state
PATTE LIBRARY
pa 16802
Vol. 44 No. 7
Future Of Dairy Industry Discussed At Stakeholder’s Conference
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.)-In an atmosphere of
optimism, 200 of the best minds
in the Pennsylvania dairy industry
gathered here Thursday and Friday
to discuss the challenges that lace
the dairy industry. The meeting
of the Pennsylvania Dairy Stake
holders represented all segments of
Pennsylvania’s most powerful
agricultural enterprise from
production, processing, and
wholesale to supplier, service
provider and retail sales.
Secretary of Agriculture
Samuel Hayes Jr., set the tone of
the meeting with introductory
remarks.
“We have a better product than
the colas, but they put their
money in promotion, we put ours
in producing a quality product,”
Hayes said. “We need to tell our
story better.”
Swine Odor Control Tough To Handle
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
BIRD IN HAND (Lancaster
Co.) There arc no simple solu
tions to swine odor control. But a
combination of pit additives,
lagoon covers, and application
management can work wonders on
neighbor relations, according to an
odor specialist from lowa State.
Dr. Dwainc S. Bundy of the Ag
and Biosystems Engineering
Department at lowa State Univer
sity in Ames, lowa, doesn’t see
“any one thing that will control
odors.” But, as he explained to 1 IS
people gathered for the annual
HBav the Spirit
of Christmas
Abide With You
and Yours
Special Pages/Advertising/News
Deadlines For Holidays,
Farm Show Issues
A number of special pages are planned for Lancaster Farming in the
coming weeks. In addition, the Christmas and New Year holidays bring
special deadline schedules, too.
In this issue, we have the semi-annual newsletter for Pennsylvania
DHIA. Here the association presents a review of its. year and brings
news of special interest to members as well as to all dairy fanners. In the
Dec. 26 issue we dedicate a few pages to the introduction of the Pen
nsylvania Young Farmer Convention to be hosted by the Manhcim
Chapter in early February. We will have registration forms and an
extensive review of the program. In addition, messages from the spon
sors of this state-wide event will be part of the advertising base with
these pages.
(Turn to Pag* A 34)
Four Sections
“Hayes capped his remarks
with the announcement that Gov.
Tom Ridge has agreed to do “Milk
Mustache” billboards across
Pennsylvania.
“The real strength is in the
private segment of agriculture,
“Hayes said. “We will always
have change, but we must harness
change to our advantage.”
The keynote speaker for day
one was Dr. Ken Bailey, with the
commercial agriculture program.at
the University of Missouri. He
said consolidation was the buzz
word of industry and the dairy
industry is not immured to
mergers. In the future, a few retail
chains will control the sale of
milk and dairy products and only a
few large processing companies
will control this part of the dairy
industry.
Bailey said the approximately
9,000 dairy farms in America will
be redpced to 4,500 dairy farms by
Pork Production Forum Wednes
day at the Bird In Hand Family
Restaurant, “maintenance and
good management” can work to
stem odors and promote neighbor
ly relationships among growers
and the public.
At the Pork Forum, a meeting
sponsored by LanChester Pork
Producers and the industry, Bundy
reviewed wide-ranging research
that his department has accom
plished in the field of swine odor
control. Included were a review of
pit additives and methods to con
trol odors from the underground
This Christmas card comes from
everyone at Lancaster Farming.
We also hope you have a
- prosperous New Year!
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 19, 1998
(Turn to Page A 33)
the year 2008. Even more
importantly, most of the milk
will be produced by the largest of
these remaining farms.
Later in the day, a panel of
industry people gave their views
Rush and wife Jeanne Shanahan manage two farms in Chester County comprising
60 acres of Christmas trees. They grow Fraserfirs on almost a third of the acreage.
The Shanahans farm a total of 180 acres, including landscape stock, at the wholesale
and retail farm. Photo by Andy Andrews
Fraser Fir Stands Tall On
Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Farm
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
HONEY BROOK (Chester Co.)
Christmas tree shoppers have
placed the Fraser fir at the top of
their “most wanted** lists this year.
And mote Christmas tree growers
than ever before are allocating
acreage to the popular Fraser.
What makesgrowing Frasers so
challenging, according to Rush
Shanahan of Shanahan’s Tree
Farms and Nurseries, Honey
PDA Celebrates First Use Of
Next Generation Loan Program
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Staff
DUBOIS (Clearfield
Co.) Farm families now have a
tool available to help make it pos
sible for their farm to remain in
farming for the next generation of
people.
The tool is a type of business
loan that can be used by farm fami
$29.50 Per Year
on the future of the dairy industry.
This panel included Jim Sleper,
Etean Foods; Robert Mertz,
Schneider-Valley Farms, Inc.;
Don Schriver, Dairy Farmers of
America; and Don Berg, Land
Brook, is that the tree is not native
to Pennsylvania.
It’s a native of the mountains of
North Carolina, where it is cooler,
often times wetter, than Pennsyl
vania hills.
For Christmas tree growers this
year, marked mostly by long dry
spells followed by heavy rainfall,
the Fraser fir has been harder to
grow and care for.
“The summer is tough on' a Fras
er,” said Shanahan during a recent
lies in transferring their assets to
the next generation, appropriately
called The Next Generation Far
mer Loan Program.
The loan program was first
announced earlier this year, and
information about it is available on
the state Department of Agricul
ture’s Internet homepage at
www.pdastate.pa.us, or in a pain
600 Per Copy
O’Lakes.
A few points made by panel
members and from questions from
the floor included the thought that
smaller processors will be able to
(Turn to Pago A4l)
visit to his farm.
Shanahan remembers the long
droughts of the 19605, which near
ly wiped out the imported trees to
Pennsylvania. In the 1980 s,
according to Shanahan, the popu
lar ornamental evergreen began
making a comeback to nurseries in
the state, because of customer
demand for the tree’s nice color
and ’’openness,” said Shanahan.
The tree’s openness allows
(Turn to Pag* X 22)
phlct available through the PDA.
The first such loan made under
the new program was recognized
during a ceremony Monday held
by state and local officials at
Haag’s Green Valley Farm in rural
Dubois.
Michael Kennis Jr. is the first
agricultural recipient of this type
(Turn to Pago A 23)