M-Uncaster Farming Saturday, January 25,1992 LEWISBURG (Union Co.) HjO. Water. That word and those letters were probably the first ones we all learned in chemistry class. Water is vital to our health and to the economic well-being of every community in the Susque hanna Valley. It is probably more vital than food, because we can survive on little or no food for sev eral days, but without water, survi val time is measured in hours. Rural areas of Pennsylvania such as the Susquehanna Valley rely heavily on groundwater. Recent studies indicate that the quality and quantity of water sup plies in rural areas may be in jeo pardy because of a wide array of human activities taking place on our land in both urban and rural areas. Despite rather frequent reports of groundwater contamination, few people are presently con cerned about protecting our groundwater. Probably because of this lack of concern, few local gov ernment officials appear to be con cerned about taking actions that would protect our valuable groundwater resource. Because of these studies, about two years ago several Penn State Cooperative Extension staff and members of the League of Women Voters met to discuss the ground water issue in Pennsylvania. Was it a concern of the general public? Should it be of concern? What information was available to answer those questions? Studies indicated, and there was a general concensus among the group, that there was evidence that our groundwater was in jeopardy. Subsequent information gather ing meetings convinced the group to initiate the Pennsylvania Groundwater Policy Education Project. A joint application by Penn State Cooperative Extension and The League Of Women Voters of Pennsylvania to The W. K. Kel logg Foundation was viewed favorably and funding become available for the Pennsylvania Groundwater Policy Education project “We hope to raise awareness of the need for sound public policy to protect our groundwater resour ces,” said Dr. Charles Abdalla, project co-director and associate professor of agricultural econom ics in Penn State’s College of Agri culture. Abdalla said the goal is to encourage citizen participation in Groundwater To Be Issue Of ’9os groundwater policy and land-use decisions and foster cooperation among various public and private groups. “Protecting groundwater qual ity and quantity depends on many seemingly small decisions made by local governments and indivi duals,” said project co-director Edith Stevens, a water specialist with the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. “We hope this project will enhance public under standing of how activities on the land affect the water beneath the •surface.” The first phase of the project was a series of six regional training conferences designed to help mun icipal officials. League members. Cooperative Extension staff, and interested citizens to better under stand the groundwater situation in Pennsylvania. During October/ November, several hundred attended the conferences and learned about groundwater charac teristics, sources of contamination, and local management tools avail able to protect groundwater. Participants learned that local officials have the authority to develop land use regulations that can have an effect on how much or how little we contaminate our groundwater. As part of the Pen nsylvania Groundwater Public Policy Education, a survey was made to determine what municipal officials thought about the ground water situation in Pennsylvania. Twenty five hundred and sixty-one municipal governments received the survey, and 53 percent responded. The survey results indicated that in northeastern Pennsylvania, more than half (SB.S percent) of the officials indicated that ground water is not an issue. Twenty per cent said it was of concern, but only five percent said it was an issue and had taken government action. Officials were asked where they placed groundwater on their list of priority issues. A little more than 10 percent indicated it was of prime importance. Almost one third said it was co-equal with other important issues. Another one-third said it was of secondary importance and one-fourth said it was of little importance. Lack of money, community awareness, and technical assis tance were the major barriers local Bread Price Rise Unjustified , Say Leaders DENVER, Colo. The nation’s bakers and food retailers will be price-gouging American consumers if they raise the price of bread by five cents or more per loaf as recently predicted by the “Wall Street Journal,” Farmers Union leaders and North Dakota Congressman Byron Doigan said recently. To demonstrate their point, the Farmers Union and Dorgan are sending laminated heels of bread and background material on the farmers’ share of a loaf of bread to the editorial and business writers of the nation’s major newspapers and television networks. ‘Traditionally, the heel in a loaf of bread represents the fanners officials perceived to doing some thing about groundwater in their municipalities. When questioned about the types of assistance needed to begin work on the groundwater issues in their com munities, more than half of all offi cials returning surveys indicated they needed funding, education, and data on local groundwater conditions. The survey results indicated to conference participants that there share of the cost of that loaf no matter what the price of wheat is,” said Dorgan, charging that the price of bread bears little relation to the price of wheat. If there were a direct price rela tionship between wheat prices and bread prices, you ought to see bread prices fall when wheat prices decline, said North Dakota Farmers Union President Alan Bergman, a North Dakota wheat producer. “Unfortunately, that does not happen.” Bergman noted that in 1981, a one pound loaf of bread sold for 52 cents while wheat brought $3.65 per bushel; in 1991, howev er, the same loaf of bread cost 73 cents and wheat sold for $3.21 per bushel. In between, prices for ROLLING 0N...1N THE 90 » « m _ __ N X-FOLD PULVERIZERS J2ssu£ll MEETS crush clods and firm the soil for better contact between seeds and soil. Brillion has manufactured Pulverizers since 1895 and dominates the market today. Part of that success is be cause the roller wheels are made in Brillion’s own modern foundry. That gives Brillion a big advantage in quality and price. There’s lots more reasons to buy Brillion...stop in and we’ll talk. Now Available On 20” Ductile Iron Wheels And 5 Year Limited Warranty For More Information Contact Your Brillion Dealer [PENNSYLVANIA! Adamatown ADAMSTOWN EQUIP INC Intercourse C.B. HOOBER & SON Lancaster LANDIS Somerset BROTHERS, INC SUMMIT MACHINERY, INC Bechtelsvllle MILLER EQUIP. CO Lebanon UMBERGER'S OF FONTANA Berwick C.H RINEHIMER & SONS Maxatawny NH FUCKER & Dover GEORGE N GROSS, INC SONS, INC. Nesdmore CLUGSTON FARM EQUIPMENT Easton GEORGE V. SEIPLE Elizabethtown MESSICK FARM EQUIPMENT CO. New Holland A.B.C. GROFF, INC Gettysburg TINGLING IMPLEMENT Oley PIKEVILLE EQUIPMENT. INC, is a lot of work to be done by the Pennsylvania Groundwater Public Policy group and others in Pennsylvania. If you would like to know more about groundwater in Pennsylva nia, call or visit your local cooperative extension office or contact a member of the League of Women Voters and ask for a copy of the publication, “A Primer for Pennsylvanians.” wheat fell as low as $2.40 and bread prices did not decline. ‘There is absolutely no justifi cation for raising the price of a loaf of bread by a full nickel other than greed,” said National Far mers Union President Leland Swenson. Swenson explained that when wheat prices average about $3.80 per bushel the level which has prevailed in recent weeks the farmers share of a loaf of bread averages about 5.7 cents and when wheat prices are at $2.40 per bushel last year’s level the farmers share is about 3.7 cents. “Given that fact, how can the bakers and retailers justify raising the price of bread a nickel?” Swenson asked. Quarryvllla GRUMELU FARM SERVICE Fradarlek CERESVILLE FORD NEW HOLLAND I NEW JERSEY] Bridgeton LESLIE FOGG Tamaqua CHARLES SNYDER, INC. Watsontown DEERFIELD AG & TURF CENTER, INC Columbus REED BROTHERS EQUIPMENT West Grove S.G. LEWIS & SON, INC. | Maryland"! Rising Sun AG INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT Churchvllle WALTER G COALE, INC Elmer POLE TAVERN EQUIP. SALES CORP Fairfield CALDWELL TRACTOR S EQUIPMENT
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers