Annual Cattlemen’s
(Continued from Page A 26)
Virginia. Nat Shoemaker of Buffalo
Mills received roses in appreciation
for all she has done for the
Pennsylvania Simmental Association.
The PA Simmental Association elect
ed her husband, Bill, as president.
PCA intern Liz Smith announced
the 2000 Cattlemen’s Queen and
Princess. Last year’s queen, Jessi
Leister, chose to run again this year
and received the crown for 2000.
Jessi is the daughter of Michael and
Donna Leister of Biglerville, Adams
County. PCA princess will be Penn
State senior Stephanie Biggerstaff of
j
fj
Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association queen Jessi
Leister, Adams County, welcomes princess Stephanie
Biggerstaf, Westmoreland County. Leister begins her sec
ond term as queen.
Riding
Arena
Ph. (717)866-6581 FAX (717)866-7237
J™aH-
701 E. Linden St., RICHLAND, PA 17087
Trusses for Commercial or Residential
Belle Vemon, Westmoreland County.
Stephanie is the daughter of David
and Cecelia Biggerstaff.
Smith also announced the scholar
ship winners. Kevin Harvatine of
Thompson, Susquehanna County,
earned the Ivomec Generations of
Excellence scholarship. Harvatine is
a junior at Penn State and a member
of the 2000 National Quiz Bowl
team. Harvatine was one of only ten
members selected nationwide as a
Collegiate Livestock Leader.
The Psizer scholarship went to
Travis Reid of Dallastown. Reid is a
sophomore at the University of
Delaware. William Grant Coleman
Farmers Join Forces In Washington
JAYNE SEBRIGHT
Lancaster Farming Staff
MESHOPPEN (Wyoming
Co.) A delegation of 40
people from northeastern Penn
sylvania, made up of farmers
and FFA students, recently trav
eled to Washington, D.C., for
the Rally for Rural America.
The Pennsylvania delegation
joined farmers from all over the
country who traveled to Wash
ington, D.C., to speak out
against low farm prices.
Prior to the Rally, the delega
tion delivered written testimon
ies to 100 senators and 435
came forward to receive the $5OO
PCA scholarship. Coleman, from
Elmer, NJ, is studying Ag Business at
Penn State.
Paul Slayton, executive director of
the PA Beef Council, congratulated
the award winners and then called
Bill McCoy to the podium for the
Servant Leadership award. He com-
mended McCoy for his quiet, strong
leadership as president of the PCA
and for building a bridge from the
PCA to the PA Beef Council. McCoy
has served as PCA president for the
past two years and was re-elected
president later during the Beef Expo.
PCA members elected five new
directors at the banquet. Elected to
serve were Kathy Allen from
Saxonburg, Larry Bullis from
Gettysburg, Wayne Hoffman from
Dover, Robert McQuiston from
Stoneboro, and Frank Stoltzfus from
Elizabethtown.
The following directors will serve
as officers for 2000 - Bill McCoy,
president; Terry Shearer, vice presi
dent; Ray Grimes, secretary; and
John Myers, treasurer.
• GLU-LAM ARCHES •R<
• GLU-LAM BEAMS • FI
• GLU-LAM TREATED *TI
POSTS D
“The Sign of Quality
In Engineered Timber"
TRUSS pure INSTITUTE
MEMKR
representatives to inform them
about the ag crisis and request
meaningful reform.
The packet included testi
monies from farmers, con
sumers, religious leaders, and
others concerned about the cur
rent low farm prices. The trip is
part of the group’s ongoing ef
forts called “Dairy Action
2000.”
“We’re hoping since this is an
election year that we will engage
political candidates in serious
discussion about ag issues,” said
Gerald Carlin, a dairy farmer
from Meshoppen who is in
volved with Dairy Action.
“Dairy Action 2000” started
in January this year when sev
eral farmers joined together to
encourage change in the milk
pricing system.
The group has been involved
in picketing at various milk
plants and vocalizing their con
cerns through other methods
during the past two months.
They also met with the Attorney
General at Keystone College re
cently where 20 people gave tes
timony about the current milk
prices.
As part of “Dairy Action
2000,” the group is recommend
ing that a temporary floor price
of $15.50 per hundredweight for
all milk be set immediately. The
temporary floor price should
stay in affect until a more per
manent plan can be developed.
“If the $15.50 floor price isn’t
attainable, then we want to set a
$3 to 4 Class I differential that
will be pooled nationally,” said
Carlin.
The group is also requesting a
full independent public account
ing of the Chicago Mercantile
Exchange and NASS surveys.
Free Stall Barn Interior
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 8, 2000-A27
“These methods do not seem
to be an adequate way of mea
suring milk,” said Carlin.
“For example, there were
higher beginning stocks of dairy
in June and July than there are
now,” said Carlin. “Imports are
also a big concern because it
doesn’t take much for these
things to mess up the system.”
The third request that the
group is making is that all pub
licly paid university dairy econ
omists and extension agents who
publish milk production figures
must also publish total market
ing, commercial disappearance,
and import figures for milk.
The group also wants con
gressional hearings held at the
congressional district level so
that farmers can present their
ideas for real solutions.
“There needs to be a national
referendum on dairy plans
where every dairy producer can
vote on proposed plans with no
block votes,” said Carlin.
“Most cooperatives were cre
ated under the Camper-
Volstead Act, allowing them to
collectively bargin for fair
prices,” said Carlin. “But we be
lieve that most cooperatives in
general have neglected this re
sponsibility.”
The group is also planning to
meet with farmers from several
other states to determine short
term and long-term solutions for
the current low prices.
The group is hoping their ef
forts will make a difference.
“Progress is always awfully
slow, but this is much more than
just farm prices. It affects rural
America,” said Carlin. “There
doesn’t seem to be enough con
cern about the problem. We
need more farmers to get in
volved.”
Over 40 years quality
products & materials...
Let us help you
with your
building needs!
Free Stall Barn Exterior