvin Beshore. an attorney and agricultural regulation. He with Milspaw & Beshore in Har- met with area fanners on April 1, risburg, Pennsylvania, is recog- in Madison, Wisconsin in die law nized as one of three or four fore- offices of Charles Van Sickle, most legal experts on Capper- where intital work has begun on Volstead laws, according to .setting up the pricing agency, organizers. ♦Centre Howard and Betty Ardry, Jr., Walker Township. 197 acres, $154, 560. ♦Chester Charles and Jose phine Gable, West Nantmeal Township, 115 acres, $399,780. "■Chester—N. Craig and Linda Stoltfus, West Nantmcal Town ship, 122 acres, $288,581. "■Dauphin Alvin and Karen Kocher, Mifflin Township, 105 acres, $126,874. ♦Franklin —Jere D., Larry W., Dennis R.. and Gregory A. His Dairy Shrine Video Chronicles SHAWANO, Wis. The his tory of the U.S. dairy industry is presented in a colorful, fast-paced video documentary recently pro duced by the Dairy Shrine. The new video draws exten sively from the Shrine’s film and still photography archive and treats the viewer to a tour of the exhibits featured in the Dairy Shrine museum in Fort Atkinson, Wis. “In this 41-minute walk through the heritage of the U.S. dairy industry, viewers become acquainted with those who paved the way,” said Janice Keene, song, Montgomery and Peters Townships, 97 acres, $152,327. •Franklin Gary W. and Vic toria D. Martin. Montgomery Township, 203 acres, $259,373. •Lancaster Dorothy J. Frey and J. Mowery Frey Estate, West Lampeter Township, 69 acres, $239,216. •Lancaster H. Lester and Darlene L. Landis. East Donegal Township, 98 acres, $187,900. •Monroe Sterling P. Corrcll, Polk Township, 148 acres. Dairy Shrine president “The vid eo recognizes some of the chal lenges facing the industry of today and profiles some current industry leaders.” The Dairy Shrine, founded at the 1949 Dairy Cattle Congress in Waterloo, lowa, has four specific objectives, and they form the framework for this video. The four objectives of Dairy Shrine arc recognizing dairy lead ers of today, honoring dairy lead ers of the past, inspiring dairy leaders of the future, and record ing the history of dairying. Today, the Shrine makes its Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 4, 1996-A37 "There are many powerful interests that have benefited over the years from huge supplies of cheap farm milk,” said Jim McGhee, and organizer. “There will be challenges against any attempt to change that One of the first will no doubt be against our right to even attempt raising farm prices, so we thought to cover that by including someone recognized by everyone in his field.” $260,878. Monroe—Leroy T. and Louise A. Green, Eldred Township, 85 acres, $143,675. ♦Monroe Thomas R. Wil son. Polk Township. 112 acres. mix nan ♦York Minifold/Buttorff family. East Hopewell Township, 260 acres, $399,585. ♦York William G. and Gail L; Rinas, Hopewell and East Hopewell Townships, 230 acres, $229,986. permanent home at the museum site in Fort Atkinson. Annual winners of the Dairy Shrine Guest of Honor, Distin-. guished Breeder, Klusscndorf Award, Kildee Scholarship and Intercollegiate Judging Team Contest are highlighted in the video. Some recipients of the Pioneer Award, which honors those who made important contributions to the industry in the last century, are also featured. Copies of the video are avail able for $21.95, plus $2.50 ship ping and handling, by writing to; Dairy Shrine, 21st Century Gene tics. 100 MBC Drive, Shawano, WI 54166. “This video truly is a must addi tion to the library of everyone interested in the history of theU.S. dairy industry,” Kenne said. PRESSURE WASHERS, FORKLIFTS & AIR COMPRESSORS History
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers