A36-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 19,2001 Six $4,000 Scholarships Awarded To Ag, Home Ec Students LOU ANN GOOD Food And Family Features Editor LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) College tuition will be eased for six students who each re ceived a $4,000 Farm and Home Foundation scholarship Tuesday evening here at the Farm and Home Center. The Foundation annually se lects several qualified county high school seniors pursuing studies in agriculture or home economics fields. Most of the scholarship recipi ents have already amassed an as tounding amount of knowledge in their chosen fields of study. Although only 18 years old, Kevin Pfautz, through genetic breeding, has established a busi ness with his brother in which they sell 68 head of show stock annually in addition to showing quite a few of his own grand champions. Kevin placed first in individu al nationwide swine judging after his team (Lancaster County 4-H Livestock Judging Team) won at local, regional, and state 4-H competitions. So it is not surprising that Kevin wants to pursue a degree in animal science. FARM BILL OPINIONS COUNT About 3,500 Pennsylvania growers are being asked for their opinions about the 2002 Farm Bill. This study has historically been conducted in midwestem states for the last few Farm Bills. Penn State and other land grant universities in the North east want to offer Congress an other perspective for the next Farm Bill. The survey is a coop erative effort between Penn State and the Pennsylvania Ag Statis tics Service. Opinions are only being asked on two mailed surveys sent in early and mid-May. We will not be calling on the telephone. If you receive a survey, please send it back in so we get a good mail response to properly represent the views of Pennsylvania and northeastern operators. Floriculture Survey Results A big “thank you” is due to the Pennsylvania producers who helped in this annual effort. The 2000 survey measured many more specific crops than in earlier years. The report can be used by growers to evaluate crops raised and average prices in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Pennsylvania is the seventh largest floriculture state with $136.5 million in sales in 2000. This only measures one part of the greenhouse and nursery in dustry, which is the third largest sector of Pennsylvania agricul ture, after milk and cattle. Later this summer, a new nursery production report will be published to complete the horti cultural picture. Crop Acreage, Livestock Measured In general, we have seen coot and wet conditions in early “I’m most interested in genet ics and pharmaceutical fields,” Kevin said of his career goal. He will study at Penn State’s main campus. Kevin is the son of Rich and Sue Pfautz, Lititz, and is a stu dent at Warwick High School, where he was a member of the football team. Stephanie Feister has her sights set on becoming an ag teacher, after being impacted by the teaching skills of her ag teacher at Manheim Central High School. Stephanie found FFA so en joyable and educational that she wants to influence others about the importance of agriculture. She is the Lancaster County FFA president and has held several other leadership positions in her chapter and in the county. She is contemplating running for a state FFA office. Stephanie lives on a horse farm and helps her parents, Mike and Diane Feister, with their many horses. Stephanie, the Manheim Com munity Farm Show queen, will study agriculture sciences and education at Penn State Berks Campus. Amanda Lloyd’s roots also NASS Agriculture Counts By Marc Tosiano Pa. State Statistician spring but dry conditions have been the topic of recent discus sions. The weather always im pacts agriculture, so we are asking for your help to measure field crop plantings for this year as part of the annual June Agri cultural Survey under way from late May through mid-June. The survey also measures grain stocks, livestock, farm numbers, and land values. The quarterly hog survey is conducted at the same time and coordinated to re duce additional contacts for hog farmers. The survey includes different phases to keeps costs low and quality high. Our interviewers will visit 140 areas around the state that are about one square mile each. They will contact all operators to draw operation boundaries on aerial photographs and account for all land use within the selected area. In addition, we’ve sampled about 1,400 crop farmers and 225 hog growers that will get letters to ex plain the surveys. They will be contacted during the survey peri od to answer acreage and live stock questions that don’t require using the more complex aerial photos. These USDA surveys are done at the same time nationwide. So it is important that Pennsylvania producers be properly repre sented among the other states. Crop statistics provide produc ers with vital information for cash crop farmers and current and potential feed supplies for milk and livestock producers. Hog growers can review national trends to help with production decisions. As with all our surveys, by fed eral law, your name and address and data about your operation are completely confidential. The same law also protects your data from requests under the Freedom of Information Act. By law, no one can gain early access to the results of any survey. play a role in her pursuit of land scape horticulture. “I grew up on a small farm and always liked growing things,” the 17-year-old said. The daughter of Rus and Esther Lloyd, Quarryville, will attend the University of Delaware. At Solanco High School, Amanda is active in concert, marching band, color guard, field hockey, and soccer. She also is active in community youth soc cer and her church youth group. Amy Myers wanted to be a teacher since she was in fourth grade. Knowing that she wants to return to the county and that Mary I and-Virginia 2000 Member Returns Top $3O Million RESTON, Va. In its first full year of operation after con solidating with Carolina Virginia Milk Producers and becoming a partner with Valley Milk Prod ucts LLC, Maryland and Virgin ia Milk Producers returned more than $3O million in profits and over-order premiums to mem bers. Profits increased $1.2 million to nearly $6 million, a 24 percent increase that means about 18.5 cents per hundredweight for its nearly 1,600 members. Over order premiums increased $10.7 million to more than $24 million, a 76 percent increase. The reports are available to ev eryone at the PASS Website at www.nass.usda.gov/pa/. Use the Search button to find “Acreage” report, June 29 (8:30 a.m.); “Crop Production,” July 11 (8:30 a.m.) with potatoes; “Grain Stocks,” June 29 (8:30 a.m.); “Quarterly Hogs And Pigs,” Prevent a Foot and Mouth Catastrophe Watch for Signs of Foot and Mouth Disease Clinical signs of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD): Early Signs may include: - Fever - Off feed - Reluctant to move - Excessive squealing when forced to move Followed by blisters; - Just above the hoof and on the heels - Between the cloven hoofs - On the snout If you suspect Foot and Mouth Disease FMD in your herd: Do NOT under any circumstances move any animals off the farm Immediately report suspected case to either the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) or the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Contacts: PDA - Dr. Phil Debok at 717-783-8300 USDA - Dr. Lynne Siegfried at 717-782-3442 A veterinarian especially trained to diagnose foreign animal diseases will come to your farm to make the diagnosis. Government programs are in place to reimburse farmers for the value of their animals sacrificed in the control program. Provided by the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council elementary school teaching jobs are scarce, she considered her op tions. She realized she really en joyed classes in family and con sumer sciences. So she’s off to Immaculata College, Paoli, to pursue a degree in home eco nomics education. “In that field, I can combine both teaching and children,” Amy said of her career choice. At Manheim Central High School, Amy is a member of Na tional Honor Society, section ed itor of the yearbook, and member of field hockey and prom and baccalaureate committees. Amy is actively involved at Over-order premiums include Maryland & Virginia’s 23-year 13th check for its Federal Order 1 producers. Totaling more than $3.7 million, or 24 cents per hun dredweight, the distribution is 9 cents higher than last year and 5 cents higher than average. Federal Order 1 members re ceived additional over-order pre miums totaling 33 cents per hun dredweight, up from 1999’s 15 cents. Members marketing their milk to Federal Orders 5 and 7 received average over-order pre miums of 88 cents per hundred weight, up from 1999’s 59 cents. These premiums were generated through pricing organizations in- June 29 (3 p.m.).; or “Farms and Land In Farms,” 2/23/01 and 2/ 12/02. If you are contacted personally or by telephone, please remember that your response is important so that we can publish the most accurate statistics possible. After all, agriculture counts! Keep by the Phone Ruhl’s United Methodist Church and works part-time at a hard ware store. Amy is the daughter of Ron and Linda Myers, Man heim. Emily Buehrle, New Holland, plans to study interior design at Moore College of Art and De sign. Emily is the daughter of Nancy Buehrle and a senior at Garden Spot High School. Kristy Rhinier also plans to study interior design, but at Pennsylvania School of Art and Design. The 18-year-old is the daughter of Susan Rhinier, Lan caster, and a senior at McCaskey High School. eluding Middle Atlantic Cooper ative Milk Marketing Associa tion, Dairy Cooperative Marketing Association, and the new Northeast Milk Marketing Agency. Total sales increased $B7 mil lion to $713 million. Equity was distributed to current and former members nearing $4 million. Re turn on equity was 20. S percent, up from 1999’s 17.8 percent. According to Mike Asbury, Maryland and Virginia’s chief financial officer, “Increased reve nues (as a result of our consolida tion with Carolina Virginia and joint venture with Valley Milk) coupled with better net returns from market premiums are the major factors in generating this year’s profits and premiums.” General Manager Robert Shore said, “We’re pleased that change for Maryland and Virgin ia has meant increased efficien cies and increased returns for our members. That’s our mission and one that we are constantly fo cused on.”