Michigan Farm News Farm Labor Issues Raise Grower Concerns A Publication of the Michigan Farm Bureau • June 1984 Michigan Farm Bureau Buyer's Service Program Now It's Guaranteed! .. What is the Some Purchases Buyer"s Service? Made by Michigan .. The Michigan Farm Bureau Buyer's Service is a program designed to help save you hundreds Farm Bureau Members of dollars on major purchases that you may make in the coming years. Farm Bureau has Seiko Watch - Savings: $167.00 contracted with The Family Saver Co. to pro- Jenn-Air Range - Savings:$134.00 vide this service. Whirlpool Refrigerator - Savings: $117.00 G.E. Dishwasher - Savings: $140.00 The Family Saver can be your purchasing agen- Styline Table - Savings: $120.00 cy by eliminating much of the middleman's Thomasville Bedroom Suite - Savings: $421.00 high mark-up and pass these savings on to you. St. Johns Furniture - Savings: $580.00 No pressure to buy, only our help in saving Amana Radarange - Savings: $170.00 you money. Amana Refrigerator - Savings: $157.00 Homelite Chainsaw - Savings: $75.00 RCA Video Recorder, Tuner, Camera - Savings: $425.00 How can we Dressher Brass Headboard - Savings: $192.00 Richardson Dining Room Furniture - do this? Savings: $690.00 Whirlpool Washer - Savings: $94.00 Very simple. We order merchandise direct Whirlpool Dishwasher - Savings: $79.00 from the factory or distributor and ship it John Deere Chainsaw - Savings: $50.00 directly to you or to a warehouse near where Zenith Television - Savings: $135.00 you live. We do not have the high cost of in- Bassett Occasional Tables - Savings: $631.00 ventory, or large warehouse and showrooms, sales commissions, etc. As your purchasing ---------------------------- agent to help you save money, we also have Michigan Farm Bureau Buyer's Service Enrollment Form some retailers who are interested in increasing their volume and thus giving them larger buy- Please complete and mail along with your check or ing discounts by brokering their product money order in the amount of $25.00 to: through our great purchasing power. Michigan Farm Bureau Member Service Department P.O. Box 30960 What does it cost? Lansing, MI 48909 Date The Buyer's Service, at a cost of only $25 for the first year and $15 thereafter annually, allows you Membership Number to get unlimited pricing information via a toll free number. This program compares favorably Farm Bureau Membership Name with ones costing up to $795 annually. (as shown on membership card) Satisfaction IS Address Guaranteed! City Use the Family Saver for one full year. If at the State and Zip end of the year you find you could not save at least $25.00 in quick quotes, we will refund your Telephone No. 1 $25.00 fee! Amount Enclosed $ (check or money order) JUNE 1984 FARM NEWS VOL. 63 NO.6 A publication THE COVER Michigan farmers employ 01 the migrant labor to harvest over 20 fruit and vegetable crops Michigan from May through November. Farm Bureau Photo by Marcia Ditchie In this issue: Farm Labor Issues Raise Grower Concerns r; Early season efforts by farmworker organizers coupled with new federal migrant labor laws has Michigan ag employers concerned about potential problems on their fruit and vegetable operations. 10 Home Dairy Marketing Has Fresh Appeal for Today's Consumer A handful of home dairy operators in Michigan are I" building new, local markets with old-fashioned pride. 13 Packaging That Country Feeling In the heart of northern Michigan's cherry country, orchard grower David Amon and his family are offering tourists an on-farm attraction that both entertains and informs. 19 COLUMNS Rural Route - page 4 Rural Exchange - page 16 Country Ledger - page 5 Farm Bureau Market Place - page 18 Legislative Review - page 6 Discussion Topic - page 24 Front and Center - page 15 Agrinomic Update - page 27 Michigan Farm l'Iews RURAL L1VII'IG (ISSI'I 0026-2161): Michigan Farm News Rural Living is published monthly. on the first day. by the Michigan farm Bu- reau Information and Public Relations Division. Publication and editorial offices at 7373 West Saginaw Highway, Lansing. Mich. ~8909. Post Office Box 30960; telephone, Lansing 517-323- 7000, Extension 508. SUBSCRlnlOI'l I"RICE: $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. 3~50~0. Established Jan. 13, 1923 as Michigan Farm News, name changed to Michigan Farm News Rural Living Dee. L 1981. Third.class postage paid at Lansing. Michigan and at additional mailing offices. EDITORIAL: Connie Turbin. Editor; Mar- cia Ditchle, Associate Editor and Business Manager; Donna Wilber, Contributing Editor; Cathy J. Kirvan, Associate Editor. OFFICERS: Michigan farm Bureau; President. Elton R. Smith, Caledonia; Vice President. Jack Laurie, Cass City; Administrative Director. Robert Braden. Lansing; Treasurer and Chief financial Of- Ficer, Max D. Dean; Secretary, William S. Wilkinson. DIRECTORS: District I. Arthur Bailey, SChoolcraft; District 2, Lowell Eisenmann, Blissfield; District 3. James Sayre. Belleville; District ~. Elton R. Smith. Caledonia; District 5, Albert Cook, Mason; District 6, Jack Laurie. Cass City; District 7. Robert Rider, Hart; District 8, l.yle LeCronier, Freeland; District 9. Donald Nugent frankFort; District 10, Margaret Kartes, West Branch; District I L Bernard Doll, Dafter. DIREC- TORS AT LARGE: Dave Conklin. Corunna; Michael Pridgeon, Montgomery; Wayne Wood, Marlette. FARM BUREAU WOMEI'I: faye Adam. Snover. FARM BUREAU YOUI'IG FARMERS: Mark Smuts, Charlotte. POSTMASTER: In using Form 3579, mail to: Michigan Farm News Rural Living. P.O. Box 30960. 7373 West Saginaw Highway. Lansing. Mich. ~8909. Agriculture Pulling Together The 1985 farm bill debate has road to economic well-being, or whatever. In addition to the in- all the potential of dividing develop a united front like terdependency of the various agriculture, pitting commodity they've never seen before and commodities, we need to be group against commodity give them a squeaky wheel they aware that growing public con­ group, farm organization simply cannot ignore. cern about the cost of not just against farm organization, pro­ I think we took a step in the the farm program but other ag ducer segment against agribusi­ latter direction recently when budget items as well, could im­ ness. representatives of 30 farm or­ pact on the future of marketing ganizations, commodity associ­ orders, agricultural research ations and ag-related agencies and conservation — just to We have a choice: accepted MFB's invitation and mention a few. met at Farm Bureau Center in Farm Bureau and other agri­ accept the "help" Lansing to discuss farm bill '85, cultural organizations that Congress decides to the common concerns we share adopt policies have been ac­ and the differences in opinions cused of being too rigid and un­ give us. .or de­ on how to address those con­ willing to make compromises velop a united front cerns. It was a good meeting when the need for a united with open, productive discus­ front arises. Without that com­ like they've never sion. While there was certainly mitment to policies adopted by seen before.... not a consensus of opinion on members, we would be totally what future agricultural policy ineffective with no direction should be, at least we were and no political clout. By start­ This division that traditionally together in the recognition that ing the farm bill '85 dialogue occurs during the drafting of our industry must provide ag­ now, and continuing it in the farm programs gives Congress gressive, knowledgeable input months ahead, the policies all the excuse it needs to shrug into the drafting of a new farm adopted by the various organi­ its collective shoulders, publicly bill. zations may come more closely bemoan the fact that agricul­ I was especially pleased by together so it will be easier to ture can't come up with a the participation of farm lead­ meld into a united front. united front, and go ahead and ers representing non-farm pro­ Solving the complicated prob­ write the kind of legislation gram commodities such as live­ lems of agriculture requires and congressmen believe will bene­ stock and vegetables. It would deserves the best thinking of fit them politically, with little be easy for them to say, "Why those involved in our industry. regard to the ultimate impact should we care? We're not in­ By working together, we can on the industry. That's been go­ volved.'' Their attendance produce that best thinking. ing on for several decades now showed their recognition that and is not likely to change. they are involved. We have a choice: accept the The farm bill debate is about "help'' that Congress decides to our profession, no matter give us under the guise of put­ whether our specialty is dairy, ting agriculture back on the wheat, feedgrains, livestock, President sugar, fruits and vegetables, Michigan Farm Bureau RURAL UVim, JUriE 1984 COUNTRY LEDGER Pride in their industry and Traverse County were convinced their way of life. That's the that requests for their farm special something that charac­ fresh milk products indicated a terizes farm people, but until re "back to basics" consumer cent years it has been a very P-R-I-D-E market in their areas. personal attitude, shared with The venture has proven suc­ family, friends and business in Production cessful for these two farm associates. Today, sharing that families and a handful of "home pride and opening the doors to dairy" operators around the what's really happening down state. Read about this micro- on the farm is more than just marketing approach to serving good public relations; it's good consumer preferences on page business.