OCR Text |
Show Sunday, December 1, 1991 THE HERALD, Prove, Utah, Page C3 airy industry By SUSAN SCHALXR Washington Cormpoodeot WASHIN GTON Despite Agriculture Department predictions for "slightly higher" farm milk prices in 1992, industry officials warn that price volatil ity will continue to be a fact of fife for dairymen until a poiky consensus can be reached. Floyd D. Gaibler, vice president of the International Dairy Foods - long-ter- m Association, told participants in the Agriculture Department's annual outlook conference Tuesday that higher prices won't insulate the industry from the price impacts of policies or the economies of other nations or changing weather conditions. "Past efforts to inspkment supply managenseia alternatives have exacerbated the volatility of prices rather than stabilizing them," he said. If producers and processors are to survive, we must "look for an alternative broader than based pricing mechanisms, such as a futures market for dairy products." Gaibler, who also heads the National Cheese Institute, contends a futures contract would provide 'opportunities for hedging by taking a futures market position as a temporary substitute for a position in the cash market for the commodity. An opportunity to hedge, he explained, would be particularly helpful in the U.S. here production costs, for example, v ary greatly from region to region. "It's extremely difficult to achieve a general consensus on dairy policy because the industry is so structurally diverse," Gaibler told participants. "A milk deficit Financial mediation service available for farmers Farmers and ranchers at odds with their lenders can avoid cosily court fees by turning to the Utah Agriculture Mediation Program. The drought, low commodity prices and decreasing land prices have all contributed to financial obstacles for agricultural producers, said Van Burgess, deputy commissioner of agriculture at the Utah State Department of Agricul- ture. This mediation program, established in 1938 as part of the federal Agricultural Credit Act, provides a chance for borrowers and lenders to work out their problems through a neutral state mediator. Burgess said. Clair Acord, with more than 50 years experience in Utah agricul . ture, is serving as the state mediator. His professional experience includes Extension, Wool Growers Association and the Farm Security Administration. Burgess said Acord's role as mediator places him in a neutral third party position. He said all financial decisions are made by the borrow er and lender and all discussions are kept confidential. A $25 per hour fee is charged to both the borrower and lender once mediation begins. However, all initial consultations with the state arbitrator, which could include several meetings, is at no cost, said Bruce Godfrey, USU Extension farm management specialist and member of the mediation advisory board. The mediation program, offered through the State Department of Agriculture, is primarily designed to help farmers and ranchers who are having difficulty working with their lenders, he said. One farmer faces questions such as how much money is cue his lender, when it's due, how it's to be paid and when, are yet to be resolved. Without a neutral third party Parker, former Utah Department of Agriculture (UDA) staff member and, for the past 12 years, executive director of the o Farmers Union, has .been named director of UDA's division of Marketing and Promotion, Commissioner Miles "Cap" Utah-Idah- Ierry has announced. ; Parker will replace Jim Bradley, who left UDA in October to take a job at a Salt Lake City advertising agency. Parker supervised UDA's market news service from 1977-7- 9 and worked with Farmers Union and other cooperatives through the years. He helped set up a farm supply cooperative, sits on the board of directors of the U & 1 Consumers Cooperative, and has been active with Utah marketing and processing cooperatives. He serves on the Governor's As an alternative, a farmer or rancher can now seek mediation help through the state. However, Agribusiness Task Force, the Utah Agricultural Loan Mediation Ad- visory Committee, the Farmers Union Group Health Insurance board of directors, other agricultural groups. Parker is a graduate of Pleasant Grove High School and Utah State University, with minors in economics and business administra- tion. ari Aronson penned last column Aronson t, Editor's Note: Earl is his 80. This died recently at age last column. His wife, Golden, says he wrote it the day before he died. By EARL ARONSON For AP Special Features If you plan to get a living Christmas tree this year, hold off buying but do it until some planning about where you'll 4 plant it. . Planning ahead is the key to success with a living Christmas tree, I'm told by foresters. Decide be- fore the ground gets very hard where you want to plant it, dig the hole and store the soil where it won't freeze. Mulch the hole, so the planting site doesn't freeze. ; Blue spruce is a popular potted , tree for Christmas use. It is attractive, it transplants readily, and it's easy to find in nurseries, garden stores, farmers' markets and such places. Other possibilities include Scotch pine, white spruce and "white pine. Another possibility is the Juniper. Settle for a small tree. You may but the tree and find an will probably weigh about tree in a pot pounds. A root ball 40-in- ch 0 Hot tub will weigh approximately .,100-12- 5 pounds, which is a lot Jimore manageable. Store the tree in a cool garage or breezeway for a few days before s bringing it indoors. Keep it inside the house no longer than seven to 10 days. If it stays indoors much longer than that, it may break out of dormancy. Then when you put it outside again, it will freeze. You can use the same decorations on a living tree that you'd use with the exception on a cut one of lights. It's a good idea to avoid strings of lights that have large bulbs. These may produce enough heat to damage the tissues in the twigs and branches. Small, cool lights are OK, though. When you bring the tree inside, place it in a cool room and keep it away from hot air registers, television sets and other sources of drying heat. Water it frequently to keep the root ball moist. After you've enjoyed the tree for a week or so, give it a week in a cool garage, basement or enclosed porch to help it adjust to cool temperatures again. Then plant it in the prepared hole and water thoroughly. Mulching the soil around the tree also is suggested. If the planting site is exposed to winter sun and wind, wrap the newly planted tree in burlap or canvas. This will reduce the amount of moisture lost from the foliage and help prevent excessive drying. The best way to be sure your Christmas tree is fresh is to take an tow-co- ax in hand and cut it down yourself at one of the many Christmas tree farms. Another way is to follow a few tips on cut tree selection and care. Look for a tree with good color. Where you plan to set the tree should determine how tall well-shap- help. st Godfrey emphasized this program is not designed to solve the problems of farmers and ranchers. He said there are existing serv ices in place available to assist those in agriculture avoid financial distress. help in this situation, he said the only way this problem is normally settled Is in a court of law a costly course for both the lender and borrower. New marketing directo r appointed n Randy he said farmers and ranchers in trouble should not art until a sheriffs sale is scheduled to get this area like the Southeast faces different problems than a surplus area like the upper Midwest. California and much of the Southwest have been transformed from a regional supp'ier of fluid milk to a dominent manufacturer of dairy products that directly compete with other regions." "These shifts will likely continue, further exacerbating the diver-si- t) of interests among dairy farmers and processors," he added. As Gaibler discussed possible strategies to pull dairymen out of a "decade of disarray," Agriculture Department economist Sara Short . Short said expansion plans in 1992 ""probably will be conserva- - the" primarily because income prospects are not too bright. Milk prices are expected to be low com- pared with those of most of the 1980s." Utah's 19"? I potato production is forecast at 1.6 million hundred- weight (cwt.), percent below 1 1990. according to the Utah Agri- cultural Statistics Service. Acreage harvested at 6.000 acres, is down 3 percent from last year, and average yield of 270 cwt. per acre compares with 265 cwt. a ' level. Fail potato production national- a record high 371 million cwt., up 5 percent form ly is forecast at last year, and 14 386 SX16 11 INCLUDES MONITOR PARALLEL & SERIAL MEG RAM 1 1.2 FLOPPY 40 MB HARD PORTS 101 KEYBOARD ONE YEAR WARRANTY DRIVE PS r FRETOVARI ut 324 West Center Provo 374-072- ing it inside. 5 "We Service What We Sell" Locally cut trees kept in water from will stay fresh and fire-sainto January. Thanksgiving fe dry. Bump the base of the tree on the ground. A shower of dry, green needles around your feet means the tree is dry. Feel the bottom of the tree trunk. On a fresh tree, it will feel sticky and moist. When you get your tree home, slice off the base of cut a half-inc- h ed Similar To Illustration lis the Season lo... g mL fa- - (fjp On Tfjis One Time Offer! Come in for an incredible buy on this beautiful 52" fan. complete with 5 weathered Brass , inteli-touc- h oak blades, looped-arlight kit and beveled glass fixtures, and it comes with a lifetime warranty on the motor. But you better hurry. Our store was only allotted 60 fans from the factory and when these are gone, so is this price! hi-glo- ss tjtm m MTJIMCTO Regular Wholesale Price Located inside the Water Park on the east side of Provo, our new Ice Skating Rink is sure to please. Plenty of parking, skate rentals, a snack bar, and A affordable prices all make our newest attraction a hot winter adventure. too! activity great group Plan now to experience the wonder of our water park in winter. U Opening the week of December 9, 0 $56C 28000 NOW ONLY "Utah Valley's Exclusive Casablanca Dealer" jr i 7hr-A- y jsrj j ii "fTr p r i i i ej ELECTRIC AND LIGHTING 934 NORTH STATE STREET, 0REM uoii Hotel roe us ties Convention Center Golf Course Waler Park North Provo, Utah 84601 Call for more information: (801) 101 West 100 373-877- 7 4 . '. ; ; PHONE: 225-445- 9 Hours: Ice Rink Mon.-Fr- i. Sat. 9 9 AM TO 6 PM AM TO 5 PM ; ; percent over 1989. Acreage for harvest at 1.2 million, is up 1 percent from 1990. The averageyiekl is forecast at316 1. cwt. per acre, up 14 cwt. and perfectly shaped it must be. A tree for use in front of a picture window, where it will be seen from all sides, must be shaped better than one to be set in a corner. Check for freshness by bending a needle on the tree. If it springs back to its original shape, the tree is fresh. If it snaps or stays bent out of shape, the tree is probably too resin-clogg- ; 1 I 386 SX1 Paine advises shaking the tree and hosing it off before bringing it lots indoors. Many selling trees have mechanical shakers to remove insects, dead needles and dust. But if the lot you choose doesn't, or if you've cut the tree y ourself, knock the end of the tree on the ground a couple of times, he says. Then wash it off before tak- wood improves the tree's ability to take up water and so slows drying. Place the tree in a stand that has a container for water. Because the tree will absorb water very rapidly for the first few days you may have to water it two or three times a day to insure that it has a steady supply of moisture. : She contends that milk produc- tion also will stav close to the 1991 ed the trunk. Removing this : - H0LIDA Y SPECIAL RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -You might get a little more than holiday cheer when you bring a real tree into your house for Christmas. Aphids, for example. "Many Christmas tree insect pests are rather quiescent outdoors, but when the trees are brought into a warm home environment, they become more active and bothersome," says Tim Paine, entomologist at the University of California, Riverside. I Potato production down Holiday tree with aphids? choose-and-c- predicted the industry will face challenges next year associated with "possible changes" in federal milk marketing orders and possi- ble partial removal of trade bar-- ; riers under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. I '. |