A3B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 15,2001
Stakeholders Conduct Meeting During Conference
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Farming Staff
GRANTVILLE (Dauphin Co.)
Approximately 200 dairy in
dustry representatives gathered
early Thursday morning for a
business meeting at the Holiday
Inn, part of the Pennsylvania
Dairy Stakeholders 2001 Confer
ence.
Allyn Lamb, treasurer, gave
the treasurers report followed by
Ralph Heffner, chair of the nomi
nating committee, who offered
board member nominees. Mem
bers include Chuck Cruickshank,
Allyn Lam, David McCorkle, and
Paul Semmel. The term limit is
six years for the board of direc
tors, who meet four times a year.
Joe Rotz highlighted the Busi
ness Planning Assistance Pro
gram (BPAP), introduced three
years ago. The program has
awarded $40,000 in grants to 30
Pennsylvania dairy farm busi
nesses. Producers use the money
to hire consultants to develop a
business plan for their operation.
The Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture has also given fin
ancial support to the program.
Results from a phone survey to
acquire feedback about the pro
gram, said Rotz, showed that 50
percent of participants reported
increased profitability as a result
of the program.
House Passes HR 3005, TP A Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The U.S. House of Representa
tives recently passed HR 3005
with a vote of 215 in favor and
214 opposed. There were six
members abstaining. If passed
by the Senate and signed into
law, this legislation will allow
negotiators to work' for cattle '
producers to provide increased
access to international markets
and provide for wider U.S. par
ticipation in the global'market
place.
“The Trade .Promotion Au
thority legislation passed by the
House will enable U.S. negotia-
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Ernie Gclsingcr, who along
with his two brothers and neph-
ew operate a 160-cow dairy along
with 100 steers and 1,500 acres,
reported on their experience with
BPAP.
“We were looking for the point
that yields maximum return for
the amount of resources that we
have,” he said. A feasibility study
with the consultant helped him
realize “how things fit together,”
which prompted them to work on
plans to build a new facility.
The partnership has also re
cently acquired a neighboring
farm, so they are milking at two
facilities.
Ralph Heffner recognized this
year’s Pacesetter Award recipi
ents, who were named at Ag Pro
gress Days. “This award recog
nizes those who are visionary,
innovative, progressive, and de
scribed by excellence in perform
ance,” he said.
One of the Pacesetter Award
recipients is John Hess, his wife
and four children, in partnership
on Jobo Holsteins Farm.
The 500-cow, 900-acre farm
has a “vision to build a business
to include the next generation,”
according to Heffner. The family
hires consultants, adopts new
practices, hosts tours and educa
tional meetings, and allows
4-H’ers to house their calves on
tors to provide leadership and
negotiate for increased access
to global beef markets and will
expand opportunities for
American agriculture," said
Chuck Lambert, Natiopal Cat
tlemen’s Reef
(NCBA) chief economist. .
“U.S. agriculture is the most Congress and the President to
productive and efficient in, the achieve the best possible result..
world, but many markets re
main out of reach simply be
cause of trade barriers,” said
Lambert “U.S. beef faces tar
iffs of 38.5 percent and 4b per
cent, in Japan and
Korea and the EU is the
the farm.
Among other goals, they are
focused on profitability, market
ing a quality product, and com
munity involvement.
Tom and Sherry Craig, Mur
mac Farms, Bellefonte, capitalize
on outside expertise with an out
side advisory team and use ex
perts from inside and outside ag-
riculture to train workers, said
Heffner. They also provide Eng
lish classes for the farm’s Hispan
ic workers and host Penn State
classes and internships.
Sam Hayes, secretary of agri
culture, also spoke to the group.
Hayes reported about his recent
trip to Mexico with a group of
students in the “Export for
Scholars” program, which cen
ters on exchanging dairy inform
ation and animals.
Hayes also highlighted BPAP,
noting that “there is no way that
one could be a success in the 21st
century without a business plan
we cannot expect to compete
by happenstance and good luck.”
Robert Steel, dean of Penn
State’ College of Agricultural Sci
ences, is encouraged by the for
ward movement of agriculture
and urged producers to “get bet
ter by keeping very much aware
of what’s going on around
you and playing to whatev
er your future might bring,”
world’s largest user of beef ex
port subsidies. The only way to
eliminate those barriers and
unfair trade practices is
through determined negotia
tion.”
Trade Promotion Authority
provides a partnership between
for U.S. interests in interna
tional trade negotiations. With
Trade Promotion Authority,
the President has the authority
to efficiently move forward on
trade issues while continuing to
consult with Congress.
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John Hess, loft, and Tom Craig were recognized as re
cipients of the Pacesetter Award.
he said.
“When we look ahead, it’s re
ally quite exciting, particularly
when you are looking at the long
view, to see the economy moving
from a petroleum- to a biology
based economy. My questions is,
what’s the pace of that change?
“If we are ready for it, we will
capitalize on it,” said Steele.
Richard Waybright, president,
remarked that “it’s gratifying to
see how far we’ve come,” but
added that “I think we underesti
mate what we can accomplish.
I’m impressed by the opportuni
ties that I have seen happen in
the dairy industry in Pennsylva
nia.”
Waybright broadened his view
to foreign soils, however, by add
ing, “it’s our opportunity to in
vite young people abroad to come
experience agriculture here.
Those are the kinds of experi
ences that will give us fuel to ac
complish what our true potential
is in Pennsylvania.”