A34-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 1,2003
Mount Joy Co-Op Honors Members At Annual Meetings
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
Mount Joy Fanners Co-op con
ducted annual meetings for dairy
producer members this week,
with leaders reporting a positive
year for the co-op in 2002.
The banquet meetings took
place Tuesday and Wednesday at
Yoder’s Restaurant, New Hol
land, and East Fairview Church
of the Brethren, Manheim.
Manager Dale Hershey report
ed producer members shipped
540,032,999 pounds of milk, up
7.2 percent from the previous
year. Milk prices dropped to an
average of $13.65 per hundred
weight $2.46 lower than 2001
levels.
The co-op signed on 36 new
producer/members last year.
With a number of members also
selling their herds in 2002, the co
op totaled 327 members at the
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year’s end a net gain of six
members.
Hershey said milk price projec
tions for the first months of 2003
show little change. Higher prices
in later months, however, should
bring the year’s average prices up
about $1 a hundredweight, he
said.
Member equity in the co-op
continues to decrease, with aver
age equity standing at $1,727, or
66 percent less than that invested
by members five years ago.
That’s a positive trend, accord
ing to Hershey. “It’s not our goal
to have a lot of your money tied
up in the co-op,” he told mem
bers.
Hershey pointed out a decrease
of 2 cents per hundredweight in
the net costs of running the co
op, an improvement largely
brought by lower milk-hauling
costs. New fuel storage capacity
has allowed the co-op to save on
bulk fuel purchases.
• Cyclones
• Bins
Milk production in the co-op is
expected to go up this year, both
from current members shipping
more and from new farmers join
ing, according to Hershey.
“Prospects look good for the
coming year,” he said. “As of
January 1, production levels have
really taken off.”
The co-op projects an increase
this year of at least 4 percent in
pounds of milk shipped.
Mount Joy Co-op recognized a
number of producers for good
management and milk quality.
Lawrence Z. Good of Womels
dorf, Berks County, received the
superior management award for
2002.
Sixty-two producers were hon
ored for receiving 12 consecutive
months of quality premiums. Six
teen of these also aced at least
one inspection during the year,
entitling them the co-op’s “in
spection honor roll.” These 16
were Lester B. Weaver, Lawrence
Z. Good, Leon S. Lauver, Leroy
H. Hoover, Paul E. Homing,
Reinford Farms, Amos F. Stoltz
foos, Lester Z. Nolt, Kenneth L.
Balmer, Kenneth L. Hamish, Jay
L. Wise, Walnut Run Farms,
Jason E. Glick, Samuel S. Stoltz
fus, Gerald C. Neal, and Marlin
S. Lauver.
Other speakers included Don
Risser, president of the co-op,
Brett Rigby of the Mid-Atlantic
Dairy Association, and John Sig
low of Dairy Marketing Services
(DMS), the agency formed in a
joint marketing venture between
Dairylea and Dairy Farmers of
America cooperatives.
Mount Joy Farmer’s Co-op reported a positive year in
2002 despite low milk prices and other challenges. Pic
tured, from left, are Gib Martin, fieldman; Dale Hershey,
manager; Jeff Witmer, head trucker; and Don Risser,
president.
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DMS handles all of Mount Joy
Co-op’s milk marketing, along
with that of a number of other,
smaller member co-ops and inde
pendent co-ops.
Siglow said that DMS supports
a $1.50 over-order Class I premi
um for milk produced, processed,
and sold in Pennsylvania. DMS
made the request at a hearing
this week before the Pennsylva
nia Milk Marketing Board
(PMMB).
DMS is also asking the PMMB
to review its proposal that the
premium be pooled statewide.
Joe Speicher
175 North Imler Valley Rd.
Imler, PA 16655