A2O-Unca«ter Farming, Saturday, November 7, 1998
DIRECT RETAIL
Farm Marketing
Christmas Trees
Larry Kuhns, a Penn State Uni
versity professor and Christmas
tree marketer, gave his opinions on
the current market conditions for
Christmans tree retailers.
Professor Kuhns has a tree farm,
in central Pennsylvania, with
wholesale and retail markets.
The “hottest” tree for today’s
consumer is the Fraser fir. Unfor
tunately, it is very site-demanding
and will not grow in all parts of
Pennsylvania.
Number two on the list is a well
adapted Pennsylvania tree, the
Douglas fir.
These two species command the
highest retail price. Professor
Kuhns says it’s hard to go wrong
with these two types, unless your
Northeast Quality Forage Conference
WILLIAMSPORT (Lycoming
Co.) - The northeastern offices
of Penn State extension are
again planning to offer the
Quality Forage Conference
Tuesday, Nov. 17 at the Holiday
Inn/TGIF in Williamsport.
Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and
the meeting will be over by 2:30
p.m. Various commercial dis
plays will be set up.
The program will feature
speakers in the morning and
farm visits int he afternoon.
Harold Harpster, Penn State
University professor of animal
nutrition, will speak on "How
Feeding Systems Influence
Forage Quality and Animal
Performance," Kurt Rappel, for
age specialist with Pioneer Hi-
Bred International, will speak
on "Managing Storage to
Minimize Losses," Marvin Hall,
Penn State, extension forage
specialist, will speak on
"Successful Forage Crop
Establishment". Heather
Karsten, Penn State university
professor of crop ecology, will
speak on "Managing to Optimize
Pasture Production."
lANT FACTORY SALE
HEAVY DUTY STEEL BUILDINGS
customers are very low-price
conscious.
Another tree that is commonly
grown locally, and is number three
in the consumer’s mind, is the Col
orado spruce.
When you receive Colorado
spruce, be prepared for a mix of the
blue and green types, no matter
what you ordered. This species
remains a favorite, because of its
stiff branches. Your customers can
really pile on the ornaments and
not bend the branches.
Following these three are the
balsam fir, scotch pine and white
pine. These trees are often used as
the low-priced draws. It can be dif
ficult to make a profit with these
low-margin species.
The current retail prices are
ranging from $2O per tree to $5 to
$6 per foot, with the 6- to 7‘/j -foot
sizes still the most popular.
During the afternoon, partici
pants will have their choice of
farm visits. One visit will be at
the farm of Mike and Nancy
Jarret near Williamsport in
Lycoming County. The Jarretts
own and operate a dairy farm
where they milk 160 cows.
Silage is stored in upright and
bunker-type silos. Harold
Harpster will discuss research
that he has conducted on a new
baler design. The baler and a
sample bale will be at this site
for participants to study.
Retailers need to keep in mind
that the Christmas tree selling sea
son starts the first weekend after
Thanksgiving and is in full swing
the following weekend.
Professor Kuhns offered these
points when considering tree
retailing:
• Start small, 100 trees is a fair
start for a beginner.
• Order a species mix, heavy on
the Fraser and Douglas fir, light on
the spruce and pines.
•Retailing tree stands with good
water-holding capacity can add to
your net profits.
• Wreaths, lights, tree-life
extenders and tree removal bags
are demanded by today’s consum
er. Keep in mind that wreaths tend
to sell best early in the season.
• If you are serious about tree
retailing, get a net baler.
• A tree shaker and tree drill/
stand system are the next steps
toward achieving total customer
satisfaction.
Kuhns offered these final words
of wisdom: Adequate parking and
effective signage are critical areas
often overlooked by beginning tree
retailers, and selling after dark will
lead to increased sales.
The second farm visit oppor
tunity will be at Camerer Farms
near Jersey Shore. At this site
participants will see the unique
feeding system used on this
farm to feed beef cattle. The pro
gram makes use of silage from
male corn plants. Marvin Hall
will also speak on using alfalfa
for grazing.
Registration cost is only $lO
for this meeting. This covers
your meal and bus ride to the
farm of your choice. For a regis
tration brochure, call the exten
sion office nearest you.
Registration deadline is Nov. 9.
HAY, STRAW
& GRAIN
SALE
Every Thursday
at 12 NOON
Vintage Sales
Stables, Inc.
(Rt. 30,10 miles east
of Lancaster
in Paradise, PA)
For info.
(717)442-4181 bus.
(610) 458-8518 home
(Continued from Page A 2)
lighter weights were 10.00-20.00 higher in
s light lest Slaughter ewes sold steady to
2.00 lower.
SLAUGHTER LAMBS: Choice and
Prime 2-3 4000 lbs 95.00-120.00; 60-80
lbs 75.00-90.00; 80-110 lbs 65.0075.00.
Good and Choice 80-110 lbs 60.0065.00
SLAUGHTER EWES: Utility and Good
1-3 28.0040.00.
GOATS: All goats sold by the head.
Billies: Large 100.00-130.00. Medium
75.00100.00. Nannies: Medium and Large
40.0060.00. Yearlings: Choice and Prime
55.00-70.00. Kids: Choice and Prime
40.0060.00. Good 20.0040.00.
Lancaster Co.
Weeklies
NEW HOLLAND, PA
FRI NOVEMBER 6, 1998
CATTLE CALVES
2324 1834
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
LAST YEAR
CATTLE: Compared to last week's
closing prices, slaughter steers closed
mostly steady to .50 lower. Western direct
fat cattle movement was mostly 1.00 lower
at 63.00 live and 98.0099.00 in the beef.
Boxed beef prices held firm this past week,
despite fierce competition from pork. Loc
al slaughter hog prices fell to 18.00, their
lowest point in over 27 years. Local Hols
tein steers and slaughter heifers sold steady
to weak in a limited test Slaughter cow
prices ended the week 1.502.50 lower,
while slaughter bulls finished mostly
steady. Supply was made up of around 39
percent slaughter steers, 10 percent slaugh
ter heifers, 39 percent slaughter cows, 5
percent bulls.
SLAUGHTER STEERS: High Choice
and Prime 2-4 1 IQS-1430 lbs 62.0068.00,
mostly 62.5065.25. Choice 2-3 10701490
lbs 60.25-63.50, high dressing 1-2 up to
66.75 and low dressing 4-5 down to 5750.
Select and low Choice 2-3 10501500 lbs
55.0061.00; 15001780 lbs 51505850.
Select 1-3 9401440 tbs 5250 59.50.
HOLSTEIN STEERS: Few High
MILK
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Choice and Prime 2-3 1240-1490 lbs
54.25- Choice 2-3 1320-1555 Ibe
52.25- few 1605-1675 lbs
52.35-52.t5. Select and low Choice 2-3
1115-1610 lbs 49.00-52.75; few
1725-ISOO lbs 45.00-46.00. Select 1-2
1255-1610 lbs 47.00-41.75. Few Standaid
1-2 1230-1470 lbs 44.00- 46.00.
SLAUGHTER HEIFERS: Choice 2-4
1045-1380 lbs 58.75-61.00. individual
1245 lbs 62.00; low dressing 4-5 930-1400
lbs 50.50-58.25. Select and low Choice 2-3
960-1475 lbs 53.00-59.75.
SLAUGHTER COWS: PERCENT
LEAN WEIGHT BULK LOW DRESS
ING Breakers 75-80 pet lean over-1400 lbs
32.25-36.50 29.75-33.00 Boners 80-85 pet
lean over-1200 lbs 30.50-34.50
27.00-31.25 Lean (Hi-Yield) 85-88 pet
lean over-1200 lbs 28.00-33.00
26.50-30.00 Lean 88-90 pet lean
over-1000 lbs 25.50-30.50 24.00-28.00
Lean (Light-Wt) 85-90 pet lean 750 -1000
lbs 24.25-28.75 22.50-26.00
SLAUGHTER BULLS: Yield Grade 1
1150-2015 lbs 40.00-50.50, several out
standing 52.75-56.75; individual
Charotais-X 14101bs 59.25. Yield Grade 2
1000-2145 lbs 34.50-43.00. Bullocks:
Select, few Choice 1-3 900-1490 lbs
45.25-54.00.
2653 1707
1732
3081
CALVES: Compared to last week,
vealers sold steady to ZOO higher with
good demand all week. Slaughter calves
dosed mostly steady. Holstein bull calves
returning to feed ended the week fully
steady in moderately active trading.
Demand for Holstein heifer calves slipped
some this week and prices closed mostly
10.00 lower.
VEALERS: Good and Choice 70-110
lbs 21.00-35.00. Standard and low Good
60-90 lbs 12.00-23.00, few down to 10.00.
SLAUGHTER CALVES; Good and
Choice 200-350 lbs 70.00-80.00; 350-500
lbs 60.00-75.00. Standard 200-350 lbs
62.00-70.00; 350-600 lbs 40.00-58.00.
RETURNED TO FARM: Holstein bulls
90-125 lbs 65.00-102.00, late mostly
75.00- 100.00. Plainer-type bulls 80-115
lbs 30.00-72.00. Holstein heifers 80-115
lbs 135.00-195.00. Plain heifers 70-100 lbs
65.00-