Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 1 · column 5 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
Lyne, Ccfoty Agent ;
Of recent years so Jailed vertical integration has made inroads or* several Virginia farm enterprises, especially those connected with' the poultry and swine industries. Under vertical integration the fanner i is no longer owner-manager,, but — instead becomes r. hired hand *pro-ducing in part something under contract for someone elselWheth- __ er this is good, or bad, time will .-prove. . * -
Last week I received a circular „ ’sent by Ashby, R^ 'Carver, Secre- . tary of the Tidewater Beef Cattle * Association headquartered' at Montross, to county agents requesting' that rhey publicize, consents of a ^ lette- mailed to 4& membership* This membership letter announced. lischeme whereby Virginia’s ‘‘com belt” feeder could obtain feeder calves from, “producer* in the; western part of Virginia to be finished off and sold through" the Tidewater Beef Cattle Fat Cattle Sales throughout the winter. The ‘ eastern feeder; would not pay the western producer for these calve* until they are sold as Fat Cattle; The .western producer would then' be paid on the basis of the weight of the feeder when it entered A* , eastern feeders' lot and tHe eastern feeder would receive the differ; ence. In this w;»y, die eastern feeder would have only the cost of the feed and labor invested jn these _ animals.”
Obviously this is a scheme, not only to sell feeder calves, but in addition to encourage , dry-lot f®V eding in tidewater Virginia where corn can be and is, produced economically. It will he interesting to learn more details of such a codtract. i
Dry-lot cattle feeding ‘know how' is lacking, but steadily growing in the commonwealth’s tidewater. The Tid c w a te r Beef Cattle Association has provided a well organized outlet for " the finished product as eviden- . ced by thpir successful, though small, ‘‘fat cattle sales,” to wa'ch several Rappahannock <! y- lot feeders have made cons'g clients in th past two years, y
Virginia’s feeder calf producers, have and must for sometime in the future, rely on out-of-state drylot feeders^as a ma ker. What will ^ be the reaction of men ? Will they be willing to continue business on a cash basis? The idea has possibilities and it it becomes a reality will affect Ranpahannock ’ directly or ir-lirectiy. .
Another question; who are,die western-Virginia feeders that can wait six to ten months for pay for a major farm product? This vertical integration - in agriculture naymean the beginning of the end in owner-manager interest in- the farming business.* How far this trend developes may be dangerous. - What is the cause anyway? Is-it that our farmer are becoming soft; ,
(Continued on page Ten)
46.5%