Al2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 1,1981
Letters To
The Editor
Cornucopia
In a June 6 letter to Lancaster
Farming, Eugene Cayman of the
Pennsylvania Farmer’s
Association called our Cornucopia
Project study of the Pennsylvania
food system “wishful thinking,”
and accused us of wanting to “turn
back the clock hundreds of years’’
because we suggest that Penn
sylvania needs to become more
self-sufficient in food production.
Aside from his misun
derstanding of our report, it is
Cayman’s thinking that is out
dated.
Under the present system, we
buy food products from other
states, and they buy from us.
There is nothing wrong with this
method, in theory and, to a hunted
extend it will cretamly continue.
But in practice, the current system
is terribly wasteful of energy, and
a bad economic bargain tor
Pennsylvania and its fanners.
Our study showed Pennsylvania
unports over 70 percent ot its food.
Last year we spent $8.4 billion on
food from outside the state, with
more than $4OO million paying just
for transportation. By contrast, we
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sold only $1.9 billion worth ot
Pennsylvania food products to
other states. So our food system
ends up being a major dram on the
state economy.
Because so much food moves
across the country, our system is
energy intensive. For every $2 we
spend on energy to grow tood, we
spend another dollar on energy to
move it around. Shipping food
doesn’t improve its quality, but it
does increase the price. It costs
about $4, for example, to grow a
box of California lettuce, but we
pay at least $4 more just to get it
here.
By letting other states produce
most of our meat, vegetables, and
fruits, we also put ourselves in a
vulnerable position. A transport
strike, energy shortage, or fruit fly
epidemic could cut us off from
essential food.
To suggest the Pennsylvania
farmer be given a better break
when competing against the
subsidized agricultural systems of
other states, to point out that the
Pennsylvania farmer and con
sumer would be better oft it more
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ot our food were produced instate,
is not turning the clock back but
dealing with present day economic
realities. It is curious to us how
someone purporting to represent
Pennsylvania tanners and their
best interests would be so in
terested m maintaining the present
system wherein the Penn
sylvania tanner is distinctly
disadvantaged.
'fen years ago, U.S. automakers
were riding high, earning billions
by selling big, inefficient cars.
When some people warned ot a
coming energy shortage, the car
companies responded by saying
"we’ve always done it this way.”
Then the gas crisis hit, and now we
have a stricken -industry
Chrysler is on welfare, Ford and
GM are struggling, and sales ot
small import cars are higher than
ever.
Gayman wants to ignore the
reality ot a changed world, where
oil prices will only go up, and
supplies will always be limited.
Our current food system made
sense when gasoline was plentiful
and cheap, but it doesn’t any
longer.
Pennsylvania will never be
totally food self-sufficient, and we
don’t recommend that as a goal.
But we think it makes good sense
to do all we can to preserve our
farms and farmland, increase our
self-reliance, and have a system
that is as energy-efficient as
possible.
Medard Gabel
Director
The Cornucopia Project
ijiL m WHATEVER
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Farm Calendar
Saturday, August 1
Holstein Show,
Western Pa
Bulter.
PA Nut Growers Picnic, Miles Nolt
Farm, Manheun, open to the
public, all day long, for more
information phone; 665-5760.
PA Beekeepers Summer Picnic
and Meeting, Lighthouse Youth
Center, South of Chambers-
burg, 9 a,m. -4 p.m.
York County 4-H Horse Roundup
and the Official Opening of
Spring Valley Park,
Shrewsbury, 9 a.m.
Sussex County New Jersey Farm
and Horse Show, through
August 9.
Adams 4-H Swine Show & Sale,
show begins at 8 a.m., sale at 7
p.m.. South Mountain Fair
grounds.
Sunday, August 2
Soil Conservation Society of
America’s 36th Annual meet
ing, Sheraton Spokane,
Spokane, Washington, contin
ues through Wednesday.
Uion County West End Fair,
Laurelton, until Wednesday.
Monday, Augusts
Inter-State Milk Cooperative
member picnic, Dorney Park,
Allentown.
Morrison Cove Dairy Show, Mar
tinsburg, until Friday.
Clearfield County Fair, Clearfield,
until Saturday.
Stanton Community Fair, New
Stanton, until Saturday.
Intensive Alcohol-Fuel Workshops,
Wilson College Campus,
Chambersburg, until Friday.
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Pork Value Conference, Manott
Hotel, Des Moines, lowa, con
tinues tomorrow.
Lancaster County Guernsey
Breeders Field Day, Romella
Farms, 10:30 a.m., for more
information contact Ken
Garber, 717/464-2894.
Twilight tour. Alfalfa weed demo
stration/research plot, Everett
Basham Farm, Cecil County,
MD., 7:30 p.m.
Lancaster County Farm Women
Picnic, Lampeter Community
Grounds.
Lebanon County Holstein Field
Day, 7 p.m. Harvey Bom
gardnerFarm.
Wednesday, August 5
Lancaster Conservation District
Monthly Board Meeting, 7:30
p.m. Farm and Home Center
Delaware Ag Progress Day,
University of Delaware Experi
mental Farm, Newark, De.,
4-8:30p.m.
4-H Achievement Fair, Flenungton
County New Jersey Fair
grounds through Saturday, for
more information contact 201/
788-1340.
Berks County FFA Market Hog
Show and Sale at Leesport
Auction, Show at 10 a.m., sale at
6 p.m.
Dauphin County 4-H Round-up,
- Farm Show Complex, 8-10:30
a.m., continues Friday and
Saturday.
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Tuesday, August 4
Thursday, Augusts
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