Guided growth
(Continued from Page 92)
“Would any manufacturer reduce the size of his work
force working in this more efficient plant if the workers
have proven superior to other workers in the state? Our
farmers are younger, harder working, and frugal, ye t
many of them have to quit farming or leave the County
because of the lack of land to farm.
“According to the most recent crop reporting service
report, Lancaster County produced agricultural crops and
products valued at 385 million dollars. The crop and
agricultural product value for the entire State is $l.B
billion. So it follows that although there are 67 counties in
Pennsylvania, Lancaster County produced nearly 1/5 of
all the agricultural product value of the State. So you see,
when a land use decision is made concerning land located
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in our county, we are considering alternate uses of land
that is agriculturally among the most highly productive in
the nation,” Funk reasoned.
“The fact remains that Lancaster County is a nice place
to work and live. Stewart Udall, former Secretary of the
Interior, speaking m Hershey some tune ago, said that if
he were to pick an ideal community east of the Mississippi
in which to live, he would choose Lancaster County. This
is our problem, our county is just too attractive. I am sure
a lot of counties wish they had this problem.
“I am fearful that unless we guide development a lot
more carefully and hopefully slow down the rate of
growth, our county will not continue to be a nice place to
work and live,” he continued.
“From time to time, the tourist industry here in the
county calls our attention to the economic impact of their
industry. In 1975, the reported expenditure by tourists in
the county was 108 million dollars. This is a sizeable
amount of money. However, in 1974, according to the last
census figures, farmers in the county spent 199 million
dollars on farm production expenses, a sum 54 per cent
greater than the income from tourism. Farmers in the
county also stimulate the economy,” Funk declared.
“As of January, 1974, 112 of Lancaster County’s 672
industries were agriculturally related. Agri-business is an
important part of the County’s economy,” he exclaimed.
“Each year, it seems more of our good farmland is lost
to urbanization. As an extreme example, I would cite
Suffolk County, Long, Island, in New York State. Here is a
county with excellent farmland similar to Lancaster
County. It is a bit larger in area than our county.
However, in the past 42 years, 87 per cent of the
agricultural land has been taken out of production to
accommodate the one million new people who moved into
the county.
“To those who say, it couldn’t happen here, remember
today, Lancaster County leads all counties in the rate of
development. 33 per cent of our county is now urbanized.
In fact, eight of the 12 farms nearest our farm in Miller
sville, are owned by developers. While crops are now
grown on these farms, quite likely development will be
their future use, not fanning.
“For some reason, people and industry are attracted to
the best farmland. To date, approximately one half of
Pennsylvania’s best soils, the levelest, the easiest to farm
and the least erodable, are already converted to non
agricultural use. The reason, it is easier to build on these
soils, it is cheaper to build on these soils.
“A look at a soils map of Pennsylvania will show that
most of the best agricultural land in the state is located in
southeastern Pennsylvania. There, too, is where most of
the industry is located and where most of the people live.
“The same situation exists in Lancaster County. Most of
the development has taken place on the relatively level,
rich limestone soils in the County.
“While most of our building in the past has been on
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 20,1979
“While most of ou
building in the pai
has been on prime
farmland, 1 trust
most of our future
development will hi
guided away from
our best
agricultural land.”
prime farmland, I trust most of our future development
will be guided away from our best agricultural land.
“In addition, I would hope we would use less land for
each home or apartment that is built I am not against
growth. I favor reasonable growth and guided growth.
“I believe we can accommodate the projected 3,000 new
housing units per year in Lancaster County if the housing
density is increased toward the goals set by the Lancaster
County Planning Commission. If this could be done, the
projected 200,000 increased population in our county by
the year 2000, could be housed on less than 35,000 acres of
land. There have been periods in our recent history when
for every 100 increase in population, 75 acres of
agricultural land have been taken out of production.
“If we do as poorly in the future as we have during one
10-year period in the past, six times the 35,000 acres would
be needed. We must not let this happen,” Funk declared.
“I think it is time we treat land as a non-renewable
resource rather than just an economic unit to be traded at
will without any thought of the future impact of such
action.
“Many of us are asking the same question as asked
recently by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Agriculture,
Rupert Cutler, when he asked and I quote: “How long can
our nation permit the kidnapping of prime farmland for
housmg and industrial use before we gravely endanger
our ability to meet the food needs of our people and our
food commitments to the disadvantaged people of the
world’”
“According to the most recent census figures, Lan
caster County is losmg 8000 acres of agricultural land per
year to non-agncultural use. We still have nearly 400,000
acres left. If something isn’t done about this loss, in 50
years there could be less than 100 farms left in what was
(Turn to Page 105)
Amos Funk
93