Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1979)
The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday February 15, 1979 ELEVEN d ly farmers9 statement attacked by Wh Oregon wheat farmers told Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland today that the nat ion's farmers aren't greedy. "Greed is not the ap propriate word to attach to hard-working farmers across the nation," Earl Pryor, Condon president of the Ore gon Wheat Growers League, said in a letter to Bergland. Pryor's statement came in response to a charge by Bergland that famers demon strating in Washington, D.C., are "motivated by greed." The demonstrators are mem bers of the American Agri cultural Movement. "While we support the basic aims of the American Agri culture Movement, we cer tainly do not approve of the violence that has erupted in Washington," Pryor said. "Farmers across the United States have seen America's economy grow while agricul ture is at a standstill," Pryor said. "Statistics can be used to prove almost anything. While Secretary Bergland states that farm income has risen, I suspect he forgets costs have risen dramatically." Oregon State University's 1978 wheat cost study shows a rise in production costs of 7.6 per cent, Pryor said. The study shows it cost $4.40 to raise a bushel of wheat in Eastern Oregon in 1978. In 1977 the cost was $4.09. Market prices for wheat in Portland recently have been about $3.67 per bushel. How can farmers stay in business? Pryor said the farmers lives on appreciation of land and depreciation of equipment. "On the short term you can stay in business so long as you can pay out-of-pocket costs. But on the long term, you must pay for all the costs." He said that although wheat growers had good years in 1972 and 1973, and cattlemen finally are having a good year, the total balance "is not very bright." U & I GRANULATED ADAMS OLD FASHIONED TTI CREAMY OR CRUNCHY, 36-OZ. SIZE IP! WMr . .ugp ) (s iD f I I mi in. in'r- i , llifttm ChC IS Cat7S Sfi&SJ rr S,ZE DEL MONTE OHIUIUCU UUHiti HIT PARADE OF IfflUlES CREAM STYLE OR WHOLE KERNEL, 17-OZ. SIZE DEL tlIONTE PEAS & GREEN BEAMS FRENCH STYLE OR CUT GREEN BEANS, SWEET PEAS, 16-17 OZ. TREE TO APPL JUBC 32-OZ. wif-ftilHifl ffirf T ft f i 1 1 ff H f 1 17-oz. Size. Dl IIC DEI 1 ULUC DCLL REG.ORRIPLET 60Z. NATURAL POTATO CHIPS DEL MONTE FRUIT COCKTAIL DEL MONTE PINEAPPLE DEL MONTE SEASONED BEANS DEL MONTE TOMATO SAUCE CHICKEN of the SEA CHUNK TUNA HILLS BROTHERS COFFEEzsnu. WHITE OR WHEAT In Its Own Juica. Sliced Chunks or Crushed, 15-oz. Size. Sliced, Green, 16-oz. 15-oz. Size J for Oil or Water Pack, 6.5-oz. TUF W READY PAPER TOWELS 3-Ply Printed, 70.5-sq. ft. Single Roll 49 45 3, 89 3 for 69 $6.99 67 i L en . J 1 1 IS FOR LI r """lPWMl W I LI llll I III IIL PLAIN WRAP, 22Vz-OZ LOAF, YOUR CHOICE CHERRY PIES $d7 DELIKAT 8-INCH SIZE SHUR-FRESH DONUTS 2-INCH SIZE PLAIN. POWDERED OR CRUNCH, PKG.OF12 WESTERN FAMILY, 16-OZ. SIZE BANQUET, 5-OZ. Pnnilil' D ll r Assorted wuumn uhu ' 1 9 $ Varieties Wfor WESTERN FAMILY, 2-LB. 0 nn HASH BROWNS Zfo,89C WESTERN FAMILY, 20-OZ. CALIFORNIA BLEND 03v WtS I fcnlM rAMILY, 20-OZ. bflUSSELS SPROUTS 89C WESTERN FAMILY, 20-OZ. 4(i CAULIFLOWER FLORETS ?1. 15 WESTERN FAMILY, 13Vi-OZ. WHIPPED TOPPING Uf WESTERN FAMILY WAFFLESsozPK, 4,or 1 8-LB. BAG sv .... Pi, 111 hc SLICING PACKED WITH VITAMIN C, SATISFYING BUT NOT FATTENING, GOOD SO MANY WAYS PINK M H Ms m faa II U 1 WHITE TOP POTATOES , 25 HUBBARD SQUASH ,.13 PKfaSH CRISP CELERY . 39 FRESH PINEAPPLES 29 n I THRIFTIVAY i (nrO LARGE BELL PEPPERS FOR Pryor said OSU, report current net farm income for 1977 in the United, Statesfas $20.6 billion. Bufhe true value in 1967 dollars is only $9.2 billion, pointing out how inflation has affected the economy. "Statistics can be made to show anything and I'm not sure I agree with the national average raise of 11 per cent for all farms that Secretary Bergland cites." Pryor said OSU calculated net income for Oregon agri culture in 1977 at $145.1 million, down from $248 mil lion in 1976. Pryor said Oregon wheat farmers traditionally have looked to the market place to improve farm income. "Oregon wheat farmers started foreign market devel opment in the early 1950's. We worked to establish Western Wheat Associates to develop Asian markets and that has been a successful program. What we look for in govern "ntest help concerns these export m&rjjsts," Pryor said. "We don't tnink -greed, has anything to do with raising farm income. It is a matter of survival," Pryor said. Aliens must report U.S. farm holdings Aliens who own or have a financial interest in more than one acre of U.S. farmland or who gross more than $1,000 from any plot of U.S. land must now report their hold ings to the federal govern ment, according to regula tions issued this week by Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland. Under the regulations, aliens of foreign interests who owned farmland before Feb. 6 must report ownership by Aug. 6; those acquiring land after Feb. 6 must report the transfer within 90 days. Reports are made at the county office of the Agricult ural Stabilization and Conser vation Service (ASCS) in the county where the land is located. Failure to report could result in a fine of up to 25 per cent of the property's assessed value. For purposes of this report, the ' department considers agricultural land as any tract of more than one acre now in agricultural, forestry or tim ber production. This generally excludes small plots, such as household gardens. Financial interest in agri cultural land means any portion of ownership in farm land, such a partnership, trust, or shares in a corpora tion that owns farmland. Reporting forms will soon be available in all of the approximately 2,700 ASCS county offices located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Real .estate dealers, farm mana gers, banks, holding com panies or other institutions can report in behalf of foreign clients. Individuals or institu tions that specialize in land holdings, transfer of manage ment, should contact their county ASCS office for details. Senior Citizen News Cont. from page 4 program are being served vegetables just picked in a nearby greenhouse. Using a $7,000 grant, a local anti poverty group built the green house and donated space in it. to the elderly. It's also ' a demonstration, of what solar energy can-do,' says Bill Powers of trie Community Action -Program. 'Farmers around here think they can't afford to invest in solar equipment. We're showing them what $7,000, the sun and 12 volunteers can really do." Wouldn't it be great to have affordable, fresh lettuce and tomatoes in January?
