412— Lancaster Farming, Thursday, December 24,1981
OUR READERS WRITE,
Congress has just completed
another exercise in futility. For
some reason, every four years this
nation thinks it must pass another
farm bill which is progressively
worse than the last.
This year is no different. The
1977 Farm Act had proven to be a
dismal failure, with farm pur
chasing power dropping to the
lowest of this century, even lower
than during the Great Depression.
Changes in the 1981 legislation will
reverse this situation very little.
Pressure by the administration
to beat down amendments which
would have required foreign
buyers to pay a minimum price
which would return production
costs to American farmers is
unforgivable. The end result will
be that Russia will once again steal
the production of our nations’
precious farmland and the
American public will pick up the
tab!
We export over 60 percent of our
wheat production and 40 percent of
our com production. It’s assinine
that we continue to virtually give it
away to the detriment of the
American farmer and the
American taxpayer.
This administration, which was
supported overwhelmingly by
rural votes in the 1980 election,
fought the grassroots farmers and
supported the international
traders and international buyers
on every issue.
The American public should be
aware that legislation which would
Santa Says: Surprise your
cows this Christmas with
their own comfortable
MooMats j
AND OTHER OPINIONS
Americans sold short
protect the consumer from foreign
imports of kangaroo meat and
horse meat which is labeled as beef
was also fought by this ad
ministration. The legislation would
have required sufficient inspection
for sanitation and dangerous
chemical residues.
This is just another case of
having two sets of principals, one
which requires the American
producers to meet stringent and
costly inspection and sanitation
requirements, the other which
allows his foreign competition to
circumvent these regulations and
dump unsafe and falsely labeled
products into the American con
sumers dinner plate. After an all
out effort, the administration was
able to defeat this in conference.
It is interesting to note, the
legislation would have provided behalf of the Solanco Fair
equal inspection for imported Association and the T.H.A.F. (To
equal inspection for imported A Friend) Committee, we
meat. We feel that being equal is would like to express to you our
not being unfair! The consumers of sinc ere appreciation and genuine
the Nation and producers should gratitude for the help and
not sit still and let our rights and Promotion you gave our fund
the safety of the general public be raising event on December 12 and
violated by our own government, *3,1981.
that have sold out America for According to our records a total
foreign interests. of 565 patrons participated in the
We, in American Agriculture, tour of homes. Nearly 265 people
have always advocated farm were served a delicious ham
legislation which would require the dinner at the Hoffman Community
expenditure of no tax dollars and Building, and hundreds more
no subsidy payments, buy, would enjoyed the craft show and benefit
insure a fair price for our auc^on held Saturday afternoon
production at the market place, and evening,
both domestic and foreign. lam The total receipts from the entire
convinced that this legislation will fund raisin g week-end amounted to
$5,451.10. After expenses for food
36 x 60 42 x 72 48 x 65
35 x 65 42 x 84 48 x 66
39 x 65 43 x 65 48 x 72
39x69 • 43x69 54x65
42x60 48x60 • 54x72
43x64 Vz Parlor Mat
do the opposite, keeping prices
below production costs to the
farmer which at the same time
causing a drain on the federal
treasury.
1 only hope, that it doesn’t also
result in the inability of our far
mers to continue to feed and clothe
our nation as well as we have done
in the past.
We realize now, the best grain
lobbyists Russia has, are in our
government. They are bent on
sending food stamps to Russia,
disguised as ‘cheapgrain’.
M Season's Greetings M
I and Best Wishes For»
££ A Happy New Year §
mtmmtmumumvmmMk
10 YEAR WARRANTY.
SIZES AVAILABLE
10 YEAR WARRANTY
Marvin Meek, chairman
American Agricultural
Movement, Inc.
Solanco fund-raiser
WE DELIVER
AND INSTALL
‘Right to Farm ’ applause
The Right to Farm Legislation,
H.B. 1823, sponsored by Kep. Noah
Wenger (R., Lancaster county), is
an important part of the Thom
' burgh administration’s family
farm preservation initiative.
“The House of Representatives
last week, in passing the right to
farm bill by a 179-2 vote, has not
only taken a step toward enacting
a major piece of legislation. It has
also shown that urban and
suburban people understand the
pressures faced by fanners in our
changing countryside.
Although agriculture is the
second largest industry in the
Commonwealth, our family farms
are under severe pressure due to
the conversion of prime farmland
to other uses. In many cases, the
conversion is accelerated by
conflicts arising between fanners
and their suburban neighbors.
In recent years, many people
have moved into the suburbs and
countryside to enjoy the rural
lifestyle and the beautiful open
for the dinner and program
materials for the tour, the net
profit will amount to slightly more
than $4,000.00! 25 percent of this
amount will be given to the
T.H.A.F. Committee and the 75
percent balance will be used by the
Solanco Fair Association to reduce
the mortgage debt on the Hoffman
Community Building.
Again, the Fair Association and
T.H.A.F. Committee join me in
saying a very special “thank you”
to you for your help in promoting
this event. May your holidays be
especially blessed and your new
year prosperous!
Dwight E. Wagner
General Chairman
Kraiburg Happy
MooMa ts
IDEAL FOR EVERY
FREE OR TIE STALL BARN
spaces provided by our family
farms. But often? these new
neighbors have united to complain
about certain unnecessary by
products of farm operations, in
cluding odor, noise and the hours of
operation necessary for a farmer
to stay in business.
In many areas, local ordinances
have been passed which can
restrict normal fanning practices,
causing further economic hard
ships for farmers. Some farms
have actually been forced out of
business by restrictions in these
ordinances.
The legislation, when passed by
the Senate and signed into law,
would decrease the polarization
which can develop between far
mers and new suburban neighbors.
If right to farm legislation became
law, all property owners would
clearly understand the rights and
obligations of their neighbors.
“Family farms have not created
the problems that they face today.
But through a better un
derstanding and protection from
nuisance ordinances, Penn
sylvania agriculture can continue,
its excellent job of providing top
quality food for our consumers at
reasonable prices.
Farm
Calendar
Monday, December 28
Hunterdon County horse and pony
Assn, meeting, Extension
Center, 8 p.m., Flemington,
N. J.
Tuesday, December 29
Lancaster County Conservation
District banquet, Leola Family
Restaurant, 10 a.m., 2491 New
Holland Pike.
Friday, January 1
Happy New Year!
■ VANCO SALES RSBI f
■ RD4, Box 300 IhCbV 1
I Carlisle, PA 17013 I
| Phone -717-776-3494 AdHIHi |
i Please send free sample & installation |
g instructions ■
g Name |
I Address
Penrose Hallowed
Pa. Sec. of Agriculture
Harrisburg