VOL 25 No. 7 Temperatures at mid-week set record highs - 66 degrees on Tuesday, 68 on Wednesday. And farmers like Luke E. Martin, Brickerville, took advantage of the weather to get some fall tillage done. But by week’s end the weather broke and temperatures returned to December-like chill. NATO studying Lancaster County Land use planning: the view from outside BY CURT HAULER LANCASTER - Lan caster County is one of two counties in the United States to be the focus of a NATO study on land use planning. NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a group of Western countries including the United States and most nations m Europe. The other county being studied is Rockingham County in Virginia. Currently, Rockingham County is bubbling with controversy over a proposed Coors Brewery plant which many local people fear will be the beginning of the end for one of Virginia’s top agncultual counties. Lancaster County was chosen because of its ex ceptional agricultural tradition and because it currently is m the throes of establishing a farm land preservation program. Conducting the research for NATO is Jose N. DeLima, a Portugese who The chuting match at Farm Show BY SHEILA MILLER HARRISBURG - For cattlemen planning to exhibit at the 1980 Penn sylvania Farm Show, the new ruling posted in the Premium List created quite a stir. The beef people were up in arms about the fact that for the first time has spent most of his adult life in Paris, France. The study, DeLima said, is to be a comparitive one between the Lancaster County situation and the problems in Rockingham County, Virginia. A planner by profession, DeLima brings to his work background from Portugal and France in land use zoning. He said the Virginia situation and Lancaster County’s are quite similar while both are different from the European outlook. In Virginia, Coors Brewery is seen by many farmers as a threat to their land. The brewery will be the first major industry in an otherwise rural county. DeLuna said he found some were willing to sell their land to the brewery while others were unwilling even to have Coors in the county. Questions of en vironmental protection were raised. Some factions seem Blocking chutes banned from Farm Show buildin blocking chutes were banned from the grounds because they were said to be a fire hazard. This ruling has recently been modified, according to Charles Itle, Farm Show manager. Because of numerous requests by cattlemen, the Farm Show Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 15,1979 to believe the brewery will mean more employment for the people of the county and see it as a boon for the area. (Turn to Page 47) The Paul Grim barn, near Virginvme, Berks County, shows off brightly painted livestock against a red background. See related story on page 24. Commission has notified exhibitors that the blocking chutes will be permitted, but not m the building. There will be areas designated in the parking areas next to the beef barns where the chutes can be kept. Why were the cattlemen so alarmed at the original Tobacco buyers active, farmers slow to sell BY DEBRA STRICKLER LiITTZ This week, two weeks ahead of last year’s schedule, tobacco buyers began visiting and telephoning area growers. According to reports, the market opened early Tuesday morning with Lancaster Leaf and House of Windsor, of Yoe, York Comity, among the first buyers. Since Tuesday, Block and the Lorillard Corporations have also had buyers on the market. A. K. Mann has visited growers and examined the crops in the past two weeks. They have purchased some top quality sorted tobacco, but are waiting to see how the grower chooses to strip this year’s crop before establishing a market price., price. Averaging a few cents higher than last yean selling price, the majority of buyers are offering 65 cents per pound for the sound tobacco. House of Windsor opened at 66 cents. Paul Witman of Lancaster Leaf said, “the buying is very slow at this point.” As of Friday morning only a few small crops had been ruling? According to Gene Sweigard, of R.D. 3 Halifax, without the use of the blocking chutes there would have been a significant safety hazards for exhibitors and spectators during die week-long show. Another cattleman Who agrees with Sweigard is purchased by Lancaster Leaf. According to Ray Myers, superintendent of the Lorillard Corporation, it is too early to know the actual tobacco growers response to the 65 cent price. “A lot of the company’s buyers, have not reported back,” herald. Legislative roundu, Eminent domain moves, comp bills face fight BY DICK WANNER HARRISBURG - If Governor Thornburgh hadn’t been under the weather this week, chances are Senate Bill 276, the eminent domain measure, would have been signed into law. The bill provides for an agricultural review board to determine whether or not lands being sought for highways and landfills constitute the best possible use of those lands. Rep. Noah Wenger, who Fred Frey of Quarryville. He said that he feels that the chutes provide spectator protection, especially now since the trend is for more high-strung, exotic breeds to beshown. “Children like to reach out (Turn to Page 36) $7.00 Per Yeai Myers saw this year’s crop as good, with a fair amount available, although there are areas that are mighty thin, he noted. The blue mold fungus and poor weather conditions for curing have had a major affect on the crop. As growers begin to strip (Turn to Page 29) supported the measure in its journey through the House, said it gives the agricultural community some control over the seizure, by eminent domain proceedings, of good farmland. The bill also gives Penn- DOT the right to purchase outright some of the lands it may need for future highway projects. Should those projects be dropped before they get out of the planning stage, the bill sets guidelines for selling the land back to the original property owners, if he wants it, or to another farm user. But movement to reform Pennsylvania’s unem ployment and workmen’s compensation laws appears hopeless in the eyes of Gibson Armstrong, a Lan caster County represen tative who chairs the House committee on unem ployment and workmen’s compensation. “It’s depressing,” Arm strong said this week even though one piece of com pensation legislation did clear both the State Senate and the House. “We have the most liberal programs in the whole country. Some people can make, and they have made, more tax-free dollars by not working than they can by working and paying taxes. “We need reforms badly,” Gibson said, “and some of (Turn to Page 47) In this issue Editorials 10 Berks’ artful barns 24 Lebanon County DHIA 50 The Dairy Business 52 Farm Talk 56 Young Farmer talk 58 Year end tax tips 62 Homestead notes 98 Joyce Bupp’s column 102 Home on the range 104 Meet state dairy princess 108 Lane. ASCS committees 126 Farmers talk farm life 134 The Milk Check 138 Farm Talk
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