A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 6, 1997
\
Environment , Technology Awareness Spell 20 Years Of Success
For Pa. Pork President , An Independent Producer
(Continued from Pag* A2l)
regardless of where it’s developed,
even if its developed in another
country, noted Reinecker. Right
now the industry is using technolo
gy on a large scale that was deve
loped in Europe, including carcass
measuring devices employed in
Pennsylvania has about 5,000 hog pro
ducers. Any one of them can become mem
bers of the Pennsylvania Pork Producers
Council at no cost. And all of them can
benefit from the results of work by the
national and state councils to promote the
industry.
the industry.
These issues will affect all pro
ducers whether independent or
under contract, large or small.
“Regulations are going to come
down and they're going to effect
evety producer of every animal,
whether you’re large or small.
“Short-sightedness leads us to
believe that this is a large-small
issue. It’s not It is a pork issue,
whether you’re large or small.”
The PPPC president intends to
keep the focus of the Council’s
board of directors on the environ
mental issues.
“Forget about this large-small
thing. See the advantages of being
a contractor or an independent,” he
said.
The very definition of what a
contractor is came under debate
recently at the World Pork Expo.
At a delegate meeting, a “contrac
tor” was defined as “anyone that
producers and manufactures feed
and produces animals.” Reinecker
was taken aback. “Hey, I plant my
BETH MILLER
Cumberland Co.
Correspondent
HUNTSDALE (Cumberland
Co.) State Director Neil Mc-
Culloch got right to the point
when he spoke during the Cum
berland County Dairy Herd Im
provement Association Banquet at
the Penn Township Fire Hall.
“This," he. said, “has been a
testing year of accomplishment, as
well as facing harsh realities as
dairymen, as farm families and as
an association.”
He observed that Cumberland
was one of only 15 counties in
Pennsylvania that saw an increase
in the number of cows enrolled in
testing programs. At the same
time, member equity, “the positive
value of our joint effort,” is ap
proaching $500,000, McCulloch
noted.
Still, he added, the state, over
all, saw a 6-percent reduction in
involvement.
“We the owners, member dairy
men, pay for 100 percent of our
top-rated lab, our 100-percent
rated field service, our industry
leading processing center and our
by far greater percentage of use
able records," McCulloch said.
“Many of our fellow Pennsylvania
DHIA dairymen are no longer
able or willing to pay for this qual
ity, and seek service elsewhere.
Many across the nation feel the
quality and integrity of manage
ment/production information or
how it is collected on the farm is
com, I grow my grain. I chop my
feed,” he said, gesturing with his
hand. “Wait. Time out. There are
thousands of 100-sow, 200-sow,
600-sow, 1,000-sow, 10,000-sow
people that fit that definition. I’m
not sure you can separate the big
integrators from the independents
that own hogs and produce feed.
because I make all my feed, too.”
Also, how do you define a large
producer? Reinecker makes the
claim once voiced by someone in
the industry that, if you have one
more hog “than I do, you’re a large
producer,” he said. “It’s all
relative.”
David has been married to his
wife, Cheryl, for 20 years. They
have two sons: Andrew, 15, a
sophomore at Bermudian Springs
High School, who plans to attend
college, and Jonathan, 14, a fresh
man also at Bermudian Springs,
also planning college.
Cheryl teaches senior govern
ment and economics to all students
of Bermudian Springs High
School. She’s been doing so for 10
years her children will also be
her students. “They have to pass
her to get out of Bermudian
Springs,” said David.
“Mom’s a tough teacher, with
out a doubt,” he said. “Cheryl is
veiy, very disciplined and expects
a lot from her students. She
Cumberland Countv DHIA Presents Awards
no longer important
“In 1998 and in the future we
will continue to enjoy quality in
our association,” he concluded.
“This will be the case until each of
us individually casts a vote for
change, not a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote,
but the vote we cast when paying
our bill with hard-earned money
to the service provided we choose
to do business with."
Tom Smith, a Pennsylvania
DHIA marketing manager, talked
about how MUN - Milk Urea Ni
trogen - analysis is one of the big
things happening with DHIA to
day.
MUN analysis is just another
tool to help farmers avoid “ineffi
cient” feeding programs, he said.
The new board members cho
sen for the Cumberland DHIA are
Harold Myers of Shippensburg
and James Kulick of Carlisle.
The big winners of the awards
given out during the county
group’s 78th anniversary banquet
were Curtis and Ann Day of Ship
pensburg.
The Days took home the high
cow in protein award with a post
ing of 1,327 pounds of protein for
40,050 pounds of milk. They won
the high cow in milk honor with a
rating of 47,256 pounds of milk
and 1,290 pounds of protein.
The high 2 year-old in protein
laurel went to the Days for chart
ing of 1,047 pounds of protein for
29,661 pounds of milk, and they
captured the high 2-year-old in
milk with a level of 30,717 pounds
Reinecker takes a certain pride in bucking the trends, in being different. He calls
himself the “last of adying breed”—he’s an independent in an industry that is becom
ing almost completely vertically integrated, where producers are under contracts with
feed mills, where costs are established, and where margins are small.
demands excellence. She’s very
articulate and expects students to
learn the highest moral and educa
tional values that she can give
them.”
The Reineckers have enforced a
strict policy for their sons no
television during school week
days. “We really do push them,” he
said. “Academics come first.”
Recreational time at home is
reserved for the weekends.
David, who also serves on the
Bermudian Springs School board
of directors, attends Holy Trinity
Lutheran Church in York Springs
with his family. They serve on the
youth group committee and in
choir, in addition to teaching Sun
day school.
*
(
From the left, Cumberland County Dairy Princess Kristen Heberlig stands with Jeff
and Michelle Reasner, recipients of the Cumberland County Dairy Herd Improvement
Association management award, which Is presented by Neal McCulloch Cumberland
DHIA’s state director.
of milk for 941 pounds of protein. Shippen^burg.
From there, the Days captured And, as if that wasn t enough,
the high herd in protein and milk the Days shared the Herd Manage- Meanwhile, the low herd m se
award with ratings of 937 pounds ment Award with Jeff and Michel- matic cell counthonor was won by
of protein and 28,992 pounds of le vl o -to are from Jet-Rae Farm of Shipnensburg.
H MILK. IT DOES A BODY GOOD.'
MIDDLE ATLANTIC MILK MARKETING ASSOCIATION, INC.
This is Reinecker’s second term
as Pennsylvania Pork Producer
Council president, elected in
March this year. He served for
three years for the first time in the
1980 s.
“It’s been one of my goals to
keep all segments of the industry
moving forward in the state, from
the largest of our producers to the
smallest,” he said. “I want to keep
our industry moving forward and
try not to let us get distracted. Pro
fitable, responsible stewardship,
environmental and animal welfare
I think we need to be responsi
ble in those areas as well. Produc
ing the best product we can for the
consumer. We can’t lose sight of
the end-user, because that’s what
keeps us in business.”
Reinecker’s advice for young
producers just starting out in the
industry?
“Learn, learn, read, and ask
questions,” he said. “Don’t be
caught up with paradigms. Don’t
put blinders on. Continue to ask
questions and get involved with
the pork industry. Learn as much
as you can. Be a businessman
it’s not just enough to know what a
pig wants to eat Get involved legi
slatively. Go to the Pork Forum
and the World Pork Expo every
year, or at the least every other
year. Go and get new technology,
new ideas, and implement them.
You can’t do like Grandpa did.
Times are changing.”
IP