VOL. 27 No. 31
Governor Thornburgh signed proclamation
Thursday naming June as the 46th dairy
month for Pennsylvania. Seated beside him
are Charlene Rohrer, PA dairy princess, and
Secretary of Agriculture Penrose Hallowed,
blinding, I to r are; Alpheus Ruth, president of
[ucnigh Valley Co-op; Seryl Treichler, member
lot the dairy committee for the State Grange;
U.S. ag committee
reviews dairy ideas
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A 10-
person U.S. agriculture sub
committee on agricultural
production, marketing and
stabilization of prices convened
Thursday for the last time before
the Memorial Day recess to hear
responses to the emergency dairy
plan, recently proposed by U.S.
Agriculture Secretary John Block.
looser to home, a three-man
teller committee began counting
milkerendnm ballots early this
week. Follow the progress of the
state Milk Marketing Program
beginning on page A4B.
According to John Cozart,
spokesman for U.S. Senate ag
chairman Jesse Helms (R N.C),
more than 100 people, including
legislators and dairy leaders,
attended Thursday’s hearing. By
request, Senator Helms recently
introduced the secretary’s
proposal now dubbed S. 2533.
Under Block’s plan, designed to
reduce record surplus levels, the
U S. Agriculture Secretary would
exercise complete authority in
setting the dairy price support. If
enacted, Block said be would not
adjust the support level until
January 1, 1983. Without the
legislation, USDA anticipates
(vending almost 32 billion this year
m dairy supports.
Additionally, the secretary’s
Plan includes eight provisions
which do not need congressional
approval While most dairy groups
John Biechier, president of Commonwealth
National Bank; Pat Wolfs, director of political
education at PFA; David Roth, PA Dairymen's
Association; Barbara Woods, vice president of
PFU; Rep. Sam Morris from Chester County;
and George Stambaugh, director from Eastern
Milk Co-op.
have gone on record in oppostion of
any agriculture secretary
retaining complete authority, a
number have supported several of
Block’s provisions, such as ex
tending milk markets in domestic
and foreign trade and raising the
standards of fluid milk, to name a
few. For a complete review of
Block’s emergency dairy plan
refer to Lancaster Farming May 8,
1982 issue.
Congressman Rudy Boschwitz
informed the subcommittee that
very soon he will introduce the
National Milk Producers’
Federation self-help plan into the
legislature. Cozart admitted that
many who participated in Thur
sday’s hearings expressed support
toward the NMPF two-part
program.
The NMPF Price Stabilization
provision, based on a beginning
year estimated surplus level, is a
two-tier pricing system ad
ministered by a dairy advisory
board in consultation with the U.S.
Secretary of Agriculture.
For example, if the national
surplus is estimated at 10 percent,
fanners would receive full market
price for 90 percent of their milk.
The remaining 10 percent will
recieve a reduced price, related to
the world market price. The dif
ference between the two prices will
be collected into a fund to purchase
a portion of milk not used in
federal programs.
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Lancaster Fanaing, Saturday, May 29,1992
Right-to-Farm ready for signing
BY SHEILA MILLER
HARRISBURG - In a flurry of
activity, the House members here
at the Capitol moved a number of
key agricultural bills one step
closer to becoming law. Included
in this week’s action were the
Right to Farm bill. House Bill 1823,
and the Milk Identification bill,
Senate Bill 1349.
With a vote of 185-1, HB 1823
received the final approval it
needed from the House before
beginning its journey to the
Governor’s desk. The House
members voted to concur with the
amendments to the Right to Farm
bill made by the Senate. It is ex
pected the Governor will sign the
bill into law sometime next week
Introduced by Lancaster’s Noah
Wenger and 28 other sponsors last
September, the Right to Farm
Gov. proclaims
June dairy month
BY DEBBIE KOONTZ
HARRISBURG - With a large
container of milk placed sym
bolically on his desk and a red and
white "Real Seal” gracing his suit,
Governor Thornburgh signed a
proclamation, Thursday,
designating June as dairy month
now in its 46th consecutive year.
It's only fitting that we sign this
once again this year because a few
weeks ago milk became the state’s
official drink,” he declared before
the signing.
Gov Thornburgh was referring
to H.B. 1351, which he signed on
Tuesday, May 4, proclaiming that.
Milk is hereby selected,
designated and adopted as the
officai beverage of the Com
monwealth of Pennsylvania ”
The governor took the op
portunity to remind those gathered
for the signing that, "Penn
sylvania is proud of its dairy in
dustry which not only offers
nutritious food products, but also
contributes to our economic
g"-wlh by providing quality
pi ou acts and a steady source of
lobs for our citizens.
Time for dairy month
LANCASTER Every sweep of
the second hand brings us closer to
June Dairy Month and our big
salute to the dairy industry in the
June 5 issue.
But there’s plenty of time left for
our annual Dairy Photo Contest
We’re getting a first hand look and
dairy life through the lens of
amateur photographers.
Contest winners can receive up
to $5O for a first-place entry and
we’ll announce the lucky winner in
our July 3 issue. Entries should be
postmarked no later than June 23.
Our photo judges Newton Bair,
Lebanon County dairy agent and
bill's progress through the
legislature was hampered by
lobbying efforts of the Association
of Township Supervisors.
Now, as it undergoes the final
scrutiny of the governor, the Right
to Farm bill stands ready to
protect farmers from nuisance
suits and ordinances as long as
they are carrying out normal
farming operations. No huisance
actions can be brought against an
existing agricultural operation or
an expansion which has lawfully
been in operation for one year or
more
With the final signing of HB 1823
into law, it will be Pennsylvania’s
official policy to ‘ conserve and
piotect and encourage the
development and improvement of
its agricultural land for the
production of food and other
"The Commonwealth’s 15,000
dairy farms annually produce
more than four billion quarts of
milk valued at $1 2 billion dollars,
and we rank among the top five
states m the nation in the number
of dairy farms and dairy cows, as
well as in the quantity of milk
produced, marketed and sold for
processing. Truly, our dairy
families, milk processors and
livestock breeders are helping
Pennsylvania agriculture grow
better,” he stated
Following the signing, Gov
Thornburgh drank from the rmlk
filled giant brandy snifter to
audience applause, and as though
it were his own personal
trademark to the now traditional
task, he uttered an approving sigh
and offered the onlookers a giant
smile More applause followed
In attendance for the signing
were Secretary of Agriculture
Penrose Hallowell, State Dairy
Princess Charlene Rohrer, and
several representatives from the
state’s dairy industry
Art and Jane Myers, professional
photographers are looking forward
to many fine photos.
The contest will include three
categories: Dairy Farms, a dairy
farm in a scenic setting; Dairy
Partners, dairy animals together
with their favorite people; and
Dairy Life, unposed photos of
events as they happen on a dairy
farm.
To assist you in this year’s
contest, you’ll find our handy entry
blank on page A 35. So keep those
entries coming and let’s put your
farm, cattle, goats and friends on
the pages of Lancaster Farming.
agricultural products. ’ ’
With the ever increasing trend
for people from nonfarm
backgrounds to venture into the
country, the state legislators have
realized the increasing social
pressures brought to bear on
farmers.
“When nonagncultural land uses
extend into agricultural areas,
agricultural operations often
become the subject of nuisance
suits and ordinances. As a result
agricultural operations are
sometimes forced to cease
operations Many others are
discouraged from making in
vestments in farm improvements
It is the purpose of this act to
reduce the loss to the Com
monwealth of its agricultural
resources by limiting the cir-
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$7.50 p«r y*ar