Farmers and Land
(Continued From Page 1)
possibility in the next few years.
This would affect land use. A
home rule charter could, for
example, give the county plan
ning commission the power to
enforce its policies. Presently the
■commission can only recommend
a course of action to
municipalities.
If the commission had,..the
power to vigorously enforce its
plans, those fanners who want to
continue farming would probably
be helped. Developments would
be guided toward already settled
areas. Homeowners would be
located away from the sights,
sounds and smells of agriculture.
Big land owners, though, such
as farmers, whose aim was to
speculate on the value of their
holdings, would probably not be
helped by a vigorously pursued
public policy aimed at preserving
open space. Such a policy would
necessarily restrict the use of
certain lands, thereby limiting
the opportunities for speculation.
The planning commission’s
sketch, plan is in two volumes.
The second volume is 50 pages
long and contains the plan’s
overall goals and objectives with
a number of maps to illustrate
FEATURING OUR SECURITY FREE STALL
We make a high Security Free Stall from high grade
boiler type steel that will last and last. A bedding board
is installed and the stall is elevated above the scrape
area. Extra floor space is-given to each animal and a
maximum drinking area is provided. A step along the
feed trough allows easy access to the feed but prevents
manure from falling into the trough.
• VAN DALE, WC.
• MADISON SILOS
CALEB M. WENGER, Inc.
R. D. I DBUMORt CENTER, OUARRYVIIU,, PA.
rAAT
those goals and objectives.
Presented here are certain ex
cerpts from the plan which bear
directly on agriculture.
The entire plan can be viewed
at the Planning Commission
office, 900 East King St., Lan
caster. A Commission
spokesman said the planners
welcome comments from far
mers and other private citizens.
The first goal listed in the
sketch plan says, “Adherence to
land development patterns which
respond to both the needs and
desires of the people and the
limitations and potentialities of
the natural and man-made en
vironment.’’
Under that goal are listed 13
objectives. Among them are:
Preservation of agricultural
land as an appropriate use of
Lancaster County’s outstanding
soils, as a means of preserving
our cultural heritage, as a means
of preserving open space, and as
a means of retaining agriculture
as an important sector of the
economy.
Encouragement of innovation
in land development patterns
through such means as planned
unit developments.
SOLAIR BARNS
DISTRIBUTORS FOR:
Location of tourist-oriented
facilities in such a way that they
do not detract from the basic
assets which have attracted
tourism.
Designation of areas where
extractive industries may be
located with the least possible
negative effect on their
surroundings.
Preservation of areas which
may ultimately be required for
recreational, reservoir, or other
open space sites.
Investigation of the ap
plicability of new town
development to Lancaster
County.
Encouragement of develop
ment where it can be served most
efficiently by public utilities.
Development of a County
zoning ordinance, an official
map, and - or other available
means of guiding development.
Encouragement of con
centrated -development in
terspersed with open space to
maximize the economy of utility
service, to preserve open space
for recreational purposes, and to
provide environmental variety.
Encouragement of nodes of
commercial development as an
alternative to strip development.
Development of a countywide
comprehensive plan for land
use,transportation facilities, and
community facilities to serve as a
Bedding-/
/ ' J retainer
• VAUGHAN • PAMLINE
• MECHANIZED FEED LOT SYSTEMS
Security Stall
'Extra scraper
- 1 clearance
All welded Joints
>2*lx6'" Header board
2\ n Boiler tube*^
guide for future countywide
planning activities and as a guide
for review of local planning
activities.
Encouragement of
revitalization of urban centers as
commercial and residential
areas.
Development of land use
patterns which reflect com
patability of adjacent areas.
Addressing itself specifically to
agriculture, the plan says Lan
caster County contains some of
the most productive farmlands in
Pennsylvania. The agricultural
lands are of considerable
economic importance. They are
also important to the sociological
aspects of the County, and they
provide the much desired and
talked about • “rural” _a
tmosphere. The following ob
jectives concerning agriculture
relate to the Sketch Plan:
a. Preservation of agricultural
land as an appropriate use of
Lancaster County’s outstanding
soils, as a means of preserving
our cultural heritage, as a means
of preserving open space, and as
a means of retaining agriculture
as an important sector of the
economy.
b. Exploration of the “multiple
use concept” for agricultural
*J
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Retain J'A
lu 9 l //\
'fyssss
S? I _
iOu'ivri
PHONE 548-2116
Lancaster Farming. Saturday. May 19.1973
land, whereby agricultural land
js used not only for farming, but
also for outdoor recreation.
c. 'Discouragement of intense
development on valuable mineral
and agricultural lands.
Agricultural operations which
result in the highest levels of
production at the lowest levels of
cost can best occur on Class I and
Class II agricultural soils. Of the
eight million acres of farmland in
Pennsylvania, less than forty
percent (40) fits into these
classes. In Lancaster County,
however, approximately seventy
percent (70) of the agricultural
land fits into the Class I and II
categories. Thus the county food
and fibre producing ability is
important to a much larger
region than that encompassed by
the county boundaries.
The indicated agricultural
areas are those lands which meet
the criteria for agricultural
preservation as established in the
Pennsylvania Agricultural Land
Conservation Plan. This plan,
which was proposed te the
Governor of Pennsylvania in
1969, suggests legislation to
empower county commissioners
to establish one or more
agricultural use areas, with each
area containing not less than
4,000 contiguous acres, fifty-one
percent (51) of which must be in
prime agricultural land. The
major agricultural area on the
Sketch Plan map is roughly in a
belt from east to west through the
north-central portion of the
County; this is also the location of
the Lancaster metropolitan core.
Other major agricultural areas
are south and southwest of
Quarryville and southwest of
' Christiana.
Consumers
Need to Know
Consumerism is not an or
ganized movement of millions
of Americans speaking for a
common cause in their own
behalf. According to Dr. Max
Brunk, professor of market
ing at Cornell University, it
is a movement of many frag
ments with issues frequently
championed by small minori
ties.
Consequently, if we are to
take a rational viewpoint on
various issues, particularly
those involving legislation,
we need to know much more
about consumerism.
Dr. Brunk points out that
we must not make the mis
take of assuming a universal
ity of consumer values. As he
explains it, we all tend to
rationalize what we consider
appropriate values for others
and we have difficulty under
standing and respecting
values other than our own.
Traditionally our economy
has been built around the
market mechanism which has
provided a voting place for
the wants and needs of peo
ple. The uniqueness of this
voting place is»that it re
spects and responds to the
will of minorities as well as
majorities.
In the final an. lysis, he
says, we must recognize that
consumer protection doe® not
come free. It must be pi ' . i
by the consumer, eithei in
added costs or through depri
vation. If consumers were to
be fully protected in all
actions, they would become
nothing more than wards of
the State.
by LEE LANDIS
TRY A
CLASSIFIED ADi
PHONE 626-2191
or 394-3047
5