VOL 26 No. 14
John Biechler does the honors of putting the
flame to the Farm and Home Center mortgage.
The ceremony in Lancaster Thursday night marked
the end of an era for the County’s ag foundation.
House takes first steps on ag areas bill
BYCURTHARLER
HARRISBURG - A bill to
allow establishment of
agricultural areas in Penn
sylvania was presented to
the House Agriculture
Committee Tuesday.
The bill also authorizes
counties to buy and sell
development easements in
those areas
Although the measure was
held in committee for fur
ther consideration, it is
Tobacco buying opens
with 85-cent offers
LITITZ Lancaster
County’s annual agricultural
waiting and guessing game
concerning tobacco ended
this week
Buyers finally moved into
the field in force beginning
Monday and started pur
chasing the 1980 crop at a
price of 85 cents per pound
This initial flurry of
buying activity was much
later than last year when
purchases began before the
holidays The late-January
opening of buying activity
was even much later than
the traditional post-holiday
start
This week’s most-quoted
price of 85 cents for Penn
sylvania-type filler was
above last year’s average of
72 cents. But it is quite a bit
below earlier grower talk
that had centered in the $1
range
Selling activity reportedly
varied quite a bit across the
county.
Areas of greatest selling
activity were primarily in
Legislative roundup
likely the bill will be
reported to the full house as
written with few amend
ments other than technical
changes.
The bill, H 8143, defines an
ag district or ag area as “a
unit of 500 or more acres of
land used for the
agricultural production of
crops, livestock and
livestock products under the
ownership of one or more
persons.”
the southern section of the
county and around East
Petersburg and Manheim
There were spotty reports
ti om the noi them sections of
the county
And in western sections
growers appeared to be
holding their ci ops to a much
greater degree
Among buyers in the field
this week were those from
all major companies, in
cluding Lonllard Corp,
American Tobacco, General
Cigar and Tobacco, Lan
caster Leaf and Owens
Tobacco
As expected with the
excellent curing weather,
the quality of the crop was
reported as good. Good
yields were also achieved
with many running about a
ton to the acre.
Earlier in the buying
season a limited quantity ot
the so-called fancy tobacco
went tor prices aiound $1
and the small amount of
Maryland-type went as high
as $1.15
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 31,1981
Farm & Home Center banquet
features roast mortgage
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent *
LANCASTER - It was a
moment of intense pride for
Lancaster’s agricultural
community when Com
monwealth National Bank
President John Biechler
touched a candle flame to
the four corners of the
mortgage of the Farm and
Home Center and set it afire.
The mortgage-burning
ceremony was the highlight
of the 17th annual meeting of
the Farm and Home
Foundation held Thursday
night/ and represented the
realization of a dream which
began decades ago Nearly
260 people came out to
witness the burning, in
cluding many early leaders
in the campaign for a center
The bill is sponsored by t 7
members of the House in
cluding the ag committee’s
majority chairman and vice
chairman, and the ag
minority chairman
As written, HB 143 has the
support of Pennsylvania
Farmers’ Association. The
Grange has indicated it
would like to see penalties
for early removal of land
from the program. As
written, there is no penalty
provision in HB 143.
A 500 acre area would not
have to be contiguous to
form an ag district under the
bill.
Land used for processing
or retail merchandising of
crops, livestock, or livestock
products could not be in
cluded in the ag district.
The bill will allow any
local government body to
establish an Ag Area Ad
visory Committee to render
expert advice relating to
formation or termination of
ag areas.
H 8143 specifies two active
farmers, two ag
businessmen, and one
memoer of the local
government as members
In this issue
SECTION A: Editorials, 10; Cattle seminar, 16,
Lehigh livestock, 17; Ephrata Young Farmers, 26;
Farm Organizations, 27; York ag business meeting, 30;
Chester Inter-State, 36
SECTION B: Dairymen vs. inflation, 2; Stiff soring
penalties levied, 4; Top Schuylkill herd, 5; Veg meeting,
6; DMSO, 7; VW sheep commercial, 8
SECTION C: Homestead notes, 2; Home on range, 6,
Joyce Bupp, 7, Kids’ Comer, 11, FFA hog sale, 14;
Adams DHIA, 19; Franklin DHIA, 20, Juniata DHIA, 21,
Lancaster DHIA, 26; Dairy Pipeline, 28.
SECTION D: USDA sire summary, 2, More Keystone
FFA’ers, 8; Dauphin DHIA, 13; Upper Susquehanna
DHIA, 15; Blair DHIA, 18; Farm Talk. 20
and many elected officials.
Larry Skromme, vice
president of the Board of
Direc t ors and co-chairman
of the fund drive fpr the
Center, recalled that at
tunes it seemed an “im
possible dream ”
He added* “The history
reads so smoothly but those
of us mvolved know the
Pseudorabies hangs on,
causes cattle deaths
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
LANCASTER - A year
after the initial outbreak,
pseudorabies remains a
serious disease among hog
and cattle operations in
Lancaster County
The measure is completely
voluntary throughout
HB 143 will allow any
landowners to submit- 1 a
proposal for an ag area
provided the owner or
owners own at least 500
acres or at least 10 percent of
the land proposed to be in
cluded in the area,
whichever is greater.
Provision is made for ag
areas which will extend over
township lines.
(Turn to Page Al 4)
Education Secretary
quashes vo-ag scare
BY DEBBIE KOONTZ
HARRISBURG - Earlier
fears and misconceptions of
vocational agriculture’s
diminishing administration
were dispelled at a Thursday
morning meeting between
Secretary of Education
Robert Scanlon,
Representative Samuel E
Hayes, Don Evans of Penn
State and 18 vo-ag teachers.
Said Hayes of the meeting,
obstacles we met along the
way. This week we see
dreams come true all the
hostages were, returned
safely and the realization of
another dream that at tunes
seemed impossible. ’ ’
Before torching the
mortgage, Biechler said, “I
had no feeling that they
thought it was impossible
A total of 32 farms have
been quarantined smce the
beginning of the outbreak a
year ago, according to Dr.
John W. Cable, Head, Swine
Health Division. Bureau of
Animal Industry
Present!; 29' are
under quarantine Dr Cable
said, mostly in Lancaster
County Of the 22 quaran
tined herds, 18 are in the
county, three in Lebanon
County and one in Schuylkill
County
“The disease has hung on
mostly in the same original
area and has not spread
throughout the state,” Dr
Cable said
Among the 22 presently
quarantined herds, 11 are
finishing operations which
received pigs from mfected
herds.
A new problem - spread of
“It was very good and just
what we hoped to ac
complish. Secretary Scanlon
was very receptive to what
the vo-ag * teachers were
saying and was very sym
pathetic He further proved
himself to be interested in
and supportive of the needs
of the vo-ag program, the
adult farmer programs and
evenFFA v
Secretary Scanlon showed
his “interest” by assuring
that no more positions m the
vocational agricultural
administration would be
diminished.
“That was the purpose of
the meeting, to save and
keep in place all ad
ministrators and specialists
of vo-ag and to keep them
working in the extent that
they have been serving,”
Hayes said.
The “diminishing role”
that those present were
concerned about was the
possible deletion of
Vocational Agricultural
$7.50 Per Year
when the committee came to
me with the plan I saw
people who make things
happen.”
Adding a moment of
humor Biechler added, “I
. am genuinely happy to have
this mortgage paid off
because m the mid-sixties a
(Turn to Page A 33)
the disease to cattle causing
fatalities - has resulted
since the advent of the colder
weather
“This problem started
about mid-November,” Dr
Cable said, “when farmers
started mingling their hogs
and cattle, causing a number
of steer deaths ”
Steer losses on one Lan
caster County farm num
bered eight and on another
farm there were 13, ac
cording to Dr. Cable.
“It usually happens that a
farmer will lose a few cattle
before it’s found out what
has caused it,” Dr. Cable
explained
“Then, the hogs and cattle
are separated and the
problem generally clears up
within three to five days.”
Both Dr. Cable and County
(Turn to Page A 39)
Education Adviser, now
being filled by Charles F.
Lebo. Before the meeting,
there was talk of reassigning
him with other duties.
The Secretary further
showed his support by
requesting that the teachers
of vo-ag say what they
believe the Education
Department is doing to help
vo-ag and then to again rate
its work six months from
now at FFA week at Penn
State. Secretary Scanlon will
be attending this event as
will almost all vo-ag in
structors in Pennsylvania.
“Secretary Scanlon gave
every indication that he
wants his staff to be sup
portive. He is concerned
about having the program
flow smoothly because he is
very outgoing in trying to
reach down to the classroom
level. He understands
education takes place in the
lab and the classroom by
these instructors and not
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