A32—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 14,1981
PFA sets policy on animal rights , water rights
BY SHEILA MILLER
HERSHEY Farmers from
across the state converged on
Chocolate Town USA once again
for the 31st Annual Meeting of the
Pennsylvania Farmers’
Association. The three-day event
kicked off Sunday afternoon at the
Convention Center and wrapped up
early Wednesday afternoon with
an ‘overtime’ delegate session.
The annual meeting is a time of
work, fun, comradeship, and
sharing experiences from back
home on the farm for the men and
women of PFA.
This week county delegates
voted on nearly 150 proposed
resolution some rejected, some
accepted, and some amended- and
passed. These delegates also left
the convention with awards to
share with the members back
home, along with advice and in
formation provided by keynote
speakers like Governor Dick
Thornburgh, American Farm
Bureau Federation Vice President
Cecil Miller, commodity adviser
David Sauder, and experts on the
animal rights issues.
Some of the key resolutions
adopted by the delegates were:
★ That PFA appoint a study
committee to investigate begin
ning farmer programs in other
states and then developing such a
program suitable to Pennsylvania;
★ That PFA should take an
active part in educating farmers
as to the pros and cons of the new
advertising program for milk;
* That because Pennsylvania’s
1981-82 budget contains $BOO,OOO for
cost of operation and enforcement
of Pennsylvania’s Dog Law and
because Pennsylvania dog license
fees have not been increased since
1923, that the license fees be in
creased $1 for both male and
female and that the increased fees
be placed in a fund for indemnity
payment for livestock and poultry
destroyed or damaged by dogs;
* That, for Bang’s disease,
cattle dealers be treated the same
as farmers on quarantine disin
fection program; that action be
taken by the Agriculture Depart
ment for violation—licensing
revoked and no member of the
family be allowed to continue m
the same business;
* That all female calves be
vaccinated between 4 through 8
months of age against brucellosis
and that the Agriculture Depart
ment furnish free vaccine.
* That interstate health charts
and regulations controlling in
terstate movement of cattle be
standardized for all states;
* That PFA endorse and sup
port the Pennsylvania Milk
Promotion Referendum and that it
be held as soon as possible;
PFA presents Star ,
Service
HERSHEY Three counties
received the highest honors
awarded by the Pennsylvania
Farmers’ Association during their
Tuesday evening banquet, held
here at the Convention Center
Berks, Dauphin and Union
counties were given the Star status
for having achieved their goals in
seven major categories during the
past year membership gam,
advisory councils, women’s ac
tivities, public affairs, business
services, information and public
relations, and agricultural
marketing activities Accepting
for the respective counties were
John Koch, Berks president,
Bruce Corsnitz, Dauphin
president; and David Dietrich,
Union president
Counties receiving star awards^
* That the importance ot
agriculture be taught in the
elementary grades;
* That PFA support reasonable
regulation to safeguard en
vironmental quality during oil and
gas drilling and development: that
leasing terms remain within
private enterprise; and that
landowners carefully study and
negotiate lease terms before
signing an oil or gas lease;
* That fire companies and other
emergency personnel serving
farming communities include in
their training sessions on the
proper handling of farm related
accidents, such as farm fires, farm
equipment emergencies, barn
fires, silo fires, and manure pit and
silo gas;
* That, as an incentive to any
farmers who would enter into a
deed restriction binding them to
retain their farmland in
agriculture for 25 years, legislation
be drafted to provide reduced rate
of interest loans to those who meet
certain eligibility requirements;
★ That there be no minimum
acreage for an ag area;
★ That PFA support the iden
tification of market hogs through
auctions with the use of slap tatoos
and metal ear tags for feeder pigs;
★ That poultry and egg buyers
should come under and be included
in the Packers and Stockyard
activities;
★ That PFA support legislation
to place responsibility for the loss
of water or water damages by
operations, such as drilling, or
logging, mining, construction, and
to guarantee just and adequate
compensation to farmers for
damages suffered due to said
practices or activity;
★ That each state lease an area
of state-owned land to a private
hazardous waste company for
disposal of such waste;
★ That family farms with
partnerships should not have to
pay FICA tax for children under 21
years of age;
★ That the occupational tax be
eliminated and replaced with a per
capita tax or earned income tax;
★ That PFA oppose a business
use and occupancy tax;
★ That daylight savings time
remain as it is;
♦ That all imported agricultural
products be subject to the same
inspection, sanitary, quality,
labeling, and residue standards
and upgrading a product as
domestic products. Any products
that do not meet these standards
should not be permitted entry,
★ That when an embargo is
imposed against any country, then
all exportable goods should be
included;
★ That the American Farm
Bureau vigorously support moving
awards
for six program areas were:
Lancaster, Centre, Clearfield,
Montour, Adams, Mifflin,
Crawford and Erie.
Five star counties were; York,
Washington, and Franklin; four
star awards went to Bucks,
Lehigh, Somerset, Clinton, Nor
thumberland, Cumberland,
Snyder, Clarion, Mercer,
Schuylkill/Carbon, and Wayne;
three star awards went to:
Chester/Delaware, Blair, Arm
strong, and Beaver/Lawrence;
two star counties were - Indiana,
Lycoming, McKean/Potter,
Juniata, Perry, Bradford/Sullivan
and Northampton/Monroe; the one
star counties included- Lebanon,
Montgomery, Bedford, Cambria,
Fayette. Greene, Westmoreland,
(Turn to Page A 33)
Hard at work, . delegates from Lan- resolutions . jrm organization will support
caster, Lebanon, and other counties around throughout the coming year. Much time was
the Commonwealth debate and move on spent on animal and water rights issues.
CCC stocks to the highest bidder on
the world market;
★ That PFA support the
reclassification of casein imports
so that they are considered as food
rather than chemicals and so that
they will come under the auspices
of and be subject to the minimum
requirements established by the
Department of Agriculture and
support the establishment of
quotas on casein imports based on
historical averages;
★ That a law be passed that
would spell out the standrds for
various natural milk product
cheeses Any product similar in
appearance, odor or taste must
meet these standards or not be
allowed to use the name cheese;
★ That the current annual
registration of commercial brands
and grades of fertilizer be
reevaluated: that the current
penalty factor relating to the
nutrient deficiency be
reevaluated; that deficiency
payments should not be more than
the dollar value of the deficiency;
that the product must maintain at
least 97 percent of total com
mercial value; that a civil penalty
for flagrant violators of the Fer
tilizer Act be unposed up to a
maximum of $lO,OOO on the third or
subsequent violation.
Two resolutions that com
manded considerable tune and'
debate by the delegates involved
the issues of animal and water
rights. >
In their animal rights policy,
PFA members agreed that PFA,
AFBF and county associations
need to work to educate the public
about accepted animal husbandry
practices and the benefits of these
practices to consumers They
voted to oppose any legislation that
would regulate these husbandry
practices, and agreed to oppose
any committee formed to study
and make recommendations on
these practices.
The PFA delegates also spelled
out that research projects con
ducted by the Department of
Agriculture be done to produce
facts that determine if stress af
fects animal health. Their policy
calls for no public money to be
used to advance the animal
welfare cause and that if humane
education is taught in schools, it
should include an explanation of
the practices and values of ac
cepted animal husbandry
techniques.
On the water rights issues, PFA
voted to support the right of the
individual for the use of water in
connection with property rights,
including the management of
water for reasonable and
beneficial use They also support
the concept of empowering the
state to formulate a plan for im
plementation during drought or
other water shortage emergencies,
for management of water use by
indentifying priorities of water use
and that management actions be
taken at various stages of such ai
emergency.
PFA has called for agriculture to
be given a high priority in case of
an emergency situation and
supports the encouragement of
conservation measures. The farm
organization also supports the
property owner’s right to ground
water, that individuals should be
able to sell their right to water in
order to efficiently allocate water
within a basin, andthat individuals
be able to develop water resources
only to the point they unpact on
other uses within the groundwater
basin.
The farm organization’s new
policies seem to fall inline with the
advice the membersreceived from
Governor Dick Thornburgh on
Monday during a luncheon ad
dress
“Demand no less of state
government than you demand of
yourselves,” said Thornburgh,
adding that government should
follow “the examples of hard work
PFA elections
Governor’s Seasonal Farm Worker
Committee.
Eckel is a graduate of Keystone
Junior College, LaPlume, and he
holds a B.A. degree in political
science from Dickinson College,
Carlisle.
Back on the farm, Eckel, along
with father Fred and brother
Doug, milks a herd of 90 Holstems
and farms more than 800 acres in
Lackawanna and Wyoming
counties. In the vegetable and cash
grain business, the Eckels produce
400 acres of com and 280 acres of
tomatoes, pumpkins, and other
truck crops.
They sell over 800 tons of high
moisture com each year and ship
more than 100,000 boxes of
tomatoes to markets as distant as
Puerto Rico. Their pumpkins
make more than 400 kids from
Boston to Baltimore happy each
year as they carve them into
funny, scarey, unique Jack-O-
Lantems.
Cayman operates a 170-acre
dairy farm near Chambersburg.
He is a member of Eastern Milk
Producers Cooperative" and has
served as president of the Boiling
Springs local and secretary of
District 15. He was named
Eastern’s Member of the Year m
1978.
Other farm-related
organizations to which Cayman
has pledged his time and support
include the Pennsylvania Council
and sound financial management
that always have characterized the P
successful family farm. . let the f
General Assembly know you’re £
tired of watching government
spend more than it has, at the- ''
expense of others. ’ ’ t
The governor called for prompt t
legislative action on budget cuts £
and a trimming of the state’s
burgeoning welfare rolls. t
State Agriculture Secretary '1
Penrose Hallowell addressed the
serious farm community problem
litter, during the PFA meeting .**
on Monday. He cited the negative *
impact littering has on the rural
beauty along with the problems it £
can cause by contaminating feed,
injuring livestock, of causing other/
accidents. '■‘3?
Hallowell commended the PFA
Women’s Committee for en
couraging 54 county Farmers’ 0
Associations to participate in the
‘cleanup" program and pledged
PDA’s support in education ef
forts.
“We all have a stake in keeping
Pennsylvania -clean,” he said,
“whether we’re fanners, business £
people or consumers. ’ ’ *
(Continued from Page Al)
of Farm Organizations and
D.E.R.’s Water Resources Policy
Advisory Committee. He is a
charter member of the Franklin
County Young Farmer
Association.
Along with his farm organization, s
service, Gayman also has beeri-Ty
active in his community, serving
on the Chambersburg Area School
Board since 1963 and serving as
school board president for 5 years.
Gayman is mamed to the for
mer Evelyn Wingert, Cham
berburg. They have two son and
two daughters.
Berks County’s Roy Christman,
R 1 Hamburg, and Snyder County’s
Charles Benner, R 3 Middleburg
were elected to the PFA Board of
Directors, replacing Arthur
Hershey of Cochranville and,
Russell Hummel of Selmsgrove I'
whose tenure did not allow
reelection. Directors who were
reelected included: James Cap
pucci, Mehoopany; Frederick ,
Tiffany, Athens; Horace
Waybright, Gettysburg; Joseph
Johns, Davidsville; Mrs. Richard
Rhoades, Emlenton; Elder Vogel,
Rochester; and Fred Slezak, New
Alexandria.
On the Women’s
Nellie Crawford, Port
Juniata County continues as
president and will be assisted by
Joyce Sankey, R 2 Clearfield,- who
was elected vice president. Sankey
replaces Mrs Richard Rhoades. g
G