A3O-L«ncttt*r Firming, Saturday, May 29, 1993
(Continued from Pago A 1)
‘The basis of the suit was (that
DER failed in) implementing the
regulations or the law in regard to
mushroom regulations and, in par
ticular, where growers were hous
ing four or mote unrelated per
sons," Brown said.
However, according to Brown,
when DER agreed to end the legal
dispute, attention to detail was not
strong enough the agency
promised to include specific word
ing in the new regulations and that
wording is in serious question.
According to Brown, the word
ing does more than address
mushroom growers and doesn’t fit
the intent of the Season Farm
Labor Act
What makes it such a significant
problem for agriculture is that
DER is apparently unwilling to
step away from the wording
because it was included as a term
of dropping the lawsuit If the
wording isn’t included, DER could
face the suit again.
The DER regulation proposal is
on its way to being approved
unless it can be stopped in the
legislature or the Independent
Regulatory Review Committee
(IRRC).
Brown said that members
should contact people in the House
Conservation Comittee or the
Senate Environmental and Energy
Committee. “Those two (bodies)
have oversight and (members)
should express concern over the
issue.
“Contact your representative
and tell them that, as it is, (the reg
ulations proposed) are
unacceptable.”
The intent of seasonal farm
labor bills was to set guidelines to
ensure that transient and seasonal
farm laborers in actual camp situa
tions, where workers are housed
together or temporarily share
rooms in buildings on a farm, are
provided with reasonable
amenities.
However, under the proposed
regulations, in order for an opera
tion to be considered a seasonal
farm labor camp, “four or more
unrelated persons” must be housed
on a farm.
The definition of “four or more
unrelated persons” is one of
Brown’s major complaints about
the proposed regulations.
The definition proposed is, “At
least four persons occupying living
quarters owned, leased or operated
by an employer or a farm labor
contractor where at least one is
unrelated to the others as a parent,
spouse, child, brother or sister.”
Swather's Choice
Alfalfa Hay Drying Agent
Swathar'a Cholca is a liquid hay drying agant that will raduca curing tima by
one-third, soften hay stems and help retain general hay quality.
Proposed Seasonal Farm Labor Regulations
This can easily be applied to a
wide variety of family farm
situations.
Furthermore, when the “four or
more” provision kicks in, DER
would also consider all buildings
on a property as quarters, unless
soley occupied and reserved for
the owner’s use.
This means private residences
on farms would be subject to DER
inspections and regulation, and
any agency involved with the wel
fare of farm laborers would be
authorized to have unrestricted
access to enter the property and
home.
According to Brown, in practi
cal terms a realistic scenario would
be: A dairy farm owner hires a
herdsman and provides a house as
partial compensation. Later, the
farmer also hires his nephew to
help with haying for the summer
with the nephew living in his
uncle’s house.
Under the proposed regulations,
Trust Seeks Nominations For Awards
WSHINGTON.D.C. Amcri- farmland conservation group
can Farmland Trust, a national based in Washington, announced
CVC Has New
Marketing Manager
CARLISLE (Cumberland Co.)
Cumberland Valley Coopera
tive (CVC) Association
announces the addition of Eddie
Parsons as marketing manager.
Parsons comes to the co-op
with 16 years of experience that
culminated in his position as dis
trict sales manager for Central
Soya in northeastern
Pennsylvania.
He grew up on a dairy farm in
Centre County, and is a graduate
of Penn State University with a
degree in animal industries, with
emphasis in dairy science, animal
nutrition, and livestock
production.
His experience in training sales
representatives for Central Soya
will aid in his efforts as he deve
lops the professional sales force at
Cumberland Valley Cooperative.
HAY CHEMICALS AND APPLICATION EQUIPMENT
Available from: • Hoober Mill 717-768-3431
• David 0. Fink 215-767-1408
DER would consider the whole
farm a seasonal farm labor camp
and require inspections and con
formity to all the regulations for
maintaining a real seasonal farm
labor camp.
Since DER’s policy for enact
ment of the regulations is
complaint-based, DER officials
said during the review by the EQB
meeting that the regulation would
not affect forms of production
agriculture other than those that
traditionally use seasonal farm
labor camps setups.
“They basically said. Trust
us.’” Brown said. But at die same
time. Brown said that Secretary of
DER Arthur Davis “was quite for
ward in saying their interpretation
would be... that (the dairy farm
in Brown’s scenario) would
become a farm labor camp and
they were very specific ”
In addition to loss of rights to
privacy by having a home sudden
ly be subject to government agen
cy inspections. Brown said the reg-
IT DOES A BODY GOOD.
avallab,e ' rom Haile
ulations require such things as:
•A mandatary minimum ratio of
window to floor space Cpr each
room, set at window space being
equal to no less than 10 percent of
the floor space. For a 100 square
foot room (10 feet by 10 feet) that
would mean a window of no less
than 10 square feet
•A written lease would be
required, if the farmstead is dec
lared a seasonal farm labor camp.
You can no longer include the
home as part of compensation.
•Well testing would be required
for each residence with a first run
laboratory fee running $BOO to
$1,200 per sample.
•Trash cans would have to be
provided for each residence, com
plete with lids, or else a fine could
be levied.
Brown criticized those who
decided to settle the lawsuit with
such warding.
“The only language in the agree
ment it spelled out this (definition
what makes a seasonal farm labor
it is accepting nominations for its
10th annual Agricultural Conser
vation awards.
The awards honor individuals
and organizations making an out
standing contribution to the pro
tection of the nation’s agricultural
resources. AFT established the
awards in 1984 to encourage
broad participation in agricultural
resource conservation.
Awards recognize superior
efforts by individuals, private
groups, or governmental bodies
that do either of the following:
* Establish or improve upon
public policy that promotes farm
land protection
* Protect the long-term viabili
ty of a specific farmland area,
either by saving it from develop
ment or soil erosion or by promot
ing techniques that reduce the
negative impacts of agricultural
land use on the environment
* Communicate the need to
conserve the country’s agricultur
al resources
Baler's Choice is a buffered propionic acid preservative that will allow for baling
up to 30% mofsutre without corroding equipment.
camp). In our opinion, they signed
(the court stipulation) to get legal
pressure off there back,” Brown
said. “They wanted to get out Groin
under it. Our concern is that the sti
pulation agreement that they
signed tied their hands and said
we’ll do what you want beyond the
•cope of the (Seasonal Farm
Labor) Act
On another front, efforts am
coning from Philadelphia politi
cians to pass legislation which
would provide many of the same
rights to unionize, etc., to farm
laborers as industrial laborers.
Brown said that PFA members
should contact Rep. Robert Bel
fanti Jr.. D-Ml Carmel, who is
chairman of the House Labor Rela
tions Conmittee, and tell him that
as they are, the proposed legisla
tion is unacceptable and don’t let
them out of committee.
Specifically, Brown said, “We
need to make it clear we do not
support H. 8.1050,1051 and 1052,
as written.”
* Display a strong commitment
to agricultural resource conserva
tion by directly protecting farm
land. funding special conservation
projects, or adjusting farming
operations to reduce negative
impacts on agricultural land.
Nominations must include a
one-page summary of the nomi
nee’s accomplishments. Support
ing documentation of up to 10
pages must include three letters of
recommendation, detailed
descriptions or examples of the
nominee’s accomplishments, and
any newspaper or magazine arti
cles. Self-nominations are allow
ed. All nominations must include
the names and addresses of the
nominee and nominator.
Materials or questions should
be sent to the Awards Coordina
tor, AFT’s National Office, 1920
N Street, NW, Suite 400,
Washington, DC 20036. Nomina
tions must be received by Sept. 1,
1993. Awards will be presented at
special ceremonies later this year.
Gasollne/Dlesel Fuel Storage
Tanks Decisions?
Tank Removal Disposal Closures
and Assessments
Bunting Construction Services
(717) 293-8536
Certified Installers #2863
Baler'B Choice
Buffered Acid Preiervatlve
K