MAtMAarchive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/MFN/1984/1984-8.pdfMAtMA fROZEII fRUIT SALE FANCV FRESH FROZEN FRUIT...

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Amount Ordered PriceMichigan Apple Slices, 10#, IQF, citric acid/Vit. C preserved $ 5.70Michigan Blueberries, 30#, straight pack $21.50Michigan Blueberries, 15#, straight pack $12.00Michigan Cherries (Red Tart, Pitted), 30#, 5 + 1 $19.80Michigan Cherries (Red Tart, Pitted), 30#, IQF $21.90Michigan Cherries (Red Tart, Pitted), 10#, IQF $9.60Michigan Cherries (Dark Sweet, Pitted), 22#, straight pack $18.30Michigan Cherries (Dark Sweet, Pitted), 10#, IQF $10.60Michigan Strawberries, 30# sliced, 4+1 $19.85Michigan Strawberries, 30# whole, 4+1 , $19.90Michigan Strawberries, 30#, IQF $24.30Michigan Strawberries, 10#, IQF : $ 9.40Peach Slices, 32#, 5 + 1 $22.70Peach Slices, 10#, IQF $10.50

NEW\ --- Mixed Fruit, 10# (Sweet Cherries, Strawberries, Peaches, Pineapple, Apples) $10.20Pineapple Chunks, 3/5# bags/case, IQF $18.70Peas, 12-21h # pkgs./case $23.80Asparagus (cuts and tips), 12-21h # pkgs./case $35.30Cauliflower, 12-2# pkgs./case $21.55Broccoli (spears), 12-2# pkgs./case $22.05Mushrooms (sliced), 2-5# pkgs., IQF $15.50Hash Brown (shredded), 6-3# pkgs., IQF $12.80French Fries (from Upper Peninsula - regular cut), 6-5# bags $11.35Asparagus Soup by Hobies, 6-27.1 oz. tubs/case $15.30Cheddar Broccoli Soup by Hobies, 6-27.1 oz. tubs/case $17.10Michigan Apple Cider Concentrate (Hi-D), 24/12 oz. cans $28.75Michigan Grape Juice Concentrate, 24/12 oz. cans $31.75Florida Orange Juice Concentrate (Hi-D), 24/12 oz. cans $39.60Florida Grapefruit Juice Concentrate (Hi-D), 24/12 oz. cans $29.70Florida Lemonade Concentrate (Real), 24/12 oz. cans $16.60Florida Skinless Jumbo Peanuts, 20 oz. vac pk. can $ 2.60Florida Skinless Jumbo Peanuts (unsalted), 20 oz. can $ 2.60Fresh Pecan Halves, 1# bag $ 3.55Mississippi Catfish Fillet Fingers, 1.5#, IQF (boneless) $20.95MACMA Hams, 4/4# average (no water added) Price per pound $ 2.60Michigan Thick Cut Bacon, 10-11h # pkgs/case $27.40Hickory Stick (Summer Sausage), 4# $ 9.95All Beef Franks (Farmer Peet's Solong), 12-1 # pkgs .. , $17.60Polish Sausage Franks (Farmer Peet's Solong), 12-1 # pkgs $18.50Harper Farms Whole Hog Michigan Lean Bratwurst, 3# box $ 7.75Wisconsin "AA" Sharp Cheddar, 4-1# vac pack $11.40Wisconsin "AA" Medium Cheddar, 4-1# vac pack $11.00Wisconsin "AA" Colby, 4-1# vac pack $10.60Wisconsin "AA" Monterey Jack, 4-1# vac pack $10.60Wisconsin Swiss, 12-100z. pkgs./case $25.10Wisconsin Mozzarella, 12-10 oz. pkgs./case $19.90Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar Cheese Spread, 6-1# tubs $16.50Wisconsin Swiss Almond Cheese Spread, 6-1# tubs $16.50Wisconsin Nacho Cheese Spread, 6-1# tubs $16.50Michigan Dried Tart Cherries, 1# bag $ 5.00Indiana Gourmet Popcorn, 2# bag $ .95Total Units ORDER DEADLINE: August 21, 1984 Total $

Amount

IQF (Individually Quick Fronn) - This is flash frozen; it locks in flavor and allows you to scoop out of the container just what you need. No sugar or preservatives added.Straight Pack - This is packed at room temperature. then frozen. No sugar added.S+1, 4 + 1 (Sugar Pack to Pr"erve Color) - 4 or 5 parts fruit to 1 part sugar. The sugar acts as a natural preservative after thawing.

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This is your chance to eet thebest fruits and veeetables that weproduce in Michiean.

ORtER. "DcA'b'-'~b ~ "TUbS, ALl~1Aq ~ \ 8t~U~~'1 +c CouNT'! FB~ 'N£'E~ OF~ \0

Return the order blank to the address below. PARTICIPATING COUNTIES:• ALCONA

Rosemary McGuire54 West F-30Mikado, MI 48745517-73&-8220

ALPENAJanice Krueger6750 Wolf Creek RoadHerron, MI 49744517-727-3047

ANTRIMJoni WielandRoute 1, Box 23AEllsworth, MI 4972961&-588-6074

ARENACVirgil Schmidt5665 Bordeau Rd.Standish, MI 48658517-84&-6470 or 84&-6119Marvin Schwab Ins.229 N. MainStandish, MI 48658517-84&-6100

BAYKathy Fedak1297 Garfield Rd.linwood, MI 48634517-879-2324

BRANCHAudrey StrongRoute 1, Box 261Union City, MI 49094517-279-8091 or 741-7353

CALHOUNCalhoun County FB15151 C Drive NorthMarshall,MI 4906861&-781-2849

CASSCass County FB612 E. State SI.Cassopolis, MI 4903161 &-445-3849

CHEBOYGANSandra l. Borowicz5341 Carlson RoadCheboygan, MI 4972161 &-627-9220

CHIPPEWACarolyn WilsonBox 154, Blair Rd.Pickford, MI 4977490&-647-5569

CLARECalvin Erhart2242 E. Maple Rd.Clare, MI 48617517-38&-9517

CLINTONClinton County FB407 E. GibbsSI. Johns, MI 48879517-224-3255

COPPER COUNTRYKen larsonRoute 1, Box 171AChassell, MI 4991690&-523-4540lawrence KallioRoute 2, Box 59-BBruce Crossing, MI 4991290&-827-3956

EATONEaton County FB430 State StreetCharlotte, MI 48813517-543-5565482-0112 (toll free)

EMMETMichelle SwadlingP.O. Box 474, 6244 West SI.Alanson, MI 4970661 &-548-5489

GENESEEGenesee County FBG-6020 W. Pierson RoadFlushing, MI 48433313-732-3770

GRATIOTGratiot County FB125 E. NewarkIthaca, MI 48847517-875-4626

HIAWATHALANDBarbara Cotey16193 Highway 41Rapid River, MI 4987890&-44&-3508

HILLSDALEHillsdale County FB3193 Beck Rd.Hillsdale, MI 49242517-437-2458

HURONHuron County FB711 N. Van DykeP.O. Box 40Bad Axe, MI 48413517-269-9911

INGHAMIngham County FB134 West MapleMason, MI 48854517-67&-5578OR callJanei lyon, 663-3819OR see the countynewsletter

IRON RANGEWendy Honkala718 Forest ParkwayCrystal Falls, MI 4992090&-875-6195

ISABELLAIsabella County FB1406 West High StreetMt. Pleasant, MI 48858517-772-0996

JACKSONJackson County FB1341 W. Parnall RoadJackson, MI 49201517-784-9166

KALAMAZOOlarry leach14302 East O.P. AvenueClimax, MI 4930461&-746-4648Steve Gazdag6369 East M.N. AvenueKalamazoo, MI 4900161 &-342-6485

LAPEER1658 Mayfield Roadlapeer, MI 48446313-664-4551

LENAWEElenawee County FBRt. 1, Box 775,4025 S. AdrianAdrian, MI 49221517-265-5255

LIVINGSTONCleo Dutkiewicz122 West ClintonHowell, MI 48843517-546-4920

MACKINAC-tuCEJudith SalbertP.O. Box 124Engadine, MI 4982790&-477-6183

MECOSTAPeggy Brennan1038 North FourthBig Rapids, MI 4930761 &-79&-7782Cheryl Chapin561960thRemus, MI 4934061&-972-2106

MENOMINEElillian BusickRoute 1, Box 138Daggett, MI 4982190&-753-6639

MIDLANDErna Varner402 North Homer RoadMidland, MI 48640517-835-6517

MISSAUKEEJan Brunick10570 Brown Rd.McBain, MI 4965761 &-825-2952

MONROE8300 Ida West Rd.Ida, MI 48140313-269-3275

MONTCALMMontcalm County FBBox 508, 113 E. MainStanton, MI 48888517-831-4094

MONTMORENCYRuth SchlakBox 254Hillman, MI 49746517-742-4640

NEWAYGOKathy Henry11872 WiznerGrant, MI 4932761&-834-8383

OAKLANDRichard Foster620 NicholsAuburn Hills, MI 48057313-853-4088

OCEANAOceana County FB26 S. Oceana Dr.Shelby, MI 4945561&-861-5855

OGEMAWTerri Fritz517-685-2705Debbie Kartes517-345-1501larry & Mary Kartes517-345-1795

OSCEOLAJanet SchmidtRoute 1, Box 194Hersey, MI 4963961&-832-9093Jane BrandelRoute 1, 70th Ave.Marion, MI 4966561&-734-2184

OTSEGOJane McNett9457 Old 27 SouthGaylord, MI 49735517-732-5884

OTTAWAOttawa County FB6574 lake Michigan Dr.Allendale, MI 4940161 &-895-4381

PRESQUE ISLEPam SchaedigRural Route Box 478Millersburg, MI 49759517-733-8238Sally Knopf1849 W. 638 Hwy.Rogers City, MI 49779517-734-4196

ST_ CLAIRSt. Clair County FB2700 Kinney RoadEmmet, MI 48022313-384-6910

ST_ JOESI. Joe County FB113 E. Main St.Centreville, Ml 4903261&-467-6308

SAGINAWSee the countynewsletter

SANILACSanilac County FB237 E. SanilacSandusky, MI 48471313-648-2800Cindy Best313-672-9714

SHIAWASSEERobert Freed10015 S. Morrice RoadMorrice, MI 48857517-625-3428

TUSCOLATuscola County FB416 Wells StreetCaro, MI 48723517-673-4155

VAN BURENVan Buren County FB38880 Red Arrow Hwy.Paw Paw, MI 4907961&-657-5561

WASHTENAWNancy Bihlmeyer7626 Schneider RoadManchester, MI 48158313-429-7527Bev Poet10389 Burmeister RoadManchester, MI 48158313-429-4631

Farm Policy Alternatives

A Year of DecisionProgress toward a market orientation for U.S. agriculture or strict government supply

management control? Who will decide? As the 1985 farm bill is debated and analyzed, therewill be many voices "speaking for agriculture." One farm organization has been the recognized"voice of agriculture" since 1919 ... Farm Bureau.

Hundreds of farmers from throughout the state will discuss "Farm Bill '85 Policy Alter-natives" at sessions scheduled for August 15 at the Holiday Inn, Grayling; August 16 at theGrand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids; and August 17 at the Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth.

They'll be taking a look at policy alternatives during the sessions which begin at 10 a. m.and continue until about 3:30 p.m.

Farm Bureau policy, developed by working farmers, beginsat the grassroots. Get involved in the Farm Bureau policydevelopment process. The decision is yours!

FaRm~BUreaUPolicy Alternatives Meetings: August 15, 16 and 17

Grayling • Grand Rapids • Frankenmuth

Reseruations required. Contact your county Farm Bureau secretary.

Harper Farms is Going Whole Hog!22

In this issue:.

AUGUST 1984VOL. 63 NO.8

Photo by Marcia Ditchie

Agrinomic Update - page 25Discussion Topic - page 27Farm Bureau Market Place - page 31

COLUMNS

Where City and Country Meet21

Rural Route - page 6Country Ledger - page 7

Legislative Review - page 8Rural Exchange - page 20

A publicationof the

MichiganFarm Bureau

FARM NEWS

14

AgriPac Friends of AgricultureFarmer support in political campaigns give AgriPac candidate endorsements value. Seventy-seven

candidates in the primary election, Aug. 7, have been endorsed as "Friends of Agriculture."

Farm Bill '85 Policy AlternativesFuture ag policy is at stake in the 1985 farm bill debate. Farm Bureau's grassroots

policymakers will get the economic facts to develop organizational policy forthis important legislation at three regional meetings this month.

Michigan farm l'Iews RURAL LlVII'IG (ISSI'I 0016-1161): Michigan Farm News Rural LIving is published monthly, on the first day, by the Michigan Farm Bu-reau Information and Public Relations Division. Publication and editorial offices at 7373 West Saginaw Highway. Lansing. Mich. 48909, Post Office Box 30960;telephone. Lansing 517-323-7000. Extension 508. SUBSCRIPTIOI'I PRICE: $1.50 per year to members. included In annual dues. $3.00 per year non-membersin Michigan, $5.00 per year non-members out of state. Publication No. 345040. Established Jan. 13, 1923 as Michigan farm News, name changed to MichiganFarm News Rural LIving Dee. I. 1981. Third-class postage paid at Lansing. Michigan and at additional mailing offices. EDITORIAL: Connie Turbin. Editor; Mar-cia Ditchle. Associate Editor and Business Manager; Donna Wilber. Contributing Editor; Cathy J. Kirvan. Associate Editor. OffiCERS: Michigan Farm Bureau;President. Elton R. Smith, Caledonia; Vice President. Jack Laurie, Cass City; Administrative Director, Robert Braden. Lansing; Treasurer and Chief financial Of-ficer, Max D. Dean; Secretary, William S. Wilkinson. DIRECTORS: District I, Arthur Bailey, Schoolcraft; District 2, Lowell Eisenmann. Blissfield; District 3.James Sayre. Belleville; District 4, Elton R. Smith, Caledonia; District 5, Albert Cook. Mason; District 6, Jack Laurie, Cass City; District 7, Robert Rider, Hart;District 8, Lyle LeCronler. Freeland; District 9, Donald Nugent. Frankfort; District 10. Margaret Kartes, West Branch; District I I, Bernard Doll, Dafter. DIREC-TORS AT LARGE: Dave Conklin. Corunna; Michael Pridgeon. Montgomery; Wayne Wood. Marlette. fARM BUREAU WOMEI'I: Faye Adam. Snover. fARMBUREAU YOUI'IG fARMERS: Mark Smuts. Charlotte. POSTMASTER: In using form 3579, mall to: Michigan Farm News Rural LIving, P.O. Box 30960, 7373 WestSaginaw tlighway, Lansing. Mich. 48909.

12

AgriPacSupport:Aggressiveand Effective

Help Send"Friends of Agriculture"

to Lansing andWashington, D.C.

in 1984

WE NEED THEM!

"Good laws begin where goodlawmakers are elected."

That's what delegates to the1977 MFBannual meeting saidwhen they unanimously adoptedpolicy calling for an "aggressiveand effective" political actionprogram. Michigan Farm Bu-reau's 60-year tradition of non-partisan politics ended with thecreation of its political actioncommittee, AgriPac, which en-dorses and supports "Friends ofAgriculture" in political cam-paigns.

It was time to end that tradi-tion. The days when nearly alllawmakers had their roots onthe farm were long gone anddaily political decisions that af-fected agriculture were being.made by those with little or noknowledge about our industry:The time had come for farmersto be more aggressive and visi-ble in partisan politics if theywere to have an influence onthose decisions.

Member commitment to Agri-Pac since 1977 has increasedthat influence and the title of"Friend of Agriculture" has

6

grown in value as political can-didates learned that farmersvote for those worthy of thetitle.

In 1984, witb so manycrucial decisions scbed.uled for agriculture,it's important tbatfarmers break tbeir ownvoting record in botbtbe Aug. 7 primary andtbe Nov. 6 ge~eralelections.

On pages 16-19 of this issueyou will find the listing ofAgriPac's endorsements for the1984 primary election, an ex-planation of how the selectionswere made, and the votingrecords of incumbents. Studythis section carefully. It willassure you that the title of"Friend of Agriculture" is notpassed out indiscriminately andthat these candidates are de-

serving of your support.All elections are important

and I'm proud of the enviablerecord of historically highfarmer-voter turnout at thepolls. But in 1984, with somany crucial decisions sched-uled for agriculture, it's impor-tant that farmers break theirown record in both the Aug. 7primary and the Nov. 6 generalelections.

No matter how busy you are,taking time to vote on Aug. 7 isjust as vital to the future ofyour farming operation as anychore that you might think ex-cuses you from going to thepolls. Your vote on Aug. 7 couldbe a deciding factor in whethera "Friend of Agriculture" will bethere to cast a vote for youwhen the time comes.

Good laws do begin wheregood lawmakers are elected.

PresidentMichigan Farm Bureau

RURAL LIVING, AUGUST 1984

COUNTRY LEDGER

Bring in the Farm Team Talent

•

•

By Connie Turbin

Probably the only thing worsethan a Little League dad is aLittle League mom. I knew go-ing into my son's first gamethat I was in serious danger ofbeing one of those obnoxiousparents who coaches wildlyfrom the sidelines, equippedwith little more than my owndays as a mediocre sandlotfielder and enthusiastic batter.

So I kept quiet on the subjectof faulty calls by the umpireand rationalized away the im-pulse to pontificate on the sub-ject of good losers and graciouswinners, despite the fact thatthere is entirely too little ofboth in the 11 to 14 age group.(Come to think of it .... )

Anyway, I was coping withthis new stress phase of parent-ing until I heard, "Winning isn'teverything," just one too manytimes.

What turned me into an LLM(Little League mom) was the op-tional inning when our guyswere down 10 runs or some-thing like that and couldchoose to call it quits, or try toclose the gap between theirruns and the opposition's. "Wewant to play," they agreed, butnot before the coach let eachone choose his own position.When they took the field, therewere nine separate egos, eachliving out a distinct majorleague fantasy that had nothingto do with team play or playinglike winners (even when youlose).

Just for the record, I doacknowledge losing as a legiti-mate part of the life experience.It is a character builder (ref:


good loser/gracious winner).But I am very big on playing towin. I'm sure we're on the sametrack here, so I will spare youthe details of the heart to hearttalk I had with my son aboutanother cliche, "It's notwhether you win or lose, buthow you play the game." Thatis, I believe, the original versionof "winning isn't everything."

End pre-adolescent life lesson101; and parenting exercise No.33,578.

Which brings me to the farmbill.

Maybe "Tiger Fever" isdestroying my brain cells, ormaybe "The Natural" remindedme that sports are more thanrecreation and good cardiovas-cular exercise, but I do knowthat it isn't just LLM syndromethat made me aware of how Ifeel about winning and the im-portance of pulling togetherwhen the pressure's on. Andsomehow this baseball focusimposed itself on another sub-ject I've been paying a lot of at-tention to - the 1985 farm billdebate.

There is certainly majorleague pressure on agriculturein the farm bill debate, and thisis no time for farmers and theirfarm organizations to act likespectators in what is beingbilled as the game of thedecade.

Baseball terms make for someinteresting and very appropriatemetaphors on this subject. Takefor instance the "pitches"agriculture has been swingingat for the last 50 years: curveballs, sliders, knuckleballs andsome political spitballs like theembargoes, but now comesalong the chance to "pick your

pitch" - and take a swing at afast ball, right down the middle.

Bill Lesher, assistant secre-tary of agriculture, laid it outpretty straight for a gatheringof economists recently, when hesaid, "In this day when every-one seems to be looking fornew growth industries that theU.S.can become competitive in,such as high technology, it isironic that we could lose themost efficient industry we have,which is agriculture, throughour own doing."

I urge you to attend the"1985 Farm Bill Policy Alter-natives" meeting in your area.Details of the meeting appear inan article on page 12.

In this important debate, agri-cultural leaders are calling onall of the farm team talent togive depth to the policy "bench."Get involved now to help build aFarm Bureau policy platformthat you can get behind. Afteryou return from the policy alter-natives meeting, talk with otherFarm Bureau members aboutwhat you have heard and learn-ed, contact your county PolicyDevelopment Committee mem-bers to offer your input to thefarm bill resolution from yourlocal FB organization, and at-tend your county annualmeeting.

Unprecedented involvementby those most affected by thelegislation will make the dif-ference between a farm bill thatgives farmers the opportunityand the incentives to win yearin and year out or one thattrades away farm team talentfor short term wins.

7

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW

Summer Session Faces Key Ag Issues

Following a congressional re-cess over Independence Dayand for the Democratic conven-tion, members of the U.S. Houseand Senate are expected to turntheir attention to the followingkey issues of interest to agricul-ture.

Immigration Reform -Both the House and Senatehave completed action on re-spective versions of legislationto revise the Immigration Act.S. 529 and H.R. 1510 will beconsidered by a House-Senateconference committee to re-solve differences.

In conference committee anFB-backed provision for an op-tional tem porary foreign workerprogram is likely to face opposi-tion or modification. The tem-porary worker provision and im-proved H-2 program were in-strumental in FB support of theHouse version and the FB posi-tion is to hold onto those provi-sions in the reform act asadopted by the House.

UeaItb Insurance TaxDeduction for tbe Self-Employed - With FB support,legislation has been introducedto permit a self-employed per-son to deduct one-half of his orher health insurance premiumsas a business expense. H.R..3487 now has 124 co-sponsors;the Senate version of the billhas five co-sponsors.

Expected congressional ac-tion on this issue includes ahearing before the House Ways

8

and Means Committee and as-sessment of the proposal's reve-nue impact to be conducted bythe Joint Committee on Taxa-tion.

Balanced Budget Amend-ment - Congress has not yetacted on either S.J. Res. 5 orH.J. Res. 24.3, legislation whichamends the U.S. Constitution torequire a balanced budget. Withtime running short for legisla-tive action in 1984, FB mem-bers should contact membersof their congressional dele-gation to request that they addtheir names as co-sponsors ofthe balanced budget resolutionand to urge House members tosign the discharge petition forH.J. Res. 24.3.

Sale of Mortgaged Agricul-tural Commodities - S. 2190eliminates the farm products ex-emption in the Uniform Com-mercial Code by amending the1981 farm bill. FB supports S.2190 as a means of resolvingthe problem created by a minori-ty of agricultural producers whoillegally sell livestock which hasan outstanding lien and, withoutpaying the security holder,divert the funds to other uses.Third parties who have noknowledge of the lien are liableto the security party for thevalue of the commodity, thus in-curring a loss.

FB encouraged the SenateAgriculture Committee to holdhearings on this legislation inconnection with the House AgSubcommittee hearings on live-stock, dairy and poultry sched-uled in July.

Natural Gas Decontrol -Efforts to decontrol natural gasduring this session of Congresshave stalled. An FB-supporteddecontrol bill, S. 1715, hasfailed to receive favorable ac-tion in the Senate.

In the House a bill whichwould impose additional con-trols on natural gas has beenapproved by committee and isheaded for floor debate. H.R.4277 would reimpose price con-trols on gas that is scheduledto be decontrolled on Jan. 1,1985. FB opposes H.R. 4277 asfarmers need abundant low costgas for ammonia fertilizer pro-duction, crop drying and irriga-tion pumping. Natural gas pricecontrols have resulted in theshutting in of low priced, oldergas and the development ofnew, higher priced gas supplies.

Contacts with all members ofthe House and Senate to gainsupport for natural gas decon-trol are needed. Especially im-portant are immediate contactswith all members of the Houseto oppose H.R. 4277.

Trade Remedies ReformAct of 1984 - H.R. 4784, the"Trade Remedies Reform Act of1984," is still pending on theHouse floor after having furtherconsideration suspended onJune 29 just prior to the recess.FB opposes this legislation. Theprovisions could result in high-er U.S.ammonia prices and harmU.Sexport promotion programs.

Canadian Pork Imports -At the request of the U.S.Senate Committee on Finance,the International Trade Com-mission (lTC) has instituted an


7

••

investigation for the purpose ofassessing the competitive posi-tion of Canadian swine andpork in the U.S.market.

The commission has beenasked to:• Profile the U.Sand Canadianindustries;

• Describ~ the U.S.and Cana-dian markets in terms ofconsumption, productionand trade;

• Describe the monthly andannual variations in trade:

• Describe the effect of tariffsand health and sanitary reg-ulations on trade between theU.S.and Canada, and the ef-fect of trade regulations inother markets, such as Japan,which may affect U.S. andCanadian export strategies;

• Identify federal, state and pro-vincial government assistanceprograms for the swine pro-ducer and processing in-dustries; and

.Discuss competitive condi-tions as they relate to factorssuch as product price andtransportation advantages.The investigation will include

one public hearing, which willbe held at Cedar Rapids, Iowa,on Sept. 21, 1984. The ITC ex-pects to complete its study byNov. 21, 1984.

Department of AgricultureBudget - As usual, just beforethe Legislature's summer re-cess, the battle of the numer-ous budget bills grew politicallyhot between the Senate andHouse. The dozens of disagree-ments were finally worked outby a six member conferencecommittee (three from theHouse and three from theSenate). The Department ofAgriculture budget became em-


broiled in that political confu-sion this year. FB has insistedthat the MDA budget includeappropriate increases to atleast maintain important agri-culture programs at minimallevels.

The governor's recommenda-tion for the portion of the MDAbudget that comes from thegeneral fund was $22,830,750.This included $2 million for thePCBsilo contamination cleanup. (The rest of the total budgetcomes from federal funds,horse racing revenue and vari-ous fees and fines.)

On March 19, the Housepassed the budget at slightlyunder ($50) the governor'srecommendation. Severalchanges over the current yearwere made including increasesfor gypsy moth control, fairpremiums, horse industry,fairgrounds improvement, etc.However, these increases wereaccomplished by eliminatingthe weights and measures pro-gram which is extremely impor-tant to farmers, consumers andall businesses. Also eliminatedwas the inspection of retailnursery stock.

The Senate AppropriationsCommittee, chaired by Sen.Harry Gast, and the subcommit-tee on agriculture, chaired bySen. DeGrow, not only reinsti-tuted these essential programsbut also added an amendmentby Sen. Irwin for a grant of$131, 700 to the NorthwestMichigan Horticulture ResearchStation. Another importantchange was the elimination ofthe" discretionary fund" whichwould have seriously impededMDA from maintaining ade-quate personnel due to the ear-ly retirement program.

Funding was included to en-force the new law to test gaso-line to prevent the fraudulentpractices that were found lastyear. Adjustments were alsomade for the horse industry. Intotal, the Senate added $1.5million to MDA's budget. The

Senate-passed bill was rejectedby the House which required itto go to a conference commit-tee. The House wanted to cutthe Senate increase in half.

FB was very active in insistingthat the Senate version beadopted. While in Lansing for ameeting, members of the MFBboard of directors called theirsenators and representatives tourge them to adopt the Senate-passed agriculture budget.

Finally, the House-Senate con-ference committee, composedof Sens. DeGrow, Gast andMack, and Reps. Dodak, Dill-ingham and Kilpatrick, agreedto approve the additional $1.5million in the Senate version.Some changes were made in-cluding reducing the $131, 700for the Northwest HorticulturalResearch Station to $76,800.Most of the $54,900 will beused as agriculture's share of adetoxification study to be doneby the Department of Health.

The final MDA budget fromthe general fund is $24,330,700.The total MDA budget which in-cludes funding from federalsources and fees, licensing,fines, horse racing revenue,etc., is $42,923,100.

The increase for 1984-85brings the MDA budget to theminimum needed. However,much more needs to be done toassure adequate plant anddisease pest control, animalhealth, food inspection, dairyinspection, laboratory work,toxic contamination control,soil conservation services,marketing and internationaltrade, fairs, horse industry,breed association grants, etc.

Gypsy Moth Control - TheLegislature increased the fund-ing for this program by $50,000up to $204,500. However, dueto years of under funding,much of Michigan is consideredbeyond control. The gypsy mothwas first discovered in 1972

9

The more you expect fromyour milk feed mone~ the moreyou're our kind ofdairyman.

Whatever your plans are today- to produce more, less or aboutthe same amount of milk as lastyear - one thing's for sure. Youwant the most possible incomefrom the dollars you spendfor feed.

And the key is choosing a milk~ing ration that best balances anyroughages and grain you mayhavej that fits your kind of cows- and that will produce theamount of milk you expect. A

feed that will do all this mostefficiently.

More and more dairymen, in~eluding some of the best in thebusiness Oikethose featuredhere), find the answer at theirPurina Dealer. Purina offers over200 different milking rations tomake sure there's one that will fityour herd. And 63 separate milllocations assure the feeds neededfor your area are available.

Ask your Purina Dealer to helpyou select the best ration for

your needs.

DID rolling herdaverages in thetop 5% earned themDistinguishedDairyman ofAmerica Awards;tc

A third generation dairyman,David Roth of Laysvillle, Penn-sylvania, uses the total Purina dairyration program - from nursing,starting and growing feeds throughHigh Octane@Cow Chow@brand36% concentrate. His DHI rolling

and could have been easilyeradicated. By 1981, only 19acres were found to be defoli-ated; in two years there were427 acres defoliated. A recentaerial survey shows that thereare now 5,137 defoliated acres!Eleven counties are now quar-antined by USDAas being be-yond treatment.

Under present law the state'sresponsibility ends once the in-sect becomes established in anarea. After that, any control isup to local government and theindividual property owner.

MSUVeterinarian School -The Legislature has recognizedthe need to meet the requiredaccreditation standards. TheHouse added nearly $600,000to the 1984-85 budget. TheSenate added another $700,000.The most important action isthe Legislature's approval of the

10

schematics for a new $43 mil-lion veterinary science buildingand renovation of the presentfacilities. The Legislature stillneeds to appropriate about$250,000 for planning so thatconstruction can start next year.

The Animal Health DiagnosticCenter will have a 10% increasein funds plus the portion thatcomes from the MDAbudget.

Forestry - FB supported thefollowing bills related to theforestry industry:

H.B. 4960, which has passedboth Houses, exempts wood har-vesting equipment and somecommercial fishing equipmentfrom personal property tax andclarifies the law on farm retailmarkets ..

H.B. 4206, introduced by Rep.Jacobetti, has passed bothHouses. It permits large areaforest restoration and manage-ment pilot project. Twenty-fivepercent of lands must be non-

industrial private timber ownersof not more than 640 acretracts. No more than 1,500acres could be owned by a sin-gle timber owner. A districtcould make incentive paymentsfor approved practices.

S.B. 625 would establish aprivate forest reserve andmanagement program. Reservescould not be less than 10 acresor more than 640 acres andwould be exempt from 75% ofthe property tax. Local govern-ments would be reimbursed50% by the state. Yield taxeswould be imposed.

H.B. 5402 passed both Housesand was signed by the gover-nor. It creates a Forest IndustryCouncil in the Department ofCommerce.

Fairground Taxation -This legislation has passed bothHouses. It clarifies the law byexempting fairgrounds that are


herd average is 19,476Ibs. "I triedto increase milk production withanother feed:' he says, "but it didn'twork - so I went back to Purina.It's a lot better feed~'

Richard Muller, Washington,Illinois, who also feeds PurinaHigh Octane brand 36% con'centrate, reports a DHI rollingherd average of 19,962 lbs. "Myfather started feeding Purina CowChow about 1925 and the herd

has been fed Purina since:' Mullersays. "We have always been satis,fied with the results and felt thatPurina has done more researchthan other companies~'

Richard Muller, Washington, Illinois

Another third generation dairy-man is Arnold Oechsner, Jr. ofBroumsville, Wisconsin. He feedshis 115 head herd both PurinaHigh Octane brand 36% concen-trate and Purina Milk Generator@brand 1056 complete ration.Oechsner, who has a DHI rolling

Arnold Oechsner, Jr., Brownsville, Wisconsin

herd average of 20,309 lbs., sayshe has fed Purina milking rationfor more than five years because it"has given me the most milk pro-duction per cow per year~'

.Recognition of dairymen who have fed Purina milkingrations for Q\'er 12 months and whose DHI rolling herdaverages are in the top 5% in their state for their breed.

• Ro'"on P'''no CO. 1984IXI~

rented as long as the revenue isused for renovation, upgradingand putting on the fair.

Ethanol Issue - H.B. 533repealing the 4-cent gas tax ex-emption to encourage enthanolproduction will die in commit-tee. FB strongly opposed thislegislation as gasohol hasproven to be an excellent prod-uct with higher octane ratingand much lower air pollutionemissions. Ethanol is alsocreating a larger new marketfor corn, which is expected tobe nearly a quarter billionbushels this year.

The state exemption will con-tinue to phase out. The increasein the federal exemption from 5cents up to 6 cents is still in acongressional conference com-mittee.


Rules and Regulations -HJR "P" passed both Houses bythe required two-thirds vote toput it on the November ballot. Itwould amend the constitutionto assure that the present JointCommittee on AdministrativeRules (JCAR)can continue tomonitor and approve or dis-approve rules and regulationspromulgated by the variousstate departments and stateagencies.

This is necessary because ofthe June 1983 U.S.SupremeCourt decision declaring thecongressional veto of federalrules is unconstitutional (INSvsChadla). This decision is notbinding on the states; however,it is likely that each state hav-ing a similar procedure will bechallenged. Michigan law hasalready been challenged (Bondvs DNR).

FB supported HJR "P." Thepresent legislation controllingrules and regulations waspassed in 1977 and has been

very effective in curbing unnec-essary rules which have theforce of law.

Insurance Legislation -H.B. 5401, known as the "UrbanWriter" bill which would benefitcertain companies writing inDetroit to the detriment of in-surance rates for outstate peo-ple, is still in committee. FB op-posed the bill and submitted aletter to the committee.

H.B. 4722 prohibits banksfrom writing insurance. FB sup-ported the bill because other-wise lenders could require pur-chase of insurance as a loancondition. It has been reportedout of a House committee.

H.B. 4209, the "unisex" in-surance bill, would increasewomen's life insurance rates inmost cases by requiring the useof one mortality table. FB helpedkeep the bill in committee.

11

Recognizing that the 1985farm bill will have an impacton, and input from, everyoneassociated with agriculture -from producer to consumer andall segments of the food chainin between, plus politicianseager to appease all thosevoting blocs - Farm Bureauleaders across the nation haveput a top priority on membereducation for this issue. Theirgoal is a policy on the 1985farm bill that not only reflectsthe best thinking of farmers,but one which members will"stand up and be counted" insupport of in the legislative andpublic opinion arenas.

In Michigan, the drafting of anew federal farm program hasspurred one of the most con-certed efforts in Farm Bureau's65-year history to gain broadmember involvement in thepolicy development process.Educational meetings have beenheld throughout the state on thecounty and district levels. Over400 Community Action Groupshave taken advantage of aneducational module coveringkey issues in the development ofthe 1985 farm bill.

12

Gaining the best, objective,forward thinking on future farmpolicy from farmers, many ofwhom depend upon governmentpayments to keep their bankersand suppliers happy, is unques-tionably a big challenge. ButMFBPresident Elton R. Smith isa firm believer in "if you pro-vide our members with the hardeconomic facts, they'll come upwith the right decisions onpolicy."

Providing those economicfacts will be the objective ofthree area "Farm Bill '85 PolicyAlternatives" meetings sched-uled for Aug. 15-16-17. Themeetings will replace the tradi-tional statewide policy develop-ment session in Lansing in aneffort to give all FB farmermembers an opportunity for in-put on what position the organ-ization should take on FarmBill '85.

The regional meetings arescheduled for Aug. 15 at theHoliday Inn, Grayling; Aug. 16at the Amway Grand Plaza,Grand Rapids; and Aug. 17 atthe Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth.Each of the sessions begins at10 a.m. and will adjourn by3:30 p.m.

FARM BILL '85

PolicyAlternativesMeetings

The morning agenda will in-clude a discussion on price sup-ports, target prices, the farmerheld grain reserve and exports.During the afternoon session,three concurrent workshops onprice supports, farm programalternatives and the politics ofwriting Farm Bill '85 will concen-trate on member input. AFBFSenior Economist John Hosemanwill be among the resource per-sons at each of the meetings.

Advance reservations arenecessary because of lunch ar-rangements. Members shouldcall their county FB secretaryby Aug. 1, indicating which ofthe three meetings they will at-tend. The advance tickets willalso provide participants withan opportunity to win doorprizes. Counties with the largestattendance will be recognizedat each of the three meetinglocations.

"Farm Bill '85 will set thetone for agriculture for the nextdecade," said President Smith."This series of meetings will aidfarmers in charting their coursefor the years ahead."


Future Agricultural Policy -A Challenge for All

(Editor's Note: Excerpted fromremarks by Assistant Secretaryof Agriculture William Lesher atthe Conference on AlternativeAgriculturai and Food Policiesand the 1985 Farm Bill, spon-sored by the Giannini Founda-tion and Resources for theFuture, Berkeley, California,June 11, 1984.)

Farm legislation that hasbeen with us for the last 50years has not been that effec-tive except to help bid up theprices of fixed factors of pro-duction such as land. Suchpolicies are especially inap-propriate for today's agriculturethat depends on world marketsso heavily and an agriculturewhere about two-thirds of ourproduction is produced by one-tenth of our farmers.

The unprecedented growth inthe demand for agriculturalproducts that we experienced inthe 1970s was a temporarymove away from long-termgrowth trends and was pro-duced primarily by spurts ofgrowth in world economies andthe adjustment of the worldeconomy to higher energyprices through various fiscaland monetary policies.

The 1970s really set in mo-tion several things that willcause problems for some timeto come: investment in landand machinery that increasedcapacity to produce for amarket that is not there; farmpolicy parameters that ratchetup with temporary upswings,but which resist downward ad-justments; credit problems forfarmers as land values recedeto values that can be sustainedfrom farm. production and themovement of agriculture away


from a domestic market orien-tation and towards export mar-kets, thereby subjecting thesector to greater influence fromoutside sources such as macro-economic and international fac-tors.

I believe that agriculture istoo important economically andsocially to let another farm billcome and go without a Her-culean attempt to better under-stand the consequences of al-ternative policies, and adjustour policies to today's agricul-ture and economic climate. Thiswill require that all involvedreduce their posturing, examineand understand the facts, andmake decisions based on whatwill be good for our futureagricultural industry.

Farm Policy ReviewPublic support for U.S. agri-

culture dates back to the crea-tion of the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, the people's depart-ment, in 1862. It was, indeed,the people's department asmore than 55% of the Americanpeople were engaged in produc-tion agriculture.

It was not until the GreatDepression that agriculturalprograms took on the addedresponsibility of price and in-come supports. Low commodityprices led to depressed farm in-comes far below levels in therest of the society. Farmfailures became widespread.

The Agricultural AdjustmentAct of 19.3.3gave the secretaryof agriculture the tools to propup sagging commodity pricesand farm returns and in theprocess protect the sector fromcollapse. Credit programs were

also used to help stem the tideof bankruptcies and enabledfarm families to stay on theland and in their homes.

The New Deal's farm programsworked largely through the useof non-recourse loans that con-tinue even today as a majorcomponent of our commodityprograms. When prices were low,farmers could use the com-modities they produced as col-lateral for federal loans. If pricesfailed to rise above loan levels,which were set high enough togenerate acceptable farm in-comes during the year, farmerscould forfeit their collateral tothe Commodity Credit Corpora-tion. If prices rose due to cropfailure or increased demand, theCCCcould sell forfeited com-modities back into the marketto augment supplies.

It became clear soon after im-plementing the price and in-come support programs of the19.30s that growth in farm pro-ductivity, encouraged by higherand more stable incomes, ex-acerbated this excess capacityproblem and led to the accumu-lation of large governmentstocks which tended to furtherdepress market prices; a reduc-tion in, or at least slowergrowth in, demand for farmproducts here and abroad;reduced U.S. competitiveness inworld markets; and increasedgovernment costs.

Additional policy tools weredeveloped over time to dealwith the worst aspects of thisexcess capacity problem. Theprograms have been voluntary,but cooperators were given theright to participate in other pro-grams - such as the loan and(continued on page 28)

13

AGRIPAC FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE

Farmer Support in CampaignsGives Endorsements Value

AgriPac, the political actionarm of the Michigan farm Bu-reau, has endorsed 77 candi-dates for the 1984 primary elec-tion. Announcement of the 34Democrats and 43 Republicansdesignated as "friends of Agri-culture" was made during anews conference at farm BureauCenter in Lansing on July 5.

With the exception of twodual endorsements for the U.S.Senate and the 109th StateHouse of Representatives Dis-trict, all the endorsements willextend through the generalelection if the candidates aresuccessful in the primary. Agri-Pac endorsed Democrat incum-bent Carl Levin and Republicanchallenger Jack Lousma for theU.S.Senate and Democrat TomElegeert and Republican NancyDouglas for the 109th Districtseat. In those cases, followingthe Aug. 7 primary, AgriPac willselect one of the candidates forendorsement in the Nov. 6 gen-eral election.

Two sets of criteria were usedby AgriPac during the decision-making process, one for incum-bents and another for non-incumbents.

Criteria for incumbents in-cluded voting records on majorissues affecting agriculture;degree of special efforts to in-troduce, support or oppose leg-islation in accordance with fB

14

policy; and special factors suchas attendance at fB meetingsand communications withmembers on legislative issues.

Criteria for non-incumbentsincluded positions on agricul-tural issues and possible solu-tions, recognition of the impor-tance of agriculture to theeconomy, and involvement ofagricultural persons in the can-didates' campaigns.

Another major factor in theendorsement decisions was therecommendations submitted by46 county fB Candidate Evalua-tion Committees.

"This input was extremelyvaluable to the committee," saidJack Laurie, Tuscola Countydairy farmer who chairs Agripac."Because the Candidate Evalua-tion Committee members knewthe candidates, they were ableto provide us with an addeddimension to our decision-making process. Weappreciatetheir excellent efforts."

Members of the politicallybipartisan AgriPac, in additionto Laurie, are George McManusIII, Benton Harbor, vice chair-person; David Conklin, Corunna;Doug Darling, Maybee; PeteDragicevich, Kalamazoo; BobGregory, Traverse City; VivianLott, Mason; Bill Penn, Hope;and Joanne Stefl, Cornell. Ex-officio, non-voting members areAI Almy, MfB's director of

public affairs who serves asAgripac secretary, and RobertBraden, MfB administrativedirector who serves as trea-surer.

AgriPac was formed as aresult of unanimous approvalby delegates at the 1977 MfBannual meeting to develop apolitical action program withdesignated "friends of Agricul-ture" receiving active supportin the 1978 elections.

AgriPac's record since thattime averages out to an impres-sive 86.6% success in "friendsof Agriculture" elected in thethree general elections in 1978,1980 and 1982.

The Senate RaceThe AgriPac endorsement of

incumbent Carl Levin is the firsttime the U.S.senator made the"friends of Agriculture" list.While his voting record is amodest 50% (see accompanyingrecord on key agriculturalissues), Laurie said there wereother factors considered by thecommittee.

"Senator Levin has been veryaccessible to our legislativestaff, and he has spent timewith members who have partici-pated in our annual WashingtonLegislative Seminars. He hasalso supported farm Bureauwith personal efforts onresearch, marketing orders andtransportation issues," Lauriesaid.


Announcement of the 34 Democrats and 43 Republicans designated as "Friends of Agriculture" was madeduring a news conference at Farm Bureau Center In Lansing on July 5.

AgriPac also received recom-mendations for endorsement ofLevin from several county FBCandidate Evaluation Commit-tees.

Levin (D-Detroit) has served inthe U.S.Senate since 1978when he upset RepublicanRobert Griffin who was seekinga third term. Prior to his elec-tion, he had served on theDetroit City Council from 1969to 1978. He is a member of theArmed Services Committee, theGovernmental Affairs Commit-tee, the Small Business Commit-tee and the Energy and NaturalResources Committee.

Republican challenger JackLousma from Ann Arbor is aformer astronaut who served aspilot of the Skylab III missionand was commander of thethird flight of the space shuttleColumbia. He resigned fromNASAin October 1983.


While Lousma did not have avoting record for AgriPac toanalyze, Laurie said his"achievement-oriented" back-ground and his efforts to learnabout agriculture were factorsin his endorsement.

"He has strong agriculturalleaders involved in his cam-paign (former MDA DirectorDean Pridgeon heads his agri-cultural committee) and the Re-publican Party leadership ap-pears to be supportive, which isvital to a successful statewideelection," Laurie said.

Lousma also received recom-mendations for endorsementfrom several county FB Can-didate Evaluation Committees.

Support IFriends of Agl

Because candidates are wellaware that farmers have thehighest marks on their citizen-ship report cards when it comes

to voting, the title of "Friend ofAgriculture" has become acoveted one. But it's votes, nottitles, that get candidateselected.

"I think there is a broadunderstanding on the part ofmembers that many vital deci-sions impacting our industrywill be made by those who willbe elected in November," Lauriesaid. "But to make sure thatthose decision-makers are'Friends of Agriculture,' theymust first be nominated in theprimary. That's why it's so im-portant for FB members to votein the Aug. 7 primary electionfor the candidates that havebeen endorsed by Agripac.

"With the commitment ofmembers, we can have an im-pact on the outcome of theprimary election and ultimatelythe general election," he said.

15

AgriPac Ene1984 Priu

Selected Issuesu.s. Senator Carl Levin

Inherited Property Tax(U.R. 3919) - Passage of anamendment to repeal the carry-over basis rule governing thetaxation of inherited propertyestablished by the 1976 TaxReform Act. The carryover basisrule greatly increased the taxliability of a person who in-herited property and later soldthe property. The Senate adopt-ed the amendment Nov. 19,1979. FB favored a "Y" vote.

Tax Ind.exing (U.J. Res.266) - Passage of an amend-ment to require that individualincome tax rates be indexedeach year beginning in 1985 tooffset the effects of inflation.The Senate adopted the amend-ment July 16, 1981. FB favoreda "Y" vote.

Export Embargoes (8.1112) - Passage of an amend-ment to require that a selectiveU.S. embargo on agriculturalgoods ordered by the presidentmust cease if Congress fails toadopt a joint resolution of ap-proval. The Senate passed theamendment Nov. 12, 1981. FBfavored a "Y" vote.

Budget Reconciliation (U.R.4961) - Passage of a bill to in-crease taxes $99 billion for fis-cal years 1983-85 and to cutwelfare, Medicare and Medicaidspending $17 billion over thesame period. The Senate passedthe bill Aug. 4, 1982. FB favoredan ".N" vote because of the largetax Increase and small spendingcuts to resolve budget problems.

State Representatives42nd Glenn Oxender (R)43rd Carl Gnodtke (R)44th Lad Stacey (R)45th Mick Middaugh (R)47th Paul Wartner (R)48th Donald Gilmer (R)49th Richard Fitzpatrick (D)50th Mike Griffin (D)51st Fred Dillingham (R)54th Paul Hillegonds (R)56th Ernie Nash (R)58th Debbie Stabenow (D)61 st Mat Dunaskiss (R)62nd Chari ie Harrison Jr. (D)74th John Maynard (D)75th Ken DeBeaussaert (D)76th James Docherty (D)77th Dick Allen (R)78th Keith Muxlow (R)79th John Cherry Jr. (D)80th Floyd Clack (D)83rd Charles Mueller (R)84th John Strand (R)86th Lewis Dodak (D)87th Phillip Thompson (R)88th Robert Bender (R)89th Gary Randall (R)90th Victor Krause (R)92nd Thomas Mathieu (D)93rd Vernon Ehlers (R)94th Jelt Sietsema (D)97th Ed Geerl ings (R)98th Ed Giese (R)99th Colleen Engler (R)

100th J. Michael Busch (R)101st Tom Hickner (D)105th Tom Alley (D)106th John Pridnia (R)107th Pat Gagl iardi (D)109th Tom Elegeert (D)109th Nancy Douglas (R)110th Donald Koivisto (D)

u.S. Representatives2nd Carl Pursell (R)3rd Jackie McGregor (R)4th Mark Siljander (R)5th Paul Henry (R)8th Bob Traxler (D)9th Guy Vander Jagt (R)

10th Bill Schuette (R)11 th Bob Davis (R)12th David Bonior (D)16th John Dingell (D)18th William Broomfield (R)

State Representatives2nd Burton Leland (D)3rd Matthew McNeely (D)5th Teola Hunter (D)7th Nelson Saunders (D)8th Carolyn Kilpatrick (D)

11 th Stanley Stopczynski (D)12th Curtis Hertel (D)13th Will iam Bryant J r. (R)14th Joseph Young Sr. (D)15th Joseph Young Jr. (D)18th Sidney Ouwinga (R)19th Don Van Singel (R)20th Claude Trim (R)23rd Phil Hoffman (R)24th Robert McGee (R)27th Vincent Porreca (D)28th Robert DeMars (D)36th Gerald Law (R)38th Justine Barns (D)39th Jerry Bartnik (D)40th Timothy Walberg (R)41st Michael Nye (R)

u.s. SenatorDemocratic Primary Only

Carl LevinRepublican Primary Only

Jack Lousma

KEYy or n - voted "yes" or

"no" and against FarmBureau position.

Y or N - voted "YES" or"NO" and for FarmBureau's position.

J - Did not vote or makea position known.

Carl Levin (D-Detroit)

Voting Record - u.S. Senator Carl Levin(1979-84)

~1l6.6---------------------~---- LRURAL LIVING, AUGUST 1984

vency of the system's trustfunds. The bill relied on heavytax increases rather than re-stricting the rapid growth inbenefits to make the systemsolvent. The House passed thebill March 9, 198.3. FB favoredan "N" vote.

Emergency Food Assistance(U.R. 1590) - Passage of a billto require the secretary of agri-culture to make available toemergency food organizations,and certain other agencies,federally owned farm commodi-ties that are not obligated toother programs and to author-ize funds for processing, trans-portation and administrativecosts associated with distribu-tion. The House passed the billJune 16, 198.3. FB favored a "Y"vote.

First Budget Resolution FY1984(Use.Con.Res.91)-Passage of conference reportsetting budget targets for FY1984. The bill relied heavily ontax increases to generate reve-nues of $680 billion, produced




? - Did not vote or makea position known.

Bonior (D-Mt. Clemens)

Broomfield (R-Birmingham)

Davis (R-Gaylord)

DingeJl (D-Dearborn)

Pursell (R-Plymouth)

Siljander (R-Three Rivers)

Traxler (D-Bay City)

Vander Jagt (R-Luther)

Voting Record - u.s. House of Representatives(98th Congress - 1983-84)

Wheat and Corn TargetPrices (U.R. 4012) - Passageof a biIJ to reduce target pricesfor wheat in 1984 and 1985,freeze 1985 target prices forcorn at 1984 levels and makeother farm program adjust-ments. The Senate passed thebill March 22, 1984. FB favoreda "Y" vote.

Deficit Reduction (U.R.2163) - Passage of an amend-ment to freeze all FY 1985military and domestic spendingexcept to cover new recipientsin social programs. The freezewould have reduced the deficitapproximately $212 billion overthree years. The Senate rejectedthe amendment May 2, 1984.FB favored a "Y" vote.

Selected IssuesU.S. Uouse ofRepresentatives

Social Security Reform(U.R. 1900) - Passage of a billto reform the Social Security re-tirement program to assure sol-

Balanced Budget (S.J. Res.58) - Passage of a joint resolu-tion to propose an amendmentto the U.S. Constitution to re-quire a balanced federal budgetat the beginning of each fiscalyear unless a three-fifths ma-jority of Congress agreed todeficit spending. The amend-ment could be waived duringthe time of a declared war. TheSenate passed the joint resolu-tion Aug. 4, 1982. FB favored a"Y" vote.

Social Security (U.R. 1900)- Passageof a bill to reform theSocial Security retirement pro-gram to assure solvency of thesystem's trust funds. The billrelied on heavy tax increasesrather than restricting the rapid

. growth in benefits to make thesystem solvent. The Senatepassed the bill March 2.3, 198.3.FB favored an "N" vote.

Moynihan Dairy Amend-ment (S. 1529) - Passage of amotion to table an amendmentto repeal the 50ft per cwt.assessment on milk productionand permit the secretary ofagriculture to adjust the then$1.3.10/cwt. dairy price supportto an amount not lower than$11.60/cwt. The Senate ap-proved the motion Oct. 6, 198.3.FB favored an "N" vote.

Agricultural Exports (S•919) - Passage of an amend-ment to allow the president torenew control on agriculturalexports for successive six dayperiods if he certifies to Con-gress that controls are neces-sary, effective and not harmfulto farmers. The Senate rejectedthe amendment Feb. 29, 1984.FB favored an "N" vote.

•

.,

-L-------------.:--------------------------;1771RURAL LIVING, AUGUST 1984

Il..

•

~sements for~l'Y Election

2 60%

o 90%2 70%

o 90%o 90%

60%

70%

o 90%o 90%o 80%

Y 8 2 0 80%

7 2 70%

Y 9 0 90%

Y 9 0 90%

Y 8 2 0 80%

Y 9 0 90%

Y Y 6 3

Y Y Y Y 7 2Y Y Y Y 9

Y Y Y Y 9

Y Y Y Y 8 2

Wbeat and Corn TargetPrices (H.R. 4072) - Passageof conference report on a bill toreduce 1984 and 1985 targetprices for wheat and freeze the1985 target price for corn at1984 levels. The House passedthe conference report April 3,1984. FB favored a "V" vote.

Tax Reform Act (U.R. 41 70)- Passage of a bill to increasefederal taxes by $49.2 billionwithout accompanying spend-ing cuts. The House passed thebill April 11, 1984. FB favoredan "N" vote.

Y y Y YY

Y

Y

Y Y Y Y 7 2 70%

Y Y Y Y Y 7 0 3 ro%

Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 0 2 80%

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 2 0 80%

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 2 0 80%

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 1 80%

n Y Y y Y Y Y Y 6 2Y Y Y y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9

Y Y Y y Y Y Y Y 7

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9

Y Y Y y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9

n n Y y Y Y Y

n

Y Y Y y YY Y Y y Y

n Y Y Y Y

Y Y Y y

Y YY Yn Yn YY Y

Allen (R-Fairgrove)

Alley (D-West Branch)

Barns (D-Westland)

Bartnik (0- Temperance)

Bender (R-Middleville)

Bryant (R-Grosse Pointe) Y Y Y y Y n Y Y Y

Busch (R-$aginaw) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Cherry (D-Clio) Y Y Y y Y Y Y Y Y

Clack (D-Flint) Y Y Y y Y Y Y Y Y

DeBeaussaert (D-Washington) Y n Y y Y Y Y Y Y

DeMars (D-Lincoln Park) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Dillingham (R-Fowlerville)

Docherty (D-Port Huron)

Dodak (D-Montrose)

Dunaskiss (R-Lake Orion)

Ehlers (R-Grand Rapids)

Engler (R-Mt. Pleasant)

Fitzpatrick (D-Battle Creek)

Gagliardi (D-Drummond Island)

Geerlings (R-Norton Shores)

Giese (R-Manistee)

Gilmer (R-Augusta)

(continued on next page)




, - Did not vote or makea position known.

International MonetaryFunds - Adoption of a ruleproviding approval for addingan $8.4 billion reauthorizationand appropriation for the IMF toa supplemental appropriationsbill. Adequate funding of theIMF is vital since 30% of theU.S. farm exports are shipped todeveloping countries which re-quire financial assistance topurchase the exports. TheHouse adopted the rule Nov. 18,1983. FB favored a "Y" vote.

a deficit of $170 billion and didnot reduce spending. The Housepassed the conference reportJune 23, 1983. FB favored an"N" vote.

Tax Rate Equity (U.R. 1183)- Passage of a bill to place a$720 cap on the amount anyperson could receive from the10% individual income tax cutscheduled for July 1, 1983. TheHouse passed the bill June 23,1983. FB favored an "N" vote.

Marketing Orders (H.R.4139) - Vote on an amend-ment to delete language in thebill that would prevent the Of-fice of Management and Budget(OMB)from reviewing marketingorders. If the amendment hadbeen rejected the OMBwouldhave been free to interfere withUSDA'ssole authority to admin-ister marketing orders. TheHouse defeated the amendmenton Oct. 27, 1983. FB favored an"N" vote.

Auto Domestic Content(H.R. 1234) - Passage of a billto require automobiles sold inthe U.S.by foreign car manufac-turers to contain specifiedlevels of parts made in the U.S.The House passed the bill Nov.3, 1983. FB favored an "N" votebecause it would invite retalia-tion by such foreign nationstowards U.S. ag exports.

Conable Dairy Amendment(Substitute to U.R. 4196) -Passage of a substitute mea-sure to the so-called dairy com-promise bill. The substitutewould have authorized the sec-retary of agriculture to adjustthe then existing $13.10/ cwt.dairy price support to anamount not lower than$11.60/cwt. and would haverepealed the two existing50ft / cwt. assessments. TheHouse defeated the substituteNov. 9, 1983. FB supported a"v" vote.

18 RURAL LIVING, AUGUST 1984

Voting Record - Michigan House of Representatives

i\::'1:0 &~;::- !:i

00. to-. : EY. ;:~ 00°

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RURAL EXCHANGE

I'll See You, in SeptemberFB members can develop their

personal leadership skills at the1984 State Leader Conference,sponsored by the MFB Women'sCommittee, Sept. 20-21 at theLansing Hilton Inn.

Workshops will focus on mar-keting, legislation, health careand ag in the classroom.

Be sure to bring some extracash along as an AgriPac auc-tion will be held Thursday even-ing. Proceeds will be used to

MEMBERSUIP AUOYI - "Ad-miral" Elton R. Smith, FB direc-tors and staff celebrated reachingAFBFmembership quota on June20 with a "Spring MembershipRegatta" dry dock in Lansing.

support "Friends of Agricul-ture" in the general election.

Cost, including lodging andmeals, will be about $80 per per-son. Contact your county FBsecretary or Women's Commit-tee chairperson for reservationforms or more information. Sendreservations by Aug. 20 to: MFBWomen's Department, P.O.Box30960, Lansing, Mich. 48909.

50 Years of SuccessBay County Farm Bureau will

hold the first county annualmeeting of 1984 on Aug. 5 andcelebrate its 50th anniversaryat the same time. Activities in-clude a social hour, barbecuedchicken dinner, business meet-ing, resolutions and a dance.

Is a Grass Skirt for You?It may be hot now, but we all

know what's coming this winter.You can plan to get away fromthose cold temperatures andblowing winds, though, by mak-ing reservations to attend the1985 AFBF annual meeting inHawaii next January.

You can now fly from any cityin Michigan that United Airlinesserves for the same cost.

For a brochure on the travelprograms offered write: MFB In-formation Division, P.O. Box30960, Lansing, Mich. 48909.

RURAL RASCALS - Thesehelpers can't lift many steel prod-ucts, but they love playing in thetires at their parents' "Big RedBarn" in Deckerville. Gerald BtMerlann Keinath are Safemarkdealers in Sanilac County. Pic-tured are Mike, 7, Steven, 21h,Laura, 8, and Melissa, I I months.

FAKMETTEBy ~ndrea HofmeisterTuscola County

"Rats! Everytfme Mom goes out tohoe, we lose our pool privileges .... "

FARMERS OF THE WEEK

The Farmer of the Week program, co-sponsored by Farm Bureau InsuranceGroup and the Michigan Farm RadioNetwork, honors farmers for their con-tributions to the community and the agindustry. Four farmers were honored inJune 1984:

June 4 - Robert Wahmhoff, 45, ofBaraga is a Christmas tree grower andseedling-tree farmer who markets 1.5million seedlings and 16,000 Christmastrees annually. He is a member andpast executive secretary of the Michi-gan Christmas Tree Association. vicepresident and past president of the Cop-per Country Farm Bureau, an MFBPolicy Development Committee mem-

20

ber, past president of his parish coun-cil, and a member of the MichiganAssociation of Nurserymen and theMichigan Cooperative Tree Improve-ment Association.

June 11 - Patrick Edwards, 28, adairy farmer from Engadine farms 675acres and milks 40 cows. He serves onthe county ASCS committee and theMac-Luce Farm Bureau board, is amember of the Young Farmers group, issecretary-treasurer of the local Michi- .gan Animal Breeders Cooperative, andhas been a DHIA delegate for two yearsand member of the dairy advisory com-mittee for the "Growing U.P." organiza-tion for two years.

June 18 - Carl Nearnberg, 57,farms 1,250 acres in partnership withtwo sons near Albion. They raise beef,cash crops and hogs. He is active in theProgressive Farme'rs of Calhoun Countyand past secretary and president of thatgroup. He is a member of the CalhounCounty Farm Bureau, the Elks Club andthe Michigan Cattleman's Association.

June 25 - Joan JacksoD, 54,operates a 225-acre beef farm nearBoyne City. She is a member of theCharlevoix County Farm Bureau andhas served on the board for two terms;is a member and past officer in theNorthern Slopes Community Group; andfor three years she has coordinated thecounty's member-to-member direct mar-keting sale through MACMA.


By Therese Nichols

"A showplace for Michigan ag-riculture." That was the pur-pose of the first state fair in theUnited States in 1849 and de-spite ups and downs in thefair's 135-year history, thetheme has remained the same.With extensively renovatedfacilities and a renewed em-phasis on ag related events,this year's Michigan State Fair,Aug. 24 through Sept. 3, willbuild on that commitment to"showcase Michigan agricul-ture," said O. J. Scherschligt,acting general manager of theMichigan State Fair.

Now with many old buildingstorn down and many others ren-ovated, the Michigan State Fairhas had much internal growth.A new 80,000 square footlivestock and horse exhibitfacility should be open in timefor the 1985 State Fair.

"This is the first majorbuilding to be added to thefairgrounds since 1968 and it isindicative of our support of ag-riculture," he said.

RURAL LlVINO, AUOUST 1984

Controversy Over LocationFor many years there has

been controversy over the loca-tion of the Michigan State Fair.The fairgrounds, located at thecorner of Woodward and EightMile Road in Detroit, is a longdrive for many exhibitors, ad-mits Carol Culham, agricultureand livestock youth supervisorfor the fair.

"Most people would rather goacross the street than drive toshow their animals, but the lo-cation has good market poten-tial. It is accessible for all ofMichigan, Ohio and Indiana. Itis located in the main popu-lated area of the state where wecan educate consumers andpromote our agricultural com-modities."

It is interesting to note thatin 1905 when the original 135acres were "sold" to theMichigan Agricultural Societyby Joseph L. Hudson and hiscolleagues, the site was sur-rounded by farmland, far fromthe metropolitan area. Thesociety paid Hudson $1 for the

acreage on April 8, 1905, andlater purchased an additional32 acres.

Although metropolitan devel-opment has swelled around thestate fairgrounds, Scherschligtpoints out there are more ad-vantages than disadvantages."It is a lot of work to bring aload of cattle, but there ispotential to host a lot of peopleif you do a good job."

And that's just what the Michi-gan State Fair has been doing.Fair attendance in 1983 was432,000, the highest since1980.

With a $4 admission price foradults and free admission forchildren 11 years old and un-der, it's hard to find betterfamily entertainment!

Entertainment for AllA free concert series, featur-

ing Willie Nelson, DeNiece Wil-liams, Ronnie Milsap, WaylonJennings, The Lettermen andmany others, will be part of thisyear's 11 day event.

For horse lovers, the Bud-weiser Clydesdales will make afive-day appearance at the fair.On the wilder side, the Bud-weiser World Championship ProRodeo will have the country'sbest riders and ropers tanglingwith rodeo bulls.

The fair will also feature manyagricultural highlights. A pigracing contest, a blacksmithcontest, and a youth livestockauction are new fair events youwon't want to miss.

The Amazing Acre will alsofeature many Michigan agricul-tural products. Honey, floricul-ture, cherries, apples, pork,asparagus, plums, dairy, beef,beans and other Michigan foodproducts will be promoted inexhibits at the center of theAgriculture Building.

Don't forget theU.P. STATE FAIR -Aug. 14-19, Escanaba

21

From Farm to (Super)market

Darper Farms is Going Whole Dog!

(continued onpage 24)

"The marketing aspect of thebusiness has been the mostchallenging," Bob said. "Whenyou know you have a new prod-uct that is good, and peoplereally like it, you need to havein-store demonstrations, adver-tise it, and constantly try to ex-pand your market."

Bob and Nancy have learned,too, that supermarket meatmanagers are necessarilyshrewd buyers and that thewholesaler is "at his mercy."

"If he likes you and yourproduct he will support you. Hehas a slot on the shelf whichhas to make money for him. Hehas to have a product that's go-ing to selL" Bob said.

While the adjustments ofchanging from producer toproducer-marketer have beenmany, the Harpers are optimisticabout the future market poten-tial for their products. "Onceyou become involved in a ven-ture like this you can see thepotential for success if things goright - and that's exciting."

"We feel the bestpart about ourproduct is that it'slean. Many peopleare very diet con-scious and sau-sage can be up to50% fat. Oursausage has only22% fat, whichmakes it 78%lean:'

Currently HarperFarms sausage isprocessed by acustom processingplant, but Bob sees

mazoo area but also out ofstate. In addition, many peoplestill purchase the sausage atthe farm and at the processingplant.

Consequently, the Harpers'sausage recipes, the productpackaging and stickers, had tobe approved by the USDA'sFood and Drug Administration.The FDA regulations also re-quired them to purchase prod-uct liability insurance.

"We're very much regulated,"Bob said. "In fact, when theprocessing plant makes oursausage, the federal inspectorhas to stand right there andwatch it being processed. Wehaven't had any problems. Ifyou do things according totheir guidelines, you're not go-ing to have any."

Entering the world of process-ing and marketing has providedsome challenging experiencesfor the Harpers, other thandealing with government regu-lation.

l\arp:!:!~~BSausagePlus Fresh Brats

and Smoked Porkers!

IT'S LEAN!

By Marcia Dltchle

Harper Farms, a centennialfarm enterprise near Vicksburgin Kalamazoo County, is adapt-ing some very modern market-ing techniques to the family'shog operation. Bob Harper,fourth generation operator ofthe 350 acre farm, marketsabout 1,800 hogs a year, andnow he and his wife Nancy arefounders and co-owners ofHarper Farms Whole HogSausage.

It's a relatively new wholesaleenterprise for the couple, butBob and Nancy say product pro-motion and consumer accep-tance affirms they made themarketing move at the righttime.

"For years we had taken someof our sows to be slaughteredand made into sausage," Bobsaid. "We kept some of thesausage and gave some to ourfriends. Eventually peoplewanted to know where theycould buy it, so webegan to look atmarketing possi-bilities."

But before HarperFarms Whole HogSausage went onthe wholesale/ retailmarket in June1983, the producthad to meet USDAguidelines. Theirsausage, marketedas links, patties,bratwurst andporkers, a smokedsausage, is soldwholesale to storesand restaurants notonly in the Kala-


Appeals Court UpholdsGrower's IndependentContractor Practice

By Connie Turbin

This summer it's business asusual on Brandel Farms inOceana County. The peak of thestrawberry season has passedand the busy days of the har-vest have slowed down, if onlytemporarily. But on a late Fri-day afternoon, Jerry Brandel isstill at work.

There is an open air confer-ence with the head of a migrantfamily who wishes to contractwith Brandel for the picklingcucumber harvest which is tobegin soon. The plates on theirlate model Bronco truck iden-tify them as Texas residents.

Brandel glances up as anoth-er car drives up to the farm of-fice, then moves on. Michiganplates. The disappointed tour-ists leave when they discoverthere are only frozen berriesavailable now. Brandel's freshmarket season is over for an-other year. Crops harvested nowwill go to processors.

When the migrant familyleaves, Jerry Brandel enters thefarm office through a doormarked "Jury Room," perhapsthe only outward sign of Bran-del's eight year legal battle withthe U.S. Department of Labor(DOL).

Since August of 1976, Brandel,now 39, has been contestingthe DOL citations which claimedhe violated the requirements ofthe Fair Labor Standards Act of1938. At issue in the citation,and subsequent law suit, iswhether the workers in Bran-del's pickle fields were, in fact,his employees, or as Brandelhas contended, independentcontractors.

"1 had nothing to hide," hesays. ''I'm no boy wonder whothought up some kind of scamto avoid employee regulations.This is a practice that we worked


with when I was a kid and all Idid was expand it. Then we hadone or two families working onthis kind of arrangement. At thepeak, I probably had contractswith 25 families."

Basically the arrangement isthat migrant or local familiescontract with Brandel to over-see and harvest selected picklefields during a 30 to 35 dayperiod.

"What that involves," he ex-plains, "is that the field is theirown to maintain and harvest .They row the vines so theydon't run in all directions, pickthe field in multiple harvests,then when the pickles areweighed and graded, whateveramount of money that brings isdivided equally between themand myself ... 50-50.

"As my part, I haul thepickles out of the field and getthem graded and weighed."

The work is unsupervised,Brandel says. "The familiescome and go as they please,they pick their own hours andpick their own size of pickles."

For the processing industry,pickling cucumbers are gradedand paid for under seven stan-dard grades. If a family does apoor job of picking for grade,that means lower profits forthem and for Brandel. Experi-enced harvesters can increasethe profits by selecting thesmaller, higher priced grade ofpickles.

Two court tests, a jury trial in1982 and a federal appealscourt decision this June, upheldBrandel's position. The cost ofproving that his independentcontracting arrangements arelegitimate? A cool $55,000. Inthe six years before the casecame to trial and for the initialtrial, Brandel spent $42,000.Add $13,000 in legal fees forthe appeals proceedings.

.- \NUEL..)

"I said when this got startedthat I'm standing on principle.If this was a scam, I'd fold, butit's not. This is an independentcontract and I was proven right.But it's gotten to the point thatI can't financially support it,"he says.

While Brandel is grateful forthe support of local farmers

2.3

Independent Contract 50% of the harvesters return to of justices unanimously ruled(continued from previous page) Brandel Farms annually, this that the workers are not eco-

factor is no more indicative of nomically dependent uponand groups such as the former the employment relationship Brandel's business. They basedMichigan 'Agricultural Services than when a businessman re- their decision on the fact thatAssociation and the Wisconsin .peatedly uses the same subcon- although the harvester's com-Handpicked Pickle Growers As- tractors due to satisfaction with pensation is directly related tosociation who gave advisory past performance. the price brought by marketingand financial support, he is -Degree of skill required. the pickles, Brandel has no con-disappointed that there has Harvesting of pickles is most trol over such prices.been no broad based industry profitable when numerous pick-support to help defray the cost ings of the smaller grade Harper Farmsof these legal tests. pickles are conducted. Experi-

"I never doubted my position," enced harvesters achieve this (continued from page 22)

Brandel says, "because (the goal with mastery of thecontract) was so simple and methods of rowing, blocking

that aspect of the operation ex-

there were so many examples of and picking for the smallerpanding, too, in the near future.

independent contracting in grades of pickles. The harvest-"We will need our own proc-

every day life: from house . ers must also be watchful of theessing plant very soon. Because

painters to court stenographers crops' need for irrigation andwe are selling our sausage

and even attorneys." insecticide, as they alone are inwholesale to stores, there are

But he does have questions daily charge of the field.more stringent federal guide-

about his ability to sustain this -Capital investment. While lines which have to be followed

legal challenge in another ap- there is little doubt that thethat are not applicable to

peals court test or before the primary investment in thecustom processors. By having

Supreme Court. Brandel faces pickle farming operation isour own processing plant, we

additional costs if a DOL re- Brandel's, he has little capitalwill be able to provide the nec-

quest for an appeals hearing by invested in the equipment andessary facilities for a federal in-

the full eleven member appeals materials required for the farmspector and we will have more

court is granted. If that hap- workers' task of harvesting the.control over the processing."

pens, the limits of Brandel's pickles.Although the business is ba-

personal resources may be the -Opportunity for profit sically a family operation,

ultimate reversal in this case. and loss. The migrant workers Harper Farms employs two

Court Decisionhave an opportunity for profit other people, a marketing direc-in that their compensation tor and a salesperson. Nancy

In the Brandel case, the court would be greater if they suc-shares the bookkeeping and hir-

decisions applied five tests of ceeded in maximizing the pro-ing responsibilities and the cou-

worker status to determine duction of smaller pickles. Thepie's oldest son works on the

whether the contracting fami- possibility of loss exists be-farm and drives the delivery

lies were independent, Le., not cause the harvester must har-truck in the summer.

employees. vest enough pickles to cover his Harper Farms Whole Hog Sau-

-Permanency of the rela- transportation and living ex- sage will be receiving sometionship. While a pickle crop penses. marketing and promotionalcan be harvested seven or more -Right of control. The assistance from MACMA's Directtimes, some contractors remain sharecropping arrangement was Marketing Division this summer

only through the fifth picking. designed to and did effectively when their bratwurst will be in-

Although approximately 40% to relinquish control of the har- troduced as a new item in thevesting operation from Brandel MACMASummer Frozen Fruit

Your Florida vacation home to the migrant workers. Brandel .and Vegetable Sale.is waiting for you at ... does not appear in the fields to Bob and Nancy are enthused

Oran~ "anor "ob.le Home Park supervise the day-to-day har- about this opportunity forFeaturing: vesting and does not dictate direct, statewide marketing of

• All Adult (40 +) Environment the hours or methods by which their product. It's just one more• TWO Recreational Clubhouses the migrant families go about plus for a year old marketing• Fishing Lake with Pier• TWO Swimming Pools

their work. venture that is backed by the• I 2 Shuffleboard Courts The court also addressed a Harpers' marketing ingenuity

Located just two miles south of Cypress Gardens! sixth issue not specifically and a 124 year old family farmFor more information call or write: taken up in the initial trial: the tradition of producing a high /

Orange Manor Mobile Home Park question of economic depen- quality product for whatever18 Kinsmen Dr .. Winterhaven. Florida 33880(81 3) 324-4968 dence. The appeals court panel market they serve.


AGRINOMIC UPDATE

Evaluating Your Farm NeedsIncreases Computer-Ease

Like most farmers you proba-bly have considered purchasinga tabletop or business micro-computer, but may have heldoff making the purchase in an-ticipation of less expensive,more powerful units becomingavailable.

While this approach doeshave a great deal of merit, oneneeds to examine the size andscope of the farming operationand how management can beimproved by the addition ofsuch a tool.

A home or small businesscomputer can handle an enor-mous amount of informationwith ease. A properly designedcomputer system should beable to store, sort, change andsummarize the pertinent factsrelated to one or several enter-prises on your farm. The com-puter's ability to deal with bothwords and numbers at the sametime allows a great deal of flex-ibility when designing reportsand summarizing the farm'svarious enterprises.

Reasons to ConsiderBuying a Computer

A computer for the farm canbe justified by one or a com-bination of the areas listedbelow:

- Once the proper softwareand computer system are in-stalled and the necessary set upis completed, a computershould save time.

-A computer should en-courage the user to be moretimely and aware of necessaryinformation required to fill outrecords. As a result, it will im-prove recordkeeping.

-The accuracy of a computeris only as good as the informa-tion which is put into the


machine. Computer operatorshave an appropriate saying:"Garbage in, garbage out."Once the necessary data hasbeen correctly entered, a com-puter can deal with routine andcomplex mathematical calcula-tions quickly. As a result, ac-curacy will be improved.

- A computer can make cer-tain specialized functionsavailable to the farm familythat they probably do not cur-rently enjoy. Among these areword processing, informationretrieval (such as weather, farmnews, legislative updates, com-modity prices, etc.), computersimulations, educational pro-grams and games.

ApplicationsA computer can perform

many operations, but all mem-bers of the operation should beinterested in using this new toolto make it successful. The mostpopular uses include:

Records: A computer can aidin keeping all of your records.What you wish to do with thoserecords is, of course, an in-dividual decision. Some ad-vocate that a farmer shouldknow every detail of his or herfarm operation - to poundsand the cost of fertilizer thatwent on a given field. Suchdetailed recordkeeping takesself-discipline and a lot of timeentering data. However, it canbe beneficial.

A com puter can record, sort,itemize, total and analyze all ofyour expenses, sales and in-puts, and generate a current,monthly or annual printedrecord of such transactions. Incattle, hog, sheep, dairy orother livestock operations, itcan keep all of the production,breeding, registration, sales

and cost data necessary forculling, herd improvement ortax records. You must decide,before you shop for a computer,how extensive a record systemyour farming operation needs.

Projections: A computer canaid in projecting what the re-sults will be if you enter into agiven enterprise, but don't ex-pect it to do something mysti-cal and have powers that arebeyond the realm of reality. Acomputer will record factualdata, calculate it and projectthe returns. The results, if prop-erly presented with the facts,will be a valid decision-makingtool.

Communication: A computercan be linked to telephone com-munication systems for fast,convenient retrieval of news,marketing information orweather anywhere in the coun-try. Michigan Farm Bureau of-fers such a service through itsAgriCom program. Such datacan be tied to inputs or otherfactors for decisions on sales,purchases or hedges.

Education: Many farm familieshave found the computer to bea great educational aid. Educa-tional software should be an im-portant consideration when youare considering purchasing acomputer. Will it benefit yourchildren? Will it broaden theknowledge of your family?

Entertainment: Many farmersuse their computers for someform of family entertainment. Acomputer game can be enter-taining, challenging and educa-tional to you and the membersof your family.

Purchasing a ComputerThere are three essential

features of a computer system:

25

Name

Address

Phone

responsible for the interactionof the various parts of a com-puter system. It acts as a medi-ator between the applicationssoftware and the various partsof hardware.

For an effective system, thesethree components must bechosen in tandem. Potentialbuyers will find that not all soft-ware or operating systems willoperate on all computers.

Before you decide which com-puter to buy, make a list of thethings you want a computer todo for you, then select a modelthat will meet those needs.

The software should be se-lected first as it is the most im-portant consideration to thesystem. Remember, software isvery specific to certain brandsof hardware and operatingsystems. After the best pro-gramming is found, the appro-priate hardware and accompa-nying operating system can beadapted.

Do not expect to move intothe computer era and do allthings in the very beginning.Chose one area in each of thefunctions that you wish to useand master it first. For example:start with records, then moveinto projections. Easing into acomputer program is much bet-ter than diving in all at once.

Remember that you will beunfamiliar with the uses, func-tions and operations of a com-puter. It is an instrument to beunderstood and used. However,it will be a new instrument toyou, and you need to adapt newhabits, new thought patterns toproperly use the computer.

Because we are all individualswith different backgrounds andabilities, we each react and ad-just to new methods at differentrates. The limit is not the com-puter; its usefulness will dependupon your basic skills and will-ingness to continually use themachine and evaluate its possi-ble applications to your familyand farming operation. It is justanother tool that can improveyour farm business.

the desired functions. Softwarecan be purchased or written bythe user. However, with the vastselection of agricultural andbusiness software now avail-able, the average user will beless likely to write his or herown programs as was oftendone in the past. Programs arestored on cassette tapes or flop-py disks, or a hard disk drive.

The operating system, whichis actually a type of software, is

Fill out and return to:AgriCom, Michigan Farm Bureau,P.O. Box 30960, Lansing, Mich. 48909

YES! I'm interested in learning how AgriCom and its "tops in thenation" market advisory service, AgriVisor, can help increase mynet farm income. Send me more information!

-------------------------------

BEST Market Advisory Servicein the Nation ...

According to a Farm Journal analysis, Illinois Farm Bureau'sAgriVisor is tops in the nation ... and it's available in Michiganexclusively through AgriCom.Farm Journal compared the track records of the nation's sixtop marketing services for 1981-82-83 and AgriVisor wasranked NO.1. The Journal's economist, John Marten, calls thatone heck of a record!Consider this ... if you had followed AgriVisor's market advice,you would have averaged 20 cents over the National AveragePrice for corn and more than 50 cents for soybeans over the3-year period.

Let AgriCom help increase your net farm income. Use thiscoupon to request more information about Michigan FarmBureau's AgriCom service, or call 517-323-7000, extension 547.

Available Only From AgriCom SM

hardware, software and theoperating system.

Hardware is the hard plasticcase, electronic circuit boardsand the other "hard" items ofthe computer itself, Le., key-board, video display, printer,central processing unit,modem, tape or disk storagedrives, cables, etc.

Software, or the program(s), isthe set of instructions thatmakes the hardware perform


The Discussion Topic isused by Community Ac-tion Groups for monthlypolley discussions.

Ifow SociologicalChanges Affect Farm Bureau

The quality of life in rural manufacturing jobs were all aspects of living. It will af-America is evolving rapidly in created. feet rural society's social, eco-

t the 1980s. It is a process that Other factors contributing to nomic and political life. De-will continue at a rapid rate up the migration are the desires mands for jobs, housing, trans-through and beyond the turn of for a clean and safe environ- portation, health services, en-the century. ment, scenic areas, a slower tertainment, etc., are created.

1This evolvement is a product pace of life, quiet and less con- Thesejobs will be filled by

of exciting, new developments gestion, and other qualitative those who might otherwise bein agricultural technology and considerations. hired as farm labor. This trendcommunications that impact Despite the fact that the will increase hired labor costsproduction agriculture, revolu- population of rural areas is in- for farmers.tionizing the agriculture in- creasing, farm numbers con- The influx of urban dwellingsdustry. And it is a product of tinue to decline. The number of will also put pressure on the

~ wide, sweeping changes in people living on farms dropped local governments and ruralmany aspects of America's from almost 10 million in 1970, communities to provide a high-society that are changing the to just over 6 million in 1980, a er standard of living. There willsize, distribution, composition decrease of 40%. This means be a demand for better educa-and attitudes of the rural farm that the percentage of rural tion, recreation and many otherand non-farm populations. people directly involved in pro- services. In many cases, local

farm Bureau must keep in duction agriculture is decreas- governments in

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