Chester-Delaware farmers hold spring gathering
GUTHRIESVILLE - Over 80
farm families broke bread
together with county com
missioners and county legislators
at the spring dinner meeting of the
Chester-Delaware County Far
mers’ Association at the
Guthnesville Fire Hall, Thursday
evening.
Committee reports, a dues in
crease and a talk by Chester Heim,
Deputy Secretary of the Penn
sylvania Department of
Agriculture filled the evening
“Government is not a substitute
for the market place,” Heim told
the group. “Farmers and the
Farmers’ Association must take
hold of the marketing of farm
products. Government doesn’t
have the final answer to all
problems, no matter what the
business. Basic solutions will be
made back home in the towns and
in the rural areas. ”
Heim cited the gram embargo as
a good example of what govern
ment can do to damage farmer’s
income
“Inflation,” Heim said, “is
escalating costs for producing
food. The costs exceed the income
from producing that food The
balance sheet for agriculture, does
not balance
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"Farmers last year, had -a
seventy-seven dollar net loss per
week due to inflation. There was a
7.18 percent rise in farm prices last
year but a 12 percent increase in
inflation in the same period.
Unless people in this country
recognize the importance of the
agricultural industry, everyone
will pay the price in higher food
costs Members of the Farmers’
Association must tell the
agricultural story to the city
consumers.
“To preserve farm land, we
must first preserve the farm
family,” Heim emphasized.
“When farming is profitable,
farmers will not sell their land for
development.
“More good legislation has been
passed in the last two years than in
a long time,” Heim pointed out
He listed the reduction of
inheritance tax and the capital
franchise tax exemption for small
farms as examples.
He noted that there were 14 other
bills applying only to agriculture
passed in the state legislature in
that period.
“The closer to home we can grow
our food, the less energy will be
used for transportation of food
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from California, Washington and
other western states. It is now
easier for Chester County Farmers
to compete with the western far
mers,” Heim pointed out.
“This metropolitian area
(surrounding Chester County) is a
deficit area for food production
less than half the milk, eggs and
other agricultural products that
are eaten here, are produced here.
Farmers’ Association members
need to take advantage of the new
communications and data
processing technology to market
local farm products in the local
areas.
“Chester is the second largest
agricultural county in Penn
sylvania. Over 900,000 people are
employed in agriculture in Penn
sylvania, making it the second
largest industry Agriculture could
well be the most important in
dustry in another year or two.
There is a bright future for
agriculture if we do the right
things.
“If farmers will become more
involved with the marketing
procedure, there is a bright future
for those willing to work at it
during the 80’s,” Heim conculded.
Leon Wilkinson. Landenberg,
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 11,1981—D9
Chairman of the Legislative
Committee, reported on their trip
to Washington and Harrisburg.
In Washington, they asked tor i )
repeal of the Davis-Bacon act, 2) a
definition of the difference bet
ween a farm worker and a migrant
worker and 3) asked that the
inheritance tax exemption be
raised to $500,000, he said.
At the Harrisburg meeting, the
committee requested adoption of a
once-a-year inspection of vehicles
and consideration of the property
tax issue.
Wilkinson emphasized that other
tax methods such as a business use
and occupancy tax might create
more problems than it would cure.
A 1 Bartels, West Grove,
Chairman of the Advisory Council
Committee said that six councils
are now meeting monthly
throughout the county.
He encouraged other farm
families to get together to form
councils. These councils discuss
current farm problems, then
suggest possible solutions which
lead to policy resolutions and
procedures that are voted on at
county, state and national
meetings.
Tom Wilkinson, Chairman of the
Membership Committee, said that
membership was down a few
members this year. It is expected
that by starting earlier next year
that the membership can be in
creased
He said Janet Robinson, Not
tingham, newsletter editor, had
volunteered time and effort to keep
track of the membership program.
Mitch Edwards, Insurance
representative, Oxford, said that,
“there has been a 30 percent
decrease in workmen’s com
pensation premiums. This has
been accomplished by keeping
track of actual losses, proving that
compensation payments in the
agricultural sector were actually
lower than projected.”
He also told association mem
bers that PFA is now carrying
federal crop insurance programs.
Members voted to raise 1982
dues to $5O. $8 75 stays in the
county for county programs. The
remained is passed on for state and
national activities.
Mary Hawthorne, Coatesville,
Co-Chairman of the Farm City
program asked members to open
their farms for farm-city
visitations held in October. An
nouncements and promotional
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