r ,< i,tnr'i ir ai -"■' 1 **■* w. * ‘.VWI'MNiWLi. ■ a- 1 r\ia ■■' 1 "' VOL 31 No. 24 Senator Wenger discusses ag land preservation “I do not believe land preser vation for agriculture runs counter to development,” said state Senator Noah Wenger. Scheduled to speak to 200 farmers and their wives at the Sixth Annual Farm Appreciation Day Dinnere for Fidelity Bank in Atglen, PA, Wenger gave his thoughts prior to the meeting. “If you have agriculture, you also have agri-business and all the huge manufacturing and distribution chains that make up the economy. And since everybody benefits from ag preservation, it’s a worthy project for everyone to USDA official calls for sheep industry overhaul BY JACK RUBLE Y LANCASTER - All over the country milk, red meat and poultry producers are discovering that there’s nothing free about the free enterprise system. Uncle Sam’s begun buying dairy herds, egg producers have written a surplus hen removal clause into their new marketing order and every commodity group has mounted aggressive promotional cam paigns aimed at restoring that elusive balance between supply and demand. In the long run, everyone pays. When it comes to livestock, if American fanners are producing These frisky steers got a taste of new grass this week while the farmer out on the hill could enjoy the first field work of the season. Colorful flowers, sprouting green*yellow leaves, grass tall enough to blanket the meadows and the warm weather of early spring maks this time of year a welcome respite from Five Sections support. Sometimes’ developers think ag preservation works against them. But that’s not true,” the Senator emphasized. “I represent one of the most progressive areas in the state as far as development is concerned. But we need to look at ag land preservation from a business point of view. Farmers must look at it from a business view and so must the general public.” “The farmer who may have financial problems could look to the sale of a land easement to relieve his debt problem and not need to sell the farm out of the it, then chances are they’re producing too much of it...with one exception. Of all the red meats, lamb is the only commodity being consumed at a •mater rate than it’s being produced in this country, says A livestock and veterinary sciences staff leader with USDA, Hubbard was the keynote speaker at two sheep meetings held in Berks and Lan caster Counties this week. Addressing Lancaster County sheep producers at the Farm and Home Center on Thursday evening, Hubbard warned that the industry would have to come to Upcaster Fannins, Saturday, April 12,1986 "family. Irt that way the restrictions on the deed could benefit both the farm family and preserve the land for agriculture in the future as a benefit to the general society.” In addition, Wenger announced the unanimous senate passage of a bill he supported aimed at assisting farmers whose poultry and swine have been hit with two recent strains of desease. This legislation would appropriate a total of- $1.2 million toward the eradification of the most recent outbreak of avian flu in poultry and pseudorabies in swine. The legislation, which has been sent to grips with its weaknesses before sheep producers could take ad vantage of their enviable position in the marketplace. First and foremost on Hubbard’s list of industry bugaboos is the problem of uneven supply. “This was the number-one problem that the sheep industry brought to me back in 1967,” Hubbard s^id, Stay in tune with how registered dairy cows of all breeds are selling across the country with the new column, Major Dairy Sales and Dispersals Nationwide, debuting in this week's issue. This column, highlighting averages and top selling animals, will appear on page A-34 every week. the cold drab winter. This scene from "Lancaster Farming Territory" came into the viewfinder of Everett Newswanger's camera along Kissel Hill Road near the corner of Oregon Road. Lancaster County. the house for consideration, would appropriate funds to provide in demnification for live birds and poultry products recently destroyed because of the avian flu to clean and disinfect affected premises and to provide indemnity payments to swine owners who slaughter their swine to help eradicate pseudorabies,” Wenger explained. “By securing these funds we are offering both proactive and reactive solutions towards the spread of disease among our states valuable poultry flocks and swine herd,” the Senator said. noting that little has been done'to alleviate the problem in the last 20 years. Although some producers have pointed the finger at the packing industry for not to demand for lamb, the *JHem really lies with producers themselves, Hubbard emphasized. (Turn to Page Al 9) 17.50 per Year “Not only are we providing assistance to those farmers who have been directly affected by the disease, we are also taking steps toward preventing their spread.” Wenger expressed optimism that the house would act quickly on passage of the farmer-assistance measure. The local farmers were invited by the Fidelity Bank to the West Fallowfield Christian Day School, Atglen, PA, on Friday evening for a family style meal to let their farm patrons get to know bank personnel better. Everett R. Newswanger Former editor returns to Lane Farming an interim of nearly 15 years, a former editor of Lan caster .Farming newspaper has returned to the farm news beat this week as managing editor of this newspaper. Everett R. Newswanger, who served first as staff reporter and then as editor for a five-year period beginning in the, sixties has been named managing editor of Lancaster Farming, according to Robert G. Campbell, Publisher of the widely distributed farm weekly. A graduate of Paradise High School in 1953, Newswanger earned credits in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and News Writing from Penn State University. Most recently he was associated with Trade Tech Management, Inc., of Lancaster and was instrumental in the development of a commodities trading system that effectively measures market pressures. Newswanger has served clients in marketing, advertising and public relations both from his personal business associations and as an account representative for the Joseph Hull’s advertising agency in Lancaster. He has written copy for numerous ads, product releases, slide shows and travel guides. As a professional /Turn to P*m iMI