White Gold How could you find a better ti tle for a promotion on the impact of the dairy industry on the econ omy of Pennsylvania? The Penn sylvania Dairy Stakeholders' new brochure has tremendous applica tions for farmers across the state to reach out to our non-farm neighbors. They are making the connection between the milk we produce and the economy of the community by sharing facts about the dairy industry. Roughly 11,500 dairy farms throughout the state provide thou sands of jobs and billions of dol lars for the economy. About 1.2 million gallons of milk per year are produced through the dairy in dustry. If you can imagine, that's enough milk for 38 billion bowls Celebrate t&e fan and flaws of gersftey. of cereal and about 1,600 glasses of milk each year for every man, woman, and child in the state. Also, the milk from every 20 cows creates one full time job, which means over 17,000 people are emploved on Pennsylvania dairy farms. Another 12,000 have jobs processing, transporting, and selling milk, and this doesn't even include jobs created by selling equipment and farm supplies. Here are the facts: 1) A two percent growth in the Pennsylvania dairy industry cre ates 570 new jobs 2) Farm commodities such as milk, meat and grain create thou sands of off-farm jobs 3) Farmers are major consum ers ol goods and services pur chased locally 4) Farmland serves the com munity as a free groundwater re- ]{ Hershey Foods Corporation All trademarks llreflStd to HersSsy Foods Corporation charge area 5) Farms generate more tax money than they require in serv- ices But, just how valuable is the dairy industry in your own county or township? For a quick over vie >v, count the number of dairy cows in your area to estimate how many dollars milk brings into your area. Your county agent should be able to provide accurate cow numbers. Take the number of cows jmd multiply by 2,000 gallons (average production per cow) to get a total gallons of milk per year. Now multiply the gallons of milk by an average price of $ 1.20 per gallon ($l4/hundredweight) to find the total dollars milk is bringing into your community. Remember, most of that money will go right back into the local economy in the form of pur chases, services and taxes. This article about milk and it's role in maintaining a strong econ omy comes primarily from infor mation provided by the Pennsyl vania Dairy Stakeholders. Milk, it does a community good. Feel free to send your com- ments and ideas to Jim Shirk at atjshirk@lcci.com or call him at The Lancaster Chamber by email 397-3531. PENNSYLVANIA DAIRY FACTS The Pennsylvania dairy industry generated an estimated $1 67 billion in economic activity last year Total milk produced in the state last year amounted to 10,742 million pounds or 1.249 million gallons There were 10,500 commercial dairy farms in Pennsylvania lasi year, with 644,000 mill cows in (he state Each dairy cow in Pennsylvania produced an average of 16,811 pounds or 1,954 gallons of milk in 1997 Last year, Pennsylvania dairy cows produced more than 7 gallons of milk a day, or enough to make 6 pounds of cheese or 2 6 pounds of butler To produce this much milk a cow consumes 35 gallons of water, 20 pounds of grain and concentrated feeds, and 15 pounds of hay and silage. The average value of a day’s milk is about $7 80 per cow It takes $3 50 to pay for the feed, $1 25 for other supplies, and $2 75 for building and overhead to produce that milk, leaving 30 cents for labor and profit In 1997, dairy cow in Pennsylvania cost about $1,130 In order to pay for that cow, a farmer would have to sell 1,018 gallons of milk The lop five ranking dairy counties in the state based on milk production arc I ancastcr, Franklin, Bradford, Berks, and Chester counties Each person in Pennsylvania drank an average of 23 gallons of milk last year > Pennsylvania ranks fourth m milk production in the United States, producing 6 8 percent of the nation’s milk At a mailbox price of $l5 50 per hundredweight, Pennsylvania dairy fanners averaged $ 42 profit for each 100 pounds of milk they produced in 1996 1997 average mailbox price isn 'I available for Pennsylvania r m HTPA SMOKE > THUNDER MATIOWALS 1 Championship Truck & Tractor Pulling This Event Sponsored . . .. ... .. ii »■ ——For More info Call Children 5-12 55.00 OPEN ,Ws;3o\ Children Under I EVENT STARTS I orTrackAt S-FREE I AT7:OOSHARP ) fjJJIJM™ BUCK MOTORSPORTS PARK 10 miles S. of Lancaster on Rt. 272 J Here’s What Another Satisfied Stimopuls MA Customer Has To Say About Westfalia Equipment “I tried another major brand of stall barn detacher & milker claw on one side of the stable & the Stimopuls MA and Classic 300 Claw on the opposite side. The milking speed & handling of the Westfalia Equipment was superior to the other brand & made my decision easier to purchase Westfalia. Our dealer, Fisher & Thompson, Belleville, Pa. did a great job on installation & we’re n happy with the performance. I’d recommend others to take a look at Westfalia before making an equipment purchase. ” "IT FISHER & THOMPSON INC. IV DAIRY * IHUONO EQUIPMENT SALES * SERVICE (uffiSTFAJM) ■ WFFUNBURO =* M BBSS? aSSS* tfl .JUIIU. mSBOItm 717-65M307 riMB-TCM m-WMM 71?<8W82 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 6, 1998-A45 Hal Drick, Allenwood, Pa. Call for a Free Demo
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