C. WILLIAM HEALD Penn State University Dairy, Animal Science In most businesses growth is veiy desirable and welcomed by the stock market. But in daily its discussion is very hotly contested in public forums. One of the first rules of good business is to face reality. The reality for dairy producers is harsh after enjoying govern ment supports for many decades. To some producers price sup ports became entitlements. Enti tlements have come under attack with the current call for budget re ductions voiced in recent elec tions. Dairy supports prices are near ing an end and most are gone. Nearly 91 percent of our popu lation want wholesome cheap food. The minority that want high er food prices are producers of that wholesome food. The majority of voters are dis tracted by concerns about urban problems such as violence, drugs, homeless, gangs, infrastructure, education, welfare, election re form, and lowering entitlement payments. As a result legislators are fo cused on urban problems not rural problems. Agriculture has too few rural legislators to make much differ ence when money issues regard- No-Till technology and maximum productivity in All of the benefits of Great Plains no-till technology are now available in a new 12 foot size. The new 12' End Wheel No- Till drill is designed to handle the planting needs of small to medium sized operations with maximum productivity. Built to the high quality standards of Great Plains, the 12' End Wheel No-Till drill will plant in the most demanding of no-till conditions with extreme accuracy. The end wheel design makes this drill extremely maneuverable. Keeping all ground-working com-ponents in-line with the end wheels prevents openers from bulldozing or bridging when working in rolling terrain. The end wheels also act as stabilizers to hold the openers steady when seeding on slopes. Excess debris is no problem for this unit. Opener and coulter stagger of 10 3/4" allows trash to flow evenly and freely. No-till coulters create a mini-seedbed allowing openers to concentrate on seed placement. Planting depth adjustments are quick and easy with the "T -handle depth control system. State of the art solid seed tubes ensure that the seed exits the chute with “zero motion drop’ for ultimate seed placement accuracy. The optional Seed-Lok™ wheel then presses each seed into moist soil for optimum germination. The improved straight-arm, solid stand opener design, combined with the cushioned press wheel provides maximum down pressure with less wear and tear. See The Dependable Great Plains Dealers Listed Below: Dunkle & Grieb, Inc. R.D.. 2 Box 14, Center Hell, PA 16828 814-364-1421 C.B. Hoober & Sons, Inc. Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourae, PA 17534 717-768-8231 Lone Maple Sales & Service RD #2, New Alexandria, PA 412-668-7122 Is Business Growth Avoidable On The Dairy Farm? ing agriculture come to the floor. Can we really expect legislators to vote in favor of money for agri culture when placed in office by a majority of voters with little or no interest in food issues other than safety? Should we bet the farm hoping legislators that come from the city will vote tax dollars for agricul ture? I don’t think many in the know can be found that believe recent trends will be reversed. Next, let’s consider some un derlining principles of our fellow Americans. U.S. citizens have two strong but conflicting principles that they ascribe to passionately. They have fought wars over these issues. Tliese conflicting principles deal with government and busi ness. The first principle is demo cracy. Democracy means one person one vote (equality under the law where farmers now get out voted on most issues). The financial principle is capi talism. Capitalism is survival of the fit test These principles are at odds with each other but we hold them deep in our ethical fabrice of U.S. citizenship. To complicate matters, indivi- P Great Plains 12’End Wheel No-Till Drill New from - a 12’ size duals apply cultural and religious teachings to modify these funda mental principles. This sets the stage for controversy depending on which principle one apply, de mocracy or capitalism and the in dividual’s background. Successful business people, with the emphasis on die word business, learn how to balance these opposing principles. Put in simplistic terms, dairy farmers need to decide die life style they want for their family. Next, they need to determine the income it will take to support that lifestyle. Once the income is determined then a business plan can be devel oped based on realities of the mar ket. A business owner should know their cost of production and their market price. Easier said than done some say. Again, one must apply business realism. Most fanners have something close to a cost of production each year in the income tax report if they don’t have more complete fi nancial records. On the other side of the equa tion milk prices have jumped to record highs and are falling back. It is expected that these fluctua tions will continue in the future but the average since the early ’Bos has not been far from sl2A:wt The large, welded seed box holds up to 2.4 bushels per foot. Exclusive Great Plains fluted feed seed cups coupled with the 4-speed gearbox deliver outstanding accuracy in varying rates and seeding conditions. Designed with safety in mind, the 12' End Wheel No-Till drill comes equipped with transport safety lights and a wider walkboard. Accessories available with the 12’ End Wheel No-Till drill include; folding markers, coil tine harrows, seed box agitator and small seeds attachment. D & B Equipment 307 Edgar Avenue, Bloomeburg, PA 17815 717-784-5217 Hines Equipment Rt. 28 Weet, Creaeon, PA 16630 814-886-4183 and Rt. 220. Balwood, PA 814-742-8171 Lehigh Ag Equipment, Inc. 6670 Ruppavllle Road, Allentown, PA 18106 Lancaster Farming, Friday, January 10, 1997