Industry Officials Want
Producers To Vote On
Pork Checkoff
(Continued from Page At)
basic element of the checkoff.
There’s no reason, Kephart
said, for producers not to get out
and vote. “They need to get out
and vote, period,” he said.
Some believe the checkoff
program is essential to continue
pork promotional and educa
tional programs. Others see it as
an unnecessary expense, noting
that large processors and pro
ducers already pay for extensive
educational and promotional
programs.
But many do not question the
effectiveness of the checkoff.
“Without the pork checkoff,
there would be no coordinated
promotion programs,” wrote
Barbara A. Wiand, president of
the Pennsylvania Pork Produc
ers Council (PPPC), in a letter
from the president published in
the PPPC newsletter, Pigs Pen.
She noted the strengthening of
pork industry’s position in the
world marketplace through the
efforts of the checkoff.
Also, without the checkoff,
“there would be no coordinated
research programs,” Wiand
wrote. “Checkoff dollars are
also invested in research proj
ects that find solutions for pro
ducer problems.”
See
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Without the checkoff, Wiand
wrote, “there would be no coor
dinated consumer education
programs.’’ The checkoff dollars
provide consumer education.
“Without this component, con
sumers would not know that
pork is 31 percent lower in fat
than it was 20 years ago.’’
Producers control 100 percent
of the checkoff funds. Approxi
mately 500 producers, nation
wide, serve on boards.
Wiand wrote, “We as produc
ers have the most to lose if the
checkoff ends.” She urged pork
producers to take the time to
vote Sept, 19-21.
Those eligible include produc
ers who have sold at least one
pig between Aug, 18, 1999 and
Aug. 17, 2000, and individuals
or entities who have imported
hogs, pork, or pork products
during the same period. There is
no age restriction. Voters must
be old enough to complete the
ballot. (4-H and FFA members
and other youth who have sold
hogs in their own name are eligi
ble.)
Corporations, groups, and
families selling hogs under one
name are entitled to one vote.
Producers involved in contract
production and who do not per-
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urban neighbors understand
farmers and their fantastic ef
forts to feed the world with
modem farming practices, an
Internet site has been developed
called Lancaster Fanning Cow
Cam. Farmers will also get a
kick out of this.
In cooperation with Kreider
Dairy Farms at Manheim, a
sonally own or sell hogs in their
name are not eligible to vote.
No documentation is required
to vote. Voters will register on
site by completing a form to in
clude name, address, telephone
number, and a statement that
the voter, or the entity he or she
represents, was a producer
during the representative period
(Aug. 18,1999-Aug. 17,2000).
An absentee voting package
may be requested by telephone,
fax, or in person from the county
FSA office.
The checkoff rate for the sale
of hogs, feeder pigs, and breed
ing stock is assessed at the rate
of .45 percent of the value of sale
(45 cents per $100).
For more information about
the referendum, contact Ken
Kephart, Penn State swine spe
cialist, at (814) 863-3671 or In
ternet at kbk2@psu.edu or Bob
Mikesell, (814) 865-2987, or the
Internet at rem9@psu.edu.
Recently, through a supple
mental checkoff grant from the
National Pork Board, $4.64 mil
lion was approved in project
funding for retail promotions
and advertising and winter, ac
cording to Pigs Pen. Pork pro
ducers will invest an additional
$2.53 million for enhanced pro
motional efforts through retail
merchandising through the end
of this year. f*
Cow Cam: A New Adventure
camera has been placed in their
2-acre comfort barn that takes a
picture every several minutes to
show the world how cows eat. In
addition, future plans call for
onsite coverage of field days and
other special events that will
support our regular extensive
coverage of news for farmers.
“Here we have the opportu
nity to bridge the gap between
farm and city without the smells
and muck that may be offensive
to those who are not accustomed
to the farm,” said Everett
Newswanger, Lancaster Farm
ing’s editor. “And we have the
vehicle to let farmers take a look
at themselves from a new vanta
ge-point.”
In addition, editor
Newswanger has created a page
taken from information sup
plied by the Pennsylvania Dairy
Stakeholders that expounds on
the economic importance of the
dairy farmer in rural communi
ties. Along with “Your Stake in
the Nation’s White Gold,”
which is milk, a clickable page
from the Lancaster Farming
Cow Cam encourages commu
nity leaders to make sure their
regulatory decisions do not put
agriculture out of business with
the resulting loss of purchasing
activity and tax revenues these
dairy farms provide.
At Kreider Farms they al
ready put a lot of effort into this
much-needed farm-city relation
ship with on-farm tours and
community service projects such
as a kids play yard at their farm
dairy store. This joint effort
helps to reach the community of
both farm and non-farm citi
zens.
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We Service It If You Have It,
And Sell It If You Need It.
Nestled in the rich farmland
of Lancaster County, the
Kreider family farming opera
tion has cultivated a network of
business enterprises that exem
plify the efficient production,
which makes the modern Amer
ican farm the envy of the world.
The Kreider ethic of hard
work, quality production, a will
ingness to take risks, and a fer
vent faith in God have provided
a solid foundation that has built
a small farm from a dozen dairy
cows and 200 chickens in 1935
to its present diverse farming
operation. Kreider farm-fresh
products are sold retail and
wholesale throughout the north
eastern United States. They
have four restaurants and a
farm dairy store in the general
local community.
Lancaster Farming is one of
the nation’s leading agricultural
newspapers with nearly 50,000
copies sent out each week in the
major circulation area of Penn
sylvania, New York, Maryland,
Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia,
West Virginia, and Ohio. First
published in November 1955,
Lancaster Farming serves as a
clearinghouse for news the
farmer needs. With an average
of 200 pages per issue, nearly
100 market reports are given
along with on-farm interviews, a
home and family section, an ex
tensive farm calendar, and news
of our farm youth.
For those with access to the
Internet who want to follow this
new adventure and other Lan
caster Farming online services
go to: www.lancasterfar
ming.com and click on Cow
Cam.
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34 W. Mohler Church Rd.
Ephrata, PA 17522
Tel: 717-738-0300
Fax: 717-738-4329