Princep Caliber 90 Rebate.
Get 4 bucks back a box. Get 2 bucks back a bag.
Now you can control weeds and
grasses in your com and save money,
too. Prince#~ Caliber<!l90 dissolving
granules pour right into your tank,
                                        r-----------             Princep Caliber 90 Rebate.                                                                                                                         J
mix easily and staY.in suspension.
Mixed with AAtrex~it gives you the
                                         I    Fill out this coupon, attach your original paid invoice showing your name and quantity of Princep
                                              Caliber 90 bags or boxes purchased between November 2, 1981 and April 30, 1982. Send to
                                              Ciba-Geigy, Ag. Div., General Services Dept., Box 11422, Greensboro, NC 27409. Rebate is good
                                              for $4.00 on every 50 lb. box or $2.00 for each 25 lb. bag you buy. All claims must be postmarked
best control of annual broadleaf
weeds and grasses, lasts right up to
harvest, and is a low-cost combination.
                                         I    by May 21,1982.
                                              (PLEASE
                                              Name
                                                             PRINT)
                                                                                                                                         Supplier Name
And now you also get a cash rebate: 4
bucks back for every 50 lb. box and 2   I     Address
                                              City
                                              Number of acres treated
                                                                                          State __            Zip __
                                                                                                                                         Supplier Address
                                                                                                                                         City                          State __              Zip
                                                                                                                                                                                                                _
                                                                                                                                                                                                                _
                                                                                                                                                                                                                _
bucks back for every 25 lb. bag you
buy b~tween November 2nd, 1981
and April 30th, 1982. Allyou do is fill
                                        I  ot
                                              Number of 50 lb. boxes purchased -
                                              Number of 25 lb. bags purchased __
                                                                                                                      X $4.00= $
                                                                                                                      X $2.00= $
                                                                                                                                                          Rebate
                                                                                                                                                          Rebate
                                              Onar open only 10 end users. Allow 4 to 6 weeks tor rafund. This coupon may not be transterred and must accompany 11141   original paid invoice showing number
                                                boxes and begs purchased and name and address ot purchaser. on ... good only In Conn., Oal.. III.. Ind .. Ky.• Maine, Mass., Md., Mich., N.C .• N.H .• N.J .• N.Y..
                                              Ohao, Pa .• R.I.. Tenn., Va .• VI., Wis. and W.Va. loOid where prohibrted, taxed or reslricled.
out the coupon and mail it to us. We'll
                                                          -----------
                                                                     ACT NOW! ALL PURCHASESMUST DE MADE DY APRIL 30, 1982.
send you back the cash!
                                        \:
@11181 CIba-Geigy CorporatiOfl                                                                                                                             elBA-GEIGY


                            January 1982
              Volume 61, Number 1
                                                                      IN THIS ISSUE
                                                                                 9 Annual Meeting Highlights
                                                                                                "Nothing but the best" speakers, meetings and
                                                                                                facilities produced a highly successful annual meeting.
                                                                              12          Delegates Chart Policy to Guide Their
                                                                                         Farm Organization
                                                                                               Eleven significant MFB polices are summarized.
                                                                              20         The Math Mind vs. The Math Machine
                                                                                                You don't have to be a math genius to use micro-
                                                                                                computer technology in your farm business.
                                                                             23          Young Farmer Award Winners
                                                                                               Robert and Lois Freed: "Distinguished Couple Plans
       ,                                                                                       Success Together
      I                                                                                        Gwen Nash: Farm Wife ... Mother ... Ag Leader.
      I.'             \
                                                                                                and Still Growing
                                                                                               John Young: Ready ... Get Set. .. Talk
   ~~~
                                                                     IN EVERY ISSUE
                                                                                 4 Rural Route
                                                                                 5 Donna
                                                                                 6 Lansing Review
                                                                                 8 Washington Report
                                                                             16 County Newsletter
                                                                             26 Discussion Topic
                                                                             28 Agrinomic Update
                                                                             30 Market Place
    Michigan Farm News RURAL LIVING (ISSN 0026-2161)
    Michigan Farm News Rural Living Is published monthly. on the first day. by the Michigan Farm Bureau 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.
    SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: $1.50 per year to members. included in annual dues. $3.00 per year non. members in Michigan. $5.00 per year non. members out of state.
    Publication No. 345040.
    Established Jan. 13. 1923 as Michigan Farm News. name changed to Michigan Farm News Rural Living Dec. 1. 1981. Second-class postage paid at Lansing. Michigan and at additional mail.
    ing offices.
    EDITORIAL: Connie Turbin. Editor: Marcia Ditchie. Associate Editor and Business Manager: Donna Wilber. Contributing Editor: Cathy J. Kirvan. Copy 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 Officer. Max D. Dean: Secretary. William S. Wilkinson
    DIRECTORS: District 1. Arthur Bailey. Schoolcraft: District 2. Lowell Eisenmann. Blissfield: District 3. James Sayre. Belleville: District 4. Elton R. Smith. Caledonia: District 5. William
    Spike. Owosso: District 6. Jack Laurie. Cass City: District 7. Robert Rider. Hart: District 8. Lyle LeCronier. Freeland: District9. Donald Nugent. Frankfort: DlstrlctlO. Margaret Kartes. West
    Branch: District 11. Bernard Doll. Dafter
    DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Dave Conklin. Corunna: Michael Pridgeon. Montgomery: Robert Roilier. Fremont
    FARM BUREAU WOMEN: Vivian Loll. Mason
    FARM BUREAU YOUNG FARMERS: Glenn Preston. Quincy
    POSTMASTER: In using form 3579. mall to: Michigan Farm News Rural Liulng. P.O. Box 30960. 7373 West Saginaw Highway. Lansing. Mich. 48909.
RURAL LIVING.         JANUARY        1982                                                                                                                                                           3


   Rural Route
                                    Bicameral Legislature Provides
                                     Needed Checks and Balances
    Recently In a weekly newspaper,                                                     business for a limited time, but not
  there was an article concerning                                                       year round. Presently, there are two
 four House representatives           and                                             . initiative petitions for a part-time
  their co-sponsoring of a bfll to                                                      Legislature.
  create a Unicameral Legislature,                                                          Another petition drive which re-
  consisting of four members from                                                       ceived the support of our voting dele-
  each congresssional district. The                                                     gates is for a constitutional amend-
  article was quoted to soy It would                                                    ment that would shorten Michigan's
  save approximately $4.85 million                                                      long and confusing ballot by having
  annually. I feel It would be In the                                                   several judicial and educational offices
  best Interest of MFB members and                                                      appointed     rather than elected.         I
  tax payers alike If you or your staff                                                 believe this would be another step to-
  could look Into this matter. If the                                                   ward making government           more re-
                                                                              I
  legislative process can be con-                                           ./          sponsive to the needs of citizens.
  ducted with fewer politicians and                                                         I call your attention to Dr. John
  maintain the some or higher effi-                                         I           Hannah's letter to Farm Bureau mem-
  ciency In legislative affairs, then we                                                bers on this subject in this issue.
  should move toward that by all                                                            In the last election, the farming
  means.                                                                                community and its candidates expend-
                       Marc Middleton                                                   ed a great amount of time and effort to
                                    Colon                                               get agricultural representation on the
                                           forts were made by labor unions to           governing board of our land-grant
    The Unicameral Legislature issue is    amend them to resemble the weaker            university. One of the two candidates
 not new. The proposal was very active     House bills. These efforts were unsuc-       representing agriculture was success-
 a few years ago, but did not receive      cessful. As a result, a much better          ful, but only after a concerted cam-
 favorable action. At that time, Farm      package of workers' compensation re-         paign throughout the state for a posi-
 Bureau policy opposed a Unicameral        form bills will be presented to the          tion that pays no salary.
 Legislature, based on the fact that it    governor.                                       I am confident that had the posItion
 would do away with the checks and            At the present time, Farm Bureau         been appointive, rather than elective,
 balances provided by the two Houses       does not have policy on a Unicameral        the governor and the Senate would
 of the Legislature.      This important   Legislature.                                have recognized the importance of
 check and balance system was well il-        There is a need to cut down on costs     having well-qualified,         experienced
 lustrated in the workers' compensation    in state government and in the Legisla-     agricultural    representation      on the
 reform legislation recently considered    ture specifically. Delegates to the re-     governing body of the institution upon
 by the legislature.                       cent Michigan Farm Bureau annual            which our industry depends so much.
    During House       consideration    of meeting adopted a policy calling for a          Most importantly, voters would not
 workers' compensation reform bills, a     part-time Legislature. Presently, Mich-     have been called upon to make such
 package was approved that did not         igan is one of only five states with a      Important decisions with little or no
 correct the abuses that make our          full-time Legislature.
                                                                                       knowledge of the candidates' qualifi-
 workers' compensation       program so       Several legislators have only limited    cations.
costJy. Instead of major reform, the       experience      in an occupation other
 House provided only piecemeal re-
form.
    Under a Unicameral Legislature, the
 House version would have been pre-
                                           than being a member of the Legisla-
                                           ture. It is felt that a part-time Legisla-
                                           ture would result in legislators being
                                                                                              cUhJfJ~                    President
                                           employed in private business, to earn
sented to the governor for signing into                                                                  Michigan Farm Bureau
                                           a major portion of their livelihood.
Jaw. However, under our present bi-        This experience       would be valuable
partisan legislature, a separate pack-     when legislators consider and vote on
                                                                                        If you have a question or opinion
age of bills was considered by the         speCific bills.
                                                                                        that you would like to share in Rural
Senate, which accomplished much of            It would also encourage more citi-
                                                                                        Route, send it to Rural Living
the badly needed major reforms.            zens, such as farmers, to be a can-
                                                                                        Magazine, P.O. Box 30960,
    When the Senate bills were sent to     didate for election to the Legislature
                                                                                        Lansing, Mich. 48909.
the house for consideration, strong ef-    because they could be away from their
 4
                                                                                                    RURAL LIVING.   JANUARY     1982


      Donna
             Imagine This!
                                                                            ~OD[][P[K1~
          Dear Farm Bureau Members: How do you transmit a hug
                                                                                      Dairy Feed                                            ™
       through a column, a hug you can feel, that will let you know                   Now high producing herds
       how much it has meant to us for so many of you to take the
       time to say, "Our new Rural Living is great"?                                can produce even more milk!
          How do I say thanks for sharing our joy of unveiling that
                                                                            Our own Cooperatlve Research Farms pioneered
',,' · baby to its public and finding it worthy of the organization
                                                                            the discovery of a new feeding concept which can
       whose image it projects? We waited in agonizing anticipation
                                                                            increase milk production.
       for that approval and when it came - yes, there was pride -
       but more than that, there was humbleness and a pledge that           NuPro Dairy Feed helps regulate soluble and In-
       YOUR pride will continue to be our pride. Very simply,               soluble proteins in the cow's ration. Research &
       thank you for your letters, calls, and personal "bouquets."          farm experience have proven that regulated protein
          Because I've been In this position so long, many of those         aids in producing eVen more milk In good dairy
       bouquets have been thrown in my direction and I feel a bit           herds.                    '
       guilty about that. Sure, I'll take a posy or two, but not the                                              ......... MlLr F8fm eor- FIrwt
       whole bouquet! Let me introduce you to our editorial staff:
       Connie Turbin, editor; Marcia Ditchie, associate editor and
                                                                            Ask your Farm Bureau feed
                                                                            dealer about NuPro Dairy Feed
                                                                            today. He'll customize a program
                                                                                                                  FaRm~
       business manager; and Cathy Kirvan, copy editor. You'll
       get to know all of them, if you don't already, because their
                                                                            to fit your herd's needs.             BUreaU
                                                                                                                  FARM      IUIEAU 8EIMDEI.1NC
       personalities will be reflected in the writing, design and
       photos in Rural Living. I'm proud to be a part of this creative
       team.
          This team has responsibilities beyond Rural Living and
       that brings me to what has become a tradition in this column
       following annual meeting - sharing with you some of the
       backstate activities that are not public knowledae.
          Our responsibilities at the annual meeting include the dai-
       ly Delegate News, news releases and other media services,
       operating the press rooms and producing slide-tape presen-
       tations. This variety of duties calls for a great deal of flexibili-
       ty and, generally, we keep it together without a nervous
                                                                            \., macma
       breakdown.
          The real character-building experience of the 1981 an-            February Mid-Winter Sale
       nual meeting was developing film (shot through the mid-
       Thursday afternoon agenda) in our hotel bathroom and pre-            Items offered:
       paring a slide-tape presentation for the evening program.
       Picture this scene:                                                     A variety of frozen fr!lits and vegetables
          Plastic bottles of chemicals bobbed around in the warm
       bathtub. We'd take their temperatures regularly and occa-               Florida Farm Bureau Temple oranges,               grape-
       sionally fl!n them under cold water when they rose higher               fruit and citrus concentrates
       than the instruction manual listed. A timer with a loud alarm
       was used at each critical step. Once during the process, it             Wisconsin cheese
       stopped ticking and we prayed fervently that our guessti-
       mate would be fairly accurate.
                                                                               Hams and hickory stick summer sausage
          We Sighed with relief when we viewed the sharp images
       on the wet film, hung it from the laundry line of that classy
       hotel, and blow-dried it (hurry! hurry!) fOf cutting and
       mounting. Next came the slide selection to fit the soundtrack
       and with a half-hour to spare, we set up for the show.                                                          Look for
          We used that half hour to clean the bathroom and pack
       away the chemicals, a wise move, we figured, since the                                                   Order Blank
       stabilizer, reversal bath and all the rest were in brown plastic                                       in Next Month's
       bottles just like my Vidal Sasson shampoo and rinse. In the
       early next-morning fog, that could have been a tragedy. It                                             RURAL LIVING
       pays to plan ahead. Bald female Farm Bureau press agents
       don't project the appropriate image.
       Donna     Wilber is a contributing editor  to Rural Living.            Michigan Agricultural Cooperative         Marketing Assn.
       RURAL LIVING.    JANUARY    1982                                                                                                          5


    Lansing Review
   Workers' Compensation - The long              S.B. 595 - Certain employer paid            Special Workers' Compensation
   fight on the controversial and com-           benefits will be coordinated        on a    Program - Another serious problem
   plicated workers' compensation      issue     percentage basis (Social Security, pen-     has surfaced due to Michigan's liberal
   has finally ended - for now, and              sions, self-insurance,   etc.). This will  interpretations of workers' comp laws.
   several important reforms have been           prevent total benefits from being more     Many farmers in the northern part of
   made. While the reforms are not as            than the person made while working.        the state, who cut wood and logs in
   sweeping as some had hoped for, they                                                     the winter, find that mills will not buy
   are far better than most expected. All                                                   the product fearing they will be caught
   are in line with Farm Bureau policy as           In addition to the Senate bills, cer-   with a workers' comp claim if there is
   passed by the voting delegates at the         tain House bills were part of the total    an accident. At the same time, the
   recent annual meeting. The bills which        reform package. They are:                  farmer cannot buy workers' comp in-
   passed are:                                                                              surance on himself.
                                                 H.B. 5036 - Mandates a 20 percent
  S.B. 573 - Exempts certain fringe             rollback of workers' comp overall pre-
                                                                                               Some farmers in the southern part
  benefits     from calculation   of em-         mium rates. This can be done if the
                                                                                            of the state have had to pay workers'
  ployees' average weekly wage if re-           other reforms are pro'perly implement-
                                                                                           comp premiums on people they have
  sulting in more than two-thirds of state      ed. This was very controversial as
                                                                                           contracted with to do a particular job
  average weekly wage.                          several other provisions could badly
                                                                                           such as bulldozing, excavating, etc.
                                                hurt the smaller insurance companies.
  S.B. 577 - Lump sum advances are                                                         This, too, is because the contractor
  to be discounted 12 percent instead of           Farm Bureau members have had 25         cannot buy insurance           on himself.
  current 5 percent.                            percent lower rates because Farm Bu-       Even a contractor, who hires a crew
                                                reau Mutual Insurance Company ob-          and has- workers' comp insurance,
  S.B. 578 - Requires insurance carrier         tained a "deviation" approved by the       cannot insure himself. If he works with
  to pay 12 percent interest on compen-         Insurance Commission. This was pos-        his crew and is injured, it is possible
  sation ordered in an award to injured         sible because of actual experience and     that a claim could be filed against the
  worker.                                      safety programs.                            person who contracted for the work.
  S.B. 582 - Limits medical fees.                  The new bills must be analyzed and
  Establishes an advisory committee to         the Insurance Bureau recommenda-
  establish schedules.                         tions must be known before a decision
                                               can then be made whether to continue
  S.B. 583 - Sets guidelines for limiting
                                               the present deviation or make any
 attorney's fees.
                                               other adjustments in Farm Bureau In-
  S.B. 584 - Requires injured worker to       surance workers' comp rates.
  give employer 90 days notice after in-
 jury or within 90 days after knowing or
                                                   The issue is not yet entirely resolved
 should have known of injury.
                                               because of three bills that have been
 S.B. 586 - Prohibits "redemptions."           carried over until January:
This is when a case is settled for a
 lump sum without going through the
                                              H.B. 5162 - Establishes a competitive
                                              rating system for workers' comp in-
appeals process.
                                              surance. Each company will make and
 S.B. 589 & S.B. 590 - These key              file its own rates based on experience
bills provide a much better "disability"      data from an advisory data collecting
definition and fixing of benefit rates. In    organization. Presently rates are deter-
addition, anyone refusing a "reason-          mined for all companies by a "rating
able" job they are capable of doing will      bureau."
lose workers' comp benefits. Benefits
                                              H.B. 5164 - Mandates a monopolis-
are not payable during prison and
                                             tic state run fund if the Legislature
mental institution confinement.
                                             finds that there is not sufficient com-
S.B. 591 - Prohibits some benefits           petition.     A state controlled        fund
paid by the employer to be considered        would, of course, eliminate all com-
in determining benefits.                     petition and be subject to political con-
                                             trol.
S.B. 592 - Benefits received from
another      state are credited against                                                      Annual meeting delegates spoke out
                                             H.B. 5176        - Requires an "assigned        strongly in support of real reform in the
benefits payable under Michigan law.         risk plan" for workers' compo                   state's workers' compensation system.
6
                                                                                                        RURAL LIVING.   JANUARY     1982


                                                                                                   Watch for
                                                                                               Your County
                                                                                               Newsletter in
     Farm Bureau officials have studied        tuents, include Rep. Tom Alley, West
  this problem and discussed it with           Branch; James Barcia, Bay City; Jack             Rural Living
  senators of both parties. They agree         Gingrass,    Iron Mountain;      Donald
  that legislation is necessary to clarify a   Koivisto, Mass City; Francis Spaniola,              Magazine
  section of the law defining contractors      Corunna;     Michael Griffin, Jackson;
  and subcontractors. Legislation is now       Patrick    Harrington,   Monroe;     and
 being prepared        for introduction   as   Claude Trim, Davisburg. Others came
 soon as possible.                             from urban areas.
     Other reforms passed a year ago
 which take effect Jan. 1, 1982 in-            Right to Farm - The Michigan De-
 clude:                                        partment of Agriculture reports that
     - Benefits are based on 80 percent        about 3,000 people attended the pub-
 of wages after tax.                           lic hearings held throughout the state
     -Minimum benefits are eliminated.        by Soil Conservation Districts. Reports
 This is extremely important to agricul-      from those hearings, which have now
 ture because workers often received          been completed, are being compiled.
 more in benefits than they received          Farm Bureau staff met recently with
 while working.                               MDA officials on this topic. It is ex-
     -The statute of limitations is two       pected that rewritten guidelines will be
 years.                                       available for consideration       by the
     -Collection of benefits for injuries     Michigan Agriculture Commission in
 from social or recreational activities is    February or March.
 banned.
     - Limitations are placed on benefits     Agricultural Impact Statement            -
 for heart and mental conditions result-      S. B. 261 finally passed in the Senate      Participating county Farm
 ing from the aging process.                  after being defeated on the first vote.       Bureau publications are:
     - Benefits to injured workers are in-    Some developers opposed the bill. It
 creased considerably.                        requires an impact statement only if a     Allegan          Livingston
                                              proposed development is in an essen-       Antrim           Mac-Luce
     The combination of reforms should
                                             tial agricultural land area, five acres or
 result in workers' comp premium rates                                                   Barry            Macomb
                                              more, or financed all or in part by state
being cut about 20 percent overall,                                                      Bay              Manistee
                                             funds.
 even with the increased benefits for                                                    Benzie           Mason
                                                  Such projects might include high-
 the injured and disabled.                                                               Branch           Mecosta
                                             ways, public buildings, parks, or other
- This should help .bring Michigan                                                       Charlevoix       Menominee
                                             state owned and controlled land, or
somewhere in line with other states.         other developments        involving state   Cheboygan        Missaukee
However,        another    major problem     funding.                                    Chippewa         Monroe
continues to exist: the very liberal              The purpose of the legislation is to   Clinton          Montcalm
Michigan courts and appeal agencies.         help preserve essential farmland by         Copper Country   Muskegon
It remains to be seen how these re-          determining whether projects are det-       Eaton            Newaygo
forms will fare in the courts.               rimental to the agricultural economy of     Genesee          N. W. Michigan
     Despite the roughest and most se-       the area, such as elimination of essen-     Hiawathaland     Oceana
vere pressure         from the unions,       tial farmland, separation      of farmers   Hillsdale        Osceola
enough Democrats teamed up with              from suppliers and markets, increased       Huron            Otsego
enough Republicans to push through           valuations and taxes, rezoning, addi-       Ingham           Ottawa
the reform package. Most of the bills        tional regulations, etc. The bill now       Ionia            Presque Isle
were sponsored by Sen. DeSana (D-            goes to the House for consideration.        Iron Range       St. Clair
Wyandotte).       Sen. Mowat of Adrian
                                                                                         Jackson          Sanilac
was the Republican leader.
                                                                                         Kalkaska         Shiawassee
    The House Democrats who crossed           Lansing Review is prepared
                                                                                         Kent            Tuscola
party lines and voted for the reform           monthly by Robert E. Smith,
package, and who have farmer consti-                                                     Lapeer           Wexford
                                              MFB Senior Legislative Counsel
                                                                                              See RURAL LIVING
                                                                                              pages 16 and 17
RURAL LIVING.     JANUARY    1982                                                                                        7


   Washington Report
                                                        1981 Farm Bill
                               Close Vote is a Signal for the Future
      A Farm Bill "compromise package,"       a 70 percent minimum in fiscal years     made it difficult to hold onto the pro-
   worked out by House and Senate con-        1982-85 if net government purchases      gram at the previous support levels.
  ferees, passed by a narrow, two-vote        are less than $1 billion; and 75 percent    "I think dairymen in Michigan un-
   margin in the final House vote on the      of parity in fiscal years 1983-85 if net derstand the situation we have our-
  bill during the closing session of 1981.    purchases are less than 4.0, 3.5 and     selves in and that they also recognize
  The Senate had previously passed the        2.69 billion pounds.                     that Michigan has a very good market-
  bill, so the legislation was sent to Presi-    "These reductions in the dairy pro-   ing organization. We will just have to
  dent Reagan for his signature.              gram will be critical for many dairy     work ourselves out of this oversupply
      Farm Bureau leaders describe the        producers," Smith says. "But clearly     situation. "
  package as a "moderate"          farm bill, the price support program was in seri-      The "compromise        package" also
  one which does not comply fully with        ous trouble from consumer group op-      contains these changes:
  Farm Bureau policy, but which does          position. In addition, the cost of the      WOOL - Support at 77.5 percent
  meet the $11 billion budgetary limita-      program and the build up of surpluses    of formula price.
  tion set by the administration.                                                         SOYBEANS - Support at 75 per-
      Before the vote, the compromise bill                                             cent of the five-year national average
  was endorsed by the board of directors                                               price with a minimum of $5.02/bu.
  of the American Farm Bureau Federa-                                                     WHEAT        - Minimum       loan for
  tion. MFB President Elton Smith, who                                                 1982-85      of $3.55/bu.       Minimum
  is a member of the AFBF board, said                                                  target for 1982-83:       $4.05, $4.30,
  that Farm Bureau supported the bill to                                               $4.45, $4.45 and $4.65 per bushel.
  avoid chaos in the agricultural in-                                                     FEED GRAINS - Minimum corn
  dustry.                                                                              loan for 1982-85 of $2.55/bu.         Mini-
     "If Congress had not passed this bill                                             mum targets for 1982-85:            $2.70,
 before they adjourned for the year, we                                                $2.86, $3.03 and $3.18 per bushel.
 would have gone back to the perma-                                                       SUGAR - The minimum loan rate
  nent farm legislation that was passed                                                for 1982 is 17 cents per pound; the
 in 1938 and 1949. There would have                                                    purchase program level would be no
 been no way that modern agriculture                                                   less than 16.5 cents if the average
 could have operated under the old                                                     world price for the last 10 marketing
 legislation. "                                                                        days of September 1982 is less than
     The AFBF board was also aware of                                                  10 cents.
 the president's determination to hold                                                    Minimum loan rates for sugar for
the agriculture bill to the $11 billion                                                1983-85: 17.25 cents, 17.5 cents and
 mark.                                                                                 17.75 cents per pound.
     "The president had said that unless                                                  FmHA ECONOMIC EMERGENCY
the cost of the bill was adjusted, he                                                  LOAN PROGRAM - Not to exceed
would not sign it; and further confer-                                                 $600 million, plus language making it
ence debate would have delayed the                                                     clear that the program is discretionary.
necessary vote before the end of the                                                      The bill also requires the secretary of
session. We were down to the wire."                                                    agriculture    to compensate      farmers
     Smith says this congressional vote is                                             whose products are affected by any
a signal to producers and commodity                                                    future "selective" embargo on exports
groups that it will be difficult to get an                                             of agricultural products. The protec-
omnibus farm bill in the future. "We'll                                                tion would be activated where the em-
have to start pulling together now and                                                 bargoed country purchases more than
work toward a solid four-year program                                                  3 percent of the total U.S. exports of
for agriculture in 1985."                                                              the embargoed commodity. Compen-
     Dairymen, in particular, have been                                                sation would be provided by either or
disappointed in the new price support                                                  both of the following: direct payments
formulas worked out in the compro-                                                     covering the gap between post embar-
mise bill. Dairy price supports were set                                               go market prices and 100 percent of
at minimums          of $13.10,     $13.25,                                            parity, or an increase in the price sup-
$14.00 and $14.60 per cwt. in fiscal                                                   port loan rate for the affected com-
years 1982-85. Parity level was set at                                                 modity to 100 percent of parity.
8                                                                                                   RURAL LIVING.   JANUARY    1982


                                Annual Meeting Highlights
    "Nothing but the best"
    speakers, meetings and
   facilities produced a
    highly successful MFB
    annual meeting
   Michigan Farm Bureau's 62nd an-
nual meeting is history: It was back to
Grand Rapids again, after two years in
Kalamazoo while the old Pantlind was
being renovated into the Grand Plaza
and the new Grand Center was being
built. Most of the 2,000 members at-
tending the Dec. 1-4 event ranked it as
one of the best, and the board of direc-
tors ranked the voting delegate body
as one of the best.
    Newton Allen, Farm Bureau Ser-
vices and Farmers Petroleum Cooper-
ative executive vice president and
chief executive officer, told members
 during the annual meetings of these
 affiliates that vertical integration is the
 answer to getting farmers out of the
 cost-price squeeze.       Allen said this
 solution would involve backward in-              Work, fellowship and praise for the
 tegration to allow farmers to own and
 control their supplies and forward in-           delegates and their Farm Bureau
 tegration for them to get control of
 their markets. He said the vehicle
 through which they can successfully
 collectively integrate is their own coop-
 eratives.                                   work was the first recipient back in    the Michigan Agricultural Cooperative
    The "Agricultural Communicator of        1975 (later honored through a scholar-  Marketing     Association,   President
 the Year" Award was created seven           ship donation) and this year it was his Elton R. Smith identified "slow pay -
 years ago by the MFB board to recog-        successor, Bob Driscoll (nominated by   no pay" problems and passage of na-
 nize news people who consistently and       Washtenaw and St. Joseph counties),     tional farm bargaining legislation as
 effectively deliver agricultural informa-   who took the Top Communicator of        top concerns of producers during the
 tion to farmers and the general public.     the Year award. Also honored were       coming year. On the slow pay - no
 Criteria included that honored commu-       Eric Levine of WMIC, Sandusky,          pay issue, he said MACMA is support-
 nicators must first be recognized and       nominated by Sanilac County, and        ing a substitute bill to Sen. Hertel's
  nominated for the state award by coun-     Raymond     Smith, Climax Crescent,     original proposal, with amendments,
 ty Farm Bureaus. The late Howard            nominated by Kalamazoo County.          which would require processors to pay
  Heath of the Michigan Farm Radio Net-         During the 21st annual meeting of    within 30 days or have a written con-
  RURAL LIVING.   JANUARY     1982                                                                                          9


                          New Leaders Accept Challenging Roles
  tract with growers specifying payment    director of USDA's Economic Re-
  terms, as a condition for licensing.     search Service. Hoffman doesn't ex-
  Smith urged members to get their con-    pect much improvement            in the first
 gressmen to support Rep. Panetta's        half of the year, but beginning in
 amendment      to the Agricultural Fair   midyear, a significant turnaround           is
 Practices Act which would require         expected as the scheduled tax cuts
  handlers and processors to bargain in   take effect and lower interest rates
 good faith with producers.               stimulate growth. Hoffman said it
     County presidents and membership     should be easier for farmers to finance
  campaign managers were recognized       both short-term needs and longer-run
  during a banquet       on Dec. 1 for    capital investments with the prime rate
  membership activities. Highlights in-   expected to average around 14 per-
  cluded recognition of the prestigious   cent.
  "Fabulous    Fifteen," the first three      On the animals rights issue, Dr.
  counties in each membership category    Neal Black, president of the Livestock
  to reach goal: Iron Range, Clare, Ben-  Conservation        Institute,     took the
 zie; Ogemaw,        Cheboygan,   Muske-  farmer's side, and Dr. Bernard Rollin,
 gon; Oceana, St. Joseph, Isabella; Ot-   professor of philosophy at Colorado
 tawa, Allegan, Kent; and Monroe,         State University, played the devil's ad-
 Genesee, Lapeer.                         vocate. But both agreed that a dia-
     Farm Bureau Is Magic was the         logue between producers and animal
 theme of the annual awards program.      rights activists is an absolute necessity
 President Smith appeared       out of a  if.this issue is to be resolved.                Bernard Doll of Dafter was elected to
 magical puff of smoke to present Gold        In his annual address, President            represent District lIon  the Michigan
 Star awards to county Farm Bureaus.      Smith said that the alternative to curb-        Farm Bureau board of directors.
 For the eighth consecutive year, Chip-   ing inflation is destruction          of our
 pewa County took home the title "Top     economic, social and political systems.
 County Farm Bureau of the Year"          He urged continued support of the
 with nine Gold Star~. Bernard Doll,      Reagan      administration's      efforts for
 new MFB board member and county          fiscal responsibility in spite of a year
 vice president, accepted for county      that farmers and most Americans con-
 president Robert Hesselink. In the       sider "trying times." Smith said that
 runner-up spot was Sanilac County.       historically,     during     trying times,
 President    Wayne     Wood    accepted  Americans      (farmers included) have
 honors for seven Gold Star programs.    turned to government for help, but
     There were 650 early risers at the   each time they were helped by a tem-
 kick-off breakfast sponsored by Farm    porary remedy they found themselves
 Bureau Women. Their standing ova-        needing more help in a short time.
tion of guest speaker Ruth Ann Fow-      Each time they were helped, he said,
ler's message on "Diamonds,         Mon- there was a cost incurred. Delegates
keys, Buckets and Worms" told the        later took action on the issue of federal
world they were glad they did rise ear-  fiscal responsibility.
ly. In subsequent action, Vivian Lott of     Y oung Farmer contests surfaced the
Mason was re-elected women's chair-      best contestants and made it rough for
person; Faye Adam of Snover was re-      judges. Dairyman Robert Freed of
elected first vice chairperson;      and Morrice, Shiawassee            County,     was
Diane Horning of Manchester          was selected      as "Distinguished         Young
elected second vice-chairperson.         Farmer" and he will compete for na-
    The commodity session addressed      tional honors at the AFBF annual
two areas of major concern to farmers    meeting in January. Clinton County's
- the agricultural economic outlook for  Gwen Nash of Elsie walked off with
1982 and the controversial        animal the "Outstanding             Young       Farm
rights issue.                            Woman" title and will be one of MFB's
                                                                                          Glenn Preston of Quincy is the new
    The ag outlook for 1982 is mixed,    leaders      during     the Washington           Young Farmer representative   on the
said George Hoffman, acting deputy       Legislative Seminar in March. John               MFB board.
10
                                                                                                    RURAL LIVING. JANUARY    1982


                      Speakers Inspired a Stronger Farm Bureau
                                             Young of Brown City, St. Clair Coun-            MFB policies, complete and return the
                                             ty, talked his way to victory in the            request form below.
                                             Discussion Meet on the topic of                    Elections of directors in odd-num-
                                             government       intervention in the free      bered districts and nomination of the
                                             market system and will compete in the         president were part of the business of
                                             nationals      at the AFBF annual.             the day on Friday. Re-elected were
                                             Features on these title winners appear        Arthur Bailey, Schoolcraft, District 1;
                                             in this issue of Rural Living.                James Sayre, Belleville, District 3;
                                                The "Distinguished           Service    to Albert Cook, Mason, District 5; Robert
                                            Agriculture"       award,    MFB's highest     Rider, Hart, District 7; Don Nugent,
                                             honor, went to Russell Mawby, presi-          Frankfort, District 9; Michael Prid-
                                            dent of the Kellogg Foundation.            He  geon, Montgomery, at-large; and Vi-
                                            was cited for his development of the           vian Lott, Mason, Women's represen-
                                            Kellogg Young Farmer Study Program             tative. Newly-elected       were Bernard
                                            which provided leadership for Michi-           Doll, Dafter, Chippewa County, to
                                            gan agriculture and also for his role in       represent      District 11, and Glenn
                                            the recent grant to MSU of $10 million         Preston, Quincy, Branch County, to
                                            for biological and ag research.                represent Young Farmers.
                                                Gov. Milliken had to cancel his ap-            At a reorganizational meeting of the
                                            pearance at the so-called "Governor's          board following adjournment          of the
                                            Luncheon,"         but Lt. Gov. James          annual meeting, Elton R. Smith, who
                                            Brickley delivered his message. The            has served as MFB president since
                                            message       was that reform of the           1964, was re-elected. He was earlier
  Charley Willey, appearing courtesy of     Workers Compensation              Act was a
  Deere & Company, was the guest speak-                                                    unanimously nominated by the voting
  er at MFB's Annual Banquet. His           "must"      to improve         the business    delegate body. Also re-elected were
  uMagic of a Minute" message earned        climate and get the economy going              Jack Laurie, Cass City, as vice presi-
  him a standing ovation.                   again in Michigan. He urged farmers            dent, and Don Nugent, Frankfort,
                                            to get involved and tell their legislators     third member of the executive com-
                                            to solve this problem while there is still     mittee.
                                            time to turn the situation around.
                                            Voting delegates later took a strong
                                            position on this issue.                             Request MFB and AFBF
                                               Thursday evening's annual banquet
                                           put the spotlight on MFB's friends and
                                                                                                     1982 Policy Books
                                           allies as special guests from various ag-           Michigan Farm Bureau's complete
                                           related organizations          and agencies         1982 policies are available in
                                           were recognized. They and hundreds                  booklet form. Copies of the AFBF
                                           of Farm Bureau members were treat-                  policy book will also be available
                                           ed, courtesy of Deere & Company, to                 in a few weeks.
                                           a stirring message from Charley Willey
                                           on "The Magic of a Minute." A sur-                  Please send me the following:
                                           prise slide-tape presentation showing               01982 MFB Policy Book
                                           delegates      in action at the annual
                                           meeting capped off the evening.                     01982 AFBF Policy Book
                                               Nearly 140 policy recommenda-
                                           tions were considered by voting dele-               Name
                                           gates. Included was a policy on ag de-
                                           velopment in Michigan, giving strong                Address
                                           support to recommendations            from the
  Lt. Gov. James Brickley, once again      Governor's Conference on Agriculture
 pinch-hitting for William Milliken at the for development          and attraction of
  uGovernor's    Luncheon,"    said that                                                       Mail to:   Michigan Farm Bureau
 reform of Michigan's workers' compen-     various ag-related businesses. Major
 sation system was a umust" to improve     policies are reprinted in this issue of                        Public Affairs Division
 the state's business climate.             Rural Living. If you are interested in                         P.O. Box 30960
                                           receiving a complete copy of the 1982                          Lansing, Mich. 48909
                                                                                            ---------------
RURAL LIVING.   JANUARY    1982                                                                                                      11


                       Delegates Chart Policy to Guide
                                  Their Farm Organization
        Agricultural Development
                In Michigan
     The 1981 Governor's Conference                  County delegates to the MFB annual
   on Agriculture emphasized several
   specific areas for the expansion of                meeting considered over 130 policy
   agriculture and food processing in
   Michigan. Potential areas suggested               resolutions. Eleven significant policies
   include increased pork production, a
   modern meat packing plant, a soy-
  bean processing plant, development                 are summarized here.
  of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer facili-
  ties and attraction of a hard cheese
  processing plant. We wholeheartedly
  support these specific areas or others
  that will provide for economic growth         We continue to support P.A. 116      ning at all levels of government. If
  in Michigan.                               and willwork to maintain and improve    local land use control is to be ,maintain-
                                             this major agricultural land preserva-  ed, it is imperative that local people
                                             tion program. We oppose enactment       accept the responsibility to plan the
     Agricultural Land Preservation          by the Legislature of additional        use of their land resources.
     Agricultural land is essential to the   agricultural land preservation pro-       We oppose federal assistance to
  wen-being of all Michigan citizens. The    grams which would confuse farmers      states for land use planning except
  Farmland and Open Space Preserva-          and diminish the effectiveness of P.A. under a grant-in-aid program. Funds
"tion Act (P.A. 116) provides a volun-       116.                                   available to a state should not be
  tary method of preserving farmland            We encourage the inclusion of       withheld as a weapon to enforce com-
  through a contractual arrangement          managed forest lands under the local   pliance. We oppose federal legislation
  with the state and thereby limits prop-    option Open Space section of P.A.      and agency policy which would im-
  erty tax to a percentage of household      116.                                   pose land use regulations as a qualifi-
  income. It is proving to be an effective      In addition to P .A. 116 there are  cation for obtaining federal grants and
  program to preserve agricultural lands    numerous laws in Michigan which deal    loans.
 for future food needs and open space.      with and influence farmland preserva-
  Farmers throughout the state have en-     tion. The list includes: Subdivision                  Animal Care
 rolled nearly 2.3 million acres of agri-   Control Act, Drain Code, tax and zon-      Family farming and the way farm
 cultural land in the program of which      ing laws, deed restrictions, Environ-   animals are raised has changed signifi-
  over 40 percent is located within urban   mental Impact Statements, land use      cantly in the last 20 years. These
 areas.                                     planning and many others.               changes result from the need to meet
     The administrators of P.A. 116 are         We have supported many of these     consumer demands, to respond to
 to be complimented for the efficient       approaches to encourage the preser-     changing economic conditions and im-
 manner in which the program has            vation of farmland. However, we be-     prove animal health. No one has
 been handled. We support retention         lieve that a comprehensive study of     greater concern for the care of farm
 of administrative responsibility for the   these and other influences on farm-     animals than the farmer who raises
 program in the Department of Natural       land preservation should be initiated.  them. We urge Farm Bureau members
 Resources.                                    While we will carefully analyze      to respond knowledgeably to mislead-
     We urge the Department of Natural     "new" concepts and judge them on         ing information on animal care. Mem-
 Resources, Michigan Farm Bureau,          their merit we will oppose state man-    bers should continue to tell the success
 Cooperative Extension Service per-        dated zoning or state ownership of       story of modern animal agriculture to
 sonnel and local government officials     farmland including surface or develop-   the schools, sponsor farm tours,
 to aggressively consider the program      ment rights.                             develop a speakers' bureau topic on
 and its potential benefits to the farming     We urge Farm Bureau members to       this issue, and utilize positive public
 operation.                                take an active part in land use plan-    relations technique for mass media
 12
                                                                                                RURAL LIVING.   JANUARY    1982


               Animal Care: 'Farmers Respect Land and Animals'
   use. The public should know that              We recommend that Michigan Farm                Health Cost Deductions
  farmers have a deep abiding respect         Bureau prepare an analysis on the             Persons employed by others usually
  for land and animals.                       new curriculum guide and that it send      receive many fringe benefits including
     We recommend that the Michigan           this report to County Farm Bureaus        prescription drugs and health, dental,
  Department of Agriculture maintain a        and various committees as well as be       optical care and even life insurance.
  high priority in its budget for animal      published in Michigan Farm News/          While such benefits are a part of their
  health programs not only for the good       Rural Living.                             total income, they are not taxable.
  of agriculture, but also for the consum-                                                  Self-employed    people and others
  ing public ..                                                                         who do not receive employer paid
     We urge our Land Grant Colleges                                                    health programs must pay such costs
  and USDA to continue and to initiate                                                  out of their taxable income.
  new research and development which                                                       To correct this growing inequity, we
  will enable farmers to improve the care                                               support legislation to permit persons
  and management          of livestock and                                              who pay their own health care costs to
  poultry.                                                                              deduct them from state and federal in-
     We oppose any legislation which                                                    come taxes. Removing present inequi-
  would interfere or disrupt accepted                                                   ties will encourage the use of private
  care and management practices.                                                        health care plans.
     We commend Michigan Farm Bureau
 for contributing leadership in organiz-                                                       Michigan Horse Industry
  ing a meeting of state livestock and
                                                                                            The Michigan horse industry is
 poultry groups to discuss this issue of
 animal care. We direct Michigan Farm                                                   growing rapidly and should be pro-
 Bureau to take the leadership to                                                       moted as an integral part of the overall
 organize farmer groups, sportsman                                                      agricultural economy       of the state.
 groups, and other interested groups                                                    Horses, like other livestock, require
  (agri-business) to study and plan a                                                   on-farm input such as housing, feed
 program for combating the detrimental                                                  and labor. The horse industry also
 effects of the animal care activists.                                                  needs basic agricultural research, ex-
     This past year a division of the                                                   tension, education and other activities.
 Humane Society of the United States                                                       The size and scope of the horse in-
 prepared a curriculum guide for pre-                                                   dustry is difficult to determine,     and
 school and elementary school children                                                  currently there are no official statistics
 that was field tested in 350 classrooms                                                available. We urge that a horse census
 in 17 states and Canada. In response                                                   be conducted in Michigan by the Agri-
 to a\ survey, about 80 percent of the             Appointment vs. Election             cultural Reporting Service in coopera-
 elementary teachers queried said they                                                  tion with the Cooperative Extension
                                                State Supreme Court justices, Ap-
 would use the guides regularly. Fol-                                                   Service, Michigan State University.
                                             pellate Court judges, members of the
 lowing an evaluation of this experi-                                                   The statistics compiled can be used to
                                             State Board of Education, and mem-
 ment and after receiving constructive       bers of the governing boards of Wayne      project the needs of this segment of
criticism from Farm Bureau and other                                                    Michigan agriculture.
                                             State University, Michigan State Uni-
agricultural groups a new version has        versity and the University of Michigan        Horse racing in Michigan annually
recently been issued by the Humane           are currently elected at the polls. Very   produces over $27 million in tax reve-
Society of the United States.                often the candidates are not known by      nue. Funds from this source should be
     Unfortunately, the new version still   the voters.                                 used as required in present law to pro-
introduces the concept of animal rights         We urge all Farm Bureau members         mote the agricultural industry such as
and discourages the consumption of          to support the proposed constitutional     county      fairs, horse breeding       im-
meat and the use of other animal            amendment       being petitioned by the    provements,       4-H club activities and
products and by-products. The revised       Citizens for an Improved Ballot. This      other related programs.
edition will be available to textbook       amendment       would require the ap-
publishers,     cJ'rriculum development.                                                     Limited Legislative Sessions
                                            pointment of the above mentioned of-
specialists, individual teachers,       ad- ficials by the governor with the advice        The Michigan Legislature is a full-
ministrators in all school systems and      and consent of the Senate, would re-       time legislature. Many important is-
to humane organizations for promo-          quire the appointment       of ,a Judicial sues are decided in the final hours of
tion in state and local school systems.     Nominating Commission by the gover-        the session. Because of the full-time
Farm Bureau should work on both the         nor, and provide for a retention elec-     sessions, individual legislators are able
state and local levels to prevent the       tion of Supreme Court justices every       to spend very little time in their respec-
use of the curriculum guide in our          eight years and Appellate           Court  tive districts thus contact with constitu-
school systems.                             judges every six years.                    (continued     on next page)
RURAL LIVING, JANUARY 1982                                                                                                       13


                Property Tax: Delegates Call for More Uniformity
   (limited  session, continued)                    3) The Board of Review is currently       this imp~rtant phase of government.
   ents is very limited. By limiting ses-       an important       link in property tax          A required course for school teach-
   sions, legislators could spend more          assessing appeals. An educational and         ers should include the basics of school
   time in their districts. Our elected rep-    informational program should be re-          finance. Students in K-12 should be
   resentatives    would then draft laws        quired for Board of Review members.          exposed to the basics of school and
   from the perspective of a citizen legis-     Farm Bureau should continue to in-           government finance.
   lator rather than as a professional, full-   form members of their rights of appeal           Budgets    involve large sums of
   time legislator.                             to local Boards of Review and the            money which are not easily under-
       We support a limited legislative ses-    State Tax Tribunal.                          stood. Budgets could and should also
   sion not to exceed six months.                   4) Public utilities are assessed and     be expressed in terms which can be
                                                pay property tax which may result in a       more easily understood - such as on a
       Property Tax System Reform               windfall to the local unit of govern-        per capita basis.
      While Michigan has one of the bet-        ment. The utility passes this cost onto          10) County Farm Bureaus          and
  ter balanced property tax systems in          its consumers      located in numerous       members should be concerned about
  the nation, we recommend several re-          political subdivisions. Therefore,       by  all local budgets. For example,         a
  forms:                                        distributing a portion of the tax col-       model for township         budgets   and
       1) There are a number of conerJ)s        lected across the service area, a more       spending could be developed. Proce-
  regarding uniformity of property tax          realistic and fair distribution of revenue   dures for prioritizing local government
  assessing. We recommend the follow-           would be achieved.                           spending and cuts when needed could
                                                   5) Income tax should be allowed as       be developed.
  ing to improve assessing procedures
                                                an alternative      or as an additional
  and techniques in Michigan:
                                               revenue source for local units of gov-
  -The assessor is a major factor in                                                                Summer Tax Collection
                                               ernment, especially for school opera-
  property tax assessing. A more strin-                                                         Presently various local units of gov-
                                               tions. The income tax would be levied
  gent evaluation for annual certification                                                  ernment collect certain taxes including
                                               based on a local vote similar to current
  of assessors will aid in upgrading the                                                    school taxes during the winter and
                                               property tax.
  quality of assessing. A mechanism to                                                      summer. Summer tax collection is op-
                                                   6) Use value assessment should be
  revoke the certification should be                                                        tional under present law if schools re-
                                               explored. A computer model based on
  established.                                                                              quest it and the local board agrees.
                                               various      commodities        should   be
  - Section 211.27 of the Property Tax                                                          While we understand that summer
                                               developed to determine the cost and
  Law as it defines "true casl1 value"                                                      collection of school taxes could help
                                               equity to the numerous commodities
 should be amended. The statute does                                                        cash flow problems and save interest
                                               in Michigan. Use value assessment has
  not allow for auction sales to be used                                                    on borrowed funds, it would also
                                               merit but may create problems of equi-
 in a sales study. Auctions are a                                                           cause additional expense for many
                                               ty between commodities such as cash
 reasonable       market    indicator   and                                                 local units of government.
                                               crops and fruits.
 should be considered.
                                                   7) County and state equalization         (continued    on page 19)
  - Land contract sales are an accepted
                                               was established to provide assessing
 and popular type of sale. If land con-
                                               equity. This process can be further
 tract sales are to be used in a sales
                                               refined by providing a more specific
 study, the sales price should be ad-
                                               code for county equalization directors
justed to reflect the true cash value.
                                               ~nd State Tax Commission field staff.
 Land contract sales data should in-
                                                   To insure uniform assessing across
 clude the stated price, down payment,
                                               the state and to provide State Tax
 term of contract and rate of interest.
                                               Commission field staff a broad base of
These sales data points should be used         knowledge and an atmosphere of ob-
 to factor land contract sales to the
                                              jectivity,    they should        be rotated
present value thus reflecting a realistic     periodically.
sale value.
                                                   8) The current "circuit breaker" and
 -Farm Bureau should continue to pro-
                                              P.A. 116 should be "front loaded" to
vide information and support to mem-
                                              reduce the amount of out-of-pocket
bers and local units of government re-
                                              cost to pay property tax. The reduc-
garding tax appeals. '
                                              tion would be clearly stated on the
      2) Mobile homes currently in a          property tax bill for the individual tax-
 trailer park are not assessed as real        payer to see.
property. A $3 per month fee is levied            9) Citizens need a basic understand-
 which does npt pay for the cost of ser-
 vices required. Mobile homes, both in
parks and on private property, should
be assessed as real property.
                                              ing of tax structure and the relation-
                                              ship to government           and school fi-
                                              nance. Farm Bureau should continue
                                              to provide information for members in
                                                                                                             ,
                                                                                                             ,
14
                                                                                                         RURAL LIVING. JANUARY 1982


                      Front and Center
           Albosta Appointed to House Ag Committee - Congressman Donald Albosta has been
     appointed to the House Agriculture Committee. He becomes the first Michigan congressman in
     at least 20 years, and perhaps ever, to be appointed to this committee. In a letter to Albosta,
     MFB President Elton R. Smith sent congratulations and expressed hope that the congressman
     will "feel free to establish and maintain close communications with Michigan Farm Bureau on
     issues."
           FB Presidents Call for Food Aid to Poland - The 51-member AFBF policy committee -
     composed primarily of state FB presidents - has encouraged all Americans to join farmers and
     ranchers in providing food assistance to the Polish people "once the borders are opened." The
     farm leaders said that the more than three million Farm Bureau member families are anxious to
     play a key role in this effort. "The courageous Polish people deserve the support of the entire
     free world during this time of their national crisis. . .," the policy group said.
           Michigan Farmers Head for California: Among the 8,000 farm and ranch members ex-
     pected to attend the AFBF annual meeting in San Diego Jan. 10-14 will be 120 from Michigan.
     MFB's voting delegates are Elton R. Smith, Caledonia; Jack Laurie, Cass City; Michael
     Pridgeon, Montgomery; Robert Rottier, Fremont; Lyle LeCronier, Freeland; and Lowell Eisen-
      mann, Blissfield. Alternates will be Donald Nugent, Frankfort; Margaret Kartes, West Branch;
     Al Cook, Mason; Vivian Lott, Mason; James Sayre, Belleville; and Glenn Preston, Quincy.
           Union City Service Center Closes - Farm Bureau Services, Inc., the largest farm supply
      distributor and marketer of grain and beans in the state, closed the Union City Service Center,
      effective Dec. 3 1 , 1981. FBS will maintain service and products to Union City area farmers
     from its Coldwater and Branch County Grain service centers.
            Meetings with the Union City Advisory Committee and other farmers are underway to
      discuss forming a local cooperative or other individual purchase of the assets to continue serving
      farmers. If there is no interest in forming a local cooperative, the facilities will be listed on the
      public market for lease or sale.
  The Farmer of the Week program,       council and local Lutheran Church           Nov. 2 3 - James Kohler, 48, farms
co-sponsored by Farm Bureau Insur-      board, served on the Charlevoix          774 acres and milks 125 cows near
ance Group and the Michigan Farm        County Road Commission and District      Cadillac. He serves on liturgical and
Radio Network, honors Michigan farm-    Soil Conservation Board, including       planning committees for the local
ers for their contributions to the com- several years as chairperson; is a       Catholic Church, is Eucharistic minis-
munity and Michigan's agriculture in-   member of the township planning          ter for his church, served on the Wex-
dustry. The award recipients for No-    commission and is in his 36th year as a  ford County FB board, and received
vember 1981 were:                       Charlevoix County FB member, which       the Conservation Farmer of the Year
                                        he also served as president.             Award in 1981.
  Nov. 2 - Frank Wentland, 67,             Nov. 16 - Paul Piepkow Sr., 54, is
operates a 500-acre dairy farm near     an Olivet area dairy farmer who farms       Nov. 30 - Cliff Graham, 28, of
Big Rapids. He's a 31-year member       630 acres. He is finance chairman of     Vulcan owns a 360-acre farm and
and past president of his county FB, a  his church, past president of the Olivet milks 50 cows in Dickinson County.
church deacon, served four years as     School Board and the Michigan Jersey     Graham, who has a degree in elec-
township clerk, and has been local      Cattle Club, member and past presi-      trical engineering from General Motors
MMPA secretary since 1961.              dent of the Calhoun County FB, serves    Institute, is local DHIA board member
                                        on a dairy scholarship committee, and    and an Iron Range FB member. He
  Nov. 9 - William Korthase, 58,        received the Dairyman of the Year        moved to his Upper Peninsula farm in
operates a 440-acre dairy farm near     Award and the Distinguished Service      1979 from Lennon, where he had
Boyne City. He serves on the church     Award from MSU.                          farmed with his parents.
RURAL LIVING, JANUARY 1982                                                                                            15


                                                 County Newsletter
               Bureau
           The county Farm Bureau newsletter is published monthly by the Michigan Farm Bureau, P.O. Box 30960, Lansing, Mich 48909
           Subscription price to members, $1.25 per year, included in the annual membership dues.
 Farm Bureau Membership Campaign Time Again
                                                                                                      On Feb. 4, 1919, fifty-seven inde-
                                                                                                   pendent "County Farm Bureau"
                                                                                                   groups met at Michigan Agricultural
                                                                                                   College in East Lansing. Forty-three
                                                                                                   counties signed an agreement to sup-
                                                                                                   port a state organization, the "Michi-
                                                                                                   gan State Farm Bureau."
                                                                                                      Their first efforts were directed
                                                                                                   toward the improvement of markets
                                                                                                  for farm products and to the purchas-
                                                                                                   ing of farm supplies at better prices.
                                                                                                  Then they began working on the tax
                                                                                                  problem. By 1925, the road tax on
                                                                                                  farms was replaced by a gasoline tax
                                                                                                  as a direct result of the efforts of Farm
                                                                                                  Bureau.
                                                                                                      From this humble beginning, Farm
                                                                                                  Bureau has become the most powerful
                                                                                                  farm lobby in the state and nation.
                                                                                                     A farmer likes to get the most for his
                   From the Monroe County Farm Bureau Newsletter                                  dollar and a membership in the county
                                                                                                  Farm Bureau is a bargain that's hard to
                                                                                                  beat.
    In the early 1900s Michigan farmers            Farmers were taxed for the full mainte-           Your membership in Farm Bureau
 started forming local groups to help              nance of local rural roads and taxes           gives you a voice in the nation's largest
 their county Extension agents spread              rose so high that farms were sold for          and most influential farm organization
the information available on new                   delinquent taxes. Many of these local          and helps you take action on the many
 methods and practices to as many                  groups, some calling themselves                regulatory and legislative issues that
farmers as possible. Following the                 "County Farm Bureaus," decided to              affect farmers today.
 close of World War I, farm prices col-            join together to help themselves work             Have you renewed your member-
 lapsed and costs remained high.                   out their troubles.                            ship yet? If not, do so today!
                                                                                                  New President Stresses
 Farm Bureau Members Share Christmas Joy                                                          Member Involvement
                                                                                                     Duane Roberts, new Kent County
   Ingham County Farm Bureau Wo-                   ed the Bob Wahmhoff Christmas Tree             Farm Bureau president, urges FB
men shared their holiday spirit this               Farm in Baraga for a tree wagon ride           members to get involved in current
year with residents at the Ingham                  to watch the harvesting operations.            issues such as animal welfare.
County Extended Care Facility in                   While at the farm, the youngsters                 "Members should consider en-
Okemos. They started by making stuf-               selected a Christmas tree for their            couraging and inviting animal rights
fed ornaments to dress up the                      school. This is an annual event for            advocates to tour their operations.
resident's Christmas tree. Thirteen                many children in the area during the           This method was effective in changing
residents that might not otherwise                 Christmas season.                              the mind of one advocate in
have received gifts this year were                                                                Kalamazoo County," he said. Roberts
"adopted" by the FB Women. Their                                                                  believes this approach could help
special "Santas" chose Christmas gifts               Farm Bureau Women supplied fruit             avoid confrontation.
using suggestions from elves who                  to Copper Country senior citizen's                 Recently, Roberts did a half-hour
work at the facility.                             foster homes. Farm Bureau members               talk show on WTWN following the sta-
                                                  in the respective communities distri-           tion's interview with Dr. Michael Fox,
   Before Christmas, 37 first and sec-            buted the fruit baskets supplied by the         of the U.S. Humane Society and an
ond grade students from L'Anse visit-             Farm Bureau Women.                              animal rights activist.


Jackson FB Plans                         Jamboree Rates High With Delegates;
Rural-Urban                              So Does MFB President Elton Smith
Communication Days
   The Jackson County Farm Bureau,
under the leadership of Leonard
Schultz and Janis Sanford, is currently
planning "Rural-Urban Communica-
tions Days."
   According to Schultz, the goal of the
project, scheduled for March 12-13 at
the Paka Plaza shopping center, is to
"communicate the farm story to our
urban friends."
    Schultz has met with a represen-
tative of the Jackson Chamber of
Commerce to develop a display of
products manufactured in Jackson
which are part of the agricultural in-
dustry. He is also making arrange-
ments to have an alternative energy
display. A farm animal petting zoo is
being planned, plus displays featuring
all the farm products raised and grown
in Jackson County. The Hillsdale
County Farm Bureau has expressed
 interest in being part of these Rural-     Michigan Farm Bureau President Elton R. Smith and "First Lady"
Urban Days.                                 Lynde Smith were among the hundreds of Farm Bureau members who
                                            enjoyed the Jamboree at the MFB annual meeting in Grand Rapids
 Discover Marketing and                     Dec. 2. This event has become a popular part of state annual meeting
                                            activities and this year was preceded by an "Annual Delegate Round-
 Management Skills                          Up" featuring hot popcorn, cold cider, entertainment, and an oppor-
    Progressive farm operators will have    tunity to visit with Farm Bureau members from throughout the state.
 the opportunity to enhance their mar-      In later action, the delegate body unanimously nominated Smith for
 keting and management skills during a      president, a position he has held since 1964.
three-day seminar Feb. 2-4, sponsor-
ed by the Michigan Farm Bureau.
    Called "Discovery '82," the seminar   Individual Retirement Accounts Promise
will offer workshops on a broad variety
of subjects including marketing,         Tax Savings, Lifetime Retirement Income
managing stress, tax laws, computers
in agriculture, and farm partnerships.      Thanks to the new tax laws effective     FB Annuity Company, part of Farm
Site of the seminar will be the new      Jan. 1, 1982, just about anyone can      Bureau Insurance Group, offers an
Hyatt Regency in Flint.                  participate in an IRA (Individual        IRA plan that will provide you with a
   Cost of the three-day session will be Retirement Account) and take advan-      retirement income - one that you can't
$150 for Farm Bureau members, in-        tage of the IRA tax breaks.              outlive - while offering continuous tax
cluding two nights lodging, meals, and      Although farmers, as self-employed    saving advantages and high interest
class materials. "Discovery 482" is also business people, have been eligible to   rates besides.
open to non-members at a cost of         participate in IRAs for years, the new      For example, if you deposjt $2,000
$170, with a $20 rebate if the partici-  availability of IRAs is big news to      a year into an FB Annuity IRA for 25
pant joins Farm Bureau during the        millions of people who were previous-    years, you will deposit a total of
seminar. The cost of the seminar is tax  ly ineligible. The new surge of interest $50,000, but considering the tax ad-
deductible for farmers.                  indicates just how effective an IRA can  vantages, your real cost would only be
   For further information and registra- be as a means of saving tax dollars and  $37,500. What's more, the value of
tion forms, contact Don Currey, Mich-    preparing for retirement.                your IRA after 25 years would be
igan Farm Bureau, P.O. Box 30960,           An individual can deposit up to       $324,047, based on an interest rate of
Lansing, Mich. 48909, phone 517-         $2,000 a year in an IRA and deduct       12.5 percent, which was FB Annuity's
323-7000, ext. 532.                      that amount from his or her taxable in-  rate through Dec. 31, 1981.
                                         come. Any interest you earn on the          When you retire, the plan will pay
      HAPPY                              IRA is not taxed until you retire and
                                         begin to receive payments. At that
                                                                                  you a monthly income as long as you
                                                                                  live, or payments will be made to your
            NEW                          time, you will be in a lower tax
                                         bracket, cutting your taxes con-
                                                                                  beneficiary up to a guaranteed total.
                                                                                  Your Farm Bureau Insurance agent
                YEAR                     siderably.                               can give you details.


 A ttention, Progressive                                           Registration Form
  Farm Operators!                                      Please list all registrants from the same address.
                                                       Names:
    Keeping pace in today's complex agricultural in-
  . dustry demands that successful farm operators
                                                       Address:                                                 _
 . keep up with new technologies, new information
    and new ways of managing finances and mar-
    keting strategies.
                                                       Phone:
    Discovery '82, a comprehensive,      management    Please check which portion of the seminar you are
    training seminar, sponsored by the Michigan        registering for:
 . Farm Bureau, will give you the necessary tools
                                                       THREE-DAY SEMINAR
    to succeed in modern agribusiness.
                                                          OWith overnight accommodations                     $150
                                                          OWithout overnight accommodations                  $100
    Th~ three-day training program, scheduled for
    Feb. 2-4 at the Hyatt Regency in Flint, will offer TWO-DAY SEMINAR
    courses in:                                           o  With overnight accomodations                    $120
                                                          OWithout overnight accommodations                   $85
          Risk Management                                 Please check which two days you will attend:
          Tax Law Management                              OTues., Feb. 2         OWed., Feb. 3    OThurs.,  Feb. 4
          Stress Management       .
                                                       ONE-DAY SEMINAR
          Farm Partnerships                               OThursdayonly                                       $15
          Legal Rights & Responsibilities
                                                        Reservation deadline is Jan. 20, 1982.
          Computer Technology                                                I
                                                        A non-refundable deposit of $45.00 is required to
          Agricultural Economics                        confirm your reservation.
          Price and Income Negotiations                 Make checks payable to the Michigan Farm Bureau.
          Personal Finance Management
                                                                  Amount Enclosed:                        _
          Marketing Strategies
    Lodging, meals, materials and fees for Discovery
    '82 are completely tax deductible for farm
    operators. Reservations are limited and will be
  .accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
    Use this form to make your reservation
    or send for further information.
.---
  ~
            Mail Registration
            Don Currey
                              to:
            Michigan Farm Bureau
            P.O. Box 30960
            Lansing, MI48909


                     Welfare: More State and Local Control Needed
    (tax collection,   continued)
        Summer collection could        create a  ing problems marketing their products  this reported discriminatory practice
    burden on farmers due to the       seasonal  because of unusual interpretations of  and seek appropriate solutions, con-
    nature of farm income and           the fact the Workers'     Compensation     Law. sult with wood industry represen-
    that large amounts of money         must be  Some buyers are hesitant to purchase   tatives and other persons knowledge-
    borrowed      at the beginning       of the  wood products from woodlot owners      able in Workers' Compensation           Law.
    growing season. Therefore,           we are  and producers in the absence of clear
    opposed to state mandated           summer   definitions regarding Workers' Com-        We believe this practice is further
    collection of taxes.                         pensation insurance responsibility and evidence of the compelling need for
                                                 possible claims liability.             major reform of Michigan's Workers'
                     Welfare
                                                    We urge Farm Bureau to analyze      Compensation program.
        The many agencies now responsible
    for public welfare and a myriad of
    other social programs          have made
    government's      role in welfare policy
    and administration         unmanageable.                                                    Good resolutions. but easier
    The cost of administration has gotten                                                       to talk about than to
    out of hand. The basic causes of rising                                                     accomplish. Many factors
    welfare costs should be identified and                                                      beyond your control will
    systematically addressed.                                                                   affect how well you'll do
        We favor the adoption of a new ap-
    proach to public welfare to achieve the
    basic goals of eliminating all misuse of
                                                      ftueegood                                 this year.
                                                                                                But there Is a lot you can do.
                                                      New Year's
                                                                                                 Like starting right now to
    these programs and moving toward                                                             dig out all the management
    greater state and local control and                                                          facts you'll need for accurate
                                                                                                 financial projections and
    supervision.
        We in Farm Bureau are alarmed at
    the rising cost of welfare, and the in-
                                                      Resolutions:                              sound tax planning. The
                                                                                                 facts so many good farmers
                                                                                                 get with Agrlfax farm
    creased evidence that people come                                                            records.
    from other states to receive Michigan's
     higher benefits. Our payments are 25
    percent higher than the average of our
                                                        I. Keep better                           Agrlfax summarizes and
                                                                                                 delivers the precise
     neighQoring states. It is estimated that
     nearly $200 million of taxpayer dollars
                                                            records.                             Information you need. so you
                                                                                                 can spot trends quickly. keep
                                                                                                 tighter controls. make timely
     would be saved if our payments would                                                        moves to head-off problems
     not exceed the average of our neigh-
     boring states.                                   2. Be a better                             or press opportunities.
                                                                                                 Of course. facts still need a
        We urge all members to sign peti-
     tions being distributed by the Save Our
     State Committee, P.O, Box 374, St.
                                                            manager.                             good manager to put them
                                                                                                 to use. And no one can
                                                                                                 guarantee you'll make more
     Joseph, Mich. 49085; Berrien County                                                         money. But those other
     Commissioner Nancy Clark, chairper-
     son; or Sen.         Harry Gast, State           3. Improve your                            resolutions will be easier to
                                                                                                  realize if you carry out the
                                                                                                 first one. Build your
     Capitol, Lansing, Mich. 48909.
        We will support public aid based on                 net income.                           management strength now
                                                                                                  with better farm records:
     individual needs but will not support                                                       Agrifax computerized farm
     public aid programs so lucrative that                                                        record systems from peA.
     there is an economic advantage in
     becoming a recipient. We feel that                                                           ProductIon CredIt
     Michigan welfare payments should be                                                         AlSOCIatIotls  01
 .". in line with neighboring states. We op-                                                     MIchlgan
- pose further proliferation of welfare
                                                                                                 •
     programs through the extension of the
     "food stamp" concept to other costs of
     living,
              Wood Producers and
             Workers' Compensation
        It is reported that some woodlot
     owners and producers are experienc-
   RURAL LIVING.     JANUARY     1982                                                                                                19


         The
      math mind
         vs
         the
   math ma[:hine
20  -
                 RURAL LIVING. JANUARY 1982


                                                                                           which attach to the computer to ex-
                                                                                           pand its capabilities. That way. as you
          You don't have to be a mathema-                                                  think of more things to do with the
                                                                                          computer. you aren't limited by your
          tical genius to use microcomputer                                                initial investment.
                                                                                              One of the first things to consider
          technology in your farm business.                                               when deciding which options you
                                                                                          want when you buy the basic com-
          All you need to know is what you                                                puter is how you'll be loading pro-
                                                                                          grams into the computer. There are
          want your computer to do.                                                       three methods.
                                                                                              The least desirable way to load a
                                                                                          program is through the keyboard only.
                                                                                          With this method you find the pro-
                                                                                          gram you want in a book or magazine
              By Joe Mielke                    other computers. It does this through a
                                                                                          (or write it yourself) and type it into the
                                               device called a modem which is con-
     I'm no mechanic. I don't' even know                                                  computer. This is very time consuming
                                               nected to your telephone line. This
 which end of the screwdriver to hit the                                                  and impractical since every time you
                                              process of networking allows small
 nail with. So, at first, I thought buying                                                turn the computer off. it erases the
                                              computers to gain access to tremen-
 a personal computer meant I had to                                                       program and you have to retype it
                                               dous data bases, e.g. Farm Bureau's
 learn about binary and hexadecimal                                                       when you want to use it again.
                                              pilot AgriCom program.
 numbers        microprocessors    ... trig-                                                  The second method is to load the
 onometry       calculus ... well, maybe          Through using modems you can            program from cassette tape. All you
 I didn't need a computer after all ....       learn the latest commodity        prices.  do is plug a cassette recorder into the
    But the fact is you don't have to          keep track of your favorite stock. or      appropriate jacks on the computer and
 know a thing about math to get a com-         even read The New York Times.              play the tape to the computer. When
 puter to work for you. All the hexa-            And the best part is you can do all of  the computer has finished loading the
 decimal and binary numbers are al-           this without knowing a thing about         program it shuts off the recorder and
 ready inside the computer memory             programming      computers.   The next     then you can proceed with the pro-
and it does the math. You just have to        step, after determining that you really    gram. You can also use the recorder
decide what you want the computer to          do need a computer, is deciding which      to save programs you've typed into
do.                                           one to buy.                                the computer.         Loading and saving
    What the computer can do is limited                                                  programs on tape is the least expense
 only by your imagination.                       Since. by then. you should have         method of storage.
    Want to know the mix ratio for cattle     some idea of what it is you want the           The third method of loading pro-
feed under various nutritional require-       computer to do. start looking at soft-     grams is by disks. Disks are magnetiz-
 ments or 2stimate the cos, effective-        ware. Software is simply the program       ed metal plates that require special
ness of buying more land? The com-            or instructions that tell the computer     equipment        called disk drives.' Disk
puter can do that.                            what to do. There are several com-         drives are the fastest and the best
    The computer can act like an elec-        puter magazines which have ads for         method for storing information - call-
 tronic worksheet, doing math calcula-        hundreds     of programs.     Computer     ed data by the computer industry -
 tions and reacting to changes you            stores are another source of programs.     and saving programs. It is also, by far,
 make in specific entries. It will make       Tell the salesperson what kind of pro-     the most expensive method.
graphs, look for highs and lows and           gram you want, then find out which             At the same time you're thinking
answer "what if" questions.                   computer most of the programs you          about whether to use cassettes or
    If you write reports or manuscripts.      selected will run on; that's the com-      disks. also consider the amount of
let the computer type the final copy. It     puter for you.                              memory.        The more memory.          the
will type perfectly - even if you didn't.                                                more complex program the computer
                                                 Make sure. however. that you look
It will set the margins and even place                                                   can handle.
                                             in several places for the software
the footnotes.                                                                               The kind of memory you should be
                                             you're interested in; both magazines
    What about taxes? Want to know                                                       concerned with is called Random Ac-
                                             and computer stores tend to specialize
what you'll pay this year or next? The                                                   cess Memory (RAM). Computer man-
                                             in one line of computers and software.
computer can tell you. It will even                                                      ufacturers will use the term 16k RAM
                                             so shop around.
deduct itself as a business expense;                                                     to indicate a computer with 16.000
and then. based on your responses.               Most of today's personal or micro-      places in which information can be
do all the math and fill out the tax         computers     are expandable.     that is.  stored. You can buy microcomputers
forms.                                       you can buy the basic computer and          with 4k or even less. but 16k RAM is
    One of the most interesting things a     add peripherals later. Peripherals are      the minimum for practical use.
personal computer can do is talk to          devices. such as modems and printers.       (continued      on next page)
RURAL LIVING.    JANUARY     1982                                                                                                   21


            Choose a System That Will Grow With Your Needs
    The amount of memory available         an~wer all of your questions. If they    can provide good, fast service. And be
generally increases in 16k amounts.        can't explain something to you, then     sure he can explain his computer to
Remember, the more RAM the more            they don't understand your problem.      you.
complex program and the more data          And that is not the kind of dealer yoti  • Last, decide which peripherals you
the computer can handle. Also, the         need.                                    want. A modem, for example, may be
more RAM, the more you can expect             In summary, the following points      one of the first accessories to buy so
to pay. You can start with 16k RAM         should be considered when buying a       that your computer can talk with large
now and increase the amount later.         computer:                                data bases.
                                           • Decide what you want the computer         And remember, the sole purpose of
    Your computer will also have Read                                               owning a computer is to save you time
Only Memory (ROM). This is a perma-        to do in order to determine which
                                           model to buy.                            to do the more creative aspects of your
nent memory that allows the computer
                                           .Once      you establish your software   occupation. At IBM they have a say-
to understand you.
                                           needs and find the compatible com-       ing: Machines should work. People
    There are many) computer langu-                                                 should think.
                                           puter, consider whether you want tape
ages, but the one your computer is
                                           (slower,     least expensive)   or disk
 likely to have stored in its ROM is call-                                          Joe Mielke is a journalism student at
                                           (faster, but more expensive).
 ed BASIC.                                 • Next, decide how much memory you       Michigan State University and campus
    BASIC stands for Beginners All-        need. Buy the most you can afford.       editor of The State News. He owns a
Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.         • The dealer is important. Be sure he    Radio Shack TRS.80 computer .
BASIC is considered a "high level"
language because it uses statements in
English rather than the hexadecimals
used in the "low level" machine
                                                          Computer Publications Help
language which the computer under-
stands. The purpose        of the ROM
                                                          Build Purchaser's Data Base
memory is to translate BASIC into
                                               Desktop Computing                      magazine. Subscription rate is $25
machine code so the computer can do
                                                  A good easy to understand          a year, 80 Pine Street, Peter-
its work.
                                               monthly magazine aimed at the         borough, NH 03458.
    How all this works isn't important to
                                               business user. Subscription rate is
you. What you should remember is                                                      Personal Computing
                                               $17.97 a year, P.O. Box 917,
that your computer needs programs                                                       A monthly magazine for both
                                               Farmingdale, N.Y. 11737.
written in BASIC in order to function.                                               business and home. Subscription
The reason not all BASIC programs                                                    rate is $18 a year, 4 Disk Drive,
                                               Recreational Computing
work on all computers is because there                                                Box 13916, Philadelphia, PA
are dialects developed        by different        A general interest bi-monthly
                                                                                      19101.
 manufacturers. That's why you should          magazine with emphasis on games
buy th~ computer and accessories to fit        and education. Subscription rate is
                                                                                     Creative Computing
the software you want.                         $12.00 a year, P.O. Box E,
                                               Menlo Park, CA 94025.                    A monthly magazine with em-
    After you load a program' into your                                              phasis on applications and soft-
computer, it will usually ask you to                                                 ware. Subscription rate is $20 per
supply information it needs to run the          Interface Age
                                                                                     year, P.O. Box 789-M, Morris-
program. The requests will appear on               A monthly magazine that deals     town, NJ 07960.
 a video display. Some computers                with both business and home ap-
 have built in displays and others             plications. Subscription rate is $18   Byte
 operate through your television. Some          a year, 16704 Marquardt Avenue,
 screens and computers        can display       Cerritos, CA 90701.                     A large (usually in excess of
 results in many colors and others use                                               500 pages) monthly magazine
 only white or green and black. You                                                  written for the small systems user.
                                               Compute
 can also find computers that have very                                              Subscription rate is $19 a year,
                                                   A monthly magazine for users      P.O. Box 590, Martinsville, NJ
 detailed graphic capabilities, but these
                                               of computers with 6502 pro-           08836.
 are usually not necessary for business
                                               cessors (PET, Apple, Atari, OSI,
applications.
                                               KIM, SYM and AIM). Subscription       80 Microcomputing
    When you buy a computer be sure            rate is $20 a year, P.O. Box
to ask about service. Once your                                                         A monthly magazine aimed
                                               5406, Greensboro, NC 27403.
business depends on the computer                                                     solely at Radio Shack TRS-80
you don't want it out for repairs for                                                users. Subscription rate is $18 a
                                               Kilobaud Microcomputing               year, P.O. Box 981, Farmingdale,
more than a couple of days. Com-
puter sales people shoul~ be willing to           A general interest monthly         NY 11737.
 22                                                                                             RURAL LIVING. JANUARY 1982


                                                   Robert and Lois Freed
                  'Distinguished' Couple Plans Success Together
                                                                                          40 percent of them. In 1975 Lois took
                                                                                          over caring for them," he said. "Now,
                                                                                          thanks to her time and tender loving
                                                                                          care, we have not lost a calf in two
                                                                                          years."
                                                                                              One of the biggest challenges Freed
                                                                                          has successfully met since he started
                                                                                          farming, was increasing his income to
                                                                                          the point where he could purchase the
                                                                                          entire farming operation       from his
                                                                                          father and also allow his wife to return
                                                                                          to her teaching profession on a part-
                                                                                          time basis.
                                                                                              "My wife had to work full-time on
                                                                                          the farm because we could not afford
                                                                                          any part-time help. This year we were
                                                                                          able to hire a part-time high school stu-
                                                                                          dent and my wife has gone back to
                                                                                          teaching part-time, which 1s very ful-
                                                                                          filling to her."
                                                                                              Freed believes that young farmers
                                                                                          must be willing to develop their lead-
                                                                                          ership abilities and be assertive in
                                                                                          speaking out for themselves and that
   Distinguished Young Farmer Robert Freed and his wife, Lois, will travel to San Diego,  his experience on the county Young
   California, in January to compete for the national title at the AFBF annual meeting.   Farmer Committee and attendance at
                                                                                          the Young Farmer Leader Conference
                                                                                           has helped him.
                                                                                              "Every year the percentage of peo-
           By Marda Ditchie                     feeders and free stalls and since that    ple in farming is getting smaller," he
   Robert J. Freed, a dairyman from             time have increased their dairy herd      said. "With less than four percent of
Morrice in Shiawassee County, was               from 45 to 120 cows, plus another         our nation's population now in farm-
named      MFB's 1981 Distinguished              145 heifers and steers.                  ing, our voice is very small. With con-
Young Farmer on Dec. 2 during the                   In 1981 Freed purchased 254 acres     sumer groups becoming larger, we
Michigan Farm Bureau annual meet-               of land, plus buildings, cattle and        need people who can speak up for
ing in Grand Rapids.                            machinery, from his father, and now       farmers, and since our voice is small, it
   One of four finalists in the state           rents an additional 400 acres. He has      must be strong and well-prepared," he
competition, Freed said he was "sur-            illustrated     his sound   management     said.
prised and it was great to win the state        practices     by increasing    production      "Young farmers must become in-
contest.                                        over feed costs. He has decreased          volved and learn how to speak up for
   "We had just met the other finalists         crop acreage by 20 percent, but be-        themselves, so they will be heard and
that day and we didn't know anything            cause of better yields and crop rota-      better able to seek solutions to the
about their farming operations. After           tions, has "more than enough feed for      problems of the future," he said.
seeing the slides and hearing about the          our cows. "                                   First runner-up in the annual com-
other finalists' operations, I was im-              One of the Freeds' major goals was     petition     was Keith     Eisenmann,
pressed and I thought they were all             to increase milk production per cow.       Lenawee County cattleman and cash
really good farmers. When we went                In 1978, their DHIA milk production       crop farmer. Tied for second runner-
up there, I thought that anyone of us            average was 13,190 pounds of milk          up position were Lyle Ball of Blan-
could have won," Freed said.                    per cow and 479 pounds of butterfat.       chard, Mecosta County,         and Nels
   Freed, 29, is a graduate of the Ani-          In 1981, they have seen an increase to    Nyblad, Kent City, Kent County.
mal Technology course at Michigan                15,500 pounds of milk per cow and             Freed will compete with other state
State University. In 1973 he entered             565 pounds of butterfat.                  Farm Bureau winners for the national
into a partnership with his father. Fac-            Freed says his wife Lois has played    title at the AFBF annual meeting in
ed with the challenge of supporting              an important role in the successful       San Diego, Jan. 10-14.
two families on the farming operation,          farming operation.
the Freeds expanded in 1975. They                   "In 1974 we had a serious problem
built an outdoor feedlot with automatic          with our calves. We were losing 30 to
 RURAL LIVING. JANUARY 1982                                                                                                        23


                                                                                Gwen Nash
                                                               Farm Wife ... Mother ·
                                                           Leader ... And Still Growing
                                                Born in Mt. Pleasant and raised in      the MFB Women's Speakers' Bureau.
                                            Lansing, she "didn't know anything           She believes strongly that farmers
                                            about farming" until she met Dwight         should share the story of agriculture
                                            Nash through a friend who was dating        with the non-farm public. While she
                                            another FFA youth. On their first date,      has enjoyed success in appearances
                                            Dwight took her home to his farm to         before civic groups, her favorite au-
                                            help with the chores.                       diences are school children.
                                               "I don't think I saw anyone after             She believes "the younger, the bet-
                                            that. I fell in love with his barn," said    ter" to start familiarizing children with
                                            Gwen. "I really enjoyed doing the            farm facts and is concerned that there
                                            chores and being in the barn. During         is a void in providing kindergarten and
   To many, Gwen Nash is Michigan Farm
    Bureau's "Outstanding    Young Farm    that summer, Dwight had me driving            early elementary teachers with agricul-
    Woman," but to 2Y2-year-old Tracy,     tractor and I'd never even seen one up        tural information aids.
    she's Mom, who makes the best Christ-  close before."                                    "It's exciting to work with this age
    mas cookies in the whole wide world.       After they wer'e married, Dwight          group because they're so receptive.
                                           continued farming in partnership with         They get more involved and ask more
                                            his father near Ionia for 21f2 years.        questions than the older children," she
                                           But, explains Gwen, "our family was           said. "You have to be pretty basic with
                                           growing. We had two children and              these little ones, but at this point,
            By Donna Wilber                planned on having more, so it was             teachers are having trouble even find-
     You don't have to spend more than     time for us to find a new place."             ing pictures of farm animals."
 five minutes with Gwen Nash to know           That new place is located outside             As the Outstanding       Young Farm
 that here is a woman with a contagious    the small community of Elsie in Clin-         Woman, Gwen will serve as one of
 enthusiasm for life.                      ton County. In addition to their dairy        MFB's legislative leaders during the
    She seems charged with an energy       herd and raising their own replace-           1982 Washington         Legislative Semi-
that allows her to bake special            ments, the Nashes also have some              nar, sponsored        annually by Farm
 Christmas treats for her five children,   sheep, chickens and horses, all of            Bureap Women. In this role, she will
 help her husband on their 300-acre,       which are Gwen's responsibility. They        be talking with Michigan's congress-
 120-cow dairy operation,        take the  plan to increase their sheep herd in the      men about the organization's position
farm story into the schools, be active in  future.                                      on key issues and meeting with the
community affairs, and be one of the           In the large audience at the Grand       Washington press corps.
motivators in the Clinton County Farm      Center where Gwen was competing                  Gwen says that participating in the
Bureau - all without displacing her        for the title of "Outstanding        Young   Young Farmer contest also made her
delightful sense of humor.                 Farm Woman," was the Nashes' entire          realize how much her leadership
    Gwen is this year's Michigan Farm      Community          Farm Bureau       Action  abilities have grown as a result of her
Bureau      Outstanding     Young     Farm Group,       rooting enthusiastically    for Farm Bureau activities.
Woman and she approaches this new          their candidate.                                 "I'm a farmer's wife first. I am a
experience with the same anticipation         "Our community group's name is            mother. I am strong. I milk cows,
and "I'm ready - let's go!" attitude       Maple River Rowdies, and they did get        groom horses, care for sheep and
that's part of her charisma.               a bit rowdy," Gwen remembers. "If it         chickens. I drive tractor a~d in my
    Her title was a day-early birthday     hadn't been for them, I probably             spare time, take children to 4-H meet-
present, and the thrill and excitement     wouldn't have gotten through the day.        ings and care for a large garden. I can
of the Dec. 2 contest at the MFB an-       Thev were just great support."               and freeze 1, 000 jars and packages of
nual meeting in Grand Rapids made              In addition to serving with Dwight as    fresh produce each year," she said.
her realize just how far she'd come        chairpersons of Clinton County's Com-            "But through Farm Bureau I've
from the "town girl" she'd once been       munity Action Group           Committee,     been able to grow personally. It's been
to being a standard-bearer         for the Gwen has also served on the women's          an important learning tool in my life.
state's largest farm organization.         and information committees and on            (continued     on next page)
24                                                                                                    RURAL liVING.   JANUARY 1982


                                                          John Young
                                 Ready ... Get Set ... Talk!
           By Connie Turbin                    "I feel confident about the subject       cations of a market oriented policy
    John Young, winner of the Michi-       matter, but I'm doing additional re-         for producers of the future?
gan Farm Bureau Young Farmer Dis-          search to broaden my understanding               Assuming      that we will have a
cussion Meet held at the MFB annual        of issues like water rights, which is a       market oriented agriculture, I believe
meeting in December, acknowledges          big issue in the western states. I've also    we will see major changes in our farm
that competition in the national meet is   been gathering information on land           financial planning and changes in
going to be pretty stiff. But, he says,    use and farmland preservation pro-            education for financial institutions.
he has continued to research the four      grams in other states, where, for ex-
                                                                                            Markets are likely to be volatile with
topics for discussion and will be ready    ample, ag land districts are used to
                                                                                        some very high swings and low swings.
to represent Michigan Young Farmers        keep farmland in production."
                                                                                        As a result, farmers are going to be
in the AFBF quarter finals Jan. 10 in                                                   forced to do two and three year cash
                                               Young, 27, and his wife Cheryl cur-
San Diego.                                                                              flow projections rather than 12-month
                                           rently farm 240 acres in Brown City.
                                           They are St. Clair County Farm Bu-           projections. Computers are going to
                                           reau members.                                 be very critical because longer term
                                                                                         cash flow p;ojections, considering all
                                              The 1981 Discussion Meet topics,           the variables, cannot be done by hand
                                           with comments by John Young, are:             in a month's time. Yet a computer can
                                                                                         do that in a matter of minutes. With
                                                                                         computers, farmers can analyze their
                                            What can be the role of Young                credit needs, investment and repay-
                                           Farmers and Ranchers in improv-               ment time against the variables of in-
                                           ing public awareness of farmer               put costs, yield and crop prices.
                                           needs?
                                               Improved public awareness lies in            Land use decisions are being
                                           the involvement and agressiveness of          made. What are the alternatives
                                           our farm organizations and our young         and to what extent, if any, should
                                           farmers'     leadership    responsibilities. government be involved?
                                            We must become active in our Farm               At this point in our history, we are
                                           Bureau and through our leadership             trying to determine whether an indi-
                                           roles, convince the membership that           vidual can hold property rights to the
                                            money needs to be spent to promote          exclusion of the rights of others or if
                                           agriculture's importance and impact           the welfare of the community,         state
                                            throughout      the economy.          Also, and nation becomes an overriding issue.
    "In the national meet, every con-       through their involvement        in other
                                                                                            To me, the whole thing comes into
testant I will face has been selected as   civic groups and organizations, young        perspective when you get in a plane
the best from among the Discussion         farmers can make sure that the agricul-      and fly over the country. As you cross
 Meet contestants      in their respective  tural perspective is considered when-       over the country, there is a tremen-
 states," Young says. "To win at the        ever an issue critical to agriculture       dous contrast between those areas
 national level, I'll have to be assertive  comes up.                                    which have been well planned and
 and better informed on the issues."            We are proud to say that the state
                                                                                        those which have been poorly planned
    How is Young preparing himself for      and national Farm Bureaus are the
                                                                                         - if at all. You will see a fragmentation
the national meet?                          voice of agriculture, yet we have not       of housing developments           or house
                                            taken that as far as we can until we        after house along the roadside. In
                                            have identified county Farm Bureau
                                                                                        other areas, the agricultural land is
Still Growing                            .  resource people in production agricul-
                                                                                        completely open with beautiful crops
                                            ture who are informed on the issues
                                                                                        and when you see the community, it is
The things I've learned are vast and        and who are able to talk with the
                                                                                        completely contained.
varied, ranging from setting up a social    media and the general public knowl-             I believe th-at government      (and in
event to acting on a piece of legisla-      edgebly. Farm Bureau can do much to          this context I mean local people) will
tion."                                      surface these people and to provide         be taking hold of this land use ques-
    She'd like to do even more, she         them with the information and training
                                                                                         tion. Unless farmers are involved in
says, "but there are only 24 hours in a     that will prepare them to respond on        discussing and making these deci-
day."                                       behalf of their industry.                   sions, we may see some unwanted
    There are only 24 hours in a day,                                                   changes in the land use rights we have
but this outstanding         young    farm  In the past, government has inter-          known traditionally.
woman has learned how to fill them         ferred in the markets for agricul-
productively and with lasting rewards.      tural products. What are the impli-         (continued on page 27)
 RURAL LIVING.   JANUARY    1982                                                                                                   25


Discussion Topic
    Part of the fun in going to a smor-                                            County FBs provide the coverage
 gasbord is in choosing only those items                                           without any extra cost to their mem-
 of food which appeal to the appetite.           Getting More                      bers.
 In a sense, Farm Bureau offers mem-                                                  The Accidental Death and Dismem-
 bers a smorgasbord of special service             From Your                       berment Policy provides much needed
 programs. Each member has the op-                                                 coverage for accidental death and cer-
 portunity to pick and choose those
 used.
                                                  Membership                       tain injuries, excluding death or injury
                                                                                   resulting from automobile accidents.
    This month we focus on services of-                By Ken Wiles                   Accidental Death and Dismember-
 fered Farm Bureau members, but                                                    ment provides a death benefit of
 which are often overlooked or forgot-                                             $2,000 for a named member and
 ten.                                                                              spouse and $1,000 on each depen-
                                                                                   dent child. Coverage is also provided
        Member Life Insurance
                                                                                  for serious injury accidents.
    FB members have the opportunity                                                   This is only a general description of
 to purchase up to $10,000 in life in-                                            the benefits provided by the Acciden-
 surance for the entire family for less                                           tal Death and Dismemberment Policy;
 than 7 cents per day through the                                                 details are available from county FB
 Member Life Insurance program.                                                   secretaries.
    With this individual, decreasing-
 term life insurance policy, all members                                              Power Transmission Products
 age 18 through 70 pay the same pre-                                                  FB members can receive substantial
 mium: $25. The coverage is renew-                                                discounts on power transmission prod-
 able on an annual basis with no physi-                                           ucts, conveyer components, electrical
 cal examination through 70 years of                                              motors, hydraulic components, gears,
 age. To keep the Farm Bureau Mem-                                                chains, belts, sprockets and more. In
ber Life Insurance in force, members                                              addition, members can also get free
simply renew their policy and mem-                                                engineering and technical assistance in
bership each year.                                                                developing a certain machine to ac-
    The amount of coverage purchased                                              complish a specific purpose.
is determined by members' age and                                                    These discounts and technical ser-
last birthday and whether they have a    benefits at no additional cost. In the   vices are available from one of the
spouse or children who are covered by    year before that, renewing members       leaders in power transmission prod-
the policy. Coverage available to        received a 100 percent increase in       ucts - Mackay Industrial Sales, with
members varies with age and family       scheduled benefits for the policy year.  three locations in Michigan.
composition. This feature makes the          FB members who wish to enroll in        Here is what members can receive
insurance plan especially valuable to    the Member Life program should do        from Mackay:
members who are in their early and       so within 90 days of becoming mem-           •Mackay will sell its products to FB
middle adult years, when family finan-   bers, and may do so during this period        members at the industrial users'
cial responsibilities are usually heav-  without a physical examination being          price.
iest.                                    required. Persons who have been             •Mackay will provide FB members
   Protection automatically expands      members for longer than 90 days may           with free warehouse storage of the
when an FB member marries and as         still apply for Member Life insurance,        product the member purchases.
children arrive. Children are covered    but may be required to provide evi-         •Mackay will provide free engineer-
from the age of 15 days to age 22 or as  dence of insurability.                        ing and technical assistance in de-
long as the children are single and do       For more detailed information about       veloping a certain machine to ac-
not own a Farm Bureau Member Life        this insurance program, contact a             complish a specific purpose for the
Policy of their own.                     Farm Bureau Insurance agent, who              member.
   Since the program is participating,   will explain the program in detail.         To take advantage of this member-
benefits may increase as loss experi-                                            only service, FB members should con-
ence in the program permits. In the               Accidental Death and           tact their nearest Mackey outlet and
latest policy period (April 1, 1981 to         Dismemberment Insurance           tell them what is needed. Mackay
March 31, 1982), benefits for renew-         Accidental Death and Dismember-     outlets are located in Galesburg - 68
ing members were increased by 125        ment Insurance is an exclusive benefit  E. Michigan, phone 616-665-4214;
percent over their original schedule     for FB members and their families.      Grand Rapids - 2131 Kalamazoo
26                                                                                            RURAL LIVING, JANUARY 1982


                                                                     Your Membership In The
                                                               MICHIGAN FARM BUREAU
                                                                        Now Makes Available
Ave. S.E., phone 616-241-1671;
 Muskegon      - 825 Western,
                                        and
                                      phone
                                                            Institutional
 616-726-3286.
    When ordering in person, a current
 Farm Bureau membership card must
 be presented. When an order is placed
                                                        Liquid Assets
 by phone or mail, members must state
 the color of their membership card and                               Designed to provide daily
 their county FB number.                                money market income with Two Portfolios:
                 Questions
    In your opinion, has there been suf-
                                                PRIME OBLIGATIONS                              GOVERNMENT
 ficient publicity on service-to-member                     .12.89%                                 .11.99%
 programs?
    How should members be kept in-                  Investment Advisor,                           GOLDMAN,
 formed about service-to-member         pro-          Administrator and                          SACHS & CO.
 grams?
    What new service-to-member          pro-           Sole Distributor
 grams would be most beneficial?
                                              • Seven day annualized net investment income yield, computed by dividing the
                                             Portfolio's average daily net investment income per unit for the period ended
                                             December 10, 1981 by 51.00 and multiplying the result by 365. On that date
 Ready ... Get Set.                          the average portfolio maturities in Prime Obligations was 36 days and in
                                             Government was 38 days. The yields change in response to fluctuations in in-
Talk!                                        terest rates on portfolio investment and operating expenses.
 (continued from page 25)
                                             A prospectus containing more complete information including
 What is the Importance of contIn-           management fees and expenses, will be sent upon receipt of the at-
ued agricultural research and who            tached coupon. Send the coupon to Michigan National Bank, Trust
should bear this expense?                    Department, 77 Monroe Center, P. O. Box 2804, Grand Rapids,
    In the U.S. today, 65 percent of all     Michigan 49501. Read the prospectus carefully before you invest or
agricultural research is done by the         send money. For current yield information call toll free
private sector. In order to keep re-         800-621-2550.
search headed in a positive direction
for the general benefit of agriculture
and consumers, research needs to be
funded equally from both the private
and public.. sectors.                        o     Please send me a prospectus.
    Presently in the Michigan agricultur-
al experiment       stations, about 600      Name (as it appears       on membership     records)
basic and applied projects are funded
by a $22 million annual budget. About
$11.5 million comes from the state           Address
and $3.5 million from the federal gov-
ernment; the rest comes from dona-           City                                    State                Zip
tions from individuals and institutions
such as the Kellogg Foundation.              Membership       No.
    Monies into research must be con-
stant and be stable. We can't let the
dollars for research be affected by fluc-    Mail to:     Money Market Fund Program
tuations in the economy.          To ,do so              for Michigan Far~ Bureau Members                         Goldman
would be short-sighted. Research has
                                                          Michigan National Bank, Trust Department                Sachs
about a 20-year time span from devel-
                                                          P.O. Box 2804, 77 Monroe Center
opment to overall acceptance and im-
pact in the industry and on con-                          Grand Rapids, MI 49501
sumers.
RURAL LIVING.     JANUARY    1982                                                                                          27


 Agrinomic Update
                         1982 Farm Economic Outlook
      With the bludgeoning of grain and        if any, improvement in farm income.
  livestock prices in early December, it       While demand will show only sluggish
  will come as no surprise that estimates      gains, supplies of livestock, particular-
  for farm income have once again been         ly hogs, will increase so that we do not
  lowered. Indeed, with the recession          expect any price appreciation in the
  likely to last through the first quarter of  livestock prices during the third quar-
  1982 and followed by only sluggish           ter.
  growth for the rest of the year, live-          The second stage of the tax cut, and
  stock prices will be $3 to $5/ cwt.         the concomitant increase in personal
  lower in mid 1982 than in the first two     saving, should lead to a further reduc-
 weeks of December. We believe that           tion in interest rates, much as is hap-
 the low prices in mid December may           pening currently although without the
 have finally formed a bottom on the          accompanying unpleasant side effects
 commodity markets.                           of the recession .
   . The current quarter will be par-             This further drop in interest rates
 ttcularly poor, with realized net farm       should be sufficient to boost the
 income declining from $23 to $21 bil-        economy      in the fourth quarter of
 lion in spite of a reduction in produc-      1982, bringing with it further improv-
 tion expenses from $143 to $141              ment in the agricultural situation as
 billion due to lower costs of feedstuffs     well. As a result, we see farm income
 and feeder cattle and pigs. However          rising an additional $2 billion in the last
 with cash prices of cattle and hog~          quarter of next year, which would
 down more than 10 percent, total live-       bring realized net income to the $26
 stock cash receipts ar~ expected to          billion mark.
 decline trom $68 to $65 billion.                 Taking the year'as a whole, realized
     The situation then brightens a little    net income is expected to average just
 in the first quarter of 1982, as net farm
 income is projected to increase slightly
                                              under $24 billion for 1982, compared
                                              to slightly under $20 billion for this
                                                                                                 Kovacic Joins
 less than $1 billion. This is due to a
 slight increase in both crop and live-
                                              year. Thus in real terms, farm income
                                              will show virtually no increase from its
                                                                                                   MFB Staff
 stock prices and some boost in grain         depressed levels of 1981.
                                                                                             Michael R. Kovacic joined the Mich-
 exports. However, farm income will               The outlook for 19~3 should be
                                                                                          igan Farm Bureau Commodity Activi-
still remain depre~sed in this quarter as     somewhat      brighter, and we expect
                                                                                          ties and Research Department in late
well.                                         that farm income will rise to $28 billion
                                                                                          November 1981.
     In the second quarter of 1982, the       the year after next. The major factors
                                                                                             According to Robert Craig, manag-
end of the inventory liquidation and          contributing to this relative optimism
                                                                                          er of CARD, Kovacic's major staff
the recession should bring a marginal         are the strength of the economy, re-
                                                                                          responsibilities will be for the depart-
improvement        to both gross and net      covery of exports as Europe ,gets back
                                                                                          ment's animal agriculture activities, in-
farm income as well as the rest of the        on its feet, and some retrenchment in
                                                                                          cluding serving as animal care project
economy. We look for realized net in-         the corn and soybean crops from the
                                                                                          leader, and to assist in economic
come to rise approximately $2 billion         record and near-record        1981 crop
                                                                                          research and development projects.
in the second quarter as livestock            year figures.
                                                  Even this, however,        will leave      Kovacic is a native of Durand. He is
prices show greater strength, particu-                                                    a graduate of Michigan State Universi-
larly the greater than usual spring rally     farmers well behind the 1979 perfor-
                                              mance of $27 billion in real terms.         ty where he received his bachelor and
in beef prices.                                                                           master degrees in agricultural educa-
    Major crop prices will also continue                                                  tion.            '
to strengthen slowly but these gains                                                         Prior to joining the Farm Bureau
                                              Agrinomic Update is prepared
will be minimal except for soybeans,                                                      staff, Kovacic was an MSU Extension
                                              monthly by the Commodity Activities
which should be up 50 cents/bushel.                                                       Service agricultural agent in Lenawee
                                              and Research Department; Robert G.
    The second stage of the tax cut ar-                                                   County. Other ag related experience
                                              Craig, manager; Kenneth Nye, com-
rives at midyear, and while some may                                                      includes two years as vocational agri-
                                              modity specialist, crops; and Michael
think that would increase consump-                                                        culture instructor and partnership in a
                                              Kovacic, commodity specialist, live-
tion, we believe that Its major Impact        stock and poultry.                          family dairy farm. He currently serves
will be felt on saving, so look for Uttle,                                                as the state FFA Alumni chairperson.
28                                                                                                    RURAL LIVING. JANUARY 1982


                       Respected Educator Urges Appointment to
               Improve State's Judicial and Ed'ucational Systems
   Earlier this year, the Michigan Farm     then campaigning all over the state for
Bureau endorsed a proposed constitu-        election.    These positions       pay no
tional amendment        to shorten Michi-   salaries and require a good deal of
gan's long ballot. Lt. Gov. James           time and attention.
Brickley has been one of the chief             It should be remembered that prior
sponsors of the amendment.         A com-   to the current constitution, the election
mittee, Citizens for an Improved            of members of the educatio'n boards
Ballot, has been organized to collect       and the Supreme Court wer~ held in
the 400,000       signatures    needed to   the spring of each alternate year in
place this amendment         on the ballot  order to de-emphasize        political par-
and to promote it at election time.         tisanship.
   Specifically, this proposal       would     The elimination of the spring elec-
provide for appointment by the gover-       tions by the last constitutional conven-
nor with the approval of the Senate,        tion was conceived and approved as a
rather than election of Supreme Court       cost-saving device.
justices, appellate judges, members of          Under the present         system,   the
the State Board of Education and            political parties' conventions have too
members of the governing boards of          often used their nominating proce-
the University of Michigan, Michigan        dures to balance their state tickets at
State University and Wayne State Uni-       the expense        of our educational
versity.                                    boards.
   I believe this is a very important          Too often the candidates are picked
undertaking which will significantly im-    in the rush of adjournment         of party               JOHN HANNAH
prove both the judicial and education-      conventions and are unknown to vir-
al systems of MicAiQan.                     tually all of the voters at election time.
    Michigan elects more individuals to        Thirty-two states have moved to          State University and Wayne State Uni-
 the executive branch of state govern-      some form of merit selection for some       versity, exercise a great responsibility
ment than any other state in the            or all judges.                              that will profoundly affect the lives of
Union. This proposal would dramati-            Forty-four states have an appoint-       our children and grand children for a
cally shorten Michigan's long and con-      ment process for educational posts,         long time to come. Let us take this first
fusing ballot. It would require that not    and of the six remaining, only Michi-       step now.
more than five of the nine members of       gan elects more than one central                                   Dr. John Hannah
each board would be of anyone               university governing board. And only                                Former President
political party.                            Michigan has a system where the high-                     Michigan State University
   From my perspective as a long time       est judicial offices in the state -
former president of Michigan State          Supreme Court justices - are forced to
University, this is a much needed           seek a partisan nomination so that
change.                                                                                  Farm Bureau delegates at the 1981
                                            they can run in a non-partisan elec-
                                                                                         annual meeting adopted policy favor-
   The state constitution now provides      tion.
                                                                                         ing the appointment for these judicial
that members of the boards charged              In the grand scheme of things, a re-
                                                                                         and education posts and the official
with the managment            of Michigan   form like this rarely stimulates great
                                                                                         policy further urges Farm Bureau
Tech, Western Michigan, Northern,           public attention. It does not directly af-
                                                                                         members to support the constitutional
Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan,         fect the pocketbooks of the people. It
                                                                                         amendment      being petitioned by the
Ferris State, Oakland, Grand Valley,        is not going to have an immediate ef-
                                                                                         Citizens for an Improved Bal/ot. If you
Saginaw Valley and Lake Superior            fect on people's lives.
                                                                                         would like to help gather signatures to
State are appointed by the governor •          It will take a great deal of work to
                                                                                         support this constitutional amendment
subject to approval by the Senate.          collect the 400, 000 signatures needed
                                                                                         petition, contact your county Farm
That system has worked very well.           to place this issue on the ballot.
                                                                                         Bureau office, the MFB Public Affairs
   Experience has demonstrated         that    I hope that all of those in the agricul-
                                                                                         Division, or write directly to the
there are a great many qualified per-       tural community will join in helping to
                                                                                         Citizens for an Improved Ballot,
sons who would gladly accept ap-            collect the signatures.
                                                                                         P.O. Box 10115,          Lansing,  Mich.
pointment to these boards. Many of             The State Board of Education, with
                                                                                         4890 1. Your petiton will arrive by
the most able have no enthusiasm for        its responsibility for public education in
                                                                                         return mail.
going through the current require-          the primary and secondary schools of
ments for seeking nominations from          this state and the governing boards of
the partisan political conventions and      the University of Michigan, Michigan
RURAL LIVING.    JANUARY     1982                                                                                                29


                                              Farm Bureau Market Place
                FARM EQUIPMENT                                       MC Grain Dryer. continuous flow. New Idea picker sheller.                Now! Farm Meat Cutting Guide! Get quality cuts! Both beef.
                                                                     good condition. S3.000 each. Twining. Mich. 517-867-4333 or             pork! Completely illustrated! S1.00. Hamllton's. Box 652.13\,
  For Sale: Used Storage Tanks, 6000 to 20.000 gallon                                                                                         New Ulm. Minn. 56073.                                   (l-2Op.ts)
                                                                     873-3242.                                               (l0-4t.15p)
  capacity. Vertical or horizontal. Phone 616-798.1805.
                                                  (l0-12t-15p-ts)
  Irrigation Equipment - Complete line - Lockwood center                                 LIVESTOCK                                                           MISCELLANEOUS
  pivots - Rainbow and Alumax travelers. pipe and pumps. We
  repair pipe and make up pumping units. Plummer Supply.            CORRIEDALE         SHEEP breeding stock. 313-429-7874.                   Good Oean Rental Type Work Oothes: 6 pants and 6 shirts.
  Bradley. Mich. 616-792-2215.                    (l1.12t.27p-ts)                                                            (12. 12t.5p)     S24.95. postpaid. Send sizes with order to: Walt.s Wholesale.
  Manure Pumps. agitators. pipe and travelers for sale to pump      25 Crossbred ewes bred to purebred Suffolk ram. 2 - 3/4 Slm-             251 Pearl Street. Darlington. S.C. 29532.            (6.9t.26p.ts)
  manure directly from lagoon or pit to field. We also custom       mental yearling bulls. 906-482-3375.                          (l-14p)    "SO Ways To See Thru People." Secrets exposed! Protect
  pump. Plummer Supply. Bradley. Mich. 616-792.2215.                Production Tested Angus breeding stock and Crossbred                     yourself1 Command condilions! S1. Newllfe. Box 684-MF.
                                                  (l1-12t-27p-ts)   Oub Calves. reasonably priced. Delivery available. Bordner               Boulder City. Nevada 89005.                          (8-6t.I9p-ts)
  New All Wire Cages and Equipment, also Pedigreed Meat             Angus Farms. Sturgis. Mich. 616-651-3456.                 (l-3t-22p)     Auction and Appraisal Service. Antiques - Agriculture -
  Production New Zealafld White Rabbits. Dehmer's Bunny             For Sale: Registered Gray Dercheron Stallion Coming                      Commercial. Jim Erskine. Freeland (Saginaw County)
  Patch. a full time commercial rabbitry. Carson City. Mich.        Two. Ravenna. Mich. 616-853-2476.                             (l-llp)    517-695-9182.                                          (l0-6t-12p)
  517-584-3765.                                         (9-61-25p)  For Sale: Puretired Simmental Bull. 19 mos. old. Larry                   Uncaln Log home model ready for Inspection. Bart & Hope
  For Sale: Howard Rotavator, Model E-SO. $1500. One row            Kindel. St. Johns. 517-224-4049.                          (l-2t-12p)     McFarlane. Spring Arbor. 517-7SO-2025.               (l-21-14p-ts)
  rldger and fumagator. S6OO. Both excellent condition.             Registered Holstein Yearling Bull. Glen Valley Star son from             Auction Sale of Farm Implements of the late Allen Rush. 4
  517.375-2529.                                       (l1-4t-16p)   Bootmaker VG with 21.670M 3.9% 841F. Others from Tony.                   miles west of Romeo then 2 miles south at 64510 Dequlndre on
  FOR SALE: 18.000 gaUon anhydrous ammonia storage                  Lucky Royal. Cinnamom. Also. 3 strong grade heifers due Jan.             Sal .. Jan. 16 at 10:30. Farmall 706 tractor. New Idea front end
  tanks. $15.000. Phone 616-754-3685.                 (l2-2t.llp)   and 800 bales choice 3rd cuhlng alfalfa hay. George Robb.                loader. AllisChalmers 200 tractor. John Deere grain drill. 2 hay
  MarshaU's Tractor Tune-up Manual gives basic tune.up              Fowlerville. Mlch.. phone 517-223-9462.                       (l-41p)    and grain conveyors. New Idea manure spreader. metal corn
  specifications on almost 400 popular tractor models 1965-up. A                                                                             crib. 2 Allen grain busters. New Holland 273 baler. Whirl a
  must for farm and dealer mechanics. $14.50 postpaid. Marshall                                                                              Feed. New Holland Blower 1/27. New Holland 2 row field chop-
  Publications. Dept. M-l. Box 1190. Minnetonka. Minn. 55343.                                  DOGS                                          per 1/770. near new N.H. flailchopper. 2 Chevy trucks. Triple K
                                                     (l-2t-34p-ts)                                                                           cultivator. wagons and many other Items. This is only a partial
 Antique Tractor Books! Make Ideal Gifts! New! Newl                For Sale: Australian Shepherd Puppies. Mother good cow                    listing. Marvin Rush. Prop. Security Bank of Richmond. Clerk.
 Titles. Just released! "FARM TRACTORS 19SO-1975." covers          dog. Four males: seven females - all beautifully marked with col-         Paul G. Hillman. Auclloneer. 313-752-2636.          (11-3t.115p)
 tractor deslgn. performance. turbocharging. tran~mlssioris. com-  ors of Australian Blue. red merrll (brown). black and while.              Keep Informed Services. Current Information. Research.
 fort. etc .. 415 photos. 176 pages. $15.95. "THE AGRICUL-         Ready to leave Iiller Dec. 22. Phone Big Rapids 616-7%-0982.              Reasonable charge. Box 420. Okemos. Mich. 48864.
 TURAL TRACTOR 1855-19SO." 300 photos. specifications.                                                                           (l-37p)                                                           (l1-5t-13p)
 component drawings: and mechanical features. 160 pages.                                                                                     Can't KII1 Roaches? Oh yes you can! Sure - quick -
 $13.95. "FARM TRACTORS IN COLOR." 80 years tractor                                                                                          economical recipe. make In your own kitchen! Send S1.00 &
 history. 118 true color photos. 183 pages. hardcover. SI1.95.                        REAL ESTATE                                            S.A.S.E. to L.J.M .. Route I. Box 38A. Lawrence. Mich. 49064.
 SPECIAL! Complete collector's library. all 3 above books.                                                                                                                                               (l-28p)
                                                                   AU Farms - need farms for Midwest and internallonal buyers.               9~ efficient kerosene, fuel oil, propane heaters. Save 35%
 $38.95 postpaid. "THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN
                                                                   Top dollar. Details: John Peck. Four Seasons Realty of Lansing.           on fuel costs. UL.AGA approved. Buy distributor direct. Free
 FARM TRACTORS." covers tractors from 18905 to 1979. 1500
                                                                   517-482-4555.                                         (4-13t-20p-ts)      literature. prices. IRS Dist.. Box 8. Curran. Mich. 48728. 517-
 photos. 352 large pages. full descriptions. hard leatherelle
                                                                   245 Acres - Eastern U.P. Almost all tillable. on black top                848-5168.                                               (l-2t-28p)
 cover. S26.95. "ISO YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL HAR-
                                                                   road. with stream. terms available. 313-995-0859.        (12-2t-18p)      Home and Farm Air Filters: Permanent and disposable for
 VESTOR." covers tractors and all equipment. 416 large pages.
                                                                   $1.000,000 Farms Wanted - Can be stocked or equipped. In                  heating. A/C. and ventilation systems. All sizes. For brochure
 2000 photos. hard leatherehe cover. S26.95 postpaid. Free cir-
                                                                   Tuscola. Lapeer. Huron. Sanilac counties. Write or call national          write: Genesee Air Filter Company. Box 492. Grand Blanc.
 cular. many more titles. Diamond Farm Book Publishers. Dept.
                                                                   farm brokers at United Farm Agency. 1764 M-24 Caro. Mich.                 Mich. 48439                                                 (\-29p)
 MFN. Box 537. Alexandria Bay. NY 13607. Phone 613-
                                                                   48723. Phone 517-673-6888. Free! Farm and business catalogs               Book - "Shining Through" - 120 pp. with illustrations.
 475.1771.                                          (l2-4t-132p)
                                                                   upon request.                                              (l-3t-27p)     Beautiful rural romance 1897-99. based on diary and lellers.
                                                                                                                                             $3.70 postpaid. R. McKim. Box 168. Holt. Mich. 48842.
                         FIRESTONE                                              FOR HOMEMAKERS                                                                                                 (l-12t-25p-ts)
                                                                                                                                             How to weld on the farm and save money. FaCts that work.
                    HEAVY DUTY                                     SewIng Supplies, Pearl Snap Fasteners - 191 colors and                   Send $3.00 to Marshall. Box 632. Altavista. VA 24517.
                                                                   styles. Free catalog. Bee Lee Company. Box 20558-MF. Dallas.                                                                  (l-2t.21p-ts)
             TRUCK TARPAULINS                                      Texas 75220.                                          (2-12t-19p-ts)     Ash Remover Shovel: A new way to remove those unwanted
       16'x20'                                          $32        Great Sausage Recipes, illustrated book with over 100 recipes            ashes from your wood stove or fireplace insert without soot and
                                                                   explaining sausage making. curing. smoking. Free equipment               ashes everywhere. Write for free brochure. Wood Stove Ac-
      18'x24'                                           $38                                                                                 cessories. Inc.. P.O. Box 85. Mechanicsville. VA 23111.
                                                                   and supply catalog: SAUSAGEMAKER. 177-56 Military. Buf-
      20'x30'                                           $48        falo. N.Y. 14207 ..                                    (9-9t-25p-ts)                                                          (l-3t-38p-ts)
      26'x40'                                           $89        Sausagemakers,        great! German recipes. no nitrates!                Work Shirts and Pants - reconditioned - low as $2.35 each.
                                                                   Frankfurters. Summer. Bologna. Headcheese. Venison. Pork-                Also. new coveralls. jackets. gloves. boots. shoes. For Informa.
                 Before Midnight Feb. 6                                                                                                     tion catalog. send S1.00. Sara Glove Co .. Box 4069-C-95.
                                                                   sausage! S 1.00. Hamiltons. Box 652-131. New Ulm. Minn.
  As part of an advertising test Firestone Tarp Mfg                56073.                                                     (l-2Op-ts)    Waterbury. Conn. 06704.                              (l-5t-29p-ts)
  will send any of the above truck size tarpaulins
  to any reader of this publication who reads and
                                                                   ---------------------------------
                                                                        CLASSIFIED AD POLICY: Members pay 10 cents per word for non-commerical ads and 15 cents per word for ads which pro-
                                                                        mote a commercial business other than agriculture. All other advertisers pay 20 cents per word for one Insertion and 15 cents per
  responds to this test before midnight Feb. 6.
                                                                        word for two or more consecutive Insertions. The deadline for advertisements is the 15th of the month preceding publication and
  Each tarpaulin Lot (#Z-18, PVC) is constructed                        the publisher has the right to reject any advertising copy submihed. Advertisements should be submitted on the form below. AU
  of high density fabric (with virgin grade ingre-                     ads must be pre-paid and may be pre-paid up to one year In advance. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to re-insert the ad
  dient. suppled by Gulf Oil Co .. Dow Chemical                         on a month-by-month or year-by-year basis. Send ads to Michigan Farm News Rural Llulng, P.O. Box 30960. lansing,
                                                                       Mich. 48909. No ads will be taken over the phone.
  Co .• and Union Oil Co.) with nylon reinforced
  rope hems. double lock stitched hems. elec-                          Name                                                                                                                                 _
  tronically welded seams. 100% water proof. #4
  (112" dia.) metal grommets set on 3 ft. centers                      Address                                                                                                                            _
  with reinforced triangular comer patches and
  are recommended          for all heavy duty use and all
 bulk or pallet riding materials. and will be ac-
                                                                       01 am a Farm Bureau member. This is a non-commercial ad and lam enclosing 10 cents per word.
 companied with a LIFETIME guarantee that it
  must perform 100% or it will be replaced free.                       01 am a Farm Bureau member. This ad promotes a business other than agriculture and lam enclosing 15 cents per word.
 Add $7 handling & crating for each tarp or-                           Please run the following ad In the --                                                  Issue(s) of Michigan Farm News Rural L1ulng.
 dered. Firestpne Tarp Mfg pays all shipping.                          AD COPY (please print clearly):
 Should you wish to return your tarpaulins you
 may do so for a full refund. Any letter
 postmarked later than Feb. 6 will be returned.
 LIMIT: Fifty (50) tarps per address. no excep-
 tions. Send appropriate sum together with your
 name & address to: Tarp Test Dept.. #l,19G.
 Firestone Tarp Mfg. Inc .. 6314 Santa Monica
 Blvd .. Hollywood. CA 90038. for fastest ser-
 vice from any part of the country call collect.
 before midnight 7 days a week (213) 462-1914
 (ask operator for) TARP TEST # 119G have
 credit card ready.                                                L .:~~::-_--_-_-                                                                                        Total Enclosed                  _
30
                                                                                                                                                                  -----------
                                                                                                                                                                RURAL LIVING. JANUARY 1982


    AOROX@D-LPWS.
    works aswell in your
    planter as it does fOr
    your corn seed
 AGROX D-L Plus has been developed by
 Chipman to provide corn seed with critical
 protection from seed corn maggots and
 wireworms. The proven combination of
 lindane and DIAZINON@ provides excellent
 insect control at economical cost.
 The plus is captan as a supplement to               .
 previous fungicidal treatment, to give.your
 crop added protection against seedling
 diseases.
 Best of all, AGROX D-L Plus has been
carefully formulated to provide all this
 protection with no interference to your
planting operations. AGROX D-L Plus will not
cause bridging, clog plates, slow down air
planters or block monitors. AGROX D-L Plus
works well with MAX-EMERGE@ (Deere and
Co.) or International air planters.
 University trials have shown the combination
of DIAZINON and lindane in AGROX D-L
Plus, applied in the planter box, provides
significantly better control of seed corn
maggot than soil applied granular
insecticides at a fraction of the cost.                Keep the goo.d things growing
A convenient 2 ounce pack treats one bushel
of corn seed.
~ AGROX is a registered trademark    of Chipman  Inc.,
Canada
qj) DIAZINON is a registered trademark of Ciba-Geigy
Chemical Corporation, Greensboro. NC
~ MAX-EMERGE      is a trademark  of Deere and Co.
Read the label before using any agricultural chemical.
See Your Farm Bureau Services Dealer


        Tax Savings and High Interest now,
and a Lifetime Retirement Income later ...
      Our IRA (Individual Retirement Account) does
                more than just wait for you to retire.
       As self-employed business people, farmers need to set up their own retirement plans. FB An-
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       You'll earn high interest rates on your deposits and enjoy tax savings year after year (you can
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      The bottom line is simple: we can guarantee you ~ generous retirement income for as long as
 you live, continuous tax savings, competitive interest rates, and knowledgeable service. Call your
 Farm Bureau Insurance agent today to learn more about the advantages of an IRA. We've been
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                         We're working to make your future
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                                    INSURANCE
                                                  GROUF!
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                                                            MOVING? To change your address. clip out your present address label (alleft)
                                                            and this form and send to Rural Living. P.O. Box 30960. Lansing. Mich. 48909.
                                                            Please try to give us for weeks' notice.
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