EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
INTERCOURSE (Lancaster
Co.) A large room full of 340
Amish farmers along with a few
non-Amish met last Friday morn
ing to approve both the establish
ment of the Pennsylvania Tobacco
Marketing Cooperative and to
approve the bylaws as presented.
TTris unopposed vote gave the nine
newly elected board members the
go-ahead to conduct the business
of the cooperative, establish an
auction for tobacco, rent an auction
bam, establish a line of credit, and
contact southern buyers to come to
the sales.
Jane Balmer, who has spear
headed the effort to get the farmer
cooperative running, told the meet
ing that they have 5.3 million
pounds of tobacco under contract,
but they have no guarantee the buy
ers will come. It can be noted that
buyers have expressed interest in
comming, but have not gone public
with these indications. The
Tobacco Farmers Establish Marketing Auction
cooperative had 438 members as of
the organization meeting. Other
farmers have until the end of
December to join the cooperative,
at which time membership will he
closed. Members will pay three
cents per pound to market their
tobacco through the cooperative
and. nonmembers will pay sue
cents. In addition, evetyone will 4
cents per pound for the rental of the
building.
Balmer expressed hope that they
could have an auction in the first
week of January, but this depends
on everything comming together.
Elected directors include,
Daniel S. King, Daniel S. Dienner
Jr., Daniel B. Zook, Lawrence
Martin, Victor Dohner, Jane Bal
mer, Michael Mellott, Eugene
Nolt, and Lany Weaver. Dennis
Hess will be the general manager.
Following the directors organ
ized with Jane Balmer elected pres
ident, Lawrence Martin, vice presi
dent, and Daniel S. king, secretary/
treasurer.
This roomfu II of mostly Amish tobacco farmers met last Friday morning to establish
the Pennsylvania Tobacco Marketing Cooperative and to approve the bylaws to
establish the working of the new cooperative. Photo by Everett Newswanger, managing
editor.
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