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V 01.45 No. 12
Farmers Can Weather Current Milk Price Crunch
JAYNE SEBRIGHT
Lancaster Farming Staff
EPHRATA (Lancaster Co.)
There’s no easy way around
it: milk prices have hit a 22-year
low, leaving many dairy farmers
Lebanon County Dairy Princess Amanda Martin is
busy on the family’s 163-acre farm. Turn to page 814 to
read about the Martin family, from left, Eugene, Allison,
Amanda, Andy, and Kathleen. Photo by Lou Ann Good.
Sen. Wenger Challenges
Foundation To Continue Ag Support
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster
Co.) Thirty-six years ago the
Home and Farm Center, 1383
Arcadia Road, was erected to
serve Lancaster County’s agri
Lancaster Farm and Home Foundation decisions are handled, from left, by
Luke Brubaker, president; Larry Weaver, vice president; and newly elected dire
tors Lloyd Welk, Dorothy Charles, Larry Groff, Linda Esbenshade, J. Robert
Kindig, Paul Wogemuth Jr., and Jim Kettering. Photo by Lou Ann Good.
Five Sections
reeling with uncertainty about
what the next year will bring.
Some farmers are angry and
pointing the finger at whose to
blame, while others are ready
just to throw in the towel.
culture and agribusiness con
cerns.
Today the center is a hub for
city and county activities hous
ing major offices for the exten
sion, USDA, Soil Conservation
Service, and other agricultural
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 22, 2000
But wait, how did this happen
when the market was doing so
well? How did prices get this
low, how long will they last, and
what can farmers do to survive
the price crunch?
According to Ken Bailey, as
sociate professor of dairy mar
kets and policy for the
Pennsylvania State University,
it is basically the law of supply
and demand.
“In 1998 and 1999, there were
a lot of incentives to expand,
and the industry expanded too
quickly,” said Bailey.
“Milk production increased
12 percent in the West. The
excess milk went into cheese, in
creasing cheese production by
Proper Manure Handling Key
To Controlling Foodborne Illness
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster
Co.) Producers shouldn’t
have to face public outbreaks of
foodborne illness to make
changes to thei* operations to
prevent the problem, according
to a vegetable specialist from
Cornell University.
Controlling foodborne illness
can be as simple as cultural
practices to control plant dis
ease, according to Dr. Anusuya
related organizations. It also
serves as a meeting place for
many civic, political, and com*
mercial organizations.
“I’m glad people had the fore
sight and vision 37 years ago to
(Turn to Pag* A3l)
six percent. The market rolled
along pretty well until people
figured out that there was too
much supply, then the market
fell.”
So why should the Northeast
dairy producers suffer low
prices when the West is respon
sible for the excess production?
Milk is marketed nationally.
And, while it has always been
marketed nationally, it’s just
starting to hit really hard now.
“The foundation of our coun
try was built on open borders be
tween states,” said Bailey. “But,
now with more interstate high
ways and a new information
age, it’s even more of an open
marketplace. Pennsylvania
Rangarajan, Cornell vegetable
specialist.
Rangarajan spoke*. Moeday
afternoon to about 200 vegetable
and fruit growers and industry
representatives at the annual
New Holland Vegetable Day at
Yoder’s Restaurant.
In a 1998 survey, consumers
noted that foodborne pathogens
concerned them more than al
leged pesticide contamination in
food, according to Rangarajan.
Rangarajan, who serves
growers who manage fields
Grower & Marketer Section
Shows Colors Of Gardening
Kathy Engle-Debes, Master Gardener, and Tom
Becker, York County horticulture agent, inspect the pe
tunias growing in a trial garden. Varieties include Pink,
Misty Lilac, and Purple Wave. The garden and other
topics of interest to fruit and vegetable growers are
highlighted in the special Grower & Marketer section
this issue. Photo by Jinny Wilt
$31.00 Per Year
farmers have to compete with
farmers in Idaho.”
According to Bailey, soon
Pennsylvania producers will be
competing with farmers in New
Zealand and Australia because
the dairy industry is going to
become a global marketplace.
Some farmers may be think
ing that, even though it’s an
open marketplace, transporta
tion prices should still come into
play. Farmers in the East are
much closer to the consumers, so
they should get better prices.
But the cost of transporting
cheese from Idaho to Chicago is
only three to five cents per hun-
ranging from one acre to 5,000
acres, spoke about the backlash
in her own industry because of
fears of food contamination.
About a year ago, in New
York state, cabbage processors
refused to accept cabbage grown
on any ground preceded by a
manure application. Manure
from any living source
human, livestock, or poultry
can be rife with deadly bacteria
that can cause foodborne illness.
Producers are often in a quan-
600 Per Copy
(Turn lo Pago Alt)
(Turn to Page A 22)