A2B-Lancaster Farming. Saturday, November 14,1998
KAREN BUTLER
Maryland Correspondent
WALKERSVILLE, Md. -
Charles Smith, Jefferson, is the
new president of the Frederick
County Farm Bureau. Smith
and other officers and directors
were elected during the 77th
annual dinner meeting of the
Farm Bureau at the fireball m
Wdkersville. About 325 people
attended the event.
Smith will take over the posi
tion vacated by outgoing presi
dent Michael Wilcom. John Bell
will be the new first vice presi
dent, and Charles Black will be
the second vice president. Don
Easterday will continue to serve
as secretary-treasurer
New directors elected for the
five areas of the county are
group 1 - Harold Lenhart, Sr.;
group 2 - Gordon Flickinger;
group 3 - Linwood Offutt, Jr.;
group 4 - Mehrl Mayne, Jr.; and
group 5 - Leon Remsburg
Steven Weber, president of
Maryland Farm Bureau, com
mended the Frederick County
members for surpassing their
membership quota and register
ing a membership of more than
1,100. “We have been in a three
year membership slide, and your
work really came to our aid,”
said Weber Laura Ruhlman,
Farm Bureau field representa
tive, called Frederick County
“an example for every other
county” in their membership ini
tiative
Weber summed up the past
year’s legislative efforts as a
mixed bag. “We got a very
important dairy bill passed, and
the right-to-farm ordinance ”
Those were very positive pieces
of legislation. But the mandato
ry nutrient management bill
that was passed went a little
overboard, according to presi
dent Weber “We’re people that
take these problems seriously.
Agriculture has tried to be
responsible. We know we have a
job to do as far as nutrient man
agement Unfortunately, we’re
going to wind up with a burden
of regulatory responsibilities. I
think they did the right thing by
addressing nutrient manage
ment, but I think they just went
a little bit overboard,” said
Weber
United States representative
Roscoe Barlett attended the
meeting, and was presented
with the first ever “Friend of
the Farmer” Farm Bureau
Award Bartlett said he consid
ers himself a fellow farmer.
Representative Bartlett cred
ited Thomas Jefferson’s ideas on
agrarian society as ideals we
should not lose sight of today.
Bartlett linked Jefferson’s ideas
to today’s concerns with urban
sprawl, farmland preservation,
and profitable agriculture.
:he first-ever
“Friend of the Farmer” Award from Farm Bureau.
Bureau Meets, Passes Resolutions
“He wanted a country that
was essentially an agrarian soci
ety, with just enough cities to
produce the equipment neces
sary for farming,” said Bartlett.
“He didn’t want his new country
to be blighted by the decadence
of cities. Now our challenge is to ‘
keep what we’ve got. Now we’re
challenged at every level of gov
ernment to keep what we’ve got.
Thomas Jefferson was right a
nation that loses its agricultural
base has lost a very valuable
resource. We’ve got to turn
something around so that agri
culture and the stability it pro
vides will be around in the
future.
Frederick County commis
sioners were also honored dur
ing the evening program for
their support of agriculture.
Mark Hoke, chair of the commis
sioners, accepted a plaque pre
sented by Michael Wilcom in
appreciation of the commission
ers’ efforts in establishing the
right-to-farm bill, the free day
for farmers at the landfill, and
the haylift. The haylift, started
last year to help farmers during
drought years, was given match
ing funds of $20,000 by the com
missioners to buy hay. Hoke
said that supporting the haylift
was one issue where the com
missioners all voted unanimous
ly, and said that in itself was
something to celebrate
Larry Howard spoke to the
group on the Farm Bureau lime
program. The lime program
makes hydrated, pharmaceuti
cal grade lime available to farm
ers The lime is a by product
from refining Domino sugar
One ton of the lime is 26 percent
calcium oxide, and is equivalent
to applying 1/2 ton of regular
lime, said Howard. There is a
23-25 ton minimum order, and
prices vary with the distance
from Baltimore, starting at 3.40
per ton. It is not necessary to be
a Farm Bureau member to get
the lime, and so far more than
24,000 tons have been ordered.
For each ton ordered, Frederick
County Farm Bureau gets 10
cents Howard can be reached at
(301) 662-8547 for more infor
mation
Gold star awards were pre
sented to the following members
by Mark Zuzik; Farm Bureau
administrator; Franklin
Gladhill - public affairs; William
Fouche - membership; Charles
C. Smith - national affairs;
Marie Geisinger - information;
Louise Stup - women’s commit
tee; Scott Hipkins - young farm
ers; Elwood Hipkins - discussion
group; Joe Free - service to
member; and Nick Nicholson -
service to member.
The women’s committee
elected officers and directors.
Remaining in office as officers
are Louise Stup, chairperson;
Officers and directors of Frederick County Farm bureau. From left, Charles C.
Smith, president; John Bell, first vice president; Charles Black, second vice presi
dent; Leon Remsburg, director of group 5; Gordon Flickinger, director of group 2,
Linwood Offutt, director of group 5; Gordon Flickinger, director of group 2; Lmwood
Offutt, director of group 3; Don Easterday, secretary-treasurer; and Harold Lennart,
director of group 1. Mehrl Mayne, elected as director of group 4, was not in atten
dance.
Evelyn Wilcom, vice chairper
son; Terrie Stup, recording sec
retary; and Louise Ediger, trea
surer. Directors elected for the
five regional groups are group 1-
- Brenda Nowell; group 2 - Cindy
Rhoderick; group 3 - Joanne
Guyton; group 4 - Hane Smith;
and group 5 - Audrey Wolfe.
Certificates of appreciation
were presented to; Trego
Zimmerman, past first vice pres
ident; Gordon Flickinger, retir
ing second vice president;
Donald Lenhart, retiring board
member; Charles Black, retiring
from the board of directors; Bill
Fouche, membership; David
Haker, board of directors; John
Burner, board of directors; and
Michael Wilcom, retiring presi
dent of Frederick County Farm
Bureau.
New resolutions adopted by
the Frederick County Farm
bureau include those to support
a BFP price for milk of $14.50, to
delete the word “contiguous”
from dairy compact legislation,
Don’t Fear Dairy Options Pilot Contract
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) Dairy fanners receiving
letters from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture concerning the
upcoming Dairy Options Pilot
Program (DOPP) shouldn't fear
signing a “contract” included in
the letter, according to a Penn State
University agriculture economics
specialist.
According to Bob Parsons, a
Penn State agricultural economist,
the contract is not a binding docu
ment requiring participation in the
program. It does not require any
commitment by farmers with an
interest in the program.
The contract is essentially a
registration form to attend one of
the county-level producer meet
ings scheduled to be held the first
week in January.
It should be considered the same
as a meeting registration form.
He said, “Do not reject the letter
upon opening it. Stop and consider
that if you want to leant about
(dairy) options, this is a great
opportunity. If you have any ques
tions, call the local extension
office.”
In order to transition dairy pro
ducers away from federal com
modity support programs, and to
provide them with tools for man-
Mark Hoke, chair of the Frederick County board of com
missioners by Michael Wilcom for their support of agri
culture.
to support the Dept, of
Agriculture Export Incentive
program and Fast Track, to
waive or modify the cattle sale
checkoff, to oppose phosphorous
based nutrient management
plans until more research is
done, to control wildlife, to sup-
aging their business risk, a number
of sources have recommended pur
chasing options on production, as a
means for controlling profit
extremes up and down.
While dairy producers are cur
rently receiving relatively high
prices for milk and input prices
have dropped grain prices have
dropped tremendously the lack
of governmental price-stabilizing
programs allows supply and
demand swings in producer prices,
and that puts producers at high risk
of failing to cash flow debt during
low-price periods.
The dairy options pilot program
is part of a national test to deter
mine if farmers can use actual
options contracts successfully to
manage price.
Thc program is designed so that
those who are eligible to partici
pate arc more or less to be held
harmless during the pilot period.
Participating counties have been
announcing scheduled informa
tional meetings to be held the first
week of January.
Contact a local extension office
for more information.
In Pennsylvania, participating
counties are Berks, Bradford,
Crawford, Chester, Franklin and
Lancaster.
port the protection of property
rights, to encourage deer carcass
use by charities, to lessen
restrictions on farm trucks, to
urge the government to abide by
noxious weed control laws on
government owned lands, and to
protect insurance coverage by
“Act of God” losses.
In New York, counties are
Chautaugua, Jefferson, Lewis,
Oneida, St Lawrence, Steuben.
Other states involved with the
pilot program are California, Min
nesota, Texas, Vermont and
Wisconsin.
The program is for producers in
eligible counties who produce at
least 100,000 pounds of milk over
a six-month period, as well as
licensed brokers who are in good
standing with the National Futures
Association.
The purpose of DOPP is to help
farmers manage price risk. The
program is to offer producers first
hand experience in trading options
contracts for a period of six to eight
months.
Options contracts create for the
producer a price floor by providing
the right, but not obligation, to sell
at a specified price.
got milk?