A22-lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 1,1992 STATE COLLEGE (Centre Co.) Wayne Kuhns, president of the Pennsylvania Crop Man agement Association, used infor mation from his own fanning experience to illustrate the value of CMA to his operation, at the eighth annual meeting of PCMA. Kuhns related details of his own cropping experiences at the annual meeting of die Pennsylvania Crop Management Assocadon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in State College. In 1991, Kuhns saved $3,500 in crop inputs through following the recommendadons of his county CMA consultant. Through soil testing and weed, disease and insect scouting, he used only the inputs necessary to meet his pro duction goals. Dry weather interfered with the potential crops of com and alfalfa he had anticipated. “Like most farmers, I don’t have $3,500 in the bank from the savings, but had that money to use in other ways on the farm,” said Kuhns. Reduced labor was not factored into his savings figures. An addi tional benefit is the improvement of water quality on the farm, he said. To inform Pennsylvania far mers about the economic advan tages of crop management associ ations and to convey to the public the responsible practices of far mers using crop management associations are the goals of the PCMA, said Kuhns. “We need to be working to achieve these goals,” he said. State Secretary of Agriculture PCMA Meeting Highlights Agriculture’s Condition Boyd Wolff talked about the results of a recent study on, agri cultural chemical use conducted by Penn State and funded by the Department of Agriculture. The study showed that most far mers are using Integrated Pest Management even if they don’t know it, he said. There has been a reducdon in the amount of chemi cal used on Pennsylvania farms. The study also showed that small operation and part-time far mers need additional information and education on chemical uses, and that more effort needs to be made to tell the non-farm people of the use of IPM among Pennsyl vania fanners. Wolff addressed the state’s fis cal problems and said he didn’t hold much hope for improvement in the short term. The Department of Agriculture" is keeping track of nutrient man agement legislation thachas passed the House and is now in the Senate, Weiff said. Someone from the department is to be testifying at hearing which will be con ducted soon on the bill. On another topic, Wolff warned farmers that there has been a request for a 52 percent workers’ compenstation which will affect all employers including farmers. Sen. Roger Madigan of the 23rd District expressed regret aht Gov. Robert P. Casey didn’t even men tion agriculture or rural Pennsyl vania in his recent state of the state address. With agriculture being the number one industry in the state and the state having the largest rural population in the nation the governor could have More rmation \ct Your •N DEALER Ouanyvllli GRUMELU FARM SERVICE . Somraal SUMMIT MACHINERY. INC Tamaqua CHARLES SNYDER INC Walaontawn DEERFIELD AG S TURF CENTER, INC Watt Grava ■ SG LEWIS A SON. INC | MARYLAND ~| MESSICK FARM ... . EQUIPMENT CO RMlnfl Sun t AG INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT Gettysburg YINGUNQ IMPLEMENT Churchvlle WALTER G COALE, INC Intercourse CB HOOBER « SON Frtdirick CERESVILLE FORD NEW HOLLAND Lancaster LANDIS BROTHERS INC I new jersey! r Lebanon UMBERGERS OF FONTANA Bridgtton LESUE FOGG Maxstawny IH FUCKER t SONS INC Columbus REED BROTHERS EQUIPMENT Needmore CLUGSTON •ARM EQUIPMENT Elnur POLE TAVERN u.l, w EQUIP Ntw Holland e*? ce rnop IC GROFF, INC SALES COflP FslrflsW CALDWELL PIKEVIUE TRACTOR t EQUIPMENT. INC EQUIPMENT made comment in his speech, he said. Madigan discussed Ag 2000, a packages of bills to help Pennsyl vania agriculture meet the chal lenges of the future. Many of the bills will be held back because of fiscal restraints at this time, but Madigan said he expects the reg ulations of labeling of organic food to come to the floor and hopes to get a crop insurance bill moving soon. “These are changing times which put pressure on agricul ture,” said Madigan. Efforts are being made to make Pennsylvania agriculture sustainable, the oppor tunity to make a comfortable liv ing and preservation of farm land for the fiiture. Fanners must realize the inter dependence of all crops and the world impact on their frfirms, Madigansaid. “Pennsylvania agriculture is in the hands of the people who make it through the tpugh times and the good times,” Madfghn Sai