A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 14,1990
Farm Forum
(Continued from Pag* AtO)
Editor,
As President of the Lancaster
County Vocational Agriculture
Teacher Association I am writing
in regard to the letters to the editor
over the last two weeks concern
ing the cuts to the FFA proposed
by Governor Casey.
I wholeheartedly agree with
Rep. Barley that Governor Casey
needs to do more than lip service
for the agriculture industry in PA.
It was very interesting to see Gov
ernor Casey’s picture in the Lan
caster Fanning as he visited Lan
caster for the day. Does Governor
Casey realize by cutting the funds
to the FFA he is eliminating
opportunities to thousands of FFA
and agriculture students across the
state? Here in Lancaster County
alone we have over 500 FFA
members involved in high school
agriculture education.
I had my students write a letter
to the Governor and other politi
cians in Harrisburg as a classroom
activity. I was touched by how
upset our students were in writing
these letters. They were concerned
about not only their future but the
future of agriculture. They could
not understand how the Governor
of a state whose major industry is
agriculture, could cut funding to
agriculture so drastically. Even
though they are not of voting age I
am sure they are bringing home
the message Governor Casey has
sent out about his commitment to
agriculture to their parents.
The agriculture teachers of Lan
caster County and PA are also
concerned about our future as
agriculture educators in this state.
In reviewing Ron Fredrick’s letter
to the editor I was shocked to see
how little support is given to agri
culture education on the state level
as compared to our neighboring
states. We as teachers are being
asked to not only teach but pick up
the duties previously taken care of
by state staff.
The FFA is not just a group of
agriculture students. Its purpose is
to prepare students for the voca
tion of agriculture. We strongly
urge Governor Casey to take a
close look at the foundation of the
state of PA and provide funding to
support agriculture. '
Deb Seibert
Manheim Central
High School
Agricultural Department
Editor:
I have read with interest during
the past several weeks letters
which you have received concern
ing Governor Casey’s elimination
of $33,000 from the 1990-91 bud
get to help fund the Pennsylvania
FFA.
I have been an agricultural edu
cation teacher in the secondary
school system in western Pennsyl
vania for the past 25 years. I have
always .been encouraged by the
support that agricultural business
es, legislatures, and interested
community-minded citizens have
given to the support of our agricul
tural education curriculum and the
FFA organization. I feel pride in
being able to deliver educational
information to the Common
wealth’s #1 industry. Agriculture
has always been vital to the Com
monwealth’s economy.
I am concerned about the
gradual erosion that is taking
place in the Commonwealth for
our agricultural education funding
in the secondary programs. The
staff employed by the Vocational
Education Department and the
Pennsylvania Department of Edu
cation for Agricultural Education
is declining rapidly. I am greatly
concerned that in die next decade
or two a large percentage of our
people will be agricultural illiter
ate since each generation of young
people is being removed from the
rural farm setting which their an
cestors had enjoyed. We must ini
tiate a program so that more indi
viduals will have full-time respon
sibilities in delivering agricultural
education information at the state,
regional, and local levels. Too
many individuals are now em
ployed in positions that do not
have the understanding of the
agricultural industry.
I have taught many young peo
ple who have acquired their lead
ership abilities through the activi
ties of the FFA. These students re-
Mower
ceive hands-on experiences and
have an opportunity to apply their
training in competitive events
through the FFA. The $33,000 and
much more should be reinstated in
the Governor’s budget immediate
ly! This money is wisely used as
students participate in local, re
gional, state, and national con
tests.
As a secondary school teacher, I
can see a bright future for our
young people who are seeking
new innovative careers. The agri
cultural industry supplies numer
ous opportunities for these new
careers. Young people need to
have the opportunity to be inform
ed about these new opportunities
which will allow the agricultural
industry in Pennsylvania to get
even better. I am an educator who
is interested in making that com
mitment to the young people of
our Commonwealth by giving
them the information needed to
make wise decisions and the right
choices in preparing for their life’s
career. Is our Governor and the
Pennsylvania Department of Edu
DEMONSTRATION DAYS
* Full Line of Kubota Tractors and Equipment
TI6OOHST
G2OOO
with Grass Catcher
F 2400
with Grass Catcher
Hours...
Monday - Friday
7:30 - 5:00
Saturday
8:00 - 1:00
LEBANON
Rt #7, BOX 405, UtMßon, PA 17042
ffi. 410, i Mil wait at 9ctti*ff#f»t©wn
717-949-2000
See Our Used Equipment Ad On Page C-31.
SKUBOTH
YOU ARE INVITED TO OUR
Friday, April 20th 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 21st 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
New Walk Behind Mowers
New Diesel Lawn Tractors
New 4 wheel STEERING Garden Tractors
New “B” Series w/Bi-Speed Steering
New “F” Series w/Front Mowers and Grass
Catchers w/Hydraulic Dump
New L-5450 (everclutch)
New Portable Generators
New “Mini” Excavator
Full Line of Landscaping Attachments
Ag Tech Preseeder, Grading Boxes
Stone Rakes, Grading Blades, Rototilles
Mowers, Brush Cutters. Pulverizers
Loaders, Backhoes, Post Hole Diggers
Plows, Discs, Cultivators, 3 Pt. Cany Alls
10% Discount on all Tractor Parts and Oil
(At Dealership)
Light Refreshments (At Demo Site)
Lebanon a
V< w
\<v
‘Demonstration
Rt 419 \ »slte
Keller
Bros.
| TRACTORS & EQUIPMENT |
Serving Central PA since 1921
cation willing to make the neces
sary decisions by expanding the
agricultural education programs in
our secondary schools by provid
ing increased funding and addi
tional full-time state staff person
nel?
Doyle E. Paul
Agricultural Education Instructor
Berlin Brothersvalley School District
Somerset County
Editor:
In regard to the open letter to
the Governor, one can hardly
blame the Governor for trying to
save money except this cut, when
examined, closely is ounce sound
and pound foolish. The taxpayer is
getting more for his money in this
expenditure than many other
budget items. It is hard to imagine
the impact of just what the FFA
Foundation does for young folks
of the rural communities of the
Commonwealth.
What else is new? In 1941 the
school board in the school where
my father taught Vo-Ag said agri
culture is no longer important in
the community so why not drop
FEATURING
Myerstown
N
" W —j-E
Ln '
KUB 0 I B
2 Location*
the department from the curricu
lum. That very day the announce
ment was made a Mr. Martin and
Mr. Fctterolf from the State
Department came to our home to
help correct this mistake. With
their help the department stayed
open. There has been a lot of
water over the dam since then, but
it is my opinion the time to stand
up and be counted is NOW. Peo
ple from many walks of life are
led to believe this is the trend so
why fight it
Having taught Vo-Ag for over
30 years, we have been told to get
industry involved in the educa
tional process. We, as a group of
teachers, have worked hard at
doing just this.
It is my wish to get Governor
Casey to do the same with the var
ious departments in the Pennsyl
vania government I realize each
department has its own personnel
and each department has their spe
cific little task to accomplish. Just
think what might happen IF we
could get the Departments of Edu
(Turn to Pago A 29)
- "f?;
L 4150
Schaefferstown
Sales
Parts
Service
LANCASTER
1950 Froltwitl# Plkt, Unca«*r, PA 17601
At Rout# 30 A Fraftvltl# Plk#
717-569*2500
81550
82150
#
J «
L2BSOGST