SCS Aids 25,000
Landowners in ’72
The end-of-the-year report of
the Soil Conservation Service
showed that more than 25,000
landowners received technical
help last year in solving land use
problems in Pennsylvania.
The report released by State
Conservationist, Benny Martin,
showed that over 1500 local units
of government were assisted in
selecting and improving land for
new developments including
schools, parks, residential areas
and sites for industrial centers
and solid waste disposal.
In 1972 five flood prevention
dams in small watershed
projects were completed by the
SCS. Seven other dams were
partially completed. Several of
the dams will create recreation
lakes for public use.
During Hurricane Agnes the
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small watershed project dams
and conservation practices on the
farmlands of Pennsylvania
prevented $l5 million in
damages. I.ie 47 dams com
pleted, to date, under the small
watershed program also trapped
thousands of tons of sediment and
significantly reduced crop and
land damages.
The SCS reviewed 60 requests
for local flood prevention
projects following Hurricane
Agnes. Emergency Flood control
funds were used in stream
restoration work and over 4,000
farmers were given on-site
assistance in restoring their land
damaged by the storm.
Environmental improvement
work, popular among farmers
during the year, included the
establishment of 24,000 acres of
strip cropping to control erosion,
construction of 800 small water
supply sites, planting of 8,000
acres of trees and building 120
miles of terraces. And, hundreds
of acres were managed for
upland game and waterfowl
habitats.
During the year one million
acres of land in the Com
monwealth were surveyed to
determine the soil types and
potential uses of the land. The
information will be used by
planners, land developers and
consulting firms in planning and
designing roads, recreation
facilities, water supply dams and
in other land use planning in the
rural and urban areas of the
state.
In two multiple-county projects
covering nine counties in nor
thern Pennsylvania the SCS
assisted the local people in
working on their area’s social,
economic and natural resource
problems. The Service joined
with other USDA agencies in
improving water supply, housing,
flood prevention, and community
facilities including sewage
disposal and fire protection.
Martin pointed out that in 1972
the bulk of the technical
assistance was provided through
Pennsylvania’s 65 county con
servation districts. Today more
than 50,000 Pennsylvania lan
downers are working with
districts in improving farmlands,
controlling erosion, reducing
stream sedimentation and
managing their woodland,
grassland, and recreational
areas.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 10,1973
Feed Stocks Way
Under ’72
Harrisburg - Farm and off
farm stocks of corn, oats and
barley in Pennsylvania totaled
66.8 million bushels on January 1,
down 19 percent from a year
earlier, according to the Crop
Reporting Service. The biggest
change is oats stocks at 10.4
million bushels, down 25 percent
followed by barley at 3.8 million,
down 21 percent, and corn at 52.6
million down 18 percent.
Wheat stocks at 7.0 million
bushels on January 1 were down
12 percent from a year ago.
Hay stocks on farms as of
January 1 at 2.4 million tons were
FFA Club Meets
The morning FFA (floriculture
and horticulture) club held their
monthly meeting at the
Brownstown Vo-Tech School on
Wednesday, January 31.
The club spent a day at the
Harrisburg Farm Show, followed
by an afternoon at the FFA
convention.
Group advisors were Miss Judy
Levine, and Mr. and Mrs. James
Kerr. J. Irvin Shelley ac
companied the group on the trip.
Purchasing of uniforms and the
FFA banquet were discussed at
the meeting with the date of the
banquet set for March 15
Figures
down 16 percent. In addition,
quality has been below average,
adding to the problems faced by
Commonwealth farmers.
A similar situation exists
across the Nation as total grain
and soybean stocks are below a
year ago, except corn which was
slightly above last year. Per
centage changes, nationally, are
oats down 17 percent, barley 3
percent less, sorghum grain
down 11 percent and soybeans 2
percent below last year. All
wheat stocks were down 10
percent.
Honey Dealers
Name Gamber
W Ralph Gamber, president of
Dutch Gold Honey Inc , 911 State
St, Lancaster has been elected
president of the National Honey
Packers and Dealers Assn Other
officers are Robert Steel, Sioux
Honey Co-op, Sioux City, lowa,
vice president, David McGinnis,
Tropical Blossom Co.,
Edgewater, Fla., secretary
treasurer and Howard Graef, of
Graef Honey, Spokana, Wash.,
executive secretary. Members of
the association pack about 225
million pounds of honey annually.
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