A32-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 21, 2000
Cowboy
Bring Smiles
LANCASTER (Lancaster
Co.) The author of “Cowboy
Spirit” is ready to generate
smiles among the attendees of
the 24th Annual Lancaster
Chamber of Commerce and In
dustry’s Agriculture-Industry
Banquet here Tuesday, Nov. 21,
at the Lancaster Host Resort.
Rick Haines, “Cowboy Spir
it” author and the emcee for the
Agriculture-Industry Banquet,
has had a good amount of prac
tice at bringing smiles to audi
ences.
According to Haines, Cow
boy Spirit is a “Jeff Foxworthy
look at ranching,” including
complete cartoon illustration.
The book has been a hit,
prompting the publication of a
sequel, due out in mid-Novem
ber. As Haines puts it, “ ‘Cow
boy Spirit’ is as politically in
correct as it comes and for
people of all ages.”
But Haines has also enter
tained audiences, particularly
those audiences with an agricul
tural interest, as a farm broad
caster from Montana. Haines
Registration Form
24th Annual
Agriculture-
Industry Banquet
Registration
Due:
October 30,2000
for tables
November 7,2000
for tickets.
Penn
Federal
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Federal plans to phase
out dairy price support programs
may be premature and could
harm the American dairy indus
try, states a recent report from
researchers in Penn State’s Col
lege of Agricultural Sciences.
In “An Economic Analysis of
Federal Order Reform: Implica
tions for Pennsylvania and the
Northeast,” Ken Bailey, associ
ate professor of dairy marketing
and policy, and James Dunn,
professor of agricultural econom
ics, use economic forecasting
models to analyze the implica
tions of the USD A reforms of
federal milk pricing. These re
forms, instituted in January, take
a national approach to pricing
milk. The study also looked at
the effects of ending the dairy
price support program, a federal
program that has provided sta
bility to farm-gate milk prices
since its inception in the 19505.
Bailey says this study clearly
shows that the new class prices
Rick Haines,
Spirit” author.
currently uses his multifaceted
background in agriculture to
guide the programming for the
Northern Ag Network, a five
state, 320,000-square-mile net
work coverage area. As agricul
ture director, he oversees the
production of 165 radio and 10
television programs each week.
You may register on-line at www lancaster-chamber com Access the Calendar of Events - Ag-Industry Banquet
Name of the Business/Organization/Individual
Contact person:
Address
State
Milk
in the final rule are much more
dependent on the price of dairy
commodities than the formulas
used prior to order reform.
Under the new system, there is a
direct linkage between changes
in cash market prices for cheese,
butter, nonfat dry milk and
whey, and component prices for
butterfat, protein, and other so
lids.
These component prices in
turn drive the prices for Class I
(fluid), II (yogurt and ice cream),
111 (cheese), and IV (butter and
nonfat dry) milk. This study
shows that if the dairy price sup
port program is eliminated, the
wholesale price of nonfat dry
milk will decline by more than 13
cents per pound annually. That,
in turn, would lower all other
class prices, and hence farm
prices for milk.
“We analyzed federal policy at
the national level, and then
brought it down to the Northeast
and specifically to Pennsylva
nia,” Bailey said. “If they’re
Humorist Ready To
To Chamber Ag Banquet
Haines is president of the Na
tional Association of Farm
Broadcasters for the year 2000.
For Haines, humor plays an
important role toward the suc
cess of agriculture. ‘Even in the
darkest times of agriculture, atti
tude is everything. Therefore,
humor keeps you laughing; it
keeps you on your toes. And a
smile is the only thing that can
never be repossessed.”
As a proponent for agriculture
and, in particular, agricultural
land preservation, Haines be
lieves it doesn’t matter what a
person’s background is in rela
tion to farming in order for agri
culture to provide experience
and successful commitment to
the future. In order to relate the
importance of farm land, indus
try needs to take its message re
garding agriculture to the people
not acquainted with it on a regu
lar basis, whether it be through
presentations, magazine articles,
television, radio, or whatever me
diums are at hand “to promote
that farms do exist for a reason.
That groceries don’t come from
the back of the store. That some-
“Cowboy
YES! I would like to be a Table Sponsor: s4oo*
YES! I would like
Please complete and return this form to:
Brent Landis, Agricultural Services Coordinator
The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry
100 South Queen Street, P.O. Box 1558, Lancaster, PA 17608
Fax; (717) 293-3159, Phone: (717) 397-3531, ext. 34 or E-mail: blandis@lcci.com
Report Analyzes
Pricing Legislation
going to change something in
Washington, I want to show
what it will do to Pennsylvania
dairy farmers and their milk
checks. Our study shows that, be
cause of new formulas for milk
pricing, farmers are more depen
dent on the price support pro
gram than we thought they were.
For example, if we end the price
support program and prices for
nonfat dry milk fall, it drops all
the other dairy product prices.
That has a direct impact on
Pennsylvania milk checks.”
The price that farmers receive
is an average of the prices of the
four classes of milk. Every
month, market administrators
calculate this average for 11 re
gions of the country, and that be
comes the basis for the farm
price.
‘Pricing is complicated be
cause milk is a perishable prod
uct that is used for so many dif
ferent things,” Bailey explained.
“That complexity did not go
away with order reform. As
Individual Tickets at $4O each, (
Payable to: Lancaster Chamber-Ag Banquet
body worked very hard to pro
duce that food.”
Haines’ roots remain deep in
agriculture as a FFA alumni
member and promoter of the ag
industry through scholastic ag
functions, judging contests, and
regional ag events. As a proud
supporter of FFA, Haines be
lieves agriculture’s future relies
upon teaching and exciting
generations to come about the
importance of agriculture. How
ever, the key is to include every
one from all backgrounds, not
just those from an agricultural
background.
“And FFA does that,” said
Haines. ‘FFA expands horizons
and allows understanding among
members by providing exposure,
leadership, communication, and
competition.”
Haines has acknowledged
Bruce Vincent, the keynote
speaker for the evening, as one of
the most objective persons he has
ever met. As fellow residents of
Montana and supporters of land
preservation, Haines and Vin
cent have crossed paths over the
years.
Date
Phone
Fax;
E-mail
economists, we developed a
model to tell us what would hap
pen with the changes implement
ed under federal order reform.”
Federal milk price supports
were implemented in the 1950 s
to stabilize milk and dairy prices.
Under the original system, dairy
producers paid a per-hundred
weight (100 pounds of milk) as
sessment and received support
when the market price dropped.
But dairy farmers chafed under
the assessments during the more
prosperous 19905, and began
pushing for an end to the pro
gram.
Then in 1996, USDA started
to overhaul the milk pricing sys
tem. Order reform took effect on
Jan. 1,2000.
“We never thought we would
need the price support program
for cheese,” Bailey said. “But
twice this year, the price of block
cheese has fallen below the price
guaranteed by the support pro
gram. As a result, the Class 111
price fell to a 20-year low. Our
Vincent, a Montana logger
turned pro-business activist, will
bring laughter, tears, experience,
and solutions to Lancaster Coun
ty. Vincent can relate his life to
everyone’s life, according to
Haines. ‘Vincent’s message is a
story of tribulation. A story of
joy. A story that will tug at your
heartstrings as he talks to each
individual and provides great
motivation for everybody. And it
doesn’t matter what you do for a
living.”
More than 750 people are ex
pected to attend the banquet.
Banquet reception begins at S
p.m. with dinner following at
6:30 p.m. Tickets are still avail
able at $4O each or $4OO for a
table of 10. All proceeds support
the agricultural services program
at the Lancaster Chamber.
For more information, contact
Brent Landis, ag services coordi
nator, at (717) 397-3531, ext. 34,
or e-mail blandis@lcci.com. To
register online, go to www.lan
caster-chamber.com and dick on
the “Calendar of Events” or e-
News article. The deadline for
registration for tables is Oct. 30
and for tickets is Nov. 7.
x $4O = $.
study shows that the new defini
tion of the Class 111 price is
about 20 to 56 cents less per hun
dredweight than the old one.”
The USDA earlier this year
held hearings on the Class 111
and IV prices. They can use this
information as they decide
whether or not to change the for
mula for Class 111 milk.
Bailey says the study shows
lower Class 111 prices were offset
by higher prices for Class I, 11,
and IV milk. “This is objective,
credible information that we put
out for dairy farmers’ use when
they talk to their dairy coopera
tives or state legislators,” Bailey
said. “We’re trying to make this
report available to everyone, so
that when Congress or the
USD A is looking at changing the
current system, the farmers have
a report that shows what these
changes mean to them.”
Dairy producers and farmers
can read the report at Bailey’s
Dairy Outlook Website at http://
www.aers.psu.edu/dairyoutlook/.