A 22—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 27,1982
Harrisburg legislators hear from farmers
BY SHEILA MILLER
HARRISBURG More than 500
Pennsylvania Farmers’
Association members converged
on the state capital this Monday,
wearing lobbyists’ hats for the day.
After an impromtu singing of
“America”, the farmers settled
down to an afternoon of
preparation at the Penn Harris
Motor Inn before boarding buses
carrying them to the Capitol’s
steps.
PFA’s Al Myers briefed the
group on significant legislation
moving through the Capitol
chambers.
On the Senate side, bills that are
of importance to the agricultural
community include: the Noxious
Weed Bill, H.B. 1429; the Right to
Farm Bill, H.B. 1823; Farmland
Preservation Bill, S.B. 1283; Milk
Sanitation Bill, S.B. 1350; and the
Milk Identification Bill, S.B. 1349.
The Noxious Weed Bill, in
troduced May 12, 1981 by Rep.
Samuel Hayes (R-81st) is
currently on its third reading in the
Senate. The bill, which had been
passed earlier by the House, was
tied up in a Senate committee since
December. According to Sen.
Edward Helfnck, chairman of the
Senate Agriculture and Rural
Affairs Committee (R-27th), the
bill “will be voted on soon.”
PFA, along with the other major
farm organizations, has been
working on moving this bill (a
follow up to a similar bill H.B. 2360
proposed in the 1976-80 legislative
sesssion) through to the Governor
for signing so that multiflora rose,
marijuana, chicory, Canadian
thistle, and Johnsongrass would be
considered noxious weeds.
The bill provides for the
Secretary of Agriculture to
designate weed control areas and
require land owners to control or
destroy the noxious weeds. It also
allows for penalties to be dealt out
to persons who fail to comply with
the provisions of the bill.
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troduced by Lancaster’s Rep.
Noah Wenger on Sept. 22,1981, also
has met with some opposition
this time from the Association of
Township Supervisors. As a result,
it has been held m the Senate
Agricultural and Rural Affairs
Committee since its House
passage.
When approached by PFA
members about the status of H.B.
1283, Sen. Helfnck assured the
assembled farmers that the bill
was expected to pass out of
committee with some amendments
during the next meeting of the
Senate Ag Committee.
This bill protects farmers who
are carrying out normal
operations against nuisance suits
and ordinances under certain
circumstances. It also protects
expanded farming operations from
similar suits after one year’s
existence.
Predictmg the future of his own
bill, S.B. 1283 introduced in
January, Helfnck optimistically
reported “We’ll get that one
through.”
The bill which provides for a
Lands Management Advisory
Committee within the Department
of Agriculture relating to state
owned farmland, is on its second
reading on the Senate floor. This
legislation, dubbed the Farmland
Preservation bill, provides that
young farm families are given
preference in obtaining leases for
state farmland and facilities.
Currently PDA is responsible for
leasing seven farms and operates
three farms. S.B. 1283 would
authorize the Commission to
receive the lease proceeds from
the farms, select farmers who
would receive the leases, and
make necessary repairs to the
farms. The Commission would be
responsible for upgrading the
properties or recommending sale
with deed restrictions limiting
their use to agriculture.
“It is expected that management
by the Commission will insure that
nnsylvania Farmers’ Association left, Penrose Hallowed, Pa. Secretary of
President Keith Eckel, right, poses with some Agriculture; Sen. Patrick Stapleton; Sen.
of the Harrisburg leaders during the PFA Edward Helfrick; Rep. Ken Cole; and Rep.,
legislative banquet held Monday evening at Joseph Grteco.
the Penn Harris. Pictured with Eckel are: from
the properties become and remain
viable agricultural assets,”
Helfnck said.
The PFA delegates confronted
their legislators on two new bills
they support, introduced last
Wednesday by Sen. Frank
O’Connell (R-20th), Helfnck, and
Sen. Patrick Stapleton (D-41st)
S.B. 1350 and 1349. Both bills have
been referred to the Senate Ag
Committee.
S.B. 1350 would amend the Milk
Sanitation Act of 1935 to add a
definition for manufactured dairy
products: “Milk for manufac
turing purposes means milk
produced for processing and
manufacturing into products for
human consumption but not
subject to requirements of milk for
pasteurization.
“Manufactured dairy products
means butter, cheese (natural or
processed), dry whole milk, nonfat
dry milk, dry buttermilk, dry
whey, evaporated milk (whole or
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condensed skim milk (plain or
sweetened), and such other
products for human consumption
as may be designated by the
secretary.”
The bill goes on to detail stan
dards for the production of
manufactured milk from the
cow to the container.
The PFA members shared their
concerns regarding the possible
loss of current interstate markets
if Pennsylvania milk cannot be
certified as meeting USDA’s
minimum standards. They urged
their legislators to support the bill
since it also establishes
sanitation standards for handling
and processing manufactured
dairy products as a means of
discouraging the manufacture and
sale of poor quality cheese in
Pennsylvania.
The definition of manufactured
dairy products spilled over into
S.B. 1349 which calls for the Milk
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Identification Act of 1961 to be
amended. This bill would give the
REAL seal campaign a shot m the
arm smce it authorizes the
development of specific standards
of identity for dairy products so
that those products that did not
measure up could not call them
selves dairy products. The bill also
establishes penalties for those
violating the act upon' con
viction, they would be guilty of a
summary offense.
The farmer lobbyists were
happy to hear Sen. Helfnck an
nounce the Cruelty to Animals Bill,
S.B. 1208 is “dead”. He told the
group he almost got into a “fist
fight” over the controversial
legislation introduced by Sen.
George Gekas (R-15th). Helfnck
said he tried to get the bill into the
Ag Committee, but it has remained
in the Judiciary Committee
is chaired by Gekas. According to
Helfnck, Gekas has “seen the '
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