^ 



Demonstrating his labor saving granary, 

 Curtiss and Wilson Westoby, hired man, 

 stand by sack of corn they have just ground 

 with hammer mill. Grain chute above his 

 head conveys com from bin. No hand 

 shoveling Is necessary. 



corn, oats, and two years of alfalfa. He 

 pastures both the sweet clover and al- 

 falfa, although the alfalfa is generally 

 cut for hay the first year. 



The Curtiss family have always been 

 active Farm Bureau members. Homer's 

 father was a charter member and his 

 brother George was the first treasurer of 

 the Jo Daviess County Farm Bureau. His 

 father was state president of the Farmers' 

 Institute before Farm Bureau was organ- 

 ized. 



Activities are Varied 



Homer has served on the Jo Daviess 

 Farm Bureau board for 15 years, as pres- 

 ident for one term and as secretary in 

 recent years. Active in civic affairs, Cur- 

 tiss is a township supervisor by appoint- 

 ment, a director in the local farmers 

 elevator, and a Moderator of the Stock- 

 ton Universalist church. Locally he^is 

 probably known best for his natural, rich 

 bass voice which for years has found 

 expression in barber shop quartets and 

 larger choral groups. 



Mr. and Mrs. Curtiss have five chil- 

 dren of school and pre-school age: 

 George, 17, Robert, 15, Margaret, 14, 

 Richard, 7, and Cynthia, 4. With this 

 growing family to send to school, educa- 

 tion is an everyday reality for the Curtiss 

 parents. 



Homer's personal creed for Farm Bu- 

 reau stems from his many experiences 

 with education, formal and informal. 

 "Farm Bureau's great opportunity," Cur- 

 tiss firmly believe, "lies in its ability to 

 educate. Bring farm folks together, give 

 them the facts, and they'll find the right 

 answer." 



In their spacious liv- 

 ing room, Mr. and 

 Mrs. Curtiss are sur- 

 rounded by their chil- 

 dren, left to right: 

 Margaret, 14; George, 

 17; Cynthia, 4; Robert, 

 15; and Richard 7. 



i< 



Milk prices to producers have declined 

 approximately 20 per cent from the high 

 point reached in the latter part of 1946. 



These price reductions to producers in 

 many cases have not been passed on to the 

 consumer in the form of lower retail prices 

 for dairy producers, especially fluid milk 

 and cream. It is in the best interests of pro- 

 ducers to see that price declines be reflected 

 in retail prices as promptly as possible, in 

 order that consumption of milk might be 

 maintained or increased. Farmers do not look 

 with favor upon lower milk prices at a time 

 when the prices of commodities which they 

 purchase are increasing. This situation be- 

 comes further aggravated when the decline in 

 producers' prices merely serves to increase 

 handling margins of milk dealers. 



The evaporated milk marketing agreement 

 and license, which set minimum prices which 

 evaporated milk plants must pay for milk, 

 was terminated by the Secretary of Agriculture 

 June 30. This ' condensery code price" has 

 been established pursuant to this agreement 

 and license since June 1, 1935. For several 

 years, the condensery code price has been 

 substantially less than prices actually paid by 

 evaporated milk plants, and it was felt that 

 the marketing agreement and license had be- 

 come obsolete. There is a feeling among 

 producers, however, that the need for a new 

 evaporated milk marketing agreement and 

 order might be necessary in the not too distant 

 future. Consequently, provisions for a new 

 program of this type are under consideration 

 at the present time. ' . 



The Prairie Farms Creameries received more 

 than 50 per cent more butterfat during the 

 first six months of the current fiscal year than 

 they did a year ago. The Prairie Farms 

 Creameries are rapidly expanding their opera- 

 tions toward a more diversified program. In 

 this connection, condensing pans are being 

 installed currently in Galesburg, Mt. Sterling, 

 and OIney to improve their facilities for 

 processing milk. 



Based upon U. S. D. A. figures, dry skim 

 milk powder is being produced in larger quan- 

 tities than during the war when needed so 

 urgently. Authorities say that the increase 

 in powder production means that the conver- 

 sion from farm separated cream to whole milk 

 deliveries is continuing in spite of recent 

 price relationships, and, that fluid milk con- 

 sumption has contracted to make more skim 

 milk available for manufacture into non-fat 

 dry milk solids. 



Shaded area on mop Is 13th congressional 

 district represented on the Illinois Agricul- 

 tural Association board of directors by 

 Homer Curtiss of Stockton. 



That dairy farmers in Illinois recognize the 

 need and value of advertising their products 

 was demonstrated by the record-making contri- 

 butions to the American Dairy Association 

 during the month of June. Farmers contri- 

 buted 1 cent per pound of butter-fat marketed 

 during the month to defray the cost of the 

 expanded advertising program of the American 

 Dairy Association for the next year. 



JULY- AUGUST. 1947 



