Ag nominee talks about challenges and the future
STATE COLLEGE - While
farm leaders in Harrisburg took
turns criticizing and com
plimenting Governor Dick
Thornburgh for his agriculture
secretary nomination this week,
Dr. Richard E. Grubb, quietly
went about his university business
at Penn State.
Although the senior university
official remained reluctant to
grant interviews to the press prior
to his confirmation hearings in the
Senate, Grubb did agree to speak
briefly to Lancaster Farming
about some of his general thoughts
on Pennsylvania agriculture.
In accepting the nomination last
week, Grubb called the op
portunity to serve as secretary of
agriculture both “an honor and a
challenge.” When asked about the
challenges of the job, Grubb
elaborated on some of the larger
challenges facing the state’s
farmers.
Agricultural challenges
“To provide leadership at the
state level for the state’s most
important economic industry is a
real challenge.” says Grubb.
“Farming itself has changed so
drastically in the past decade or
two, that we have to be very
supportive in terms of information
and programs.”
“It’s not enough today to be a
good crop manager or a good
livestock manager, a farmer has
got to also be a good financial
manager,” he adds.
And in that area of fmances,
Grubb believes a new challenge
has presented itself, partly
because of the recent media blitz
on farm debt.
“Although farmers in Penn
sylvania are under financial
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pressure, in my own opinion
they’re in a better fiscal position
than the national average,”
continued Grubb. “For example, I
think we have a lower debt-to-asset
ratio.”
“However, because of the
publicity, banks are awfully
cautious to lend money to farmers
and this creates a cash flow
problem.
“This is a real challenge. We
have got to build confidence among
our banking community, for
example.”
Other challenges arise, says
Grubb, because of the myriad
factors that impact on agriculture
today.
“Farming’s a complex
business.” states Grubb, “There
are many factors involved. Some
of them are national, some of them
are international in scope, and
some are simply reflecting local
conditions.”
‘ ‘Then if you look at other factors
... falling or rising land prices,
interest rates, shifting markets,
surpluses in some commodities
and even changes in the world
economy can impact on the far
ming industry.”
One specific example offered by
Grubb is the country’s changing
nutritional habits, which are felt
directly on the farm.
“You know I about die when I
pick up a leading national business
magazine and on the cover is a
plate with an egg and a strip of
bacon.
“And when it talks about
cholesterol, you have to ask what
impact is that going to have on our
poultry industry or swine in
dustry?”
“So farming’s a very complex
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business. That’s why it’s a
challenge.”
Future looks bright
But these challenges in no way
dim Grubb’s view of the future of
Pennsylvania agriculture.
“If you look at Pennsylvania
agriculture, ... I think the future
looks awfully bright for several
reasons.
“First, look at the diversity of
our agriculture,... and then couple
that with what I think is our
natural climatic and soil con
ditions that are so desirable for
agriculture.”
Then the final ingredient, states
Grubb optimistically, is the
proximity of the metropolitan
markets. “The markets ... are
right here at our doorstep, so we
don’t have the tremendous tran
sportation costs of getting our
produce clear across the country,”
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“You put all those together, the
very makeup of our farm com
munity, I think we can compete
better than any other state in the
nation,” he emphasizes.
No specifics now
Other than comments about
challenges and the future of
agriculture, Grubb refuses to get
into specifics on any department
programs or current farm issues in
the state.
“You know I do have my
opinions, but for me to talk about
what the department should be
doing could be a criticism of what
they are doing,” remarks Grubb.
“I really shouldn’t get into that
because I have no official capacity
with the department of
Farm groups split
(Continued from Page Al)
Blake said they have already
contacted the Senate leadership to
inform them of the Grange’s
support of the Grubb nomination.
the state Senate will have 25
legislative days to confirm the
governor’s nomination. When the
Senate reconvenes on May 28th,
the nomination will be m its fourth
legislative day.
PFA leader Keith Eckel said
they will also take their argument
to the state Senate and urge PFA
members to talk to their senators
and lobby for a nominee who can
understand the needs of farmers.
When asked who his organization
supports for the agriculture post,
Eckel said PFA does not want to
name other individuals, although
the candidate should meet their
criteria of activity in production
agriculture and knowledge of
agriculture issues and the
department.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 18,1985-A25
agriculture. Once confirmed I will
be happy to get into these issues,”
he says.
Paralleling his reluctance to
comment on any specific depart
ment of agriculture programs or
any specific farm issues, Grubb is
also very cautious in his remarks
about PFA’s criticism of Thorn
burgh’s selection.
“The Pennsylvania Farmers’
Association is a fine organization,”
says Grubb. “There are many fine
agricultural organizations around
the state.
“I think the leadership of the
PFA certainly has every right to
have their prototype of who’s going
But Moyle, of the governor’s
press office, said that in
discussions prior to the nomination
decision, PFA would submit only
one name for the post, that of
Deputy Agriculture Secretary
Chester Heim.
Eckel also denied that he had
any interest in taking the
nomination. “I believe a farm
leader as president of the largest
farm organization in the state is a
far more effective representative
of the needs and interests of far
mers.”
While PFA and the State Grange
took sides on the nomination issue
this week, the Pennsylvania
Farmers’ Union remained neutral
on Grubb’s selection.
PFU representative Cheryl Cook
stated that PFU leaders had no
comment about the nomination
until they could meet with Grubb
and learn more about his
qualifications.
Refuting the criticism
(Turn to Page A 35) t