—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 7, 1977 26 Lancaster County Extension Agent Max Smith, left, and farmer David Buckwalter, Lititz, discuss the costs of beef cattle feeding and marketing, white a movie camera from WGAL-TV zeroes in on Farm story (Continued from Page 1] opinions from these farmers in relation to the future of their industry and of problems they foresee in the future, and on the preservation of farmland. We want to give the farmer an opportunity to impress upon the consumer the value of food in our country today." Since “Out on the Farm" is a program tied with the Cooperative Extension Service, it is not eligible for fun ding from sponsors. Consequently, the Lancaster television station is presenting the 30-minute shows as a public affairs issue. As far as Is known, it is the first show of its type in the Capital Region of Pennsylvania and possibly the entire state. Smith has hopes and plans for more shows later this year or early 1977 once the current serins is exhausted at the end of this month. “We want to feature fanners tor the benefit of the consumer," the county agent affirmed. Smith also points out that he would welcome questions Alternative to UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. • Solid wastes can be economically recovered and Phosphate mine opened NEW YORK, N.Y. - W. R. Grace & Co. has announced the start of production at its Hookers Prairie phosphate mine near Bradley, Fla. where it has a 50 million ton phosphate reserve. The mining operation will in crease Grace’s phosphate rock production by 8,000 tons per day, or 2.8 million tons annually, to a total of 5.1 million tons per year, to meet the increasing demand for fertilizer by the American farmer. Phosphate rock is an essential fertilizer ingredient. Approximately one half of the phosphate from the Hookers Prairie Mine will be used by Grace’s previously announced $3O million phosphoric acid facility-a joint venture with U.S. Steel producing 380,000 tons per year when it becomes fully operational next year. To mine the 7,000 acre tract Grace installed a new dragline-the largest currently in use in Florida mining-capable of ex cavating 65 cubic yards of naterial in one scoop. As mining progresses, the mined out areas will be reclaimed and made available for residential developments, recreation areas, pasture and highway beautification. Over the years Grace has reclaimed more than 2,500 acres in Central Florida. Grace’s total primary and secondary reserves of used as fuel and scrap, said Mark Luttner during an American Agricultural phosphate rock in Florida are 300 million tons. The company estimates that these reserves will sustain production at current levels for about SO years. Grace is also a major producer of nitrogen-based fertilizer materials with ammonia plants at Memphis, Tenn., Big Spring, Tex. and on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. Later this year the company will bring on stream two additional 1,200 ton-per-day ammonia plants; one at Woodward, Okla. which is 50 per cent owned by Grace and the other in Trinidad, in which Grace has a 49 per cent in terest. Viewpoints The basts of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of gov ernment George Washington their conversation. A half-hour program on beef and hog production will be aired next Saturday evening, 7 p.m. over the Lancaster television station. from subscribers to Lancaster Faming in order to have even more complete input into upcoming shows. He may be readied by calling (7X7) 394-6851 or by writing to the Cooperative Extension Service, Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster, Pa. 17604. Having a program such as “Out of the Farm” broadcast over television is an idea Smith envisioned several years ago. “We need to stress the role of agriculture in our community ... show the problems and activities of far mers," he commented. Another point Smith hopes to clarify through the show is that the increasing costs of food do not necessarily mean that the fanner is making a lot of money. “We want to explain the costs which are added on between the producer and the consumer," he emphasized. Response to the program has been favorable so far, according to Smith. People from town have found the show to be interesting because it’s telling them facts they don’t normally have access to. landfill found Economics Association meeting at Pennsylvania State University last year. Luttner is a U.S. En vironmental Protection Agency economist. Conducting a case study in Orrville, (Mo, Luttner and Fred Hitzhusen, resource economist at The Ohio State University, concluded that it was possible for Orrville, with a county population of 87,000, to economically modify an existing coal burning boiler to bum refuse as an alternative to landfill dumping. Resource recovery, until recently has been viewed as economically feasible only in large urban areas where there is high quantity waste generation. Now, it’s being recognized that some smaller communities can practice resource recovery economically if their system includes the recovery of energy from refuse. 'Small municipalities must have existing power plant facilities capable of burning processed refuse in the power-generation process. By burning refuse in an existing plant, the process uses an established system for producing and distributing electricity. The desirability of a resource recovery system increases if a community’s landfill area is limited, if coal prices are rising and if the area can generate 100 to 200 tons of refuse per day. A side benefit is reduction of the sulfur emission level by burning refuse with coal. There is only one non metropolitan application of a resource recovery system in the U.S., located in Ames, lowa. But results from the Orrville study have promp ted a further study of ap proximately 163 coal burning boilers in 12 north central states, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, lowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, to determine the extent to which resource recovery systems may be put to use. The study con ducted by Hitzhusen and funded by North Central Rural Development Center at lowa State University, is to be completed by Sep tember, 1977. Task Force set up to study Blue Shield HARRISBURG, Pa. - State Health secretary Leonard Bachman recently launched his program toward im plementing the Depart ment's task force on Penn sylvania Blue Shield regulation, and at its first meeting outlined file basic responsibilities of the group. “Blue Shield is a non-profit corporation and enjoys special privileges and tax exemptions,” Bachman said. “It is not just another health insurance carrier.” Because" of it's unique status and its special privileges, Bachman said “it has a high degree of ac countability to the public which it serves.” Bachman said that he has created this task force of physicians and consumers to help define what the Department should' be doing to improve quality of care for the 6.4 million Blue Shield subscribers. Stephen Male, director, Division of Health Insurance Development, clarified to Lancaster Farming in a telephone interview that the department is not in vestigating Blue Shield for any other reason than to improve on present policy. Up to this time, the In surance Department had regulated Blue Shield, although the Department of Health had a statutory responsibility since 1938. The insurance Department was more concerned with tbs (Mxwvnm ■ nMM| —ll UIHV^^ Economical thermoplastic U-Trough liner for most new and worn U-Troughs Easy to install by inserting liner under augers 1 Acid resistant and passed by \ FDA Availablem 10 lengths \ Complete with installation ' hardware and instructions -y fiscal aspects of the policy, whereas the Health Department will concern itself with the quality of the care given. The new task force is composed of six physicians and six consumers, with consultant services available from experts in health care delivery and financing as well as Health Department staff. Bachman charged the task force with the responsibility to: 'review Blue Shield’s programs and practices, particularly quality assurance and utilization review and recommend ways in which they might be modified to improve the qualify of care being ren dered subscribers. •review Health Depart ment authorities under the “Blue Shield” Act and recommended how the Health Department should utilize them. •recommend way# in which the Insurance Department and Health Department might better interact in Joint regulation of Blue Shield. ■recommend legislative changes. -review Blue Shield benefit programs and recommend ways in which the benefit structure might be used as an inducement for change in the health care delivery system.
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