Mel and Sandy Hoffer milk 40 cows and farm 110
acres in Elizabethtown. “The low milk price can make
you feel negative about a lot of things,” said Mel. “It
doesn’t seem like it matters what we do because we
can’t control it. It gets somewhat frustrating thinking
about the milk price going down when the bills just keep.
going up.” The Hoffers plan to tighten their belts to get
through the next couple of months. “We’re not going to
make any purchases that aren’t necessary, and hope
fully things will change.”
Feeder Wagon with Headlocks
Zimmerman adjustable headlocks for animals 10 months or older.
Mounted on a 5' x 20' or 24' trough with an adjustable tongue.
All headlocks finished with a zinc rich undercoat & TGIC polyester powder topcoat.
Advantages:
Zimmerman Headlocks
•2 '
• Spring loaded neck bar for
easy removal & adjustment.
• Individual lock on each yoke
fr Mai l- *’' \dividual animals
Call or Write For Additional Information & the Name of Your Nearest Dealer
Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc.
295 Woodcorner Rd. • Lititz, PA 17543 • 1 mile West of Ephrata
717/738-7365
Hours: Mon. thru Fn.; 7-5; Sat. 7-11
Farmers Speak Out About Milk Prices
Farmco Feeder Wagon
• 15“ implement wheel (6 bolt)
• 2 jacks on front corners
for added stability.
Added Value With Our 2 Coat Process!
—1 Five step metal preparation, including iron phosphate conversion
coating, to enhance adhesion & prevent undercoat corrosion
.2 Zinc rich epoxy powder undercoat
3 TGIC polyester powder top coat, baked at 400° to (use coats,
forming a cross link molecular bond
JAYNE SEBRIGHT
Lancaster Farming Staff
MOUNT JOY (Lancaster
Co.) During last week’s
Mount Joy Dairy Cooperative
meeting in Mount Joy, four
farmers volunteered to talk
about the recent drop in the milk
price. Here are their comments.
Gilbert and Darlene
Adams of New Bloomfield
milk 125 cows and farm
2,000 acres with their four
sons. “The milk prices
could be worse, but they
could be a lot better,” said
Gilbert. “We just have to
watch what we buy and not
overspend.” The Adams
consider themselves for
tunate because they didn’t
get hit as badly with the
drought as other areas did.
“The 2,000 acres give us
something to fall back on
when milk prices fall.”
Joe and Jeanne Wivell
milk 80 cows and farm 250
acres in Columbia. “It’s just
too low,” said Joe. ‘‘There
is too much manipulation in
milk pricing.” Joe doesn’t
see expanding as an
answer to the problem, ‘in
essence, we’re our own
worst enemy, if dairying
were more profitable, farm
ers wouldn’t have to
expand and drive milk
supply up.” He admits that
the average milk price for
the last two years has been
excellent, ‘if we could still
average $l4 per hun
dredweight for this year’s
milk, even with this low,
farmers could stay profita
ble.”
Mike and his wife Lisa Brubaker farm in Mount Joy,
where Mike milks 400 cows with his father Luke and
brother Tony, ‘i don’t like that milk prices are falling,”
said Mike. “But we have had two years of good prices,
so they were bound to fall sometime.” Still Mike admits
that the prices dropped farther than he expected. “It
will make margins really tight for the next several
months. But at least the feed costs are low so that will
help weather the situation.”
Mahoning Outdoor Furnaces
Cut Your Heating Costs With Our
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• Standard Model Burns Wood, Coal
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Adapts to any existing heat system Installation & Accessories Available
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 5, 2000-A37