(, *, * •> > If * -?■ « W IT ~ V , , a^-5i n e < 1 048 V 01.44 No. 13 The Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs selects Julie Sechler as its 1999 state fair queen. From the left is 1998 State Fair Queen Amanda DeSio, 1999 State Fair Queen Julie Marie Sechler, and 1999 Runner-up State Fair Queen Sarah Fyock. See story and more photographs on page 814. Mt. Joy Dairy Cooperative Reports Excellent Year EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor MT JOY (Lancaster Co.) - Offi cials of the Mount Joy Farmers Cooperative reported an excellent year for profitablity, prices to far mers, and expansion of both milk handled and of new members. President Don Risser reported the highest milk'Priccs on record with good feed prices. “It’s a good lime to get your house in order and put some aside for a rainy day.” Risser said. The cooperative grew by 52 members by the end of its year in October and had another 20 new shippers by the end of December. It handled 58 million more pounds of milk but lowered operat ing expences by 2 cents. The aver age milk price was $ 15.39, a record price and up $1.45 over last year. Member’s money tied up in the cooperative decreased from more than $l,OOO to $3,251. Clyde Rutherford, president of Dairylea, headquartered in New York State, complimented the loc al cooperative for quality milk and noted the good relationship between Dariylea and Mt Joy. He Five Sections noted the good fortune they have with local markets such as Kemps and Turkey Hill. Rutherford said they have customers asking for milk, largely because of the quality milk and quality farms in their joint membership. Rutherford believes milk prices will stay good through 1999 though not as good as the records set in 1998. He estimated prices to decrease by an average of 50 cents but expected feed prices to remain low for lower production costs through the year. Dale Heishey, who was named manager effective Jan. 1, reported an excellent series of on-farm inspections that had some farms scoring a perfect 100 points. The average for the public health inspection was 92 points and for the federal rating 94 points. La wrence Good, from Womelsdorf, was cited as having had 100 points in all three inspections along with 12 consecutive quality awards to top the Inspsection Honor Roll. The annual meeting was in two segments this year, Tuesday at New Holland, and Wednesday at (Turn to Pag* A 33) Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 30, 1999 Blueprints For Successful Marketing Taught At Fruit And Vegetable Convention LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Fanning Staff HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) Glowers know that they can raise the best fruits and vegetables but it is marketing that most determines whether or not they remain in business. For this reason the marketing sessions were packed out during the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Veget able Convention held Tuesday through Thursday this week. Numerous sessions examined marketing from both grower and buyer viewpoints. Individual suc cess stories were recounted. Blue prints for success incorporated details and ideas for marketing. Dehoff, Miller Families Share York Ag Honors JOYCE BUPP York Co. Correspondent YORK (York Co ) Dairy and horticulture operations shared the spotlight as honorees of the year at the annual York County Agricultural Recognition Banquet, held January 21 at Wisehaven Hall. The Albert Dehoff and Sons dairy operation,.Red Lion, was named Outstanding Farm Hull Is Outstanding Grower Of Year VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Fanning Staff HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) Dr. Lany Hull, director of the Penn State University Bigler ville Research Statical, on Tuesday evening was named the recipient of the 1999 Outstanding Grower Award, during the annual fruit and Tim Brown, left, spent a hot, dry afternoon last summer holding back the leaves of corn while Larry Swartz, Adams County crops agent, scouted for corn borer damage. Brown has used a successful corn borer management strategy on his farm in Littles town for the past couple of years. To find out more about his use of Bt corn, read this issue's special Com Talk section. Photo by Andy Andrew* $29.50 Per Year Many of the more than 1,500 attendees expressed the viewpoint that the annual convention is the most valuable informational tool for fruit and vegetable growers. Trax Farm Market Robert Trax, president of Pen nsylvania Vegetable Growers Association (PVGA), opened the marketing session by telling about his own successful farm market. Using slides, Trax shared how changes were incorporated throughout the years in the family venture than began in 1956. Trax emphasized the impor tance of providing attractive dis plays to catch the attention of shoppers. He said that Trax Farm Family and Miller Plant Farms, York, was the winner of the Outstanding Ag Industry Award. Both are long-time York agricultural enterprises encom passing several generations of family members in their busi nesses The Dehoff family’s dairy operation began m 1948, when Albert and his late wife Martha, began farming with 20 milk vegetable growers dinner at the Hers hey Lodge and Convention Center. The award was presented by the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania (SHAP) to Dr. Hull in recognition of his more than 20 years of dedication and effort to provide meaningful and timely 60C Per Copy capitalizes on festival promotions that highlight seasonal themes on the farm. They erect many attrac tive signs to inform customers about what is happening on the farm. Signs are also used to direct customers to other areas of interest Kids activities are crowd grow ers. The market has devised a train out of 55-gallon drums to pull cus tomers through the gardens. Pony rides, Easter egg hunts, and hay rides are a few of the special attrac tions. Farm tours arc offered Gve days a week. Visitors ride a tractor and wagon up a hill to pet animals. (Turn to Page A2B) cows and 40 acres of ground near Dallastown Today, the operation has grown to include 120 head of milking cattle and 750 acres of owned and rented cropground When son Jack graduated from high school, the family constructed a new and larger dairy facility on another farm which has been purchased near Red Lion. His younger (Turn to Page A 32) research in support of the fruit and vegetable growing industry. Held in conjunction with the three-day Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, the awards banquet program is also designed to provide Pennsylvania legisla tors and government agricultural (Turn to Page A2O) 'N r i r
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